Foolproof Academic Writing Template

Intro:
1. current situation -
2. agree/disagree because -

1st Point:
1. key point -
2. reason 1 -
3. reason 2 -
4. examples -

2nd Point:
1. key point -
2. reason 1 -
3. reason 2 -
4. examples -

3rd Point:
1. key point -
2. reason 1 -
3. reason 2 -
4. examples -

Conclusion
1. agree/disagree again because -
2. what can the govt do? -

You need to train them to think in various styles when coming up with the 3 crucial points:
1. Short term, Mid term and Long term (smoking: S=bad breath, M=wasting money, L=health
problems like lung cancer)
2. Individual, Society and Govt (recycling: I=3Rs, S= community collection/fund raising, G=recycling
campaigns)
3. Social, Economic & Political/Spiritual
4. ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS?
ACADEMIC WRITING TEMPLATE
(Get students to brainstorm first then use the points to complete these phrases)

Title: _________________________________

INTRODUCTION
Nowadays,/In this era of ...
In my opinion, I strongly agree/disagree that...
In this essay, I will discuss three solid strategies for _____ which include
____________________, _____________________ and _________________.

1ST POINT
Firstly,/First and foremost,...
This is because...
Moreover,...
For example,... and so on.
Therefore,...

2ND POINT
Secondly,...
This means that...
Furthermore,...
For instance,... and many more.
Thus,...

3RD POINT
Finally,/Last but not least,...
This is due to the fact that...
In addition,...
Take for example,... and others.
Hence,...

CONCLUSION
In a nutshell, the three strategies I have suggested are _______________, ______________ and
_______________.
In my opinion, I still agree/disagree that...
The government can...

Basically, it wont take just one lesson to teach writing as this is a skill that is tedious but not
impossible to learn. i'm sure you'll agree with me that if you break it down into manageable
proportions, the students will be less intimidated, feel a sense of achievement and the lessons will
not be too insurmountable/heavy/boring for them. Like i mentioned in a previous blog, the hardest
part is to oil their critical thinking skills, that is if they even have any to begin with!
hahahahahhah! ;-0
SAMPLE 1
Stress is a common problem among university students. Discuss. Support your answer with
examples. Give your views in not fewer that 350 words.
Stress is a normal phenomenon in university life. It is an accepted fact that stress is a common
problem for university students of different ages, disciplines of study, and social and economic
backgrounds. Furthermore, research has shown that stress has negative impact and effects on an
individual’s health and lifestyle. In view of these situations, it is essential and necessary for
university students to know how they can mange stress effectively. In my opinion, there are three
ways that can effectively reduce or eliminate stress. All these ways are inter related and bring about
the maximum positive impact to deal with stress effectively.
The first way is related to self awareness, self realization and acceptance of stress. These
qualities build a foundation that will positively nurture the appropriate mindset and emotional
attitude to deal with stress in realistic ways. The student must be aware, realize and accept the fact
that he or she is experiencing stress. Such awareness, realization and acceptance are strong
contributory factors to alert, motivate and initiate the student to think seriously of the nature,
possible causes and potential consequences of the stress he or she is experiencing. The attention
given to these issues is a strong catalyst to direct the student to want work out the solutions to deal
with the problem or situation or people that generate the stress. Self awareness, self realization
and self acceptance of stress will generate in students the need to confront stress with the right,
positive, mental and emotional attitude.
The second way that can help university students manage stress effectively is to educate and
equip themselves with knowledge and relevant information on approaches, methods and
techniques on how to identify the symptoms of various types of stress and stress related factors.
For example, they can learn more about the causes and effects of stress on health, personality and
lifestyle. Being university students, their maturity and mental and emotional intelligence should be
their guides in searching for the above mentioned information from authorized sources like health
reference books or the Internet. They can also seek advice from professionals namely doctors,
lectors and counselors or experienced individuals like parents and elders. The third way relates
to a holistic healthy lifestyle that involves constant physical activity, having good eating habits,
adopting positive attitudes to problems and nurturing healthy family, social and working
relationships. These characteristics effects of stress like anxiety, frustration and health problems of
poor concentration, lack of sleep and loss of appetite.
In sum, I leave in shot note these three ways can effectively help university students to
mange stress mentally, emotionally and holistically.

SAMPLE 2
Suggest some measures that you think should be taken to prevent snatch thefts. Support your
answer with examples. Give your views in not fewer that 350 words.
Recently, there have been a lot of reports in the newspapers on the rising cases of snatch theft. I
fully agree with the writer’s opinions which were published in your editorial column. In order to
curb this problem, the public and the police should word together.
One of the ways to curb this problem is the public to be more aware of their surroundings.
They should always be on the looked for suspicious-looking characters and make a report to the
police, if necessary. Often, the police rely on public information to make a head start in solving
cases. They must also learn to take better care of themselves. For example, they should make sure
that they have a friend with them they have to walk in a deserted area. As far as possible, however,
they should avoid dark and deserted areas.
One mistake which people make is to wear a lot of jewellery or take along a lot of money
when going out. Flashy jewellery will attract the attention of snatch thieves. In addition, they should
take better care of their belongings. For example, girls or women with handbags need to ensure
that they hold on their handbags properly so that they will not be easily snatched. They should
always walk facing oncoming traffic so that they can see what or who is approaching them. Women
are also advised not carry handbags with long straps as these are easy to snatch.
The public should also cooperate and be more civic minded in helping others. They should
try and help victims of snatch thefts and not just turn a blind eye. In many cases of snatch thefts,
not many people came up to help the victims even though there were cries for help. The least they
could have done was to try to take down the vehicle registration number of the motorcycle or to
help give a description of the perpetrators to the police. If people look out for and each other,
snatch thieves will not have such an easy time.
Last but not least, the police should come up with preventive measures to curb this problem.
They should patrol snatch-theft prone areas such as bus stations and LRT stations. They should also
come up with posters to remind the public to be more careful about snatch thieves. Aside from
this, they can conduct seminars to educate the public on how to avoid becoming victims of snatch
thefts.
All in all, in order to curb this growing problem, it is necessary for the public and the police to
cooperate with each other. By being more responsible for their own safety and working hand in
hand with the police, the public can play a great part in helping to reduce the number of snatch
thefts.

SAMPLE 3
Discuss suitable ways of eradicating disciplinary problems among secondary school students.
Support your answer with example. You should write at least 350 words.
In era of science and technology, disciplinary problems among secondary school students are
getting out of hand. It is, therefore, imperative that action be taken by all sectors of society to
eradicate these disciplinary problems.
The school authorities play an important role in this fight against disciplinary problems in school. All
teacher need to be vigilant and on the lookout for any form of indiscipline, even those as minor as
absenteeism. They also need to investigate fights no matter how small as these are symptoms of
more serious problems. Preventive measures such as strict enforcement of school rules and
appropriate punishments are extremely necessary nowadays. Public caning and expulsion of repeat
offenders of serious misconduct such as fighting, gangsterism and extortion, are highly
recommended.
In order for the schools to effectively combat indiscipline, the full support of the Ministry of
education is necessary. The ministry could provide special training for heads of schools and
discipline teachers. In addition, discipline teachers and counselors should be given teaching loads so
that they can better carry out their special responsibilities. Moreover, the ministry could provide
financial support to improve facilities in schools to gainfully occupy the students.
Parents are also an important group of people who can help eradicate disciplinary problems in
secondary schools. Parents have a very important role to play in ensuring the good behavior of
their children at all times. They should not leave the responsibility of educating their children solely
on the shoulders of school teachers. They should constantly monitor their children’s whereabouts
and make it a point to get to know their children’s friends. Besides that, parents should be aware of
the activities that their children are engaged in. a good way of keeping tabs on the going-on in
schools is to play an active role in the parent-teacher association.
Finally, the police can also be called upon to combat disciplinary problems. They can be called upon
to counsel students through lecture, talks and workshops. The police need to be allowed to patrol
school compounds to make their presence felt. They should also be empowered to arrest students
suspected of being involved in serious offences such as gang fights.
To conclude, it is obvious that action should be taken by the school authorities, parents, the
Ministry of Education and the police in order to eliminate disciplinary problems in secondary
schools.

