Writing

S A T U R D A Y , J U LY 5 , 2 0 1 4
MUET July 2014 Report Writing Sample Answer

In general, the academic essay question for July 2014 was difficult but luckily the report
writing question was a clone of a question that came out in the past (about radio stations and
the promotional activities they did, if I remember correctly). Therefore, it is hoped that many
people will gain some marks here even if their essays were less than perfect.
A) Title
B) Introduction sentence.
(What are the stimuli?)
C) Overview/Trend
(What is the most outstanding idea that LINKS all stimuli?)
D) Key Features
(Most outstanding features as opposed to listing down the obvious features)
E) Conclusion sentence.
(Similar to Overview but just written from a different angle.)
Based on the format given, you could easily write 150 - 200 words.
Question:
Study the chart and table below. Using only the information provided, analyse the sales of
three fast food outlets in the first quarter of 2012. In your answer, you are to link the
information presented in both visuals. You should write a report withing 150 - 200 words.
A) Title:
Sales of Three Fast Food Outlets in the First Quarter of 2012
B) Introduction:
The stimuli present a line graph on the sales of three fast food outlets in the first quarter of
2012 and a table on their promotional activities.
C) Overview/Trend:
In general, the sales of fast food outlets increases in direct relation with the amount of
promotional activities.
OR
In general, Ken Burger recorded the highest amount of sales especially when they carried out
promotional acitivities.
D) Key features:
ANALYSIS (within each stimulus)
LINE GRAPH:
* According the the line graph, among the three fast food outlets, Ken Burger is the most
popular choice followed by Mario Pizza and Ray's Fish & Chips.
* The highest recorded sales was by Ken Burger in April as it rose sharply from RM3000 to
more than RM4000 in sales.
* Sales for Ken Burger dipped between February and March to an all time low of below
RM1900.
* Mario Pizza achieved its highest sales of RM1500 between February and March before
dropping to less than RM500 at the end of April.
* Ray's Fish & Chips was the least popular among the three fast food outlets selling less than
RM500 for all four months.
TABLE:
* Ken Burger and Mario Pizza both carried out two promotional activities in the first quarter of
2012.
* Ray's Fish & Chips carried out the least number of promotional activities which was to give a
free drink in March.
SYNTHESIS (Linking between stimuli)
* Ken Burger's sales increased when they carried out promotional activities in January (free
drink) and April (gift voucher) whereas sales dipped when no promotions were carried out.
*Similarly, Maria Pizza's sales also increased in February and March due to the two promo
activities they held during that period.
* Ray's Fish & Chips had poor sales throughout the first quarter as they rarely had
promotional activities.
* Furthermore, Ray's Fish & Chips only offered a free drink in March and this resulted in only a
slight increase in sales.
E) Conclusion:
In conclusion, attractive promotional activities organised by fast food outlets can positively
affect their sales.
OR
In conclusion, fast food outlets sales are boosted when they carry out promotional activities
which are attractive to customers such as offering gift vouchers or discounts.
Basically, as I have mentioned before, a high band answer will have more synthesis than
analysis because it is stated very clearly in the instructions/rubrics that you should ANALYSE
the results of the survey and LINK the information presented in the two visuals. You will still
get marks if you analysed the visuals correctly, but if you were to relate the data using a
month to month explanation this would not award you many marks as you are merely stating
the features. Therefore, a good MUET student would be able to identify which points ARE THE
MOST OUTSTANDING ideas you can get from LINKING the visuals rather than merely retelling
the data which everyone can see for themselves. I do hope you know the difference between
FEATURES and KEY FEATURES by now.

Therefore, teachers, the challenge is for you to make students realise the difference between
Key Features vs Features and Analysis vs Synthesis. Easier said than done,right?! Hence the
need for higher critical thinking skills.
So, does anyone want to submit a sample answer for this report? Good luck!
F R I D A Y , J U LY 4 , 2 0 1 4
July MUET Writing 800/4 paper
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!
I have just taken a look at the exam paper for writing and the report looks fine but the essay...
OMG.. the essay is a KILLER!!! Even I am having a hard time trying to think of valid points...
my poor students...
"The imbalance between the number of boys and girls pursuing university education creates
social problems." To what extent is this statement true? Discuss. You should write at least
350 words.
Step 1: Understand keywords and brainstorm
Imbalance: more girls now in uni compared to boys
creates: causes
social problems: problems related to society such as ???
Stand?? Do you agree or disagree as to what extent is this statement true?
OMG... I can foresee the quality of MUET results for this session plummeting to an all time low.
Sighs...
THE PROBLEM as usual is that students will immediately jump into describing the advantages
or disadvantages of an imbalanced gender scenario. THE PROBLEM is also that they will
describe POSITIVE EFFECTS.
If you did any of this WITHOUT LINKING TO SOCIAL PROBLEMS... then you have NOT
FULFILLED THE TASK, ie you have gone out of topic. Boohoohoo.. judging form the comments
below, I can see that most of you have only touched the surface of the issue.
Right, how should this question be tackled.
A simple way would be to totally agree or totally disagree (5 paragraphs minimum).
A high band essay would agree/disagree to a certain extent and try to discuss both pros and
cons.
If you were to completely AGREE that the statement is TRUE, here are my suggested stand
and points.
Stand: Completely agree that some social problems can be attributed to the
imbalance of genders in university.
1. gives rise to the LGBT (Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, Transsexuals) trend which is a serious
social problem although there seems to be not much concrete evidence to support this stand.
2. minority gender would feel oppressed or discriminated which leads to social problems like
depression, eating disorders, obesity, alcoholism, drug abuse or even suicide.
3. upon graduation, the influx of graduates of a certain gender may create an imbalanced
workforce that may lead to social problems like inequality, unemployment in the short term
and poverty in the long term.
If you were to completely DISAGREE that the statement is TRUE, here are my suggested stand
and points.
Social problems cannot be directly linked to the imbalance of boys and girls
pursuing a university education as there are a number of other external factors.
1. Imbalance cannot be directly linked to social problems like free sex, baby dumping and
abortion as these problems happen in society regardless of the balance or imbalance of
gender composition, therefore, social problems are not gender specific.
