1.

Narrative Essays: Telling a Story

In a narrative essay, the writer tells a story about a real-life experience. While telling a story may sound
easy to do, the narrative essay challenges students to think and write about themselves. When writing a
narrative essay, writers should try to involve the reader by making the story as vivid as possible. The fact
that narrative essays are usually written in the first person helps engage the reader. “I” sentences give
readers a feeling of being part of the story. A well-crafted narrative essay will also build towards drawing
a conclusion or making a personal statement.

2. Descriptive Essays: Painting a Picture

A cousin of the narrative essay, a descriptive essay paints a picture with words. A writer might describe a
person, place, object, or even memory of special significance. However, this type of essay is not
description for description’s sake. The descriptive essay strives to communicate a deeper meaning
through the description. In a descriptive essay, the writer should show, not tell, through the use of
colorful words and sensory details. The best descriptive essays appeal to the reader’s emotions, with a
result that is highly evocative.

3. Expository Essays: Just the Facts

The expository essay is an informative piece of writing that presents a balanced analysis of a topic. In an
expository essay, the writer explains or defines a topic, using facts, statistics, and examples. Expository
writing encompasses a wide range of essay variations, such as the comparison and contrast essay, the
cause and effect essay, and the “how to” or process essay. Because expository essays are based on facts
and not personal feelings, writers don’t reveal their emotions or write in the first person.

4. Persuasive Essays: Convince Me

While like an expository essay in its presentation of facts, the goal of the persuasive essay is to convince
the reader to accept the writer’s point of view or recommendation. The writer must build a case using
facts and logic, as well as examples, expert opinion, and sound reasoning. The writer should present all
sides of the argument, but must be able to communicate clearly and without equivocation why a certain
position is correct.

Format of an Essay

Now there is no rigid format of an essay. It is a creative process so it should not be confined within
boundaries. However, there is a basic structure that is generally followed while writing essays. So let us
take a look at the general structure of an essay.
Introduction

This is the first paragraph of your essay. This is where the writer introduces his topic for the very first
time. You can give a very brief synopsis of your essay in the introductory paragraph. Some paragraph
writing skills can be a help here. Generally, it is not very long, about 4-6 lines.

There is plenty of scopes to get creative in the introduction of essays. This will ensure that you hook the
reader, i.e. draw and keep his attention. So to do so you can start with a quote or a proverb. Sometimes
you can even start with a definition. Another interesting strategy to engage with your reader is to start
with a question.

Body

This is the main crux of your essays. The body is the meat of your essay sandwiched between the
introduction and the conclusion. So the most vital and important content of the essay will be here. This
need not be confined to one paragraph. It can extend to two or more paragraphs according to the
content.

Usually, we have a lot of information to provide in the body. And the mistakes writers generally make is
to go about it in a haphazard manner which leaves the reader confused. So it is important to organize
your thoughts and content. Write the information in a systematic flow so that the reader can
comprehend. So, for example, you were narrating an incident. The best manner to do this would be to go
in chronological order.

Learn more about Story Writing here in detail.

Conclusion

This is the last paragraph of the essay. Sometimes a conclusion will just mirror the introductory
paragraph but make sure the words and syntax are different. A conclusion is also a great place, to sum
up, a, story or an argument. You can round up your essay by providing some moral or wrapping up a
story. Make sure you complete your essays with the conclusion, leave no hanging threads.

Tips for Essay Writing

Give your essays an interesting and appropriate title. It will help draw the attention of the reader and
pique their curiosity

Keep it between 300-500 words. This is the ideal length, you can take creative license to increase or
decrease it

Keep your language simple and crisp. Unnecessary complicated and difficult words break the flow of the
sentence.

Do not make grammar mistakes, use correct punctuation and spellings. If this is not done it will distract
the reader from the content

Before beginning the essay organize your thought and plot a rough draft. This way you can ensure the
story will flow and not be an unorganized mess.

Narrative forms have been subject to classification by literary theorists, in particular during the 1950s, a
period which has been described metaphorically as the Linnaean period in the study of narrative.[1]

Narrative forms include:

Autobiography – a detailed description or account of the storyteller's own life.