SAMPLE 4
Foreign Workers Dilemma in Malaysia
Foreign workers – can’t live with them, cant live without them. . At least that’s what quite a
lot of Malaysians I now feel about them. Deputy Human Resources Minister, Senator Maznah
Mazlan said that there are 1.403 million foreigners here holding the Temporary Employment Visit
Pass, which accounts for 11.2% of Malaysia’s total workforce. That’s actually quite a lot of
foreigners for a country with a 2.7% unemployment rate as of last year.
But it’s no use denying the fact that we need them. The fact that we still don’t have
minimum wage means that there are just too many jobs out there that pay too little (from the
perspective of Malaysians) and are considered not worth the trouble by Malaysians. As our cost of
living continues to rise against stagnating wages, even fresh graduates earning around RM2,000 will
sometimes find it hard to keep things afloat living in Kuala Lumpur, let alone having to survive on a
construction worker’s wages.
And even now we can see foreign workers in supermarkets and restaurants, jobs that are
considered ‘comfortable’ and not ‘heavy’, but more and more locals are turning away from them
simply because in the current economic climate the pay is nowhere near good enough. On the one
hand it’s a shame that we prefer being unemployed rather than at least earning something, even if
it means working a hard job with not very good pay. But on the other hand it’s also understandable
why we’d prefer to hold out and keep looking for something better, considering the economic
realities that we have to face in our daily lives.
The side effect of being dependent on foreign workers is that it puts a strain on a lot of
things – public amenities and services especially. They also compete with the poor for low cost
accommodation, and the congested living conditions have also contributed to societal and
environmental problems. But blaming things on them will not solve anything. The fact of the matter
is, these are men and women trying to make an honest living in a foreign country where their
presence is not exactly welcomed with open arms.
They had to leave their family behind, live in sometimes abominable and unacceptable
conditions, and push themselves to the limit to work as many hours as possible in order to send as
much money as they can home to their families. Try doing that and see if you won’t find yourself in
similar social problems should you be in their exact same shoes. It’s easy to blame the ‘other’ when
you’re comfortably on the other side of the fence, but not so easy when you really look and try to
empathise with them.
Trying to combat these problems will definitely cost money, and if we’re being honest with
ourselves, it’s just like dousing a raging fire – it’s unlikely that we can totally put a stop to it. The
only way we can avoid these problems is by not having them here or not being too dependent on
foreign workforce. Paying the 3D jobs (dirty, dangerous and difficult) better wages to attract locals
to do it is a start. A good minimum wage is a start too. Of course companies employing foreign
workers will moan that this is not good business, but that is why we vote and have a government –
to think about how best to solve this dilemma, because what’s a government here for if not to take
care of its people?

SAMPLE 5
MOBILES EVERYWHERE, EVERYTHING
Malaysians are getting more and more attached to their mobile phones. I am no different. I
love my smartphone – it’s with me from the moment I wake up to the time I go to bed. However,
like many other Malaysians, I’m also starting to see real possibilities of the mobile internet platform
that my phone brings. It’s much more than just fun and games. It has progressed from a lifestyle
accessory to a living necessity. This little thing in your hand can connect you with more than 7
billion people on the planet if you want it to. Just imagine the possibilities… What if we could apply
this potential to improve the lives of fellow Malaysians as we know it?
 Because I work in a telco, my friends often share with me their ideas for mobile apps that
can potentially wipe out traffic woes in the city, improve public transport capabilities, enhance
personal safety, and so on. Everyone seems to have a point of view on one topic or another, but no
one has any real plan of action, seeing this area to be the exclusive domain of only techy geeks.
You no longer need to be a code technician to be involved in the burgeoning global App
Economy. Any regular Malaysian with a good idea can make a difference in our local community. If
you want to get started immediately, I encourage you to enter our DiGi Challenge for Change
(seewww.dgcfc.my) – an exciting avenue for average Malaysians to bring their ideas to life. We
created this challenge because we know that solutions to real life issues come from normal people,
not just from software engineers. This new innovation model involves creating collaborations
between those with ideas and those that can make the good ideas happen.
Here are some amazing facts and figures that I’d like to share with you: It’s estimated that
nearly 46 billion mobile apps were downloaded globally by end 2012; almost double the 25 billion
downloads in 2011. In four years (2016), this number is predicted to grow more than six times to
310 billion downloads[1] – more than 30 times the number of people on this planet! The fact that
apps first appeared in the world just 5 years ago makes this even more amazing.
I reckon we Malaysians are an opinionated and creative bunch, so can you imagine the
potential for local apps if we can each contribute some great ideas? By doing so, we would be
positively supporting our economy at the same time.
I love the MyTaxi App which allows users to book a taxi painlessly and to even track the
taxi’s journey to their location. It is also a win-win for the taxi driver, because it translates into
savings in time and fuel as there is less of a need to drive around aimlessly scouring for customers
when you have a greater chance of finding a customer closest to your current location. Apps like
Waze also help road users to plan their routes better, avoiding stress-inducing traffic congestions
along their drive to a certain destination.
The way we live today has changed because of the mobile internet. Before, the internet was
seen just as an alternative channel or technology to carry out activities like shopping, banking and
general commerce. In time, it will be just how we do things every day; no longer science fiction but
just our way of life.
When we look around us, we see how mobile internet has changed the way services are
delivered in Malaysia, not to mention the savings in time and cost that these apps have helped to
bring about in the general economy. Nowadays, I no longer stand in long queues at the bank to pay
bills, or send letters through the post. All these things now happen at my fingertips, breathing new
life into dead time; freeing up precious hours for more productive pursuits.
I can’t wait to see what other useful Malaysian-inspired mobile apps will be uncovered as
part of our DiGi Challenge for Change in the next few months. If we can convert every Malaysian
armchair critic into a community-driven mobile app advocate, we may just have started the wave of
the Great Malaysian App Revolution.
SAMPLE 6
The world today is turning more to electronic communications such as the e-mail, Facebook and
Short message System (SMS). What is your opinion of this growing trend? Discuss. You should
write at least 350 words.
Everywhere we turn today, the world is crowded with people busy typing SMSes on their
Nokias or iPhones or someone is staring unblinkingly at a Facebook or Yahoo page on the computer
screen. Whether you like it or not, the age of Information Technology is upon us, and we can either
learn new skills and adapt to this new technology, or be forever lost and stuck in the older
generation. In my opinion, I am fully convinced that this growing trend is the way of the future, and
it brings countless benefits to mankind. In this essay, I will discuss three positive effects of
electronic communication, namely its efficiency, enhances communication and creates a borderless
world community.
First and foremost, more and more people are relying on e-mail, Facebook, Short Message
System (SMS) and other types of electronic communication tools because of its high efficiency. This
is because in today's age of globalisation, we need information at the tip of our fingers. Moreover,
with the use of these tools, we can increase the speed of getting the necessary and relevant
information within seconds and this will increase our productivity. For example, gone are the days
of using 'snail mail' or regular letters using stamps and envelopes and many more examples of 'old'
technology because it is simply too slow and inefficient. Therefore, these e-communication tools
increases the access to important information which is why the new generation is fully accepting
this growing trend.
Secondly, this form of technology enhances communication among people today. This means
that when we use SMS, e-mails and websites like Facebook, we are able to communicate clearly
and directly to our target audience. Furthermore, people today find that the message is more
important than the form it comes in as an e-mail in short but clear sentences is just as good or even
better than a long and formal letter. For instance, an SMS can give clear instructions in just a few
words and this communicates what needs to be done quickly and directly. Thus, when the intended
message can be spread clearly using short and clear information like in SMSes and emails,
communication can be enhanced and there will be less problems of miscommunication.
Last but not least, e-communication creates a borderless community in the world we live in
today. This is due to the fact that the boundaries that separate each country becomes less relevant
when information is transferred without limitations. In addition, the world would be a better place
because there is a sense of 1-World commitment, respect and tolerance for the global community
through efficient and clear e-communication. Take for example, we are able to connect with people
on an international basis using Facebook, Friendster, Tagged, Hotmail, Yahoo and others. Hence,
these tools will enhance global unity and create a more peaceful world.
In a nutshell, this growing trend has many positive effects not just to individuals but the global
society in terms of efficiency, enhancing communicative skills and shaping a borderless community.
In my opinion, I still firmly believe that this latest trend is the best way forward and if we do not
catch up, we will be left behind by the tide of development. Our government can encourage the
proper usage of electronic communications by increasing communication amenities and broadband
accessibility especially in rural areas so that they can enjoy the same facilities as city-folks therefore
balancing the development of our country towards achieving Vision 2020.

