Expository Writing
PROMPTS
GAW-S-EW-O1
Describe a family celebration
that has special meaning for you.
GAW-S-EW-O2
Describe your vision of an ideal
vacation.
GAW-S-EW-O3
Describe the purposes of the
Internet. Include various viewpoints, including that of users and providers.
GAW-S-EW-O4
Describe how and why people
choose the particular foods they eat.
GAW-S-EW-O5
Describe various styles of shoes
as well as reasons for their popularity.
GAW-S-EW-O6
Describe a major environmental
problem and what you believe should be done about it.
GAW-S-EW-O7
Describe techniques or methods that could help teachers do
their job
more effectively.
GAW-S-EW-O8
Describe how communication
has changed in
the last 20
years.
GAW-S-EW-O9
Describe, in detail, a team sport
that interests you.
GAW-S-WE-10
Describe techniques
and behavior that make a person a good
driver.
GAW-S-EW-11
Describe how to be a good
citizen.
GAW-S-EW-12
Describe your favorite game.
Explain why it is your favorite.
GAW-S-EW-13
Describe how weather affects your commute to
school.
GAW-S-EW-14
Describe your favorite season
and explain why it is your favorite.
GAW-S-EW-15
Describe a vegetable that you truly dislike.
GAW-S-EW-16
Describe a typical day of
your life.
GAW-S-EW-17
Describe how to brush your teeth.
GAW-S-EW-18
Describe how a person should choose a
new outfit.
GAW-S-EW-19
Describe a master
plan that would make your community a better
place to live.
GAW-S-EW-20
Describe your school.
GAW-S-EW-21
Describe how to build a birdhouse.
GAW-S-EW-22
Describe how to paint a room.
GAW-S-EW-23
Describe the
chores and responsibilities that you have at
home.
GAW-S-EW-24
Describe what you
can do to save money
and still cover your basic needs.
GAW-S-EW-25
Describe the steps you would take if you wanted to research your family tree.
GAW-S-EW-26
Describe how manners have changed
over time.
GAW-S-EW-27
Describe how to show appreciation
to your parents.
GAW-S-EW-28
Describe how to
perform your favorite magic trick.
GAW-S-EW-29
Describe the steps you will take to
launch a
new career.
GAW-S-EW-30
Describe how you would decorate a dorm room,
living room, or
office.
GAW-S-EW-31
Describe the tasks you need to
complete before you attend college in
another state.
GAW-S-EW-32
Explain outdoor living to a
person with an apartment in the city.
GAW-S-EW-33
Explain how two people of
different interests and backgrounds could become unlikely allies.
GAW-S-EW-34
Explain the problems, both
personal and societal, that result from obesity.
GAW-S-EX-35
Explain, in detail, a situation
where a change of plans becomes necessary.
GAW-S-EW-36
Explain why a particular
adjective describes you perfectly.
GAW-S-EW-37
Explain what cooperation means to
you and why it is important.
GAW-S-EW-38
Explain the meaning of diversity.
GAW-S-EW-39
Explain why some people may be
afraid of sharks.
GAW-S-EW-40
Explain how different modern life
would be without computers.
GAW-S-EW-41
Explain pollution to a visitor
from another planet.
GAW-S-EW-42
Explain to a doctor what would be
helpful during an office visit.
GAW-S-EW-43
Explain the causes and effects of
a poor diet.
GAW-S-EW-44
Explain the
causes and effects of
impulse buying.
GAW-S-EW-45
Explain the
causes and effects of
not voting in
elections.
GAW-S-EW-46
Explain the
causes and effects of
prejudice.
GAW-S-EW-47
Explain what you should do if you
want to end a relationship.
GAW-S-EW-48
Explain some of the best ways to
prepare for a job interview.
GAW-S-EW-49
Explain how to
have a winning
baseball team.
GAW-S-EW-50
Explain how to pick the best
candidate for an elected office.
GAW-S-EW-51
Explain what you might do
to help a sick friend or relative
GAW-S-EW-52
Explain how to choose a pet that
matches your lifestyle.
GAW-S-EW-53
Explain how you should read a book to
a child.
GAW-S-EW-54
Explain how to
set a table for company.