Biography – a detailed description or account of someone's life.

Captivity narrative – a story in which the protagonist is captured and describes their experience with the
culture of their captors.

Epic – a very long narrative poem, often written about a hero or heroine and their exploits.

Epic poem – a lengthy story of heroic exploits in the form of a poem.

Fable – a didactic story, often using animal characters who behave like people.
Fantasy – a story about characters that may not be realistic and about events that could not really
happen.

A folk tale – an old story which has been passed down orally and which reveals the customs of a culture.

Historical fiction – stories which take place in real historical settings and which often feature real
historical figures and events, but which center on fictional characters or events.

Legend – a story that is based on fact but often includes exaggerations about the hero (e.g. the East
African legend of Fumo Liyongo in the coast of Kenya).

Memoir – similar to an autobiography, except that memoirs generally deal with specific events in the life
of the author.

Myth – an ancient story often meant to explain the mysteries of life or nature.

News – information on current events which is presented by print, broadcast, Internet, or word of mouth
to a third party or mass audience.

Nonlinear narrative – a story whose plot does not conform to conventional chronology, causality, and/or
perspective.

Novel – a long, written narrative, normally in prose, which describes fictional characters and events,
usually in the form of a sequential story.

Novella – a written, fictional, prose narrative normally longer than a short story but shorter than a novel.

Parable – a succinct, didactic story, in prose or verse, which illustrates one or more instructive lessons or
principles.

Play – a story that is told mostly through dialogue and is meant to be performed on stage.

Quest narrative – a story in which the characters must achieve a goal. This includes some illness
narratives.

Realistic fiction – stories which portray fictional characters, settings, and events that could exist in real
life.

Short story – a brief story that usually focuses on one character and one event.

Tall tale – a humorous story that tells about impossible happenings, exaggerating the hero's
accomplishments.

Types of Description

Subjective description conveys the writer's individual view or opinion about the subject being described.
Example: an eatery review or movie review.
Objective description emphasizes the actual qualities of what is being described. It is factual neglecting
the writer’s attention or writers feelings. The words are neutral in an objective description because they
don't carry any emotional claim.

The figurative description depends on creating similarities between objects, frequently through simile
(e.g. bright as the moon, or fragile as a snowflake) or metaphor. Such similarities allow the reader to
observe the entity more accurately.

The 6 types of expository writing assignments

To write an excellent essay is not easy at all, especially when you've been told to write a specific type. As
it was said before, there are six major types of expository writing assignments, and you should learn how
to write these essays and how to differ them if you want to get the best grade and spend minimum time
and efforts.

Number one: The cause and effect essay

The cause and effect essay is built around the reasons that caused something and the results. Here, you
need to ask yourself the two key questions: "Why did it happen?" and "What is/might be/will be the
outcome of this?" Looking more closely at its structure, you can see that writers usually use either the
block or the chain order. Choosing the block structure, firstly, you write all of the causes and then all of
the effects. In the chain structure, each of your causes is followed by the impact straight away. To write a
meaningful essay, you should consider making a detailed cause-and-effect outline first. That will
definitely help you structurize the data well.

Number two: The problem and solution essay

In a problem and solution essay, the writer raises the issue of a particular situation and proposes the
best solution. It is necessary to examine the subject matter from various angles and perspectives prior to
starting anything. Also, it is worth mentioning that this type is in some way similar to the cause and
effect essay, especially regarding structure. To get it right, you need to clearly define the audience first
because you'd need to get them to read your essay to the end. Try to persuade them and prove that your
solution is far better than any existing ones. In this regard, it might be something that is not hard to
realize or significantly lowers the expenditures.
Number three: The classification essay

In a classification essay, a broad topic is divided into various groups and meticulously sorted. Firstly, the
writer explains a certain subject generally and then dives into each part in detail. As your regular essay,
this type of task should contain at least five paragraphs: an introduction, three or more body paragraphs,
and a conclusion. One of the most important things to remember is that you must use only one method
when you categorize everything. Another aspect of this type that influences the quality is by providing
solid examples for each group. Also, make sure to clearly define the categories and encompass
everything within each of those.