SAMPLE 7
The rising fuel price has pushed up the price of other consumer products. How will this affect the
society? Give your opinion. You should write at least 350 words.
Money is always an issue in today's era of materialism. Most people need it for basic
survival while the lucky few indulge in luxuries without worrying about money. In my opinion, I
strongly agree that the rising fuel price has pushed up the price of other consumer products and
this will definitely affect the society. In this essay, I would like to touch on the effects this price
increase has on society today, namely increasing vice activities, widening the gap between the rich
and the poor and affecting the population trend in the long term.
First and foremost, society will immediately be affected by the rise in fuel prices because
consumer products will be more costly and this leads to an increase of vice activities. This is
because basic necessities such as rice, flour, sugar and so on will be in great demand and some
warehouses will store or hoard the items to further increase the price of the product. Moreover, in
the newspapers today, reports of smuggling of these items prove that this vice activity is on the
rise. For example, the recent sugar price hike caused a furor among the Malaysian society as it costs
more fuel to travel to and from the supermarket and when arriving, most places had run out of
stock even though the government had allocated 2kg of sugar to one person. Therefore, the fuel
price increase had definitely caused more hardships to society today.
Secondly, it is undeniable that the rise in fuel prices leads to the widening of the gap
between the rich and the poor. This is due to the fact that people are greatly affected by the price
of basic necessities such as food and fuel in particular. Furthermore, the rich people will still be able
to afford such things but the poor will face greater challenges as the popular saying goes: "The rich
get richer, and the poor get poorer." For instance, when money is used to purchase consumer
products that are necessary for survival, then less money will be spent on health and dental check-
up, educational purposes and others. Thus, it is clear that the fuel price hike will further stress on
the differences between the rich and the poor which is such a tragedy.
Last but not least, in the long term the population trend or demographics of the society
will be greatly affected. This means that new families will consciously decide not to have too many
children in order to increase their quality of life. In addition, society is now more aware of birth
control and family planning so this will greatly reduce the population as most families will have 1 to
5 children instead of more. Take for example, new families with less children will surely spend less
on basic necessities like food, clothes, transport and many more. Hence, the demographics of the
whole country will be affected and this in turn will reduce our workforce which will affect our
country's productivity and prosperity.
In short, there are many short term to long term effects of a fuel price increase which
includes more crimes like hoarding and smuggling will occur and this leads to the widening of the
gap between the rich and the poor as well as a change in the society's demographics. I still strongly
believe that the rising fuel price has pushed up the price of other consumer products and this will
surely cause a negative impact to society. The government must find a way to stabilise the fuel
price at a reasonable rate so that it does not affect the productivity of this country towards
achieving the aspirations of the nation for Vision 2020.

SAMPLE 8
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Parents are the best teachers. Use
specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
Parents play the most important role in the bringing up of their children. In my opinion, despite
some very good characteristics parents have, they can’t be the best teachers of their children.
First of all, parents are able to have knowledge in some fields, but not all the fields. It is not true
that parents know everything in the world. Sometimes, they just have a passing acquaintance of
some subjects. They shouldn’t teach their children something that they don’t know thoroughly. For
example, a very famous physicist can’t teach his children chemistry though he is very good at
physics because his knowledge of chemistry isn’t enough to teach his children. So that’s why
parents always search for good teachers to teach their children what they need to learn properly.
Secondly, parents want to teach their children by their ways/EXAMOLE. They are right, and they
are wrong sometimes. For those who aren’t be educated how to be good teachers, it might be a
very big problem. They can be good parents, but hardly good teachers. For instance, it’s not simply
to telling children what they should do and what they shouldn’t. If the children don’t follow, their
parents might get angry. In that case, they lose their temper, and they just want their children to
obey them without any decent explanation for their behavior. Parents should help their children be
aware of right and wrong in order that they will know why their parents want them to follow their
advice.
Thirdly, parents can easily be wrong in educating their children in that they have a lot of emotion.
In their eyes, their children are obviously the best ones. They praise their children and encourage
them to keep doing things though in other people's eyes, the children should stop behaving like
that. Consequently, parents should be strict and thoughtful in some situations. As children don’t
recognize what is right and wrong, they do anything they like. Parents should always watch on their
children and guide them to do the right thing instead of letting them do whatever they want.
In brief, parents aren’t always good teachers though they might be good parents. To be good
teachers, it is the way they educate their children, which they should be concerned with rather
than the way they love their children.

SAMPLE 9
You have enough money to purchase either a house or a business. Which would you choose to
buy? Give specific reasons to explain your choice.
 People always have to decide how they will invest their money after they have saved it for a
while. Some people invest in a house but some people invest in a business. If I have enough money,
I will purchase a house as it has no any disadvantage to me.
Purchasing a house means that it belongs to me as my property. I can feel that I do not waste my
money. It is just turned into a house. Besides, the house price is rising higher and higher so
this is a good investment. If I have my children, they will not have to purchase a new house. They
can take one of mine. If I let them find money and afford a house themselves, I can not imagine
how the house price will be at that time, and how hard my children will have to work to earn
enough money. Moreover, I can either move to the new house after I get bored with the old one.
Some people in my country have more than one house. One is in the city near their workplaces.
Another is quite far away from the city so they can have their rest there on weekends. In addition, I
can let other people rent this house if I do not need to live there that time. By doing this, I can also
have income from my house.
On the other hand, purchasing a business is full of risk. As I am not good at business, I need to
take time in studying the business to purchase one. Even if I have studied well on the business, it is
still risky. I would rather not try on my own business although I can make more profit on it.
It is obvious for me which choice I will choose after compare two options, to purchase a house
or a business. Purchasing a house is surely my last answer.