2. Rather than create social problems, more female uni students than males leads to the
empowerment of women and recognising them for their abilities therefore breaking
stereotypes and creating more women leaders in entrepreneurial and management positions.
3. Rather than create social problems, more male uni students than females leads to the
increase of skilled manpower, increased opportunity for innovation and creative thinking in a
predominantly patriarchal society.
As mentioned earlier, if you want to get a high band, you should be able to discuss both sides
while justifying to which side you are leaning more towards. If I were a candidate, I would
definitely first agree with the statement to some extent before leaning more towards
DISAGREE with the statement. Hope this makes sense.
Before I end my post, I'd like to say that even for me it took some time to generate these
ideas so this clearly indicates that this July writing paper is indeed extremely challenging. The
only silver lining I can share with you is that they MIGHT, just might, lower the bell graph
down so that the marks can be adjusted accordingly. All you can do is keep your fingers
crossed!!!
Now who would like to submit a sample essay?? Good luck!
P O S T E D BY A U D R E Y W I L E S AT 9 : 2 5 P M 3 8 C O M M E N T S :
T U E S D A Y , J U LY 1 , 2 0 1 4
MUET July 2014 Preparation
So MUET exams are around the corner again.. 3 days left to be specific as I write this.
I keep getting emails asking for spot question. & I keep telling ppl that I dont have any spot
questions. I am as clueless as every candidate so please stop asking k! Haha..
However, for practice, try this question BEFORE you look at my sample answer.
Financial management should be taught in school. Discuss. Write at least 350
words.
Step 1: Identify the controlling idea in the question
A subject about how to manage your finances SHOULD be taught in school.
Therefore, I need to write about 'WHY' the Ministry of Education must introduce
this subject in schools.
I MUST NOT go out of topic by writing about the 'ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES'
of financial management.
Instead, I MUST link all my points directly to the reasons for starting this new
subject in school.
Step 2: Brainstorm your stand, thesis statement and 3 main points (minimum 3)
Stand: I completely agree that this subject must be introduced in school because
students need to learn how to manage their finances properly to increase their
investments and avoid bankruptcy.
Thesis Statement:
Let us analyse this issue in terms of
1. inculcating good financial management from a young age,
2. reducing individual financial crises and
3. creating an economic savvy society.
Here is a sample essay submitted by a blogwalker Jihan by email. What band do
you think she should get?
Theres a saying that says, money makes the world go round. Hate to point
out the obvious, but it is true. In this new era, money is what it takes for the
society to keep on surviving, well, except for having happiness and religion etc, but
that is beside the point. The point here is that, the world is a competition and we
need to educate ourselves, from young, on how to keep our financial balance on
stable platform. Thus, the Education Ministry should take note on some of the
reasons why they financial education should be taught at school, namely, instilling
a good financial management from a young age, reducing individual financial crises
in the future and creating an economic savvy society.
I do agree that parents should carry a bigger role in teaching their children
on things such as saving money and not spend on unnecessary things, but it is also
the governments role in further educating on the theories of having good financial
management. It is vital as it actually prepares the future generation to be more
aware of the harsh reality. Moreover, when we give them an education on
managing their finances, it will help them in the future in terms of having the cash
for further to secondary or tertiary education. Therefore, for the betterment of the
future generation, is it ideal to educate them at school about having a good
financial management.
Day in, day out, we see news on young adults has gone into bankruptcy. At the
start of their young life, they have negative balance in their bank account and still
owing. Having rents to pay, bills to settle, mouth to feed, etc, bankruptcy would be
the last thing anyone could ever want. This is an issue we would not want our
generations to have. A way to avoid this is by training them from small the benefits
of saving and managing their money because at the end of the day, they will be the
one who is going to enjoy that. By doing this, it will therefore reduce individual
financial crises and simultaneously creating a happy living condition.
Creating an economic savvy society does not mean society that gets involved in
stock market, investment or the index. But it is a society that is capable to support
their respective families and still have enough money for the future and also is
able to give back to society and do well. It also means that the society is able to
comprehend and understand on the nations current economic background. By
grasping the financial knowledge, it leads to a society that does not spend
unnecessarily and therefore developing a better country. Thus, the significance of
educating young children on financial is obvious as it would benefit the
advancement of the country.
To conclude, before understanding the whole concept of financial
management, it is a good idea for us to come hand in hand and educate the
younger generations on having savings and such. The need to introduce these
types of knowledge to them not only will widen their mind but also teach them to
be prepared for the unknown future. It is hoped that the Ministry of Education take
this proposal to action in order to foster a broader minded generation that will be
the pride and forefront of the nation.
How can we improve on this essay? Better and more specific examples? More
sequence connectors or linkers to make it flow better?
Anyone else wants to send me a sample essay?
Good luck!!!
P O S T E D BY A U D R E Y W I L E S AT 6 : 3 3 P M 9 C O M M E N T S :
S U N D AY , A P R I L 1 3 , 2 0 1 4
MUET Writing 800/4 Tips
Recently, an online blog walker emailed me her essay for me to comment on. It was
reasonably good but did not follow the academic style per se. Therefore, to illustrate what I
mean, I will post sections of her 5 paragraph essay with my revised version so that you can
see the difference.
Q : The popularity of online education has increased over the years. Many working adults,
housewives and school leavers prefer learning online rather than going to education
institutions where they have to be physically present. The popularity of online education is
also because of various other reasons. Discuss these reasons.
Fazurah's introduction:
There are many working adults wish to pursue post-secondary education for personal growth
and career advancement. The Internet has given many working adults hope for a college
diploma or degree, even futher tertiary education. There are many courses offered online
such as diplomas, degrees and post-graduate degrees. Thus, they can now attend online
education programmes. Online education can be pursued anywhere without formal setting.
They are just required a computer or even a smartphone and Internet connectivity if they
want to attend online educations programmes.
*Notice that there is no thesis statement. Therefore, this is a poorly organised essay and I
would mark down for organisation.