GAW-S-EW-55
Explain how to
become a smart consumer.
GAW-S-EW-56
Explain how to
write a good
resume.
GAW-S-EW-57
Explain how you would find a good
restaurant in a place you
are visiting for the first
time.
GAW-S-EW-58
Explain to
a person who
has a great many debts about life on a budget.
GAW-S-EW-59
Explain how to
choose the right college.
GAW-S-EW-60
Explain what you would do
if you
won the lottery.
GAW-S-EW-61
Explain how different modern life would be
without phones.
GAW-S-EW-62Explain how not getting enough sleep affects your day.
GAW-S-EW-91
Compare and contrast 1900 with Y2K.
GAW-S-EW-92
Compare and contrast two strategic sport plays.
GAW-S-EW-93
Compare and contrast checkers and chess.
GAW-S-EW-94
Compare and contrast understanding and knowledge.
GAW-S-EW-95
Compare and contrast a screen actor with a stage actor.
GAW-S-EW-96
Compare and contrast any two U.S. presidents.
GAW-S-EW-97
Compare and contrast a budget and an allowance.
GAW-S-EW-98
Compare and contrast public schooling and homeschooling.
GAW-S-EW-99
Compare and contrast learning and teaching.
GAW-S-EW-100
Compare and contrast a vacation in a cold climate and a vacation in a warm climate.
GAW-S-EW-101
Compare and contrast spicy foods and sweet foods.
GAW-S-EW-102
Compare and contrast foods you eat raw and foods that are cooked.
GAW-S-EW-103
Compare and contrast dressing for a formal occasion and dressing informally.
GAW-S-EW-104
Compare and contrast cats and dogs.
GAW-S-EW-105
Compare and contrast microscopes and telescopes.
GAW-S-EW-106
Compare and contrast whales and sharks.
GAW-S-EW-107
Write a letter to a teacher requesting information about a poor grade.
GAW-S-EW-108
Write an e-mail message to your colleagues, inviting them to a Memorial Day celebration.
GAW-S-EW-109
Write an e-mail message to a company complaining about a defective product.
GAW-S-EW-110
Give someone directions from your school to your house.
GAW-S-EW-111
You must pass a college admissions test. Explain what you have to do to achieve this goal.
GAW-S-EW-112
You want to buy a new state of the art computer. Detail the steps you would have to take to ensure that you will make an
appropriate decision regarding this major investment.
GAW-S-EW-113
You decide to write a mystery. Describe the steps you would take to write a bestseller.
GAW-S-EW-114
You are asked to write an article about a person newly arrived from another country. Discuss the kinds of information you
would include.
GAW-S-EW-115
Your best friend's birthday is coming up. Describe the plan you created to make this birthday celebration the kind your friend
will always remember.
GAW-S-EW-116
Your new job requires that you move to a different city. Describe the steps you will take to prepare for this move.
GAW-S-EW-117
You are asked to landscape the front yard of a new house. Describe the steps you would take from the beginning of the process to its completion.
GAW-S-EW-77
Tell about a world-class athlete. Explain why you include this person in that category.
GAW-S-EW-78
Tell how to pack for a camping trip.
GAW-S-EW-79
Tell how you can make a new friend.
GAW-S-EW-80
Tell how customers like to be treated in a store.
GAW-S-EW-81
Tell how you would entertain a group of five-year-olds on a rainy afternoon.
GAW-S-EW-82
Tell how you can protect your house from intruders.
GAW-S-EW-83
Discuss the causes of and problems resulting from teenage smoking.
GAW-S-EW-84
Discuss a public health concern that you believe is serious enough to warrant immediate attention.
GAW-S-EW-85
Discuss how a person achieves fame and fortune and how it changes the individual's life.
GAW-S-EW-86
Discuss how conveniences change people's lives.
GAW-S-EW-87
Discuss the importance of pride in one's work.
GAW-S-EW-88
Discuss the events in the life of your favorite author, sports figure, or performer. Explain how these events relate to the
person's achievements.
GAW-S-EW-89
Discuss reasons for appreciating your parents.
GAW-S-EW-90
Discuss the events in the life of your favorite author, sports figure, or performer. Explain how these events relate to the person's achievements.