Tips on how to identify essay topics

Tips on how to identify essay topics

Before you choose a writing pen, you need a writing topic and these essay writing topics will get you started and you will enjoy it.

Typically, essay writing is an essential skill for high school and college students. Essays show the writer’s ability to think about a topic, explore their point of view, and convince or inform others about it. However, finding essay topics can seem daunting. 

Generally, students want to write about something they are very passionate about or genuinely interested in. However, there is never a right answer to choosing the best theme.

This list will help you find the right topic for a descriptive or controversial essay . In addition, there are other topics that students can delve into to express their opinion and demonstrate their writing skills.

You will also see tips on how to choose the right essay topic.

Tips for Choosing the Best Theme

When writing an essay, there is nothing more important than the chosen topic. If the topic of your essay is weak, it will be incredibly difficult for you to write well.

The topics that fascinate you the most make the most sense. If the topic does not interest you, writing an essay will be a pain. However, if it’s something you really enjoy doing, it will be easy to mark it.

Your choice of essay topic should be tailored to your audience. If your audience is unfamiliar with the subject, consider excluding extremely technical and specialized information.

Finally, choose a topic that seems interesting to you. What would you like to know about if you were your reader?

What are the steps to take when writing an essay?

For best results, the following steps should be taken:

  • Read the prompt and understand it: Be clear about what is expected of you. It’s a good idea to break the hint into parts.
  • Plan: When it comes time to write an essay, organizing and brainstorming will make your life easier. Building a network of your ideas and supporting information is a fantastic concept.
  • Please cite your sources correctly: Do your research. Never plagiarize; rather, use quotations and paraphrases from your sources.
  • Write a draft: Ernest Hemingway once said, “The first draft of anything is always crap.” Drafts are a fantastic place to get rid of your “shitty” ideas, and professors and teachers often need them, although the veracity of this statement is debatable.
  • Create a compelling thesis: The most important part of your essay will be the thesis (main argument). Make a strong case for this.
  • Answer the question: You can start writing the final version of your essay after you correct all the mistakes in the first draft.
  • EDIT: To make sure there are no errors and that you didn’t miss anything, read your answer carefully.
  • Each composition is unique; thus, it is important to keep this in mind. Proceed to the next step if one of them does not apply to the essay you are writing.

What are the categories of essay topics?

As stated above, the topic of your essay mostly depends on the type of essay you are writing. Every student should be familiar with the various essay formats, which fall into four main categories:

1. Persuasive writing: In this style of essay, the author chooses and supports one or another point of view. Essays in this category include argumentative, persuasive, and exploratory essays.

2. Explanatory Letter: The main purpose of this type of letter is to provide information and inform the reader about a particular subject or idea. This category includes essays on cause and effect, research, informative and explanatory letters.

3. Descriptive Writing: In this style of writing, the author unleashes their inner artist, using vibrant vocabulary and well thought out concepts to clarify an idea, define a concept, etc. This category includes a definition and a descriptive essay.

4. Narrative writing: While not common, this type of writing still exists and requires the author to tell a story or describe a procedure (something in chronological order). This category includes narrative, process, and personal letters.

The best essay topics to write about

Here are a few essay writing topics for the most common style options to choose from:

No. 1. Cause and Effect Essay Topics

Causal essays explain how one thing affects another. The cause and effect method is often used in essays at the high school and college level.

This essay format allows students to show connections between different topics. A cause and effect essay is another name for this type of work. Here are some examples of the many categories of essay topics.

  • Cultural Differences Cause Immigration Transition Problems
  • Free speech can be abused
  • Do social media improve people’s communication skills?
  • Long distance relationships and distrust 
  • Prevention of childhood obesity through exercise
  • Drugs and alcohol are the main causes of homelessness
  • Portion control and healthy weight loss 
  • Communication is the key to a healthy marriage, etc.

No. 2. Argumentative essay topics

Argumentative essays usually include both sides of the argument. Depending on the goals and personal beliefs of the author, the argument may be fair to all sides of the dispute, or it may favor one side over the other. Below are some essay topics:

  • Should all women have access to birth control and family planning?
  • Do social networks violate our privacy?
  • Vaccination for everyone?
  • Do food companies control our diets?
  • Does our education system fit our society?
  • Should abortion be banned?
  • Will people ever be able to live without the Internet?
  • Is there a future for a blogging career?
  • Should everyone be involved in volunteering and charity work?

No. 3. Narrative Essay Topics

Consider yourself a professional writer when you write essays in this style. You can share your experience and tell a memorable story that will be funny, sad or interesting for you.