My revised introduction:
There are many working adults who wish to pursue post-secondary education for personal
growth and career advancement. The Internet has given many working adults hope for a
college diploma or degree. There are many courses offered online such as diplomas, degrees
and post-graduate degrees for a variety of fields be they business or arts. Thus, they can now
attend online education programmes. Online education is becoming more attractive because
it can be pursued anywhere without a formal setting. Students are just required to have
access to a computer or even a smartphone and Internet connectivity if they want to attend
online educations programmes.Therefore there are many reasons for online learning, namely
accessibility, flexibility and cost-effectiveness.
* Basically, a thesis statement (underlined, last sentence in an intro) is the MOST important
sentence in an introduction because it lays out the essay properly and gives the reader a clear
roadmap of what is to be discussed.
Fazurah's 1st Point:
First and foremost, there are many people opt for online learning rather than going to
education institutions because online education can be pursued by many people anywhere
and at anytime. Housewives with children can pursue an education at home without having to
leave home responsibilities to others. Housewives are given opportunities to be educated.
Other than that, working adults can also pursue an education after working hours, during
office lunch break or free time. Thus, many working adults and housewives choose online
learning rather than going to education institutions where they have to be physically present.
* Notice that the topic sentence is lengthy and does not have a tangible keyword to
summarise this point. Also notice that the mini conclusion is a mere repetition of the question.
It does not really concluded the idea in this paragraph.
Edited 1st Point:
First and foremost, there are many people who opt for online learning rather than going to
education institutions because online education is very accessible. This means that it can be
accessed by all walks of people regardless of place and time. Housewives with children can
pursue an education at home without having to leave home responsibilities to others. Other
than that, working adults can also pursue an education after working hours, during office
lunch break or at their leisure. Thus, many working adults and housewives these days choose
online learning because of its easy and convenient accessibility rather than going to
education institutions where they have to be physically present.
* Note how much more effective the topic sentence and mini conclusion is here.
Fazurah's 2nd Point:
There are many people prefer online learning rather than going to education institutions
because online education provides focused learning. Online education is comprehensive as
any campus based education. It caters to students with varied learning styles and allows
students to follow personal study routines. The students can study at night or early in the
morning, whichever suits them best. The materials prepared cater to different difficulty level.
So, the students can focus more on more difficult topics and skips easier ones. Therefore,
many people opt for online learning rather than going to education institutions.
* Note again that the mini conclusion is not very effective. There is also a general lack of
sequence to aide the flow of the ideas.
Edited 2nd Point:
Moreover, there are many people who prefer online learning rather than going to education
institutions because online education provides focused learning that is flexible and suitable to
each students needs. Online education is as comprehensive as any campus based education.
It caters to students with varied learning styles and allows students to follow personal study
routines. The students can study at night or early in the morning, whichever suits them best.
The materials prepared cater to different difficulty levels while online tutors participating in
online forums to guide students are also available. Hence, students can focus better because
of the flexibility of online learning leading to more people opting for online learning rather
than going to traditional education institutions.
* Note how the flow of the paragraph improves with the right logical connectors
(Moreover, ...while...Hence.. etc.)
Fazurah's 3rd Point:
Other than that, online educations reduces study cost and stress which another reason of
people choosing online education than going to education institutions. Online education is a
cost-effective mechanism for non-traditional students and enables millions around the world
to continue their education for betterment. Expensive textbooks are also not required. It is
because all the material, for example lecture notes and assignments, can be obtained online
or via the internet. There is no need to rush or transportation costs to go to college, so it can
avoid stress. Thus, people prefer online education than going to educational institutions.
*Note again the ineffectiveness of the topic sentence and mini conclusion.
Edited 3rd Point:
Other than that, reduced study cost is another reason for choosing online education. Online
education is a cost-effective mechanism for non-traditional students and enables millions
around the world to continue their education without costing an arm and a leg. In addition,
expensive textbooks are also not required with the advent of e-books and online journals.
There is no need to rush or pay transportation costs to go to college, so stress as well as
financial factors can be reduced as well. Thus, online learning is a more cost-efficient option
for todays fast paced society.
* Note that being less wordy and using the right terms have a better impact.
Fazurah's Conclusion:
In the nutshell, there are many reason for a working adult, housewives and school leavers to
get online education. This type of learning helps them learn faster, retain more information
and earn a degree which otherwise would not be possible. Therefore, the popularity of online
education has increased over the years because online learning can be pursued by many
people anywhere and anytime, provides focused learning and reduces study costs and stress.
* Note that this conclusion does not 'reveal' much critical thinking skills but merely states the
obvious. To get a higher band, you would need to demonstrate your ability to think beyond
the obvious hence including recommendations is a very succinct idea to gain brownie points.
Edited Conclusion:
In a nutshell, more and more working adults, housewives and school leavers are exploring the
option of online education as a means to self-development. This type of learning helps them
learn faster, retain more information and earn a degree at a fraction of the cost. Therefore,
the government has sanctioned this medium of education by approving institutes like Open
University Malaysia where everyone can learn. It is hoped that more of such universities and
learning institutes that offer online learning will mushroom around the country because
education is the key to progress and prosperity.
* Note the difference a good recommendation makes to the ending. Remember that this is the
last thing the examiner reads and it is better to end with a good punch.
Well, dear followers, does this explanation help you improve writing? I do hope so. I've
blogged a lot about the theory and everyone should get the academic format by now (read
my archive!).. but it is a different ballgame entirely when it comes to actually applying the
theory. Good luck to all candidates especially my own students who are going to take the July
MUET paper this year. Please leave a comment below if you need any clarification.
W E D N E S D AY , A P R I L 2 , 2 0 1 4
MUET Academic Essay Sample March 2014
This is the edited version of my student's academic essay. What band would you
give him? Why?
(Tq Franky, SMK Majakir, 6A1'14)
Question
2:
The trend today among youths is to own the latest technological gadgets such as mobile
phones and other devices. Is this a healthy development among young people? Give your
opinion. You should write at least 350 words.
