61 General Expository Essay Topic Ideas to Practice Academic Writing

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Expository essays discuss topics by using facts rather than opinions, requiring students to evaluate and investigate while setting forth their arguments clearly and concisely. Teachers often include expository essays as part of assessments , especially in college-level courses, so students can help themselves succeed by practicing writing these types of essays. When teachers are integrating writing throughout the curriculum, students can use expository essays to demonstrate what they've learned in other courses.

Sample Expository Essay Topics From Students

Tenth-graders wrote the following general expository essay topics. Students can practice writing these topics or use the list to come up with topics of their own. The important thing to remember is that these expository essays are based on facts rather than the writer's beliefs or feelings.

list of expository essay topics

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30 Expository Essay Topics for an Outstanding Paper

The expository essay—it’s an unavoidable essay in your educational career. In fact, teachers and professors love assigning it so much that some freshmen writing courses are devoted entirely to writing the expository essay.

That’s a lot of expository essay writing! If you’re going to be writing this type of essay over and over again, you need to understand how to write a good one.

But that’s not my purpose here. My goal for this post is to give you a quick overview of the expository essay and provide you with 30 expository essay topics for an outstanding paper.

If you need to know more about writing an awesome expository essay, check out Expository Advice From a Kibin Editor . Need help outlining? Check out this article .

If you need a few minutes to read the links above before choosing your expository essay topic, go ahead. I’ll wait.

Cue the Muzak:

Finished reading the links? Have a better understanding of the expository essay? Then before we dive into those expository essay topics, let’s move on to a quick summary to remind you of the key points in an expository essay.

The Expository Essay: A Brief Overview

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To write an outstanding paper, you need to start with an outstanding topic.

Here are 30 expository essay topics to get you started.

#1.  How to eat healthy while living on a college student’s budget

Waiting for mom or dad to transfer money into your account or living off your part-time gig at the bookstore might leave your pockets and your stomach empty. What tips and tricks can you offer readers to help them survive on a budget?

#2.  How can bullying in schools be prevented?

You might start this essay with a short discussion of why kids bully (or cyberbully ) and how bullying in schools affects kids. Then explain what kids, parents, and teachers can do to prevent bullying.

#4.  What effect does technology have on relationships?

Have you ever dated someone who spent more time on Facebook or texting than talking to you? Would you rather chat online or text people instead of actually talking to them in person? If so, you may have a good start to your expository essay.

Interested in writing about technology but not too keen on the relationship angle? Take a look at the following articles for added inspiration:

#5.  How to treat severe allergic reactions

This type of essay might compare treatments and evaluate which one is best for specific allergies or groups of people.

#6.  Do aliens really exist?

Have you ever seen mysterious lights in the sky? Have aliens taken you to the mothership? Maybe you can finally prove that aliens exist!

alien-308429_640

#7. Why is there an increase in depression in the United States?

Many people point to the added pressures of daily life as a leading cause of depression. In this essay, you might focus on how increased stress from school, work, and personal relationships can lead to depression.

#8. What does it mean to have a genius IQ?

Do you think you’re smarter than all your friends? Maybe you even think you’re a bonafide genius! How might such a high IQ have a positive or negative impact on one’s life or relationships?

#9. Explain the benefits and drawbacks of teen curfews

Sure, moms and dads usually demand that their teens come home at a specific time, but should cities be allowed to do the same? Your essay might explain how curfews help or harm cities or teens.

#10. How do video games affect children?

Many people automatically think that video games harm children, but your essay might take the opposite approach and focus on how video games can help children learn or even improve social skills.

#11. What are the positive and negative aspects of materialism?

Do you love your cell phone? What about your new heels? If you absolutely cannot live without your most prized possessions, this might be a perfect topic for you.

#12. Explain how the internet has had a positive effect on communication

Face it, your life wouldn’t be the same without the internet. What would become of the world if Facebook or Instagram no longer existed? Focus your essay on how these types of communication have positively affected the way we interact with others.

#13. Explain how to be a happy camper

If sitting by a bonfire is your thing, you might write about how to set up the perfect campsite. If you feel the phrase “happy camper” simply means being happy, you might write about how readers can organize their lives and become happy campers.

expository essay topics

#14. How to plan a killer party

I really don’t think this one needs any explanation, does it?

#15. Explain the causes and effects of impulse buying

For those of us who have ever made an impulse buy and immediately regretted it, writing about why we buy and how we feel afterward might actually be better than retail therapy.