SAMPLE 10
Nowadays, food has become easier to prepare. Has this change improved the way people live?
Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
1:
With the advancement of technology and science, many instruments and equipments are being
introduced in our daily life. One of their benefits is processing of food material faster and easily.
this has brought some changes in the people life.
Firstly, due to the advent of food preparing machines like mixers, microwave, pressure cookers ,
making food items have become easier and faster. This help the people who have busy schedules
like the proffesionals and research scientists. So people do not have to schedule much time
preparing the food and food can be quickly served. So the change has adapted with the fast life of
the people.
Also, the people who do not have families and live life singly, particularly the bachelor guys, feel
these equipments easier and more convenient . Generally they do not have the knowledge of
making food dishes, but with the help of the modern machines and technologies they can easily
prepare food. So they now prefer to lead life alone rather than in families and concentrates more in
their career.
But, the machines and equipments have also made people little bit lazy due to the easiness and
fastness. People do not work hard to make food, which have the changed the conventional ives and
mothers. Still, the easiness to prepare food have changed to people life positively in respect of
development, accceleration, career, and time management .

2.
Nowadays, wherever we turn our gaze, we can see different types of food that are easier to
prepare. It cannot be doubted that our eating style has encountered a revolutionary change in the
last few decades. It is the change in the type of food that has had the greatest influence. For
instance, we can buy frozen food in a supermarket and just prepare it in a couple of minutes,
whereas before it could have taken us maybe hours to prepare this kind of meal. Not only have the
recipes of certain food types have been altered, but also new ones have been created. Examples
include yet are not restricted to beef hamburgers, potato chips, ready made available yoghurt,
frozen meat and cold drinks. I would accept that this so called improvement changed our lives, but i
believe there are some drawbacks as well.
It is true that these kinds of food do not involve hard work to prepare, but food that is easy to
prepare generally has some artificial ingredients mixed in it that makes it "easy to prepare." If we
take time to read the ingredients, we would definitely come across the words like preservatives or
artificial flavorings. Many newly emerged types of food have not the essence of a "complete meal"
as defined by the nutritionists. To add to the problem, these food types are often served alone. In
fact, there are many medical reports warning people from dependingupon such fast meals in their
food. Other reports indicate a high potential of malnutrition among those who are "addicted” to
the common duet of burgers and colas.

SAMPLE 11
SHOULD WE BEAT CHILDREN?
CORPORAL PUNISHMENT: Effective when used wisely
Many parents use physical punishment to discipline their children. Others prefer to use different
methods to reward good behavior or punish misbehavior. This essay will look at some of the
arguments for and against physical punishment of children.
It is often claimed that physical punishment will damage children in later life. Opponents of
corporal punishment claim that the children will grow up to become delinquents or even beat their
wives.
However, many happily married adults today were slapped when they were younger but have
never hit their spouses. Another point often made is that physical punishment teaches children that
you can use force to make others do what you want. In fact children brought up well soon learn
that force by itself is nothing - it must be associated with right. Finally, some people say that
punishing a child by smacking him will damage the relationship between the child and the parents.
This is clearly wrong. Children who understand the reasons for rules will be happier than children
who are not given clear guidelines.
 There are definitely concerns about physical punishment. Some parents lose control and can
injure children - even breaking bones or causing bruises. Others can use violence excessively or as
the only method of discipline. In this case, the child will be hurt, fearful and anxious and will not
learn to distinguish right from wrong. The biggest problem with physical violence is when it is not
appropriate to the age of the child. It can be very effective to quickly smack a two-year-old who is
screaming. However, it is not effective to beat a 16-year-old who is late for school once again.
In conclusion, physical punishment can be a useful method of discipline. However it should be
the last choice for parents. If we want to build a world with less violence we must begin at home,
and we must teach our children to be responsible.

SAMPLE 12
Nowadays, food has become easier to prepare. Has this change improved the way people live?
Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
1:
With the advancement of technology and science, many instruments and equipments are being
introduced in our daily life. One of their benefits is processing of food material faster and easily.
this has brought some changes in the people life.
Firstly, due to the advent of food preparing machines like mixers, microwave, pressure cookers ,
making food items have become easier and faster. This help the people who have busy schedules
like the proffesionals and research scientists. So people do not have to schedule much time
preparing the food and food can be quickly served. So the change has adapted with the fast life of
the people.
Also, the people who do not have families and live life singly, particularly the bachelor guys, feel
these equipments easier and more convenient . Generally they do not have the knowledge of
making food dishes, but with the help of the modern machines and technologies they can easily
prepare food. So they now prefer to lead life alone rather than in families and concentrates more in
their career.
But, the machines and equipments have also made people little bit lazy due to the easiness and
fastness. People do not work hard to make food, which have the changed the conventional ives and
mothers. Still, the easiness to prepare food have changed to people life positively in respect of
development, accceleration, career, and time management .
2.
Nowadays, wherever we turn our gaze, we can see different types of food that are easier to
prepare. It cannot be doubted that our eating style has encountered a revolutionary change in the
last few decades. It is the change in the type of food that has had the greatest influence. For
instance, we can buy frozen food in a supermarket and just prepare it in a couple of minutes,
whereas before it could have taken us maybe hours to prepare this kind of meal. Not only have the
recipes of certain food types have been altered, but also new ones have been created. Examples
include yet are not restricted to beef hamburgers, potato chips, ready made available yoghurt,
frozen meat and cold drinks. I would accept that this so called improvement changed our lives, but i
believe there are some drawbacks as well.
It is true that these kinds of food do not involve hard work to prepare, but food that is easy to
prepare generally has some artificial ingredients mixed in it that makes it "easy to prepare." If we
take time to read the ingredients, we would definitely come across the words like preservatives or
artificial flavorings. Many newly emerged types of food have not the essence of a "complete meal"
as defined by the nutritionists. To add to the problem, these food types are often served alone. In
fact, there are many medical reports warning people from dependingupon such fast meals in their
food. Other reports indicate a high potential of malnutrition among those who are "addicted” to
the common duet of burgers and colas.
Not having to cook has also taken the fun out of cooking. Cooking is an art, but in today's world,
this is no more true. People are so busy in their work that they just rely on these simple foods. The
invention and production of these foods have made people lazy not only for cooking but also for a
well family get together. It was not like former times when families would sit together and eat
freshly baked food. With the absence of regular family get together, relationships are likely to be
weaker.
People think that fast prepared food types dp improve our style of life. This opinion comes
especially from bust people, working wives, and younger people. They believe that we have many
things in life more important than eating. Time spent on food preparation is considered waste by
them. Wives will have more time to care of their families' souls not just stomachs. Family
relationships will get stronger. Business men and women will have more time to concentrate on
their arrangements. In general, people will have a greater opportunity to take care of their minds
and hearts.
I agree with that food preparation should take its necessary time and care. Otherwise, the time
saved in food preparation can lead to longer times of headache or even of staying in hospitals
suffering from malnutrition.