In this modern world of ours, technological devices such as mobile phones and other
gadgets are no longer foreign to us. Most of the young people today are treating these
luxuries as a necessity as they compete to own the latest devices, leading to the adults
questioning whether this is a healthy or an unhealthy development for youths today. In my
own humble opinion, this issue will be a never-ending argument because it solely depends on
the user itself to determine their purpose of using these devices. Thus in this essay, this issue
can be discussed in terms of both healthy and unhealthy development and some
recommendations.
Firstly, with these newest devices, young people can access information wherever there
are with just a touch of their fingers. This can help to expand their knowledge about the
current issues of our world which will be a key role to take their mind to a higher level. They
can also use these facilities to help them in their studies. All of these can help our country to
produce more intellectual people which indeed is a healthy development by contributing to a
more productive nation.
In the old days, we had to do a lot of work and research in order to finish our school
assignment, which is time consuming and tiring. Now we can obtain any information we need
for our assignment without having the need to go to the library anymore. This can help the
students to save more time for them to do other things. Furthermore, students can also
increase their efficiency of work. The government also supports this by launching the
Wireless Village programme so that both rural and urban people can access the internet
without having to subcribe to any internet packages. Overall, students can perform better and
become more productive in their work, so this is certainly a healthy development.
Moreover, young people that chase after these latest technological devices can help to
strengthen the countrys commerce through the constant supply and demand of gadgets. This
can help the government to focus more on developing this technology or subsidising
companies in this industry as it can guarantee good profits. Besides, in line with the previous
years budgets, the government is giving out smart phone rebates to citizens above the age
of 21. All of this can help to improve our economic level and lead to a more developed
country, therefore another sign that it is a healthy development.
On the other hand, this trend to own the latest technology devices could lead to a waste
of money. Even though these devices are useful to us, but the fact is that most young people
are chasing the latest devices regardless of cost. Mind the word latest as they only want the
latest edition that is being released in the market almost once per year for different brands
such as Samsung and Sony. In order to keep up with the trend, these young people are willing
to waste their money or more accurately their parents hard-earned money. Instead, they
could use the money for better purposes like buying books or stationery.
Furthermore, as time goes by, they might eventually become ungrateful for what they
already have and keep nagging for new gadgets. This is unhealthy as it breeds materialism. In
addition, if one did not have proper discipline within oneself while using these devices, one
will easily become a victim to various addictions such as social networking and games. This
can cause the young users to become distracted and greatly decrease their work efficiency. As
for students, their performance at school might become affected. To add to the matter, young
people can easily access inappropriate content such as porn and violent materials at a young
age, unsupervised. All of this can retard their minds growth and become influenced by
negative things. In the end, these devices become a bane to them instead of a boon to the
development of society.
Hence, for us to fully utilise the advantages of technology, I humble share some of my
recommendations. Firstly, parents play a big role as they spend the most time with their
children thus they should watch strictly over their childrens usage of these devices per day
by limiting it. Next, the government can work on preventing or blocking many harmful
websites in our country so that young people have no access to it.
In conclusion, I believe that in the end, it depends on the user itself whether to abuse or
to use the devices to their disadvantage or advantage. We can draw an analogy from guns
used by the police it enforces the law; by a criminal it abets the crime. It would be illogical to
put the gun in jail instead of the person who pulls the trigger. Similarly, it is we ourselves that
click the mouse or swipe the screen of our gadget so we must use it responsibly to contribute
towards a happier and healthier development in society today.
FOLLOWERS
T H U R S D AY , M A RC H 1 3 , 2 0 1 4
March 2014 Writing 800/4 Essay Question
Question 2:
This question looks easy, right? Just write about the pros and cons of the latest technological
gadgets.
After all, most of us can't live without handphones and tablets and what not.
WRONG.
It just LOOKS deceptively easy.

I am quite certain that MPM WILL MARK DOWN
if the candidate merely states the benefits and drawbacks of owning the latest gadgets
because
he/she HAS NOT ADDRESSED THE QUESTION POSED...
which is.........is it or is it not a HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT?
Basically, to get a high band, you must specifically answer the question whether you think it is
a healthy development among young people or not. It is myopic and short sighted to simply
discuss the negative and positive aspects without relating it to your opinion on the key issue.
It is also a narrow minded view to focus on the pros and cons to individuals without
considering this development's effect to society and the nation as a whole.
If you answered YES, it IS a healthy development, then your points would center around the
fact that:* students would have information at their fingertips, access to internet and diverse research
capabilities
* young people would be able to connect and communicate more efficiently across all
platforms
* clerical work especially study or work related data processing can be done faster, neater and
more effectively
* the purchase of technological devices would strengthen the country's commerce through the
supply and demand of gadgets
all of which would lead to a strong economy and a more productive society hence it IS a
'healthy development' among youths.
If you answered NO, it is NOT a healthy development, then your points would center around
the fact that:* owning the latest technological gadgets is a wasteful trend as their money could be better
used for study purposes rather than buying the newest devices.
* these devices when not used with proper discipline may lead to various addictions such as
social networking addiction and even computer game addiction.
* it would increase the gap between the rich and poor students and may even cause petty
crime rates like theft of devices to increase
all of which lead to an 'unhealthy' development as it breeds a society that is wasteful and
materialistic.
The trick is to play with the keywords. If you have been a debater before, then you can see
the logic easily.
In my humble opinion, if you were to agree with the issue then focus on how the trend TO
OWNthe gadgets is a healthy development. Conversely, if you were to disagree, focus on how
owningTHE LATEST technological gadgets is an unhealthy development. In the writing world,
focusing on keywords gives you ammunition to justify your stand and this is called the 'angle'
or 'perspective' which will make or break an argument.
But how can you get a Band 6 answer?
Perfect grammar with minor slips, for sure, but there is also a need to demonstrate acute
critical thinking skills and the ability to see both sides of the coin before making a sound
recommendation.
Thus, a Band 6 answer would discuss the reasons why it is 'healthy' as well as 'unhealthy'
BEFORE stating that it is 'the human factor/the user himself' that has the power to use or
abuse the devices to their advantage or disadvantage.
So... those who just took the exam... DID YOU ANSWER THE QUESTION?
