Top 50 11+ Writing Prompts by Category

How to Use These

• Pick one prompt per week; rotate task types
• Plan 3–4 min (audience/purpose + 2 body ideas)
• Write 15–22 min; Edit 2–4 min (SPaG + 1 style upgrade)

Creative/Narrative (10)

• Write about the moment you stepped onto a stage for the first time
• Tell a story that begins with a power cut
• Describe a journey that didn’t go to plan
• Write a story set on the coldest morning of the year
• “I knew I shouldn’t have opened the box…” Continue the story
• Write about an unexpected visitor
• Tell a story where a character must make a difficult choice
• Describe a time something precious was lost—and found
• Write a story in which a promise is broken
• Begin with: “Everyone was staring at me.”

Aim: hook → 1–2 focused moments → resonant ending.

Descriptive (10)

• The market at sunrise
• A place that feels like home
• An old, abandoned building
• Waiting room before an exam
• A storm rolling in over the sea
• The quiet of a library
• The playground after everyone has gone
• A busy train station
• First snowfall of winter
• Your favourite food being prepared

Aim: sensory detail + focal point (mood/shift) + image ending.

Persuasive (10)

• Convince your headteacher to introduce a new club
• Argue for or against homework at weekends
• Persuade your local council to improve a park
• Convince readers to try a no-phones day
• Persuade your school to host a charity event
• Convince a friend to read your favourite book
• Argue that school lunches should be healthier
• Persuade pupils to walk to school for a week
• Convince parents that gaming can build skills
• Argue that every child should learn first aid

Aim: clear stance + 2 developed reasons + call to action.

Discursive/Balanced (10)

• Should homework be optional?
• Are school uniforms necessary?
• Is technology making us better learners?
• Should zoos exist?
• Are team sports more valuable than individual sports?
• Should school start later?
• Are books better than films?
• Is pocket money helpful or harmful?
• Should children have social media accounts?
• Is it better to travel or staycation?

Aim: brief intro + for/against (or points) + balanced close.

Letters/Speeches/Articles (10)

• Letter to a new student with advice for success
• Speech welcoming visitors to your school
• Article about the importance of reading
• Letter of complaint about litter in your area
• Speech encouraging donations for a local cause
• Article: how to build good study habits
• Letter thanking someone who helped you
• Speech: why kindness matters
• Article: the benefits of learning outdoors
• Letter persuading a shop to stop using plastic bags

Aim: make audience obvious; keep tone consistent.