The main idea should be disclosed in the introduction paragraph. Thus, the first paragraph explains the
thesis. The body paragraphs determine various categories along with examples in separate sections. In
the conclusion paragraph, the writer should summarize the groups and mention the significance of
classification.

Number four: The comparison and contrast essay

In brief, the comparison and contrast essay focuses on similarities and differences between two notions,
objects or events. Like in the cause/effect paper, this one uses the same structures: a block or a point-by-
point structure. Using the block structure means that you give all the information about one object being
compared or contrasted and then about the other. When using the point-by-point structure, each
similarity or difference, for one thing, is followed by the resemblance or contrast for the other. Make
sure you research the subject well enough to elaborate on every aspect. Work extra on your thesis
statement because you'd need to emphasize it in your conclusion section.

Number five: The definition essay

The definition essay provides an explanation of a complicated term or concepts that might imply very
different things to different people depending on their background and standpoint. In the introduction of
the essay, firstly, you must give a standard definition of the word (i.e., from a trustworthy dictionary).
After that, provide the definition which combines your own experience and thoughts. In the body
paragraphs, you should break the definition down into organized sections. For example, the very first
body-section paragraph may include the origin of the term, the second — a clarification of possible
misinterpretations, the third — your personal definition, based on your experience with examples. In the
conclusion part, you should summarize the main points of your argument. When choosing the topic, be
sure to pick something more or less familiar to you. This way you will spend less time researching.
Number six: The process essay

This type also goes under a "how-to essay" name. It explains the procedures (or necessary steps)
involved in doing something. For example, how to sew a dress or how to repair a car engine. In the
introduction, you may tell about the problem. And, in the last sentence of the paragraph, you can write
more about how to solve it. The body paragraphs contain the main steps you should take to complete
the process. In the conclusion paragraph, you should remind the reader of the importance of this
process or how the result should actually look like. To not dig into complicated things, try to think of your
daily life and the processes you often repeat. Some of those might need an extra explanation and
become an excellent basis for your essay.

Narrative essay topic

My childhood years

My most memorable school years

My travel experience

My family traditions

My experience of living in a hostel

How I maintain relationships

The major events that shaped my life

Life as a college student

How computer literacy has helped me

The first novel that I read

Why I enjoy mountain climbing

How I survived my first speech

My first time abroad

The worst day of my life

What I wish I knew back them

What makes me stand out

Have you ever felt a need to impress others?

Things my parents taught me

What I could change in the history of mankind

What I would do with a billion dollars

Losing a close friend

My favorite childhood stories

What my first day at school felt like

How I relax after a long day

Things I would do if I became famous

My favorite subjects in middle school

How I overcame my greatest fear

My greatest accomplishments

Things I love about myself

My favorite musician

My first short story

My first relationship

Things I do to relieve stress

How I handle depression

People who have an impact on my life

My favorite activities

The role of social media in my life

The worst argument in my life

My favorite family vacation

Places I wish to visit

My role model

Why I like camping

My favorite childhood memory

My favorite activities with my friends

The first time I argued with my best friend

My first heartbreak

How I can change the world

Things I could tell my younger self

How I maintain my relationship with my family

The most important principle in life

Why I find my cat funny

Teachers who inspire me

Why I keep a diary

My favorite poem

The best television shows of my childhood

My favorite author

How technology affects my life

How I overcame my fear of giving speeches

The toughest thing I’ve ever done

The most difficult thing I’ve ever done

What I regret most

How I was motivated to write my thesis for me

How I overcome challenges

My first time alone

Descriptive essay
The title of my first article

My favorite movie

2. My favorite movie character

3. The book I love the most

Write about your favorite book - a novel, a volume of essays, scientific monograph, etc. Do you have a
hard copy of it at home?

