Writing Prompts for ESL Students (with Example Responses)
Writing is challenging for any learner, but it can be even harder for ESL students who are learning to write in a second language. Students need clear guidance, simple starting points, and plenty of opportunities to practice writing sentences and longer pieces to become proficient in expressing their ideas in writing. The writing prompts below begin with simple prompts for beginners, then move on to creative, descriptive, and opinion prompts that encourage students to write longer pieces.
Simple Writing Prompts for Beginners
These writing prompts are designed to be simple and based on familiar topics that beginner ESL students are likely to know. Before asking students to write their own answers, I recommend showing them the example responses so they can see the structure and use it as a guide for their own writing.
Introduce yourself
My name is Anna. I am 12 years old. I live in Spain. I like playing soccer.
How many people are in your family?
There are four people in my family. I have a mother, a father, and one sister.
Name your three favorite foods
My favorite foods are pizza, rice, and chicken.
Do you have any pets?
Yes. I have a pet dog called Max.
What do you like to do for fun?
I like to play soccer and watch TV.
Write about your daily routine
I wake up at 7 a.m. I eat breakfast and go to school. After school, I do my homework. In the evening, I watch TV.
Write about where you live
I live in an apartment. It’s on the third floor. There are three bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and two bathrooms.
What is your favorite subject at school?
My favorite subject is P.E. because it is fun.
Fun Creative Writing Prompts
If your students are high beginners or pre-intermediate, challenge them with one of these creative writing prompts. These are designed to encourage students to use their imaginations and think more freely. I find that I get the best responses when I tell students that their answers can be imaginative, funny, or even a little silly. Once students have written their answers, have a few share them with the class so they can show off their creative ideas. If your students enjoy these, try these Funny Debate Topics to spark a fun classroom discussion in your next class.
- Describe your dream sandwich. How do you make it?
- If you had a million dollars to spend on your birthday party, what would you do?
- You’re opening a new restaurant. What’s it called? What’s on the menu?
- Create a new school subject. What’s it called? What do students learn about?
- You have a new AI robot. What will you program it to do?
- You’re creating a new computer game. How do you play? What do players have to do?
- You have a time machine that can go into the future. What’s it like there?
- When dogs meet in the park, what do you think they talk about? Write a dialogue.
Descriptive Writing Prompts
If you have intermediate ESL students, descriptive writing prompts are a great way to help them add more detail to their writing. Instead of just saying what something is, ask students to describe what it looks like, feels like, or sounds like. This helps them use a wider range of vocabulary and write more interesting, detailed sentences. Here are some prompts to try.
- Describe the street you live on. What can you see there?
- Describe your journey to school. What do you see along the way?
- Imagine you’re in a futuristic city. What can you see, hear, and smell?
- Describe a character from your favorite TV show. What are they like?
- Think of a time when you couldn’t stop laughing. What made you laugh so much?
- What’s the funniest video you’ve seen online? What happened?
- Describe a time when you tried a new food for the first time. What was it like?
- Imagine you’re in a busy outdoor market. What can you see, hear, and smell?
Opinion Writing Prompts
If you have intermediate or upper-intermediate ESL students, opinion writing prompts are a great way to help them express their ideas clearly and give reasons for their answers. Instead of just describing something, students explain what they think and why. This helps them practice using linking words like because, so, and however, and develop more structured responses.
- Do you think homework is important? Why or why not?
- Should students wear school uniforms? What do you think?
- Is it better to study alone or with friends? Why?
- Do you think social media is good or bad for students? Why?
- Do you think it’s important to exercise every day? Why?
- Is it better to live in a city or the countryside? Why?
- Should students have more free time at school? What do you think?
- What is the most important subject to learn at school? Why?
Related Resources
If you found these writing prompt ideas useful, here are some more ideas and activities you can use with your ESL students.