#16. Why do couples break up?

The list of reasons that couples split is almost endless, but your essay might focus on one or two of the most popular, such as infidelity or money problems.

#17.  How to choose the perfect pet

While an iguana might be the perfect pet for your roommate, it might be far from ideal for you. Your essay could examine personality types, lifestyles, and budgets to decide how to choose the perfect pet.

#18. Explain why working while attending college can be beneficial

An obvious benefit to any job is money. (We all need money to survive, right?) Working part-time while going to school can also help develop skills that will benefit you in future jobs and can help build a strong resume.

#19. How does doping in sports harm not only the athlete but also the reputation of the sport?

High school athletes, professional athletes, and even Olympians have been caught doping. How and why do athletes risk their health for sports? How does doping change the way people view a sport and its athletes?

#20. Does multitasking help or hinder students’ academic performance?

Most of us are guilty of trying to do too many things at once. But if students balance their tasks effectively, can they actually accomplish more through multitasking?

expository essay topics

#21. How to plan a vacation

Vacation planning means you’ll need to consider time, budget, location, and travel companions. You might want to try to fit all of these points into a paper, or you could focus on only one of these aspects of planning.

#22. Define friendship

Is a friend someone who will stand by you through thick and thin? What qualities do friends possess? Can Facebook friends by true friends? What makes a BFF different than other friends? Can you be friends with your parents?

#23. Compare and contrast parenting styles

Whether you address permissive, authoritarian, authoritative, or uninvolved parenting, there are positive and negative aspects to each. (If you’re writing a shorter paper, don’t try to compare all four styles. Narrow your focus to just two.)

#24. How to break a bad habit or addiction

This topic is broad, so you can narrow your focus to something silly or something serious. Maybe you want to write about a small and harmless habit like leaving your dirty socks on the floor. Perhaps you want to focus on steps to break a harmful addiction to alcohol, tobacco, or another drug.

#25. Compare and contrast two types of employees or two types of bosses

If you’re comparing employee types, you might start by looking at the people you work with. (If you’re not employed, try observing employees at a restaurant.) Employees might be helpful, lazy, eager to please, or apathetic.

If you’re comparing bosses, you might consider management styles, how bosses treat customers, and how they treat employees.

#26. How to throw a card

Knowing a cool card trick can make you the life of the party. If you have a few tricks up your sleeve, explain how to perform one.

Need a video to help with the visuals?

#27. Compare and contrast religions

There’s a lot of possible ground to cover in any religion, so before you begin, decide your focus. You might consider examining religious holidays and celebrations, moral values, or gender roles.

#28. How to actually listen to people

Ever accused your boyfriend or girlfriend of not listening to you? Has someone accused you of not listening?

If so, you may have some insights into how to actually tell people the proper way to listen. (Or if you’re one of those people who doesn’t do such a great job at listening, you might write about how to seem like you’re listening.)

#29. Compare and contrast two historical figures

Comparing two people can be challenging, so it’s crucial to decide your basis of comparison before beginning. For instance, if you’re comparing two political figures, you might examine their ideologies or their roles in a specific conflict, war, or political movement.

Need help tackling historical topics? Check out these posts:

#30. Define happiness

The term “happiness” is pretty broad and can mean so many different things to people. Some are happy sitting on a crowded beach, while others want to be hiking on an isolated trail in a forest.

Does money make people happy? Does a career? Can someone else complete you?

After You’ve Written a Draft on Your Outstanding Expository Essay Topic

expository essay topics

Don’t forget that writing just one draft of a paper doesn’t always mean that you’ve written an outstanding essay (even if you do have a genius IQ).

Leave yourself enough time to take a look at your paper to see whether you’ve covered the basics .

For instance, is your paper formatted correctly ? Do you have an effective thesis statement ? Do you use sufficient evidence and examples to support your point ? Are you persuasive enough?

Have you read, re-read, and revised so much that you can no longer tell whether your paper is worth submitting to your professor? Why not  let a Kibin editor help with revision?

list of expository essay topics

Psst... 98% of Kibin users report better grades! Get inspiration from over 500,000 example essays .

list of expository essay topics

About the Author

Susan M. Inez is a professor of English and writing goddess based out of the Northeast. In addition to a BA in English Education, an MA in Composition, and an MS in Education, Susan has 20 years of experience teaching courses on composition, writing in the professions, literature, and more. She also served as co-director of a campus writing center for 2 years.

