|
|
Topics for Writing AssignmentsThese topics are arranged into five categories: narration and description, comparison and contrast, classification and definition, process and cause-effect, argument and persuasion. Most of the topics require little or no specialized information; the writing can be based on the writer’s own experiences. Some topics, however, require specialized information; the writer may have to do some research.
A. Topics which involve narration and/or description
A01. Write about a frightening experience that you have had.
A02. Write about a funny experience that you have had.
A03. Write about a surprising experience that you have had.
A04. Write about an embarrassing experience that you have had.
A05. Write about an exciting experience that you have had.
A06. Think about your first day in this class. Tell your reader about what you did, saw, heard, thought, and felt.
A07. What did you do yesterday? Tell your reader about what you did, saw, heard, thought, and felt.
A08. Write about a good or bad experience that you had during the process of registering for classes this quarter.
A09. Can you think of something (an object) that everybody needs? Tell your reader about it. Identify it, describe it, and explain why everybody needs it.
A10. Tell your reader about an important event in the history of your country.
A11. Have you ever had a really bad day? Have you ever had a day when just about everything went wrong, a day full of bad luck? Tell your reader about what happened that day.
A12. Think about a bad day you experienced. If you could relive that day, what would you do? Why?
A13. Think about how you will spend your next vacation. Tell your reader about what you plan to do.
A14. Tell your reader about what you consider the ideal place for a vacation.
A15. Think about the school you are attending. Are there some changes that should be made to make it a better school? Tell your reader about two or three changes that you would like to see.
A16. What time is it right now in your country? Think about your friends and relatives there. Tell your reader about what you think they are doing at this moment.
A17. Think about your childhood. You can probably remember several experiences that taught you something about life or about yourself. Tell your reader about one of these experiences. Describe it in detail. Explain what you learned.
A18. Think about something you did that you now wish you had not done. Tell your reader about it. What did you do? Why do you now wish you had not done it? What would you do differently if you could relive that experience?
A19. Imagine that a friend from your country is going to come to the US for a one-month vacation. Your friend has never been to the US before, but s/he understands English very well. Write a letter to your friend (in English, of course). Give him/her advice and recommendations.
A20. Tell your reader about a bad habit that you used to have. What was it? How were you able to stop it? What advice do you have for others with a similar bad habit?
A21. Imagine that a very rich person has offered to give you one million dollars if you will do exactly what s/he tells you to do. What would you be willing to do for one million dollars? What would you refuse to do? Tell your reader about what you would and would not do for one million dollars.
A22. Choose a proverb (in English or in your language) that you are familiar with. Describe an experience that you or someone you know has had which illustrates the truth of this proverb.
A23. Here are some proverbs known by just about every speaker of American English:
Never count your chickens before they hatch.
Rome was not built in a day.
Too many cooks spoil the soup.
If at first you don’t succeed, try again.
Tell your reader about an experience that you or someone you know has had which illustrates the truth of one of these proverbs.
A24. Think about your own life ten years from now. Where will you live? Who will you be living with? What kind of work will you do? Tell your reader about what you expect your life to be like ten years from now.
A25. Describe the best course you have ever taken.
A26. Think about the school you are now attending. What do you like about it? What do you dislike? Tell your reader about your school’s strengths and weaknesses.
A27. Choose a simple object (a pair of glasses, a ball-point pen, a credit card,…) and write a detailed description of that object.
A28. Describe an imaginary room that you would like to spend time in. Describe the room in detail. Tell your reader why you would like it.
A29. Describe a room that you like to spend time in. It can be a room in your home, or in a friend’s home, or in a public place such as a restaurant or library. Describe the room in detail. Tell your reader why you like it.
A30. Think about your life in the US. Is there something about it that you like very much? Is there something that you dislike? Tell your reader about an aspect of life in the US that you especially like or dislike.
A31. Describe a photograph. It can be a photograph that you or someone you know took, or it can be from a magazine. Describe the photograph in detail. Tell your reader why you chose this photograph.
A32. Write about a surprise that you have experienced. Tell your reader about what happened, where it happened, and your feelings. Describe the situation first and lead up to the surprise. Try to surprise your reader.
A33. Describe an incident in your past that was important for you. Describe the incident in detail. Tell your reader why this incident was important.
A34. Imagine that you are 90 years old. Write a letter to a young person (17 years old). Tell that young person about your life when you were 17 and about what you think his/her life will be like. Give the young person some advice based on your experience.
A35. Go to a public place (library, coffee shop, mall, park,…), sit in one spot for 15 minutes, and write about what you see. Describe the setting, the people, and the activities in detail.
A36. Interview someone you know. Find out what s/he usually does on a weekend. Then tell your reader about how this person spends a typical weekend.
A37. Think about your native country. Tell your reader something about its history.
A38. Think about your native country. Tell your reader something about its government.
A39. Think about your native country. Tell your reader something about its geography.
A40. Write about an important person who is now dead. Tell your reader who the person was and what s/he did that was important. Also tell your reader about what the person had done before s/he did something important and about two things that happened at the same time in his/her life.
A41. Write about a person who is alive. It can be someone you admire, or it can be someone who is famous in your country. Tell your reader about what this person did in the past and about this person’s life at present. Tell your reader why you chose to write about this person.
A42. Write about a place (a country, a part of a country, a city) that you have lived in or visited. Tell your reader lots of details about this place: location, people, language, schools, government, rivers, mountains, parks, buildings, food,….
A43. Write about a person you know who is very good at his job. Describe the person, the workplace, and the work. Tell your reader how this person feels about his/her job.
A44. Think about the things you use regularly (for example, your car, your pen, your keyboard, your bicycle, your backpack,…). Is there one that is badly designed? If so, write about it. Describe it. Tell your reader exactly what is wrong with it.
A45. Listen to a conversation between two people for at least 10 minutes. You can do this in a public place such as a restaurant, or you can do it at home with members of your family, or you can watch a talk show on TV. Take detailed notes. Then tell your reader as much as possible about the conversation. Do not use any direct quotations.
A46. Write about a time when you helped someone or when someone helped you. What happened? When? Where? Who was involved? Why? What were the results?
A47. Make a list of everything you eat in one day. Then think about your list and tell your reader about your reactions to it. Is your diet nourishing or do you eat mostly junk food? Why do you eat what you eat? How is your diet affected by religion, money, time, other people,…?
A48. Think about your first few months in the US. Tell your reader about an experience that you had that involved cultural differences. Give your reader lots of details about the time, the setting, and the people involved.
A49. When people travel in a foreign country, they often try to learn a little of the language of that country. What are some other things that are important for people to know before they visit foreign countries? Tell your reader about them. Try to give some examples from your own experience.
Additional topics will be added at some future time.
|
|
|