The likely scenario is that you merely stated the advantages and/or disadvantages
WITHOUT LINKING it to the 'healthy/unhealthy' issue.
My only advice, better luck next time!
Click here to see my student's great sample essay!
March 2014 MUET Report Writing Question
Hi people. Here are my thoughts on the report writing question.
Firstly, it was relatively easy and clear cut. I think that with a bit of critical thinking most
students would have found it easy to score in this section. Below is a breakdown of how to
answer the question.
Follow the format given by MPM.
A) Title
B) Introduction sentence.
(What are the stimuli?)
C) Overview/Trend
(What is the most outstanding idea that LINKS all stimuli?)
D) Key Features
(Most outstanding features as opposed to listing down the obvious features)
E) Conclusion sentence.
(Similar to Overview but just written from a different angle.)
Based on the format given, you could easily write 150 - 200 words.
A) Title:
Visitation of Youths to the Dentist from 1971-2010
B) Introduction:
The stimuli present a bar graph on the Number of Youths visiting the the dentist over four
decades (1971-2010) and a table listing medical and cosmetic reasons for two periods (19711980 and 2001-2010).
C) Overview/Trend:
In general, visits to the dentist has risen steadily for both genders and girls recorded the
highest visitations mainly for cosmetic reasons.
D) Key features:
ANALYSIS (within each stimulus)
* According the the bar graph, visitations to the dentist by both genders increased steadily.
* The lowest recorded visitations was by the girls in 1971-1980 with only 26,000 visits. This
total almost tripled to 75,000 in 2001-2010 which is also the highest recorded for both
genders.
* The lowest recorded visitations by boys was also recorded in 1971-1980 with 30,000 visits
which doubled to 60,000 in 2001-2010.
* 1971-1980 was the only period where the number of boys visiting the dentist was more than
girls.
* According to the table, the main reason for visiting the dentist for both genders is for filling
cavities.
* Girls showed a drastic increase of reasons for visiting the dentist where they only went for
medical reasons in 1971-1980 to going for both medical and cosmetic reasons in 2001-2010.
* In 1971-1980, boys visited the dentist for more medical reasons than the girls and later in
2001-2010 they clearly visited the dentist only when they had medical reasons rather than
cosmetic ones.
* By 2001-2010, girls showed very high concern for cosmetic reasons compared to boys as
records showed that they visited the dentist to fit braces and to whiten or clean their teeth
whereas boys only had braces fitted.
SYNTHESIS (Linking between stimuli)
* The number of visitations for both genders showed a steady increase which is parallel with
the increase of reasons for going to the dentist over the years.
* Girls recorded the lowest visitations to the dentist with only 26,000 in 1971-1980 because
they only went for one medical reason which was to fill cavities.
* In 1971-1980 as well, boys recorded a slightly higher rate of visitations than girls (30,000)
because they went for more medical reasons which was to get their teeth extracted as well as
cavities filled.
* The data shows girls recorded the highest visitations (75,000) to the dentist in 2001-2010
when cosmetic treatments like fitting braces and the whitening and cleaning of teeth were
available.
* Boys also recorded the highest visitations to the dentist in 2001-2010 (60,000) which is
double the number in 1971-1980(30,000) but they mainly went for medical reasons rather
than cosmetic ones.
E) Conclusion:
In conclusion, visits to the dentist steadily increased for both genders by 2001-2010 whereby
boys showed more concern for medical reasons while girls focused more on cosmetic reasons.
Basically, a high band answer will have more synthesis than analysis because it is
stated very clearly in the instructions/rubrics that you should ANALYSE the results
of the survey and LINK the information presented in the two visuals. You will still
get marks if you analysed the visuals correctly, but if you were to relate the data
using a year to year explanation this would not award you many marks as you are
merely stating the features. Therefore, a good MUET student would be able to
identify which points ARE THE MOST OUTSTANDING ideas you can get from LINKING
the visuals rather than merely retelling the data which everyone can see for
themselves. Am I making sense? I hope so.
Therefore, teachers, the challenge is for you to make students realise the
difference between Key Features vs Features and Analysis vs Synthesis. Easier said
than done,right?! Hence the need for higher critical thinking skills.
Stay tuned... next blog post is about the essay question and why most people
cannot get higher than a band 3-4... (in my humble opinion only, take it with a
pinch of salt!)
S U N D AY , M A RC H 9 , 2 0 1 4
S U N D AY , J A N U A RY 1 9 , 2 0 1 4
HOW TO WRITE GOOD MUET ESSAY INTRODUCTIONS
A lot of students do not score well in MUET writing because they may be unaware of the
Academic Writing Format. Those who know about it find it hard to verbalise it or get it down
on paper, as such, their intros might not follow the appropriate formal writing style that is
preferred for MUET level.
Anyway, here is a short lesson on intro writing from me.
The key, as always, is to keep practising.
What makes a good introduction?
Divided into 3 parts.
1. Current Situation/Commentary
2. Stand
3. Thesis Statement/Outline
What should each part consist of?
PART 1
1. Current situation/Commentary should include a HOOK,
which is a statement or question that can HOOK OR GRAB your attention.
Examples of HOOKS
a. Facts/Data/Statistics (News articles, data from graphs/surveys etc)
b. Questions (Rhetorical questions related to the issue)
c. An Anecdote (Story that is related to the issue)
d. Examples (Various related examples)
e. Contrast (Describing the opposite of a given situation, eg. topic: Money, opposite: No
Money)
f. Projection (Imagining the future)
Basically, you may use any of the hooks above but make sure the tone of your essay is
FORMAL.
Example of Hook (f-Projection)
DO NOT WRITE:
Imagine if there are no people to clean up rubbish, everywhere got rubbish so dirty and many
people would get sick because so many diseases until everyone die.
DO WRITE:
Imagine a world without a cleanup crew, rubbish would be piling up high everywhere and
diseases would spread like wildfire to threaten the very existence of mankind.
PART 2
2. Stand
Refer to the question and focus on the key words to develop your stand.
Use these phrases to guide you:
a. In my opinion, I strongly/totally/completely/absolutely believe/feel/agree/disagree that...