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100 top-notch expository essay topics.

expository essay topics

What is an expository essay? An expository essay is one of the four major types of writing assignments and requires students to teach or explain information in an objective way. To achieve this, students should write in the third person and inform, compare and contrast, or show cause and effect. Ample evidence and examples must be attained and the student must present the information in an orderly and effective manner. Did we define expository essay adequately? Keep reading to learn five simple steps to help guide you through the writing process. We’ve also included a list of 100 essay topics to help you get started.

How to Write an Expository Essay: 5 Steps

Expository Writing Topics for Middle School Students

These expository essay topics for middle school are great starting points for anyone just learning how to write this kind of assignment:

Expository Essay Topics for High School

These expository paragraph topics are a bit harder than the ones above and should only be attempted once a student understands the fundamentals:

Expository Essay Topics for College

As students advance academically, the assignments they receive will be more difficult. These expository essay topics college are challenging but manageable:

Expository Speech Topics for a Debate Assignment

These are all good expository speech topics for an assignment that must be presented before an audience:

Funny Expository Speech Topics

Here are some funny expository essay topics to help liven the mood while still generating enough interest to keep readers hooked:

Easy Expository Essay Topics

Looking for something simple to write about? This set of topics for expository writing shouldn’t take very long to explore in a short assignment:

Controversial College Expository Essay Topics

If you are somebody that likes to explore controversial ideas, then these topics for expository essay might be just right:

Current Topics for an Expository Essay

These topics for expository essays represent the latest issues being discussed today. They may be a bit challenging because there may be a lack of resources, so choose wisely:

Informative Expository Speech Topics

These ideas are all great for an expository essay that aims to objectively inform the reader about a specific subject in today’s news:

Good Expository Essay Topics

We end our list of expository topics with some fresh ideas taken from online conversations and articles. These may be current only for a little while, so be sure to keep checking for more:

For more sample expository essay topics, check with our expert academic writers and editors. They can create custom expository essay topics to fit any assignment and for any level. Just give us the details and we will handle the rest.

demonstration speech ideas

As Putin continues killing civilians, bombing kindergartens, and threatening WWIII, Ukraine fights for the world's peaceful future.

Expository Essay

Expository Essay Topics

Caleb S.

Interesting Expository Essay Topics For Your Next Paper

Published on: Aug 2, 2018

Last updated on: Jan 23, 2023

Expository Essay Topics

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If you are going to write an expository essay, you have to spend your valuable time hitting books. Writing an  expository essay  is quite a different task as compared to other types of essays.

College students usually get to write an expository essay as a college paper. For that reason, it is important to know some ‘A’ worthy expository essay prompts for your essay. A good topic allows you to express your point of view.

Here we have listed some fantastic expository writing prompts for you. Read them and choose one of them for your college paper.

To write a good essay, you need to start with an outstanding topic. And for that, you must spend some time exploring some great topic ideas.

Check out the list of  essay topics  given below for creating a good expository essay.

Expository Essay Topics for Middle School

Expository Essay Topics for High School Students

Expository Essay Topics for College

Expository Essay About Music

Easy Expository Essay Topic

Interesting Expository Essay Topic

Good Expository Essay Topic

Best Expository Essay Topic

Controversial Expository Essay

Expository Essay About Education

Expository Essay Topics on Social Issues

Funny Expository Essay Topics

Expository Essay Writing Tips

Once you have the topic idea, the next step is to write the essay. Here are some amazing tips that can help you improve your writing style and write a flawless essay:

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Expository Essay Topics, Ideas & Writing Tips

Updated 02 Dec 2022

Short Expository Essay Characteristic

The name ”expository” comes from the verb ”to expose”, meaning that in such an essay, you should dwell on something, define, and describe it. On the same note, it can be an examination or analysis of a particular issue, depending on expository essay topics you may choose. Generally speaking, an expository essay is a general term for a group of pieces that includes: cause and effect paper, descriptive essays, comparison, problem and solution and also process essay .

Expository Essay Topics

Expository Essay Tips

Please note that the above list is just an example for you to have a better understanding of an expository essay, feel free to invent something of your own! Once you’ve decided on an expository essay topic, you will probably need several tips on how to organize the process of writing as well as skilled help with an essay in general. So, here are several pieces of advice to make the process of composing a perfect expository essay easier.

