Expository Essay Topics – Limitless

Topics for essays are chosen based upon the purpose of the essay itself. The expository essay has a pretty simple purpose – to explain an idea, a thing, a process, situation, event, or concept. The goal is to inform your reader in an objective and factual way.

Given this definition, it is obvious that the possibilities for topics for such an essay are almost limitless. If you are struggling, however, here are some expository essay ideas:

• Healthy fast food
• What famous people have come from your home town?
• What are the best ways to relieve stress?
• What are the newest uses of robots?
• How to survive final exam week
• Profile of a bully
• Sources of air pollution
• What does the term “designer babies” mean?
• How did Khan Academy get started?
• How does 3-D printing work?
• What is domestic terrorism?
• Explain String Theory to a “Lay” Person
• Five Web-Based Learning Tools
• What is Schizophrenia?
• How Prevalent is Hunger in America
• Explain Trickle-Down Economics
• Which Large U.S. Corporations Have Moved Overseas?

These are just a few possibilities. If you “Google” expository essay topics, you will find hundreds.

Organizing Your Information for Writing

1. You may have to do some research on your topic.
2. Once that research is completed (if required), make a list of everything that is related to the topic. Go through that list and combine things that go together. Once you have those “chunks” of content, you have your paragraphs for the body of your essay. If you are explaining a process, then make your step-by-step list instead.
3. Develop your thesis statement. All expository essay topics will foster two questions: “What does the reader need to know about this” or “Why should the reader know about this?” When you answer either of these questions, you have your thesis statement. Put it in your introduction.
4. Put together a rough, informal outline. Each sub-topic (those chunks you put together) will be a paragraphs. List the details that should be included under each of those sub-topics. Write each of those body paragraphs – good topic sentence followed by the details. Last sentence of the paragraph? It should transition to the next sub-topic.
5. Write your Introduction: If you want the reader to be interested in your topic, you need to find a “kicker” of a first sentence that will spark strong interest right away. For example, “Soon, parents will be able to design their babies just like they would design a room in their homes.” Or “Every adult who is now working a minimum wage job is certainly grateful for trickle-down economics – not!” Your topic and thesis statement should then be presented.
6. Conclusion: Tie back to your thesis statement in your conclusion. Ask a thoughtful question; ask you reader to do something; end with some humor (if the topic is humorous, of course). Example: “Will designer babies be the next be differentiation between the rich and the poor?” or “The minimum wage worker is still waiting for his piece of ‘trickle-down’” or “Go to Change.org and sign the petition”.

See? Expository essay topics are all over the place, and these types of essays are pretty straightforward to organize!