4. The house of my dreams

Here you need to use your imagination for the most part. Try not only to describe the exterior and
interior of the house, but also the feelings related to it.

5. My best friend

Who is your best friend and why? Do you remember the first time you met?

6. My first trip overseas

Where did you go and when? What had you expected before the trip started? What was the most
important thing you still remember?

7. My first memory

This is a serious topic for a descriptive essay which can make you very excited (and even sad), so don’t
pick it up if you do not feel comfortable writing about it.

8. My first love

This is another topic for a descriptive essay which can be exciting. Make sure to write an essay and not a
short diary of your romantic feelings.

9. The concert which I will never forget

You have perhaps attended many concerts but which one will stay in your memory forever?
10. My first encounter with the internet

If you belong to the Millennium generation, this descriptive essay topic will not be suitable for you; in
any other case, you can write about your first feelings and experiences while dealing with the internet.

11. My favorite music style

What exactly do you like about this style? What feelings, associations you have while listening to it?

12. My first tears of joy

Strangely, but sometimes happiness is expressed with tears. What happened and when?

13. My first flight

Many people say they were afraid before boarding the plane for the first time. Did you have the same
feeling? What did you feel while looking at the earth from above?

14. My longest trip

Not everyone likes long journeys. Did you have the same feeling and where did you go to?

15. My dream career

What is your favorite profession and why?

DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY TOPICS: GEOGRAPHY AND TRAVELING (REAL AND IMAGINABLE)

These descriptive essay topic ideas are related to your observation skills. Here you can write not only
about the things you have experienced but also about objects and things which you have seen only on
TV. For example, an essay on the first topic can tell your personal story but it can also be based on your
imagination.
16. The most exciting cruise

Have you traveled across the sea? Tell your reader about your experience.

17. The most beautiful place on earth

Is it a city, a town, a mountain or a volcano? What did you feel like when you were there? Or if you have
never been there, what captures your mind and makes you plan to go there?

18. Top 10 destinations in Europe

Which is your favorite top 10 list? Think not only in terms of cities, but also places or countries.

19. The most attractive places in Asia

Tell what you think about Asia and its beauties.

20. The wonders of Australia and New Zealand

Is Australia only Sydney? Is New Zealand only the land where The Lord of the Rings has been shot?

21. A space journey

Go to an imaginable journey through space - through solar systems and galaxies. Where would you go?
This descriptive essay topic is a little bit philosophical.

22. The beauty of the starry sky

Describe your feelings associated with the observation of the stars.

23. What can an astronaut see?

Have you asked yourself what an astronaut can see from the International Space Station?
24. A Himalayan expedition

Imagine you are a part of such an expedition. Describe all the excitement and difficulties.

25. An adventure in the Andes

Nature, history, and mysteries - they all inhabit these lands. Try your imagination, or describe your real
experience.

26. Iceland - another world

One of the most mysterious countries in the world, Iceland is famous for its volcanoes, geysers and
Northern Lights.

27. The Northern Lights and their beauty

Have you ever seen the Northern Lights? Maybe you have watched a TV documentary about it? Share
your thoughts and feelings.

28. Canadian White nights

Have you ever been to Canada during the White nights? What is it like to observe them?

29. A seaman: one day on a ship

How does a seaman feel while being on a ship? How does it feel to be far away from home for me

Persuasive essay

People should not text while driving.

Celebrities who break the law should receive stiffer penalties.

Teachers should pass a basic exam every few years to renew their
certification.
Cities should offer free bike-sharing programs.

People should eat less junk food.

We should do more to end poverty and world hunger.

We should value the elders in our society and learn from their wisdom.

Money can’t buy love or happiness.

Children should be offered incentives for doing right, rather than

punishment for wrongdoing.

More recycling should be encouraged.

Should products manufactured outside the U.S. come with an

additional tax?

Buy products that are made in the USA.

Free trade agreements are bad for workers.

The trade deficit with China is dangerous.

The minimum wage should be increased.

Daylight savings time has many advantages for our economy.

The oil companies are to blame for rising energy prices.