SAMPLE 13
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Parents are the best teachers. Use
specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
Parents play the most important role in the bringing up of their children. In my opinion, despite
some very good characteristics parents have, they can’t be the best teachers of their children.
First of all, parents are able to have knowledge in some fields, but not all the fields. It is not true
that parents know everything in the world. Sometimes, they just have a passing acquaintance of
some subjects. They shouldn’t teach their children something that they don’t know thoroughly. For
example, a very famous physicist can’t teach his children chemistry though he is very good at
physics because his knowledge of chemistry isn’t enough to teach his children. So that’s why
parents always search for good teachers to teach their children what they need to learn properly.
Secondly, parents want to teach their children by their ways/EXAMOLE. They are right, and they
are wrong sometimes. For those who aren’t be educated how to be good teachers, it might be a
very big problem. They can be good parents, but hardly good teachers. For instance, it’s not simply
to telling children what they should do and what they shouldn’t. If the children don’t follow, their
parents might get angry. In that case, they lose their temper, and they just want their children to
obey them without any decent explanation for their behavior. Parents should help their children be
aware of right and wrong in order that they will know why their parents want them to follow their
advice.
Thirdly, parents can easily be wrong in educating their children in that they have a lot of emotion.
In their eyes, their children are obviously the best ones. They praise their children and encourage
them to keep doing things though in other people's eyes, the children should stop behaving like
that. Consequently, parents should be strict and thoughtful in some situations. As children don’t
recognize what is right and wrong, they do anything they like. Parents should always watch on their
children and guide them to do the right thing instead of letting them do whatever they want.
In brief, parents aren’t always good teachers though they might be good parents. To be good
teachers, it is the way they educate their
children, which they should be concerned with rather than the way they love their children.

SAMPLE 14
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Parents are the best teachers. Use
specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
I definitely agree that parents are the perfect teachers. They have superiority over the others due
to a few explicit reasons: the connection between parents and children is exceptionally firm;
parents teach children filled with desire and benevolence; children spend more time with their own
parents than other people. Occasionally, the generation gap impedes the conception of the
communication problem or some parents don't care about the bringing up of their own children.
Recently, there was a survey in our school. The matter was whether our parents spend a part of
their spare time to develop our general knowledge. The results were positive - most of us are
satisfied with their concern. Similar surveys were held in other schools and the returns were
according to the expectations. One week ago I had a conversation with a friend of mine. Now he is
learning in a math School. He told me that he had taken the exam with excellence due to his father,
who had been interested in math when a boy. His father explained to him plainly and
understandably all mathematical problems. My friend was also obliged to solve definite numbers of
problems every day to gain an insight into math gradually. After the exam's results he was very
grateful to his father for helping him constantly.
Unfortunately, some children haven't got responsible parents. The latter leave their children
bring up alone because they are too busy with work or have no will to communicate each other. A
social poll was held in my city few days ago. The query was "Why the connection between parents
and children is fading away today?" and most of the parents answered that they hadn't got time to
pay attention to them despite their will to. Therefore, they must hire a domestic or a tutor to bring
up or educate them. These latter people won't live forever with the children in comparison with
parents in spite of that they can be experienced teachers. Yesterday my best friend told me that he
couldn't comprehend why his parents compel him to tide up his room every day or why whenever
he goes out he should be in formal clothes without caring a rucksack. I told him that it is normal
there to be a distinction between the generations, but parents are one of our closest friends and
what they do they do for us.
In spite of these few shortcomings parents always direct their children to the true way and they
build the foundation of children's future life by teaching them. I believe that they have the ability to
teach them in the most adequate way.

SAMPLE 15
"Friends Should Never Hide Anything From Each Other." Do You Agree?
No man is an island. Everyone depends on his friends to a certain extent. Ever since man
formed a system of verbal communication, all people have been in constant chatter with one
another.
Relationships are important to man, so much that people may shape their entire lifestyles
simply to find favor with their clique or circle of friends. Therefore, much caution must be applied
when dealing with our friends, especially in our speech. So then, must we always tell our friends the
whole truth and nothing but the truth or is it sometimes simply none of their business?
One thing is clear: finding out that your friend has lied to you always hurts. In cases where
lies have been told to hurt you or other parties on purpose, the friendship will never be the same. If
the lie caused you great damage, the friendship will not be salvageable. Who would want a
treacherous person for a friend? Yet, even when the matter is not of great importance, little lies can
lead to the spoiling of relationships. I have a friend who often tells little untruths.
Sometimes, he exaggerates circumstances a little, just to impress others, sometimes he tells
half-truths to get out of trouble, sometimes, he makes up stories just to entertain his friends.
Personally, I just do not feel comfortable with him. You see, I just never know whether he is telling
the truth or one more of his little lies.
Apart from the question of maintaining credibility, sharing one's problems and joys with a
friend can also be helpful as we deal with the problems of daily living. As the saying goes, shared joy
is double the joy and shared sorrow is half the sorrow. Sharing the good times can brighten up a
friend's day if he feels down. Sharing one's problems and despairs with a friend will bring forth the
encouragement and advice we need to hear. Sometimes simply having an ear to hear our heart's
cries and knowing that someone understands us will make us feel better. People have been saved
from suicide just by having a friend to listen to their troubles.
It is clear, then, that some things need to be said to our friends without any twisting of the
truth. However, there are times when telling a friend too much can also lead to problems. An all-
too-common example of such a time is when one hears rumors. Gossip can start simply because
someone thought a rumor was true and shared all her thoughts on the rumor with a friend. The
friend, who actually had no real knowledge of the matter, passed all her thoughts and ideas to
another friend and so on and so forth. The final result can be a mangled product which could really
hurt the parties involved. The thing to do about rumors is not to spread them, even if you have
strong opinions, about them.
Another noteworthy fact is that sometimes, telling the truth may be worse than saying
nothing. If an ugly girl with an inferiority complex were to ask you if she was unattractive, it would
be a very bad idea to tell her just how unattractive she was. One must use his discretion in such
situations, stressing on her good qualities, of course. Telling the whole truth in this case would
destroy her remaining shreds of confidence.
In conclusion, I feel that friends, even the closest of friends, need not tell each other
everything they know or feel. Some matters, of course, should be discussed with friends, while
some others should be hidden. We have to balance our love for truth with the practicalities of the
situation. Not being perfect, we are bound to make mistakes, of course. So, one must then be
prepared to make up with our friends, apologizing for our verbal blunders and forgiving them for
theirs. Well, that's what friendship is really about -- accepting people for what they are,
imperfections and all.

SAMPLE 16
Today the high sales of popular consumer goods reflect the power of advertising and not the real
needs of the society in which they are sold. What are your views on this? Give reasons for your
answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge on experience.
Nowadays millions of companies produce billions of products and the role of advertising is
quite obvious. Ads help consumers to find the goods or services of their needs. However, do our
needs grow equally fast as the number of products? Some market analysts insist modern
commercials are not merely matchmakers of a product and a consumer, but actively interfere with
buyer’s desires, developing artificial needs.
Undoubtedly, advertisement guides people through the market, serves those who do not have
time to learn differences between goods. These products are probably the same, but loyalty to a
particular brand, formed by a commercial helps make a choice. When a person buys one mobile
phone out of 50 models, he thinks he made his choice himself. But that was a commercial who told
him about the features of this phone.
 Nevertheless, ads not only inform us about new goods, but force people to want them. This
can be even useful, for example for someone who suffers from back pains and without commercials
he would never imagine there are new mattresses which could ease their pains.
Unfortunately, promoters now operate our minds more aggressively. Commercials no longer
promote products, but lifestyles. They told us to purchase things just because they are fashionable
or up to date with the image of successful person. And we buy new cars, gadgets and clothes in
order to match this image and not because old ones are no longer usable.
Personally I think that high sales of popular commodities are the result of new promotional
technologies. The best illustration of that is that everyone now is concerned mostly about how a
new mobile phone will reflect his personality, a new shirt – his image, or will a new car make
colleagues feel jealous.

