Encouraging students to think about themselves from a different point of view helps fuel their imagination and gives them a chance to decide and understand some of their preferences.
It also gives students a break from the more serious aspects of academic writing, and lets them just focus on writing something that won’t be graded or taken too seriously.
Below, you’ll find a list of writing prompts that start with “If I were…” that encourages your students to be creative and think outside the box.
Using These Prompts
Our lists of writing prompts can be used in the classroom as part of your ELA curriculum or as assigned homework to do after school.
Here are a few ways you can use this list:
- Assign a few random prompts to each table or group of students, and rotate the prompts each day or week.
- Encourage your students to use a few of these prompts in their writing journal every night for a week.
- Keep these prompts handy for students who finish their work early and need something to work on quietly while the rest of the class finishes up.
The Prompts
- If I were a type of food, I would be…
- If I were a color, I would be…
- If I were suddenly the only person in the room with hair…
- If I were going to succeed no matter what, I would try…
- If I were in a snow globe, I would…
- If I were the president, I…
- If I were a mythological creature, I would be…
- If I were to write a book about my life, I would call it…
- If I were to plan my dream vacation, it would be…
- If I were to plan a fun carnival to take place at my school, I…
- If I were to give a speech about a social issue, I would say…
- If I were a planet, I would be…
- If I were to be transported into a book suddenly, I would…
- If I were suddenly transported into the world of my favorite video game…
- If I were living in a different time period, I would want it to be…
- If I were stranded alone on a deserted island…
- If I were on a TV show with my best friends…
- If I were to wake up one day speaking a different language, I would…
- If I were the teacher for one day…
- If I were any type of weather, I would be…
- If I were a season, I would want to be…
- If I were a holiday, I would be…
- If I were a bird…
- If I were given $1000 today, I would…
- If I were locked inside my favorite store overnight, I would…
- If I were a tree, I…
- If I were to stay one age for the rest of my life, I…
- If I were eating breakfast when an alien knocked on my kitchen window, I…
- If I were a flower, I would…
- If I were part of a professional sports team, I…
- If I were a haunted house…
- If I were a type of bread, I would be…
- If I were any fictional character, I…
- If I were a creature in the sea, I would be…
- If I were to have any kind of job in the world, I…
- If I were to find a hidden door in the attic of my house, I…
- If I were to only wear one style of clothing for the rest of my life, I…
- If I were to only listen to one playlist of twenty songs for the rest of my life, I…
- If I were in a music group with my best friends…
- If I were a type of cereal, I would…
- If I were to design the ultimate bedroom…
- If I were a Disney character, I…
- If I were to give a speech about determination, I would say…
Looking For More?
Our site is home to writing guides, teacher forms, and so many more educational resources to help keep your students interested and engaged in the classroom.
If you are looking for something specific and don’t see it on our site, let us know. We’re here to help your students become their very best!