b. From my perspective, I ...
c. From my point of view, I ...
d. It is my opinion that...
Your stand can also help you organise your essays in terms of paragraphing.
IF YOU CLEARLY AGREE/DISAGREE
: use a 5 paragraph format
INTRO
AGREE 1
AGREE 2
AGREE 3
CONCLUSION
or
INTRO
DISAGREE 1
DISAGREE 2
DISAGREE 3
CONCLUSION.
However, I am inclined to give the 'thinkers' a higher band if they can
compare and contrast ideas using the 6 paragraph format as shown below.
INTRO
AGREE 1
AGREE 2
DISAGREE 1
DISAGREE 2
CONCLUSION
or
INTRO
AGREE 1 vs DISAGREE
AGREE 2 vs DISAGREE
AGREE 3 vs DISAGREE
AGREE 4 vs DISAGREE
CONCLUSION
1
2
3
4
*NOTE that 5 paragraphs are the bare minimum, 6 is suggested,

but those with excellent proficiency should NOT let the number of paragraphs hold you back.
Conversely, the danger of writing too much is it is 'self-penalising'
as you will make too many errors esp if you run out of time and cannot edit your writing.
PART 3
3. Thesis Statement/Outline
This is by far the MOST IMPORTANT part of the introduction as it foreshadows
what the writer will focus on and gives the examiner
an idea of how well the writer can organise his/her essay.
For low bands, a simple Outline is enough. Use this template to help you.
In this essay, I would like to discuss advantages/disadvantages/reasons/causes/strategies
which are __________, __________ and ___________.
or
In this essay, I would like to focus on the *________________, ______________ and ______________.
*can be replaced with:
a. causes, effects and solutions

b. pros, cons, solutions
c. advantages, disadvantages, suggestions
d. benefits, drawbacks, ways to overcome
e. etc.
For higher bands, omit the 'I' and replace with more formal structures.
In light of this, there are many reasons/causes/effects/advantages/disadvantages to this issue
namely ______________, _______________ and ______________.
or
There are many facets to this issue but let us focus on the ____________, ___________ and
_________ of ______________________(issue).
or etc.
SAMPLES OF INTRODUCTIONS FOR EACH HOOK TECHNIQUE.
Now that you're learnt the theory, let's put it to practice. To show you how this works, I've
used one question, and written 6 different intros but all with the 3 part format which I've
discussed.
There is a question at the end of this section and you may try your hand in writing your own 6
versions of the introduction... practice makes perfect!!!
Nov 2013 Writing Question
"The most important factor which contributes towards a person's success is
himself."
Do you agree with the statement ? Justify your stand, giving relevant examples
where appropriate. You should write at least 350 words.
a. Facts/Data/Statistics (News articles, data from graphs/surveys etc)
According to an article in Forbes magazine on World's 100 Top Successful people, 90% of
people become successful based on their unique individual characters rather than talent
alone. This means that people who have the same great talent - take singing for example - are
both capable of becoming successful but the one who has the characteristics fans like such as
friendly, well-groomed with high self-esteem and creativity are more likely to achieve
superstardom compared to an introverted singer with low self-confidence and charisma. It is
my humble opinion that I absolutely agree with the statement that the most important factor
which contributes towards a person's success is himself. We can analyse this issue in terms of
the human factor which are his innate qualities, his drive for success and his ability to sustain
success.
b. Questions (Rhetorical questions related to the issue)
Is talent enough to achieve success? How is it possible for a set of twins who are both equally
good in singing, yet only one becomes a successful singer while the other does not? Can a
person's character determine his or her ability to achieve success in life? From my point of
view, the answer lies in the fact that it is indeed the person himself which contributes towards
his own success. In this essay, I would like to discuss how a person's innate talent, his drive to
succeed and his motivation to stay at the top are the reasons that differentiate every one of
us therefore controlling our success metres.
c. An anecdote (Story that is related to the issue)
There was once a farmer who had triplets. He could not decide which son should inherit his
property so he gave each of his three sons the same sum of money and told them to achieve
success. The first son used the money as a dowry and managed to acquire the chief's
daughter as a wife. The second son used the money to bet on horses but lost it all. The third
son bought cows with the intent of breeding them, milking them and making butter and
cheese of which he would sell at the market. Finally, the farmer chose the third son because
he was the only son capable of 'growing' his investment. The point of all this is to show that
when the playing field is leveled, and there is equal opportunity, success or failure is
determined by the decisions each individual makes. Therefore, I strongly agree with the
statement that the most important factor which contributes towards a person's success is
himself. In light of this, there are many aspects of the person himself which contributes to his
success, namely his aptitude, attitude and drive to succeed.
d. Examples (Various related examples)
Donald Trump is renowned the world over for his acute business acumen as testified by his
Trump empire. His entrepreneurship skills have been commonly mimicked but rarely
replicated as many aspire to become like him but seldom achieve the level of his success. The
secret of his success is his unique character which is driven by his desire to rise above all,
including himself. There are other examples of extremely successful people who have
achieved success not solely based on talent but their individual characteristics such as Mark
Zuckerberg and our own Datuk Tony Fernandez to name a few. From my perspective, the most
important factor which contributes towards a person's success is indeed himself. This can be
proven in terms of his own talent, his character and motivation to remain successful.
e. Contrast (Describing the opposite of a given situation, eg. topic: Money, opposite: No
Money)
A person born into an affluent family, when taking over the father's business manages to run
the business down the ground. The question then arises as to why the son failed to follow in
the footsteps of his father when everything was handed to him on a silver platter. Simply put,
he might have inherited the same genes but this does not predetermine his individualistic
characteristic which in turn contributes to his ability to succeed or in this case, fail. Similarly, a
person born into a poor family with not much given to him, can scrape the barrels and claw
out of his poverty and make a success of his life unlike his parents or siblings. The sheer
determination to succeed gives him the necessary elixir to lift him out of his fate and create a
new and brighter future for himself. Hence it is my steadfast opinion that the environment
does not play the most crucial factor in determining success, but it is indeed the person
himself what contributes to his rise or fall. To discuss this issue, let us look at the three
aspects of success, namely a person's aptitude, attitude and desire to sustain success.
f. Projection (Imagining the future)
If every one of us could be successful, would this world not be full of successful people? The
very fact that not everyone in this world today is a success story strongly implies that there
are many factors that contribute to a person's success but it is each individual himself that
gives him the cutting edge. In my opinion, I completely agree that the most important factor
which contributes towards a person's success is himself. There are many facets to this issue
but let us focus on a person's own ability, character and determination that will lead to his or
her success.