SAMPLE 17
Nowadays, there are lots of advertisements on television or on the streets. Some people
think that the advertising boosts the sales of goods and it encourages people to buy things
unnecessarily. This arguments may be true. In my country, many advertising companies produce
advertisements with famous and popular actors or singers. People, especially youngsters, buy
goods that their favourite singer advertise, although they do not really need the products.
Also, on the television screen, a product may look gorgeous and good quality. As a result of
it, people often buy goods without enough consideration. Consumers may not actually need it but
they buy goods impulsively soon after they watch the advertising. Furthermore, as many customers
buy a particular product due to its advertising campaign, the other people may be affected by the
trend, even if the product is not of the real needs of the society.
On the other hand, there are various aspects against these arguments. Moreover, it is people's
choice to make a decision to buy goods. Advertising may be not a cause of customers' buying
habits. Individuals have their own spending habits. If they have got enough disposable Income then
the right to mane a decision’s given to them. No one actually can fudge whether the goods sold are
the real needs of the society or not.
In addition, as there should be a limited amount of disposable income consumers are able to
spend, people try to allocate their budgets. They cannot be simply swayed by those
advertisements.
In conclusion, as customers have their own strong opinions and standard of good quality
goods, it’s better to leave them to make their own decision in buy goods. It’s fairly difficult to say
everyone’s swayed by advertising and buy good impulsively. However, in sensitive area of
businesses such as toy industries, it may be necessary to band advertising to those children as
children have not got enough ability to control themselves or to know what they need.

SAMPLE 18
Many people have a close relationship with their pets. These people treat their birds, cats, or
other animals as members of their family. In your opinion, are such relationships good? Why or
why not? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
Sample 1#
Being near a pet, with a lot of people, always has positive and negative effects. There are a
few people who do not want to have a close relationship with their pets and treat them as
members of their family. But in my own experience, if we do that,we gain more than we lose.
When we are have a pet, it means we are have a great and loyal friend. Let’s take one
example. After a hard-working day, I often get stressed and tense. But when I come home, my dog
wags its tail and barks to welcome me home. It often makes me feel a bit better. I frequently take
my dog to the park near my house. That is the time for me to relax, enjoy the fresh air, and escape
from my problems in real life.
Besides, you can learn a lot from taking care of your pets. Throughout a long time taking
care of my dog, I know how hard it is to raise and teach it to do the right things. And it reminds me
about my parents, who always take care of me, stand by me when I need them. So, this can also
teach us more about responsibility, love, etc.
In contrast, having a pet also brings with it a lot of troubles. You need to go to buy food
when it is hungry, medicine when it is sick. It really takes you a lot of time to take care of them
every day.
To sum up, I support the idea of a close relationship with our pets. If we treat them with a
kind heart, they will love us back the same way.
2#
Everyone has normally had a pet at one point or another in their life. While some people may
view their pets as nothing more than a toy that can be discarded at anytime, others believe that
their pets are members of their family. I believe that pets are part of the family and should be
treated as such because animals foster emotional development and help people's mental health.
First, pets encourage emotional development. As society becomes increasingly chaotic and
global, people find it difficult to foster relationships. The lack of relationships will result in people
feeling lonely at all hours of the day.
However, if someone has a pet, the attention they can give and get in return will ease their
feelings of loneliness and isolation. A lack of interaction with other people will cause people to
become less emotionally developed. Having a pet helps people not forget feelings of love, affection
or other emotions. Pets prevent people from becoming emotionally distant and emotionless, still
capable of having a relationship.
In addition, pets are good for people's mental health. These days, most people live hectic and
chaotic lives, with little time to relax and relieve stress. A constant build up of stress can seriously
affect someone's mental health. Knowing that a pet will be waiting at the door, almost smiling and
saying welcome home can ease this mental burden. A hungry pet may follow an owner around as
soon as they get home; even try opening the food cupboard. These actions will amuse the pet's
owners, helping them relax and unwind by the humorous( antics of a pet. For example, as soon as I
get home from school my cat likes to sit on my shoulders and cry until I take him for a ride in the
car. He enjoys it when I put the window down so he can put his head out, his tongue hanging out
like a dog. The looks I get at stop lights when other drivers see a 20 pound cat sitting on my
shoulders sticking his head out of the window and purring softly always makes me smile and forget
about the stress of exams and studying.
In conclusion, many people through out the world do not realize the value of pets and treat
them like toys. Pets are very important and should be treated like a member of the family since
they foster emotional development and help people maintain balanced mental health. A pets love
and antics ensure people are able to relate to the world and don't become emotionally distant.

SAMPLE 19
The Absence Of Sporting Spirit And Its Consequences
The world from the dawn of civilization has been enjoying sports. One of the pastimes of the
rulers was to arrange for periodical sports. It may be hunting, chariot race , horse riding, wrestling
and boxing. Organized sports were popular in Greece, especially Olympia from which modem
Olympic games have derived their names. Sports were for fun and frolics . In the middle ages
sports were very popular in European countries. Sports are supposed to develop many good
qualities. There may be healthy competition and rivalry and never enmity or bitterness. It is and
should be for the sports' sake and not for winning the laurels . This is the real sporting spirit. There
are rules and regulations in play and games. The sporting spirit implies the following of rules
whether one wins or loses. The outcome or the result is not the important thing but how the game
is played.
A real sportsman takes things easy. Take for instance, an angler sitting by the river side from
morning till evening, casting his line into the water. He may not always be lucky to have a catch.
Still he whistles back home happy in the evening when the night sets in. It is not the catch that is
the point but the angler's attitude. He cannot grow angry and break the fishing rod. Then he has
lost the fun. So too in any game the winner or the loser, much more so the latter must be able to
take things easy. A real sportsman does not lose his head when he wins nor is he bowled over when
he loses.
The crux of the problem is whether a sportsman plays the game; in other words if he strictly
follows the rules of the game and never adopts foul means to get a win. But unfortunately this
point is missing. In certain modem sports, games like horse racing, they dope the horses. The
Olympic games where one expects the ideas to prevail seems to be no exception. There are
instances of doping and impersonation and hence vigorous tests are given and the competitors are
checked seriously.
When the sporting spirit is absent or missing, naturally very unpleasant consequences can
ensue. Very ugly scenes are more often the rule in football matches. Referees are manhandled and
the crowd become partisan Cricket was a king of games where such behavior was unheard of. But
of late, even in cricket unpleasant things do happen; when a player is signaled out by the umpire ,
he loses his temper and grimaces at the umpire and so on and makes a show of his unpleasantness.
Bowlers are being very often warned. All these result from lack of sporting spirit.
A good sportsman knows his game rather than the rules of the game and follows them willingly.
In whatever position he is placed he plays his part. He cooperates with all the members of the team
and works always for the good of the team of which he forms a part. He develops espirit de corps
morale) and in and outside the field he shows this sporting spirit. He never plays foul though there
are few who turn mercenary and wreck the fortune of their team for the sake of money or other
considerations
This sportsman's spirit may be developed in ordinary life. In whatever walk of life one finds
himself he must be able to do his duty. Material gains apart, he must be able to deliver the goods.
He must be reliable and a good companion( 同伴) to his comrades. He is faithful and obedient to
his superiors . He goes about his duty without gossiping and scandal mongering . Then people call
him a good sportsman. Such people are scarce but they are assets wherever they are found.
If people do know the value of the sporting spirit why then the rarity or the absence of it ?
Simply it is because of selfishness. For personal glory or ownership or name, one grows selfish. The
selfishness gets started in early childhood. Jealousy and rivalry and sometimes even lack of security
lead to selfishness. Very often children do not want to part with their play things or share them
with, others. When this selfishness grows into life, there will be absence of sporting spirit. Such
people keep themselves in isolation and they never mix freely with others. Temperamentally they
are non-companionable and they are never happy nor add to the happiness of others. So we see
that this sporting spirit must be developed even when they are children. Here comes the Cubs, Girl
Guides and Boy Scouts movement which develop in their incumbents all the good qualities of a
sportsman.
SAMPLE 20
YEAR END 2008: MUET WRITING 800/4 QUESTION 2
“People are becoming more materialistic. They are concerned with making more money and
what money can buy.” What is your opinion on being materialistic? You should write at least 350
words.
They say that money makes the world go round. And indeed it does as without money, life would
be very difficult as in today’s society, nothing is free. The side effect however is that people are
becoming more materialistic; more concerned with making money and what money can buy. But
how much money is enough? Is it ever enough? To some, it will never be enough. In my opinion, I
truly believe that this statement is true and that people are becoming more materialistic in nature.
In this essay, I will discuss how materialism has affected modern society’s way of life on an
individual level, the country’s economy as well as our spiritual and moral beliefs.