My Speech Class

Public Speaking Tips & Speech Topics

434 Good Persuasive Speech Topics

the persuasive speech this page is a collection of over 1000 persuasive

speech topic ideas for college students. Use this list as a last resort: you
are much more likely to be successful when you choose a topic that
genuinely interests you, rather than merely picking one from a list.
Talking about something you know well makes it much easier and fun!

Our list is huge! It is by far the best list you will find online – both in
terms of quantity and quality. We add and remove ideas weekly to keep
the list up-to-date. Some persuasive speech ideas have been done to
death. They are tired and stale, and are not likely to excite you or your
audience (think abortion, gun control, smoking, same-sex marriage). If
you can’t find one on our persuasive speech topic list or persuasive
essay list that grabs you, consider a newer and fresher topic, something
unique and original.

Many timely persuasive speech topics can be found on radio, TV, your
local newspaper, or your Facebook and Twitter feeds. We also have
Argumentative (which is a persuasive topic as well, just on a
controversial issue) and Policy topics. If you know of a cool topic, please
send it to us and we will publish it on a page with fresh topics.

For persuasive essay topic ideas have a look at our list of Interesting
Research Paper topics: these can be easily adapted for persuasive
speeches.
How to Choose the Right Persuasive Speech Topic?

Crafting a persuasive speech or writing a persuasive essay begins with

picking the right topic. A good persuasive speech topic is one that you
can use to grab the audience’s attention, inform and persuade, and
provide a strong persuasive argument for adopting your point of view.

How to narrow down this list of ideas?

First, make a rough inventory:

Which of the speech topics are you interested in?

What amuses you, makes you move right the way, happy or sad?

Which topics do you know something about?

Which topics would you like to research?

Review your inventory list and narrow your choices by answering these
questions:

Do you know global, national, state, community, job or school-related

problems and solutions, issues or controversies, related to the
persuasive speech ideas?
Are you excited about any historical or current events, places,
processes, organizations or interesting people?

Do you have certain concerns, opinions, or beliefs?

Do you think something has to change in human attitude or social

values?

Did you see or hear something in the news or read about in library
books on any of these topics?

Is there a link with personal experiences, professional or personal

goals?

All the answers on the questions above help you to find your angle of
approach for a conclusive speech. So, select a few specific angles. Those
can serve as the basic main points.

List of Persuasive Speech Topics

Animals

Automotive

Business

Constitutional Issues

Easy and Simple

Economy

Education
Environment

Ethics

Family

Fashion

Financial

Food and Drink

Fun

Funny and Humorous

Government

Health

School

College Students

Teens

History

Interesting

International Relations

Law

Literature

Media

Motivational
Music

National Security

Politics

Practical Knowledge

Psychology

Relationships

Religion

Science

Self-Help

Society

Sport

Technology

Travel

Workplace

Ten Animal Persuasive Speech Topics

Close Up on Cute Dog Nose and Eyes

Should more pets be adopted than bought from a breeder?

Are pit bulls a vicious breed?

Should a dog that has bitten somebody be executed?

Should we tame wild animals like lions and sharks?

Should battery farming still be legal?

Should ‘factory farming’ be banned?

Adopting pets is the best choice.

How do puppy mills affect us?

The benefits of having pets.

Why cats make the perfect pet.

See this page for a full list of Speech Topics About Animals.

Twelve Automotive Persuasive Speech Topics

Old blue American car stopped on the right side of the road

Should the public first learn how to drive a manual transmission before
obtaining their license?

Drivers should have to take three courses before getting a license.

Should young children use booster seats in vehicles?

Hands-free cell phone use in cars should be promoted.

Should the driving age be 14?

The danger of texting and driving.

Watch out for animals when driving.

Why the police should not chase a car.

Why you should buy a Japanese car.

Why sports cars are dangerous.

Driving tests should be free.

Share the road with bikes.

Ten Business Persuasive Speech Topics

Five people discussing in a meeting room

The world of business has so many aspects to it, but at the end of the
day, they are all about customer relations, about making money and
about the relationship between employers and employees.

