10 Best Expository Writing Topics That Allow You To Show Off Your Writing Skills

Coming up with expository writing topics doesn’t have to be challenging. Discover our guide with top expository writing prompts to help you.

Searching for a great topic for your expository essay? Middle school, high school, and college students sometimes struggle to develop ideas for expository writing. Your teacher or professor is likely to assign an expository paper to allow you to show off your writing skills. Suppose you’ve been given the freedom to come up with good expository essay topics on your own.

In that case, it’s smart to choose a thesis statement that agrees with your opinion, allowing you to speak passionately on a topic of your choosing. If you’re looking for general essay writing topics, check out our guide!

What Is Expository Writing?

Expository writing is a type of essay or article that works to “expose” an idea. This doesn’t mean that an expository essay’s concept must be groundbreaking or new. Instead, it means the author needs to work to explain their position while backing up their opinion or idea with facts. These facts can be based on personal opinion (many expository essays work to prove a point that the author believes based on personal experience). It’s simply key that expository writing chooses a position and provides evidence to support it.

In many cases, expository essay writing is used in middle school, high school, and college English classes to help teachers evaluate a student’s point of view. Sometimes, expository essay topics are provided; other times, students are invited to come up with their expository topic ideas, allowing them to explore an area of interest while showing off their writing skills.

What Are The Types Of Expository Writing?

If your teacher or professor allows you to choose an expository topic, it’s important to ask if there’s a specific type of expository essay they’d like you to write. Common types of expository essays include:

• Descriptive essays
• Process essays
• Cause and effect essays
• Problem and solution essays
• Comparison essays

How Do You Choose An Expository Topic?

Expository essays allow you to show off your writing skills, so it’s a good idea to choose a topic near and dear to your heart. For example, writing an essay about friendship can be a smart move if you have a friend who has supported you through a difficult time. If you’re interested in politics, writing an essay about whether a two-party system makes sense for the United States today may be a good idea.

If you’re struggling with the right topic for your expository essay, come up with a few different ideas and run them by your teacher or professor. They’ll be able to provide you with the guidance you need to move forward with your writing process.

Expository Essay Writing Topics

1. Bullying In Schools: How It Affects Mental Health

Sadly, many students have experienced bullying in middle school and high school. Whether you’ve bullied someone else or been the victim of bullying, writing about how the issue affects students’ mental health can allow you to weave together your personal experience and current psychological research. You may also want to talk to someone who has been bullied in school about how it affected their mental health later in life, as this can provide insight that you may not yet have based on your own experience.

2. Common Characteristics Of Celebrities

It can be tough to put your finger on exactly what makes a famous person stay in the spotlight, and it can be interesting to think about what qualities many famous people have in common. This topic allows you to take the time to explore the qualities of your favorite celebrities and loop together what they have in common. You may also want to touch on whether these qualities are positive or negative in a person’s life and look at how celebrities with these qualities have been affected by their fame later in life.

3. The Effect Of Convenience Foods On Health

It should be easier than ever to eat healthy foods today with the increased availability of fruits and vegetables. Still, many people struggle to get the high-quality nutrition they need to thrive. With this topic, you can talk about how healthy eating has changed over the past decade and how the presence of farmer’s markets, healthy grocery stores, fast food restaurants, and convenience foods have affected the ability to stay healthy. In addition to talking about your own opinion, it’s also a good idea to talk about how diet-based diseases have evolved over the past century in the United States.

4. Are Mental Health Conditions Genetic?

It’s often debated whether mental health issues are caused by nurture (environment, parenting, nutrition, upbringing) or nature (genetics). Many mental health professionals believe that combining both factors causes mental health conditions. In this expository essay, you can explore both your mental health and the mental health of the people around you and delve into the research on mental health conditions. It’s important to ensure that your research on this topic is current, as the information in this field has changed over time.

5. Why Do Just Over Half Of Americans Vote?

Some people feel that voting is every American’s civic duty, while others feel that individual votes don’t matter. About 60% of Americans voted in the 2020 election, and many are curious why this number isn’t higher. This topic allows you to discuss your feelings on voting and the research on why many Americans choose not to vote.

You can also discuss how more Americans vote in presidential elections than in other types of elections and your beliefs on whether large elections are needed to change the political direction of a company or if change starts on a smaller scale. If you’ve been involved with politics, talking about your experience working towards change or supporting a particular candidate has influenced your opinion on how much individual votes matter.

6. How Has Your Favorite Book Affected Your Life?

It can be fun and exciting to tell others about your favorite book. Writing an expository essay about how your favorite book has impacted your life is a great way to revisit a work of literature that has helped you grow. When you write this type of essay, be sure to fully explain the parts of the book that have affected you so that the person you’re reading can understand your points even if they haven’t read it. Discussing how your life may have been different if you hadn’t read the book can offer your reader insight into how much the book has affected who you are as a person today.

7. Is There A Connection Between Religion And Violence?

Throughout history, many people have committed violent acts in the name of religion. Exploring whether religion is connected to peace or violence can be an interesting way to delve into your opinions on history and spirituality. You may want to note that many acts of horrific violence worldwide (including the Holocaust) were not religiously motivated.

Religion can be a sensitive topic for many people, so it’s important to stay respectful in your discussion in this type of essay, no matter your opinion. Talking about historical events that have been connected to religion can help to support your opinion. In an essay that discusses the connection between religion and violence, you can also offer your suggestions for how people can be more tolerant of one another, working to make the world safer while also worshipping within the religion of their choice.

8. How Is Climate Change Affecting The Environment?

Over the past few decades, climate change has been all over the news. While the science of climate change has become more accepted in recent years, some people still deny that the issue exists. An expository essay on the effects of climate change allows you to dig into the current research stating that the phenomenon exists.

A climate change essay can allow you to explore potential futures based on whether the world begins to take climate change seriously. Exploring what needs to be done to stop or reverse climate change can provide hope for a brighter future. Digging into what could happen if climate change is not addressed can also paint an interesting picture for your reader.

9. Are Leaders Born Or Made?

The topic of what makes a good leader is often debated. An expository essay regarding leadership qualities allows you to incorporate your personal experience and research on leadership. You’ll have a few different options with the direction of an essay on leadership, as you’ll be able to talk about a leader in your life, a public figure, or leadership qualities that you’re working to emulate. Talking about how leadership has changed over time can also help you develop well-formed arguments for your expository essay that allow you to show off your persuasive writing skills.

10. Why Is Vulnerability an Important Part Of Building Relationships?

Vulnerability researcher Brene Brown has become a bestselling author recently for her books on how the vulnerability is key to building healthy, happy relationships. Discussing the importance and difficulty of opening up to others is a relatable topic that will draw your audience in. Discussing how the vulnerability is a key part of being a good friend will allow you to discuss your personal experience. You don’t necessarily have to discuss your exact situation in being vulnerable with your friends, but you can discuss how being vulnerable—and having your friends support you—made you feel.

If you are interested in learning more, check out our essay writing tips!