First and foremost, each individual is affected by materialism to some extent in this day and age
because hedonism is becoming an uprising trend. This is because today's generation are geared
towards making more and more money so that they can enjoy the carefree lifestyle that is so
popular these days. Moreover, people now are striving to earn more income in order to afford
things that are more expensive and branded. For example, people spend their hard earned money
on material objects like genuine LV and Coach handbags, expensive gadgets like Iphones and Tablet
pcs and so on which in my opinion is a waste of money when regular goods may prove to be good
enough. Therefore, while individuals become more focussed on their pursuit of material wealth and
improving their standard of living, they may forget that what matters most in life is quality time
spent with family and friends and not the quantity of their material goods.

Secondly, when society starts spending in a materialistic manner it will surely have a domino effect
on the country’s economy. This means that the spending power of society will help boost the
economy and create more business opportunities for the booming trade. However, when a society
overspends, using plastic money or credit cards, or when they take loans they cannot afford to
repay, then the country’s debt margin will be higher. For instance, USA today is facing an economic
crisis because banks have approved home loans to people who aspire to own bigger houses than
they can actually afford and this is causing the collapse of the country’s economy there. Thus, while
a society’s spending habits helps our economy to grow, overspending due to materialism will have
an adverse effect to the country’s financial stability.

Last but not least, materialism affects our spiritual and moral beliefs. This is due to the fact people
who are materialistic may become ‘amoral’ whereby they disregard their spiritual and moral
upbringing and instead turn to crime to satisfy their materialistic needs. In fact, the crime rate is
increasing because criminals these days have developed many ways to gain more money from
society. Take for example, there are more reports of snatch thefts, burglaries, kidnapping for
ransom, credit card fraud, internet banking hacking and others that are driven by materialistic
criminals. Hence, when people lose sight of their spiritual and moral beliefs and believe instead in
the greed of materialism, therefore the crime rate is bound to increase.