Below are topics that can be used to persuade your audience on a

variety of business topics.
A tongue in cheek topic that can be used is “Hiring a lazy person isn’t
always a bad thing”, this could be used to persuade an audience that
often lazy people find the quickest solution to get something done,
resulting in quickly completed work because they just want to get it
over and done with.

Advertising has tons of mind games.

Advertising standards should be higher.

The importance of understanding niche marketing.

Why introverts make good leaders.

Owning a business means you will lose your friends.

The business will harden you.

You should never go into business with family members.

Just because someone knows you it doesn’t mean you owe them any
discounts.

To be a business owner you must learn to be well organized.

It’s important that a business should have a personality.

See this page for a full list of Persuasive Speech Topics for Business.

Five Constitutional Issues Persuasive Speech Topics

Abraham Lincoln seated figure at the Lincoln Memorial of Washington
DC

Do you think it would be fair for the government to detain suspected

terrorists without proper trial?

Should flag burning as a form of protest be prohibited?

Should every day begin with a silent prayer at school?

Why alcohol should be illegal.

Prayer in schools should not be mandatory.

Ten Easy and Simple Persuasive Speech Topics

Black glasses aside from a notebook

Below follow topics that should be easy enough to persuade your

audience without going into too much research. There are some which
can be used as ‘tongue in cheek’ topics such as ‘The paparazzi are the
real stalkers’ and ‘People need to visit the dentist more often’.

People should not text while driving.

Celebrities who break the law should receive stiffer penalties.

Teachers should pass a basic exam every few years to renew their
certification.

Cities should offer free bike-sharing programs.

People should eat less junk food.

We should do more to end poverty and world hunger.

We should value the elders in our society and learn from their wisdom.

Money can’t buy love or happiness.

Children should be offered incentives for doing right, rather than

punishment for wrongdoing.

More recycling should be encouraged.

See this page for a full list of Easy and Simple Persuasive Speech Topics.

Nine Economy Persuasive Speech Topics

Stock Exchange electronic board with numbers and indicators

Should products manufactured outside the U.S. come with an

additional tax?

Buy products that are made in the USA.

Free trade agreements are bad for workers.

The trade deficit with China is dangerous.

The minimum wage should be increased.

Daylight savings time has many advantages for our economy.

The oil companies are to blame for rising energy prices.

In most countries, the economy is in the mighty hands of just a few

multinational corporations.

Hiring cheaper foreign employees hurt our economy.

Should free college tuition be offered to poor children?

Would it be better to introduce a set of skills tests for students, before

they graduate high school?

Do you believe that students who are responsible for cyberbullying

should be expelled from school?

Would it be better if high school students completed community service

hours to graduate?

Do you think elementary and high school students should be allowed to

use cell phones at school?

Should students have to be on the honor roll in order to play sports?

Art and music programs in public schools are an essential part of

education.

Schools should have the right to search students’ personal property

(backpacks, lockers, pockets) to fight drugs in schools.
Do you think students should be allowed to listen to music during study
hall?

If you could live in any country in the world, what country it would be?

If you could redesign your school (college) building, what would you
change?

Why do you want to become a writer (builder, police officer, etc.)..

How important our families are to us? Explain your point of view.

The most and the least favorite style of music. Why?

How does science improve human lifespan?

How to develop leadership skills.

What stages do our decision-making process include?

Benefits of exercising.

Steps to saving the planet.

Non-academic benefits of studying Chemistry (Biology, Physics, etc.)

Describe the effect of art in your life.

Expository essay

Speak about dancing as a way to relieve stress.

Describe the benefits of knowing foreign languages.

Why do teenagers involve in drinking alcohol and smoking weed?

Describe the fashion trends in the US.

Uniform in school: pros and cons.

Why is it better to live in the apartment (private house)?

Why dog (cat, hamster, horse, tiger, etc.) is a perfect pet?

What sphere would like to choose for volunteering and why?

Why libraries become less popular?

If you could live a day of any person, whose life would you choose?

Describe your favorite sport.