Right... so what do you think of the 6 different approaches?
Which do you like the best?
Which suits your writing style the best?
As mentioned earlier, below is a sample exam question that you can try writing introductions
for. Write at least 3 different versions of the introductions using any of the 6 hooks taught
previously.
"The most important thing in life is health." Do you agree with the statement?
Justify your stand, giving relevant examples where appropriate. You should write at
least 350 words.
If you really want to challenge yourself, you could use the first essay topic on success and try
to disagree with it or discuss both for and against it (come up with a 6 paragraph
organisation). You will need to figure out what are the external factors that leads one to
success.
As usual, write the sample intros out and post in the comments below.. waiting to
hear from both teachers and students! Happy penning!
P O S T E D BY A U D R E Y W I L E S AT 6 : 4 9 A M 2 0 C O M M E N T S :
T U E S D AY , O C T O B E R 2 2 , 2 0 1 3
MUET WRITING SAMPLE MAN'S CARELESS ATTITUDE ESSAY MARCH 2013 QUESTION
MARCH 2013
Man's careless attitude is the main cause for the destruction of the environment. Discuss. You
should write at least 350 words. (60 marks)
Below is a good sample answer written by Franky, my 2013 lower 6 science student.
In this modern civilization, man struggles to survive the high cost of living
expenses, which significantly increases with each passing year. This causes them to
use any method available that generates income and they start to sideline the
importance of preserving nature. This is due to mankind realising the potential of
economy that can come from nature. So, I strongly believe the destruction of
nature is mostly caused by man's careless attitude whereby they prioritise their
greed for money and the development of civilisation. Let us analyse this
phenomenon in terms of the country's development, illegal activities of exploiting
nature and the job opportunities.
First of all, many nations try to achieve the title of the most leading nation in
economy or infrastructure. So in order to compete with other countries, most
nations try to explore any available land in their country for development such as
industries, tourist spots and many other purposes that are related to money.
Whenever they see the potential of a certain piece of land, they tend to develop it
despite some of these places might still be uninhabited or the home for many
wildlife. Sometimes, they would also plod through jungles or level the mountains
for road development which severely changes the landscape of nature. As a result,
this selfish and careless act will cause the deforestation and global warming. For
example, Indonesia has become quite careless with their handling of these
problems. In Kalimantan, Indonesia, the forest is being severely deforested by
their people for land development. And to make matters worse, they even choose
the fastest and cos-saving method of deforestation which is by burning down the
trees, the mass release of carbon dioxide from the mass burn down of trees lead to
ozone thinning and greenhouse effect. Also, the haze problem is another negative
side product. As for the real victims of these acts, they are the neighbouring
nations such as Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Philippines especially as haze
causes many health issues such as lung cancer and breathing problems. Therefore,
these careless acts and greed not only cause the destruction of nature but also
endanger many lives, both man and animals.
Secondly, some people's greed for great fortune and easy life make them become
selfish and careless by over-exploiting nature. They willingly do illegal activities
such as cutting down trees or animal hunting, seeing the high demand for these
materials. It will slowly cause the depopulation of different kinds of flora and
fauna. In China, these activities of eating inner organs of animals such as tiger or
bear and they even use these animals' body parts for economic purposes such as
tiger skin, crocodile skin and elephant teeth and tusks by exporting it to those who
pay a high price for it. This has a serious effect on the ecosystem which is the
extinction of animals. In Indonesia, trees are being cut down for making expensive
house furniture made of material such as teak wood. In fact, these trees require a
long period of 10 to 20 years to mature. Thus, the continuous cutting down of trees
will eventually lead to its extinction. These activities are illegal by law and still
occurs widely despite many countermeasures that have been taken by the
authorised organisations such as World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Somehow, these
criminals are able to slip through the organisations's enforcement laws of
protecting the wildlife and nature. Plus, most society are careless to even take
notice of these problems because they have yet to come to awareness of the
dangers that would happen from these illegal acts. If only they had given more
attention and cooperation to the authorised organisations, these problems might
have been able to be prevented.
Lastly, to survive in this modern world, every person needs to be able to make a
living for themselves of their family, but many people with low education level
cannot get high salary jobs, even university scholars are yet to be certain of
getting a proper job after their graduation despite their high level of education.
The competition is just like the survival of the fittest among these graduates and
people with low qualifications. Therefore with the growing demand for more
natural materials such as petroleum gas and minerals from the earth as well as a
high demand of smuggled goods, people are willing to pay high prices to have
employees do their job of exploiting nature because these jobs are high risk. So
people that are desperately in need of jobs are usually tempted with the pay and
they would take up the call. This situation had opened up a lot of job opportunities,
but they are careless to not realise that these jobs are the main cause of nature's
destructtion because they are being pinned down by the pressure of high living
cost in this modern world that they have forgotten the importance of preserving
nature.
In a nutshell, I still strongly believe in my opinion that nature's destruction is
mainly caused by man's careless attitude. They strive to make a living in the world
so desperately that some eventually deny the truth that it is their own fault for
nature's destruction. If no serious and proper actions are being taken immediately
by many wildlife and nature preserving organisations or authorised organisations
such as WWF, UNESCO and ASEAN to prepare an effective strategy or blueprint to
prevent this problem, there probably won't be any jungles or wildlife left in the
future and our young generaton will have to live in a polluted world.
Will this student get a high band? Why?
Leave a comment below mentioning what aspects of this essay will be awarded
high band marks.
For example, the concrete examples of various countries being 'careless' in
treating the environment will definitely earn him more merit/bonus marks.
What else?