Detail is important in narrative essays because one of the goals is to use your own words to create a picture for the reader. It is preferable to choose a story that you can remember well, and even the smallest details of the story. Here are some essay ideas you can choose from:

  • Your favorite childhood memory
  • Most recent travel experience
  • Death of a friend or relative who influenced you 
  • Your best friend and how you met
  • Your first time on an airplane
  • The first book you read
  • your biggest fear
  • Your first time driving
  • The most embarrassing situation you’ve ever faced
  • How do you relax on the weekend?
  • What do you like about school
  • Funniest story about you and your sister
  • The person who inspires you 
  • How do you overcome any of your fears?

#4 Research Essay Topics

The problem is presented in a research essay using the findings of scholars and scholars. You usually have the opportunity to share your perspective on a topic after you have outlined what others have to say about it. Here are some interesting research topics:

  • Age of legal drinking around the world
  • What does it mean to be a patriot in different cultures?
  • Sexual harassment in the workplace
  • Medical negligence and its consequences
  • Hate crimes and what to do about them
  • Pros and cons of online retail 
  • Plagiarism and academic integrity
  • Sources of alternative energy
  • Ocean pollution and how to prevent it
  • Pesticides and their impact on us
  • Divorce rate among young couples
  • Alternative medicine vs traditional medicine
  • The importance of sleep for a healthy lifestyle, etc.

#5 Informative Essay Topics

Like research essays, informational essays only provide information and enlighten readers on the subject. Here you are not allowed to express your opinion; you should clearly discuss your topic and communicate it to the reader. Here are some good essay topics:

  • History of slavery in the United States
  • Civil rights movement 
  • Why we procrastinate and how to avoid it
  • childhood obesity 
  • Cybercrime and how to avoid becoming a victim of it
  • Do you need a higher education to be successful?
  • Child abuse and its impact on character development
  • Overpopulation in prisons

No. 6. Explanatory Essay Topics

The purpose of an expository essay is to provide a fact-based and research-based analysis of a particular topic. Here you should describe in detail the specific process or causal relationship and explain how everything happens. Here are some great essay topics:

  • Why high school graduation is important
  • Things Most Teens Worry About
  • Student loans: pros and cons
  • The higher education system in the USA
  • Why moving is stressful
  • Why do some things make us happier than others?
  • How certain music can influence society
  • Why Most Parents Are Overprotective And Strict
  • Psychological causes of smoking.
  • Why teens join gangs and the dangers associated with it
  • Problems with pregnancy at 16
  • How to overcome the fear of public speaking
  • the importance of protection during sex, etc.

No. 7. Determining the topic of the essay

The purpose of a definition essay is to define a term. In most cases, these articles discuss abstract terminology. These phrases can mean different things depending on the culture or person because there are no clear definitions for them. Here are some essay topics with definitions:

  • How do you define success?
  • What does love mean to you?
  • Kindness and why it matters
  • What is optimism and how does it help in life?
  • Procrastination and its consequences
  • Define Buddhism and its role in world belief systems.
  • What is happiness for you?
  • Define friendship in your life
  • Perfectionism: pros and cons
  • Explanation of the institution of marriage
  • Define terrorism and its causes. 
  • What is peer pressure and how does it affect teenagers?
  • Explanation of the institution of marriage, etc.

No. 8. Descriptive essay topics

Compared to narrative essays, descriptive essays focus even more on details but contain less action. In descriptive essays, it is important to portray a sense of place, mood, or feeling.

All topics for a descriptive essay come from your personal experience and what you remember well. Here is a topic for writing:

  • The happiest day of your life
  • Name your favorite literary character.
  • The person who inspires you
  • The earliest memory you have
  • your favorite birthday
  • Tell about one of your friends and describe him/her
  • The most beautiful view you’ve ever seen
  • Describe a place that exists only in your imagination
  • Tell me about your favorite memory  
  • When you first fell in love: Describe how you felt

No. 9. Essay Process Topics

You must explain to your reader(s) how something is done in the essay process. The topic should be described first, followed by the process in detail. Steps can be both gradual and extremely precise.

  • How to drive
  • How to learn to swim
  • How to make your film
  • How to cook delicious healthy food
  • How to be an excellent student
  • How to take the SAT
  • How to deal with procrastination
  • How to succeed in your job search
  • How to overcome shyness
  • How to make new friends
  • How to Know You’ve Met a Different You
  • How to save money
  • How to get rid of a bad habit
  • How to exercise regularly
  • How to learn to say “no” to people

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