As ESL teachers, we’ve all had those students who do great on their grammar exams, speak up confidently in class, and are always first to raise their hands for activities - and yet, when it comes time for a writing assignment, they can barely squeeze out a few short sentences. This can be frustrating for the student and teacher alike - but it’s the symptom of a problem that’s well-known in every teaching community: Speaking and writing are two very different skills.
As with any new skill, practice is key - but students who have trouble writing aren’t usually keen to take on even more writing practice. After all, they might think, if their grammar and vocabulary are correct, and they don’t need to write in English for their jobs, what’s the point of drilling this skill? The answer is, of course, that the ability to write in English is key in the world and the workplace - from writing cover letters and CVs to drafting emails and client presentations. The responsibility is at least partly on you, the teacher, to provide assignments that draw your students into the writing process.
BusyTeacher.org is your number-one stop for exactly those kinds of assignments. Our 730 writing worksheets will provide your students with intriguing writing prompts, and with a variety of writing exercises that’ll help them watch their own improvement as it happens. Our worksheets even break down the writing process into its core components, so you can figure out exactly where in the process each student is struggling, and intervene with exercises to help him or her through that trouble spot.
The writing worksheets here on BusyTeacher.org will help familiarize your students with all the sub-skills involved in writing - from choosing a topic and constructing that first paragraph, all the way to writing movie reviews and short poems. Some of our worksheets even cover basics like handwriting and sentence structure - so no matter how much your students need to brush up on their fundamentals, we’ve got worksheets to meet them where they are.
You’ll find worksheets on any topic you can imagine, from daily routines and holidays to pop culture, news, and even poetry and song lyrics. Some worksheets just help you lead simple fill-in-the-blank exercises, while others present thought-provoking topics for full essays, or include plans for your students to create their own newsletters. And for students who need help with English school assignments, you’ll also find worksheets on writing essays and test responses.
You can browse all of our 730 writing worksheets in thumbnail view, so you don’t have to wait for any of them to load to get an idea of what they’re like. As you scroll down the page, just click on any worksheet that catches your eye - they’re all completely free to download, print, and share in any way you like. And they’re all created and classroom-tested by real ESL teachers all over the world - which means you can be confident they’ll work in your classroom, too. If you’ve got a worksheet of your own that you’d like to share with your fellow ESL teachers in the BusyTeacher.org community, just click the “Submit a worksheet” button at the bottom of this page.
All of these writing worksheets are here to help you - so pick out a few that look interesting, and give them a try in your classroom today. We’re sure you’ll love them as much as the other ESL teachers in our community already do.
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View our latest knowledgebase articles that will help you become a better English teacher. Learn from
professional teachers and put a bit of your own creativity into it!
Creative writing prompt:
What if you had been born in a different country? Which country would you have been born in and would you be any different as a result?
Creative writing prompt:
Imagine you visit somebody's house for the first time and block up their toilet. Describe how you feel, how you would explain it to them, and how they would react.
Creative writing prompt:
If you would speak any language, which language would it be and what would you do with it? Would you visit some countries to use your new skills?
Creative writing prompt:
What if somebody offered you one million dollars to betray a friend? Would you do it, and if so, how would you explain your actions to them?
Creative writing prompt:
If you could change your name, what would you change it to? Do you think this name suits your personality more than your current name?
Creative writing prompt:
If you could buy one person anything for Christmas, regardless of cost, what would you get them and why? Who would you choose to receive the gift?
Creative writing prompt:
If you were a song, what type of song would you be and why? If you can't define it by genre, tempo or mood, describe it in any way you can.
Creative writing prompt:
If you were bitten by a vampire, would you live with the blood-lust or ask somebody to kill you before you turned? Describe what your day-to-day life would be like ...
Creative writing prompt:
Imagine you were able to instantly master any academic subject, which subject would it be? Would you change career as a result?
Creative writing prompt:
Imagine you found evidence that humans were created as an experiment by an ancient alien race. Would you tell the rest of the world, and why?
Creative writing prompt:
If you had to listen to the same song ten times every day or never listen to music at all, which would you choose? If you chose the song, which would it be?
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