FOLLOWERS
T H U R S D AY , M A RC H 1 3 , 2 0 1 4
March 2014 Writing 800/4 Essay Question
Question 2:
This question looks easy, right? Just write about the pros and cons of the latest technological
gadgets.
After all, most of us can't live without handphones and tablets and what not.
WRONG.
It just LOOKS deceptively easy.
I am quite certain that MPM WILL MARK DOWN
if the candidate merely states the benefits and drawbacks of owning the latest gadgets
because
he/she HAS NOT ADDRESSED THE QUESTION POSED...
which is.........is it or is it not a HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT?
Basically, to get a high band, you must specifically answer the question whether you think it is
a healthy development among young people or not. It is myopic and short sighted to simply
discuss the negative and positive aspects without relating it to your opinion on the key issue.
It is also a narrow minded view to focus on the pros and cons to individuals without
considering this development's effect to society and the nation as a whole.
If you answered YES, it IS a healthy development, then your points would center around the
fact that:* students would have information at their fingertips, access to internet and diverse research
capabilities
* young people would be able to connect and communicate more efficiently across all
platforms
* clerical work especially study or work related data processing can be done faster, neater and
more effectively
* the purchase of technological devices would strengthen the country's commerce through the
supply and demand of gadgets
all of which would lead to a strong economy and a more productive society hence it IS a
'healthy development' among youths.
If you answered NO, it is NOT a healthy development, then your points would center around
the fact that:* owning the latest technological gadgets is a wasteful trend as their money could be better
used for study purposes rather than buying the newest devices.
* these devices when not used with proper discipline may lead to various addictions such as
social networking addiction and even computer game addiction.
* it would increase the gap between the rich and poor students and may even cause petty
crime rates like theft of devices to increase
all of which lead to an 'unhealthy' development as it breeds a society that is wasteful and
materialistic.
The trick is to play with the keywords. If you have been a debater before, then you can see
the logic easily.
In my humble opinion, if you were to agree with the issue then focus on how the trend TO
OWNthe gadgets is a healthy development. Conversely, if you were to disagree, focus on how
owningTHE LATEST technological gadgets is an unhealthy development. In the writing world,
focusing on keywords gives you ammunition to justify your stand and this is called the 'angle'
or 'perspective' which will make or break an argument.
But how can you get a Band 6 answer?
Perfect grammar with minor slips, for sure, but there is also a need to demonstrate acute
critical thinking skills and the ability to see both sides of the coin before making a sound
recommendation.
Thus, a Band 6 answer would discuss the reasons why it is 'healthy' as well as 'unhealthy'
BEFORE stating that it is 'the human factor/the user himself' that has the power to use or
abuse the devices to their advantage or disadvantage.
So... those who just took the exam... DID YOU ANSWER THE QUESTION?
The likely scenario is that you merely stated the advantages and/or disadvantages
WITHOUT LINKING it to the 'healthy/unhealthy' issue.
My only advice, better luck next time!
FOLLOWERS
T H U R S D AY , J A N U A RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 3
MUET Lesson Plans
Hi... I've been getting feedback from teachers wanting to know how I go about teaching my
students and what syllabus do I follow. Frankly speaking, if I could be so honest, I am going to
tell you that the syllabus is merely a guideline and you should follow your heart and your
mind instead.
The first thing I do is assess the students... just a mental evaluation of what their level is like,
how comfortable they are with the language and what 'skills' do they need to face the real
world, ie uni life and working life. Give them some autonomy in deciding WHAT it is they want
to learn more about.
So here is a run down of WHAT I teach...
1. My Grammar Formulas as the basis of all the lessons, including coded marking.
2. Egg Babies: Parenting Skills to teach them the values of responsible adulthood
3. Phonology and pronunciation lesson using a really cool handout with incorporates pictures
as the phonetic symbols.
4. Vocabulary expansion using my Word Class worksheets, word scavenging through the
dictionary.
5. Resume/CV writing, cover letters and mock job interviews (highly important and a MUST
teach)
6. Academic writing using my template for very weak proficiency, and a more 'open' style for
higher bands.
7. Academic essay compilation of minimum 50 essays a person (I get each one to write on a
specific topic, then i painstakingly mark it using codes, students self-correct their errors and
rewrite the final draft before copying everybody else's essay in their own handwriting, no
photocopying, and use highlighters to indicate words/sections they like, comments etc)
8. Mock speaking activities (non-exam based: interviews/forums/presentations, exam-based:
mock tests using the speaking templates I provide. I also have various activities for turntaking, brainstorming, shadowplay technique etc.)
9. Report Writing (teach the format, do practices, find their own stimuli and write the report &
present, copy each other's reports so they have a compilation of reports as well)
10. Reading Comprehension includes collecting reading materials from reliable sources
(Reader's Digest, Time, Newsweek, The Star, The Edge etc and students design their own
MCQs to test other groups) besides the regular model tests n actual exams.
11. Listening activities using the 'pause and play' technique, oral to written 'reconstruction'
activity, model tests and actual exam practice and analysis..
12. Powerpoint presentations using the 'simulation' technique, usually a simulation of a
business convention or a membership/support group drive etc.
At some point or another I have blogged about my activities, so if you'd like to ask me how I
carry out a particular lesson I wl try my best to answer. :) Anyway, happy teaching people!
Oh and my seminar at Uni Tun Hussien Onn, JB is confirmed on 22 n 23 Feb.. so really looking
forward to that now! Woohoo!
M O N D AY , J A N U A RY 1 4 , 2 0 1 3
MUET 2013... another new year has dawned...
Hi people... I apologise for the long haitus... I've been so busy and just haven;t fount the
time or the initiative to work this blog. Anyway, here are the latest issues I've found out.
Firstly, we were all shocked by the July MUET result which was appalling. According to reliable
sources, the results were the worst ever for MUET in this country since its inception. Not a
single Band 6 was recorded across the board where normally there would be at least 1 to
10 B6s every exam (very rough estimate, no proof available, sowwy). Anyway, my students
took the final year exam and I was indeed hoping that MPM would be a bit more linient this
time round considering the sad affair of the July paper. Turns out it is equally as bad and the
results produced were