If you don't have time to read this text and to write your paper yourself, you can turn to our expository essay writing service . Just click the "Hire writer" button!

Outline the Structure

To begin with, you should think about the structure of your expository paper. For this type of work, the basic structure (Introduction, Body, Conclusion) is the most appropriate. It's better to start with the body, where your primary thoughts are going to be placed. Then, you can think of creating a gripping introduction that would make readers keep reading your paper. Finally, compose a conclusion that will summarize your write-up. It would be a good idea if you restated your main idea thus signaling that you've either solved the problem or described it (depending on the expository writing topics and purpose of your paper).

Thesis Statement

This is probably the most critical part of the expository writing. You should aim at making readers understand what you are going to discuss as well as keep them interested; they need to understand your expository writing topic. For instance, if you are going to address the illiteracy of adults, it can be like:

“It is hard to imagine that today, there are illiterate adults even in developed countries. So what are the causes of this issue? Let’s find out.”

Create the Draft

After you’ve structured your thoughts, it is time to create your first draft of expository essay. Be ready that you will rewrite it several times, though. Anyway, you’d like to expose a problem or an issue, wouldn’t you?

Give it somebody to Proofread

When you have been writing for a long time, you might miss some silly mistakes, typos, etc. Some ideas might be formulated more concisely, too. Thus, you should find someone to proofread your paper for you (by the way, this person should evaluate the choice of expository essay topics). You might also want to put it away for one day at least and take a fresh look at it later. You will be surprised at how many things you might want to change.

Get Professional Help

However, it might happen that you don’t feel like you can cope with the task on your own. In this case, of course, you could address professionals to help you out. All you need to do is to find the right ones. Whether you can’t pick up one of the topics for expository essays or just don’t know how to structure your thoughts – these people will help you out.

Read also: Classification Essay Topics

Exemplary Topics for Expository Essays

Social problems expository essay topics.

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Connect with our top expository essay writers and receive a paper sample crafted to your needs.

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Topics for Expository Essays on Literature

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History Expository Essay Topics

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Science and Technology Expository Essay Topics for College

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Expository Topics on Religion and Philosophy 

Essay Examples Relevant to Religion and Philosophy

Education Expository Essay Topics

Essay Examples Relevant to Education

Topics for Expository Esssay on Personal Experience 

Essay Examples Relevant to Personal Experience

Expository Essay Topics for College

Essay Examples Relevant to College

Topics for Expository Essays about High School

Essay Examples Relevant to High School

Read also: Cause and Effect Essay Topics

Try Other Variants to Write your Paper

The professional expository essay writing service at hand can not only assist you in creating good topics for your college paper but also can do it for you entirely. You can also use our  topic generator for essay . The team of experts with outstanding experiences is eager to help students with their written assignments including expository essays. Thus, if you think that you are incapable of writing a great paper, then the right choice will be to ask professionals to do.

Get 100+ more unique topics for your paper!

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list of expository essay topics

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COMMENTS

  1. A List of General Expository Essay Topics

    Sample Expository Essay Topics From Students. Explain why you admire a particular person. Explain why someone you know should be regarded as a leader. Explain why parents are sometimes strict. If you had to be an animal, which would you be and why? Explain why you especially enjoy a particular ...

  2. 30 Expository Essay Topics for an Outstanding Paper

    Here are 30 expository essay topics to get you started. #1. How to eat healthy while living on a college student’s budget Waiting for mom or dad to transfer money into your account or living off your part-time gig at the bookstore might leave your pockets and your stomach empty.

  3. 100 Best Expository Essay Topics For All ...

    These expository essay topics for middle school are great starting points for anyone just learning how to write this kind of assignment: Describe the four primary colors to somebody who is blind. Describe the saying “A stitch in time saves nine.” Describe what it means to be an active listener. Describe the habits of a good middle school student.

  4. 100+ Expository Essay Topics Recommended by Experts

    Best Expository Essay Topic What is your dream about the future? Describe your first memory. What would you do if you could live forever? Describe what it is like to live with a pet Define the meaning of life to you Describe the hobby you enjoy doing. Describe the next great invention Why do people forget things? How is electronic music made?

  5. Expository Essay Topics, Ideas & Writing Tips

    Social Problems Expository Essay Topics. Social Psychology: Understanding Social Problems and Improving Social Situation. Unemployment as a Social Problem in Pakistan. Sociological Imagination and Problems of University Students in African Countries. The Social Media Impact, Mental Health Problems ...