In a nutshell, materialism is a common agenda in the 21st century as more people are working hard
to afford things beyond their reach. While this may spur individuals to work harder to improve their
standard of living, overspending due to materialism may cause the downfall of a country’s economy
and their morality. In my opinion, I still firmly believe that materialism has a strong hold on today’s
society; both positive and negative effects. Our government can encourage society to be less
frivolous and wasteful in spending by running campaigns such as ‘Consumer Awareness’ and ‘Buy
Malaysian Made Products’ in order to educate our younger generation for the prosperity of our
nation.
SAMPLE 21
MID YEAR 2010: MUET WRITING 800/4 QUESTION 2
The world today is turning more to electronic communications such as the e-mail, Facebook and
Short Message System (SMS). What is your opinion of this growing trend? Discuss. You should
write at least 350 words. [60 marks]
Everywhere we turn today, the world is crowded with people busy typing SMSes on their
Nokias or iPhones or someone is staring unblinkingly at a Facebook or Yahoo page on the computer
screen. Whether you like it or not, the age of Information Technology is upon us, and we can either
learn new skills and adapt to this new technology, or be forever lost and stuck in the older
generation. In my opinion, I am fully convinced that this growing trend is the way of the future, and
it brings countless benefits to mankind. In this essay, I will discuss three positive effects of
electronic communication, namely its efficiency, enhances communication and creates a borderless
world community.
First and foremost, more and more people are relying on e-mail, Facebook, Short Message
System (SMS) and other types of electronic communication tools because of its high efficiency. This
is because in today's age of globalisation, we need information at the tip of our fingers. Moreover,
with the use of these tools, we can increase the speed of getting the necessary and relevant
information within seconds and this will increase our productivity. For example, gone are the days
of using 'snail mail' or regular letters using stamps and envelopes and many more examples of 'old'
technology because it is simply too slow and inefficient. Therefore, these e-communication tools
increases the access to important information which is why the new generation is fully accepting
this growing trend.
Secondly, this form of technology enhances communication among people today. This
means that when we use SMS, e-mails and websites like Facebook, we are able to communicate
clearly and directly to our target audience. Furthermore, people today find that the message is
more important than the form it comes in as an e-mail in short but clear sentences is just as good
or even better than a long and formal letter. For instance, an SMS can give clear instructions in just
a few words and this communicates what needs to be done quickly and directly. Thus, when the
intended message can be spread clearly using short and clear information like in SMSes and emails,
communication can be enhanced and there will be less problems of miscommunication.
Last but not least, e-communication creates a borderless community in the world we live in
today. This is due to the fact that the boundaries that separate each country becomes less relevant
when information is transferred without limitations. In addition, the world would be a better place
because there is a sense of 1-World commitment, respect and tolerance for the global community
through efficient and clear e-communication. Take for example, we are able to connect with people
on an international basis using Facebook, Friendster, Tagged, Hotmail, Yahoo and others. Hence,
these tools will enhance global unity and create a more peaceful world.
In a nutshell, this growing trend has many positive effects not just to individuals but the
global society in terms of efficiency, enhancing communicative skills and shaping a borderless
community. In my opinion, I still firmly believe that this latest trend is the best way forward and if
we do not catch up, we will be left behind by the tide of development. Our government can
encourage the proper usage of electronic communications by increasing communication amenities
and free broadband accessibility especially in rural areas so that they can enjoy the same facilities
as city-folks therefore balancing the development of our country towards achieving Vision 2020.
SAMPLE 22
MID YEAR 2011: MUET WRITING 800/4 QUESTION 2
The most valuable thing in life is friendship. Do you agree? Discuss. You should write at least 350
words.
It is true that no ‘man is an island’ meaning that no one in this world can live alone without
friendship. That person would be very socially challenged as he or she would miss the camaraderie
and life experiences that come with friendship. However, I completely disagree with the statement
that the most valuable thing in life is friendship as there are certainly more important and priceless
things in life besides this. In this essay, I will outline how life itself is more valuable than friendship,
and elaborate on why family and the individual’s principles in life are ranked higher.
First and foremost, before one can enjoy the beauty of friendship, one must surely value life
itself or in other words, we should value our health. This is because, the quality of our life is the
single most important criteria in life if we are to live a meaningful and wholesome life. Moreover,
without good health, we will be hard pressed to do even the simplest of tasks like feed ourselves or
relieve ourselves without the help of doctors, nurses and caregivers. For example, if we are
paralysed, lost our sight, hearing or ability to speak or even a simple case of a fever or allergic
reactions, then the quality of our life is greatly reduced and no amount of friendship can make us
healthy again. Therefore, while friends can stand by us in our time of need, pristine health is still
the most valuable asset in our lives.
Secondly, we are no one without our family as indeed blood is thicker than water. This
means that however you analyse it, friendships will almost always play second fiddle because family
always comes first. Furthermore, if we do not value our family above others, then there must be a
problem among the family members that has caused their relationship to be strained. For instance,
people tend to turn away from family if the family member(s) themselves are the ones to cause
them to react negatively such as divorced parents, abusive parents or siblings and so on. Thus,
when people consider friendship to be the most valuable thing in life, more often than not they
may come from a troubled household.
Last but not least, a person’s principles in life is by far more valuable than friendship alone.
This is due to the fact that each person needs to have a code of ethics, quite often prescribed by
their individual religions. In addition, this code will guide each person to live their lives according to
the good and right principles. Take for example, if an individual has set his principles to do good,
then no amount of friendship especially negative influence from friends, can shake his hold on his
principles and cause him to commit undesirable deeds like smoking, stealing, raping, murdering and
others. Hence, if a person values friendship so much to the point where he is willing to break his
principles, then he has done a serious misdeed against himself and will most likely regret his actions
later in life.
In short, friendship is the rainbow of life as it colours our horizons with invaluable
experiences but without good health, a supportive family and strong principles, life becomes empty
and meaningless. In my opinion, it is beyond a shadow of a doubt that I still firmly believe that
friendship is not the most valuable thing in life. Our government can encourage people to prioritise
health, family and principles in life by organising awareness campaigns especially in primary schools
where the younger generation should learn about priorities in life because they are the leaders of
tomorrow.
SAMPLE 23
MUET WRITING 800/4 QUESTION 2
The rising fuel price has pushed up the price of other consumer products. How will this affect the
society? Give your opinion. You should write at least 350 words.
Money is always an issue in today's era of materialism. Most people need it for basic
survival while the lucky few indulge in luxuries without worrying about money. In my opinion, I
strongly agree that the rising fuel price has pushed up the price of other consumer products and
this will definitely affect the society. In this essay, I would like to touch on the effects this price
increase has on society today, namely increasing vice activities, widening the gap between the rich
and the poor and affecting the population trend in the long term.
First and foremost, society will immediately be affected by the rise in fuel prices because
consumer products will be more costly and this leads to an increase of vice activities. This is
because basic necessities such as rice, flour, sugar and so on will be in great demand and some
warehouses will store or hoard the items to further increase the price of the product. Moreover, in
the newspapers today, reports of smuggling of these items prove that this vice activity is on the
rise. For example, the recent sugar price hike caused a furor among the Malaysian society as it costs
more fuel to travel to and from the supermarket and when arriving, most places had run out of
stock even though the government had allocated 2kg of sugar to one person. Therefore, the fuel
price increase had definitely caused more hardships to society today.
Secondly, it is undeniable that the rise in fuel prices leads to the widening of the gap
between the rich and the poor. This is due to the fact that people are greatly affected by the price
of basic necessities such as food and fuel in particular. Furthermore, the rich people will still be able
to afford such things but the poor will face greater challenges as the popular saying goes: "The rich
get richer, and the poor get poorer." For instance, when money is used to purchase consumer
products that are necessary for survival, then less money will be spent on health and dental check-
up, educational purposes and others. Thus, it is clear that the fuel price hike will further stress on
the differences between the rich and the poor which is such a tragedy.
Last but not least, in the long term the population trend or demographics of the society will
be greatly affected. This means that new families will consciously decide not to have too many
children in order to increase their quality of life. In addition, society is now more aware of birth
control and family planning so this will greatly reduce the population as most families will have 1 to
5 children instead of more. Take for example, new families with less children will surely spend less
on basic necessities like food, clothes, transport and many more. Hence, the demographics of the
whole country will be affected and this in turn will reduce our workforce which will affect our
country's productivity and prosperity.
 In short, there are many short term to long term effects of a fuel price increase which
includes more crimes like hoarding and smuggling will occur and this leads to the widening of the
gap between the rich and the poor as well as a change in the society's demographics. I still strongly
believe that the rising fuel price has pushed up the price of other consumer products and this will
surely cause a negative impact to society. The government must find a way to stabilise the fuel
price at a reasonable rate so that it does not affect the productivity of this country towards
achieving the aspirations of the nation for Vision 2020.
SAMPLE 24
Since achieving independence in 1957, Malaysia has been known for its peaceful and multiracial
society. What can be done to further enhance national unity and solidarity among the various
races? Elaborate and give relevant examples in more than 350 words.
Nowadays, Malaysia is considered a leading tourist destination because we are famour for
our multiracial society living together in peace and harmony. In my opinion, I strongly agree that
national unity can be enhanced to strengthen solidarity among all the various race in this country.
In this essay, I will discuss three solid strategies for enhancing national unity which include every
individual's role in being more patriotic, be respectful of each different culture and mould a racially
tolerant future generation.
First and foremost, every individual can play a part in enhancing national by being more
patriotic. This is because when we are patrotic we will appreciate being a Malaysian citizen who has
the right to live a peaceful and war-free life. Moreover, having high patriotism will ensure that we
really love our country and we will not do anything to harm the peach and harmony. For example,
every one of us can respect the 'Negaraku' song and 'Rukunegara', fly our national flag during
idependence Day and so on. Therefore, if everyone plays their part and becomes more patriotic,
this will easily enhance the spirit of national unity.
Secondly, as a loyal Malaysian, we should always be respectful of each and every culture
found in this country. This means that respecting the main races like Malays, Chinese and Indians as
well as the indigenous races will ensure that we will continue to live side by side in harmony.
Furthermore, every race tat makes up the Malaysian society is unique and should be cherished for
its special traditions. For instance, we should visit one another during the 'Open House' or wedding
celebrations, religious festivals and many more. Thus by respecting the uniqueness of every culture,
this helps us promote racial solidarity and enhance national unity.
Last but not least, it is every individual's responsibility to mould the future generation to be
more patriotic. This is due to the fact that by educating our own children to be good and toelrant
citizens, this will help us maintain our peaceful situation long into the future. In addition, children
who are taught to be respectful of other cultures will learn to be more grateful for the peace and
harmony our country enjoys compared to places like Gaza where they are now suffering the effects
of war. Take for example, we can send our children to 'Sekolah Wawasan' or 'Vision Schools' where
they can mix with all races, join multiracial community activities and others. Hence, by educating
the young on patriotism, we are ensuring that national unity will continue to exist in the future.
 In a nutshell, the three strategies I have suggested are to be more patriotic and respectful of
each unique culture as well as to teach our children about patriotism. In my opinion, I still strongly
agree that national unity can be enhanced if we all play an active role. I hope that our government
can highlight this issue in the media by organising more patriotic campaigns so that we can produce
a united society that can contribute productively to the achievement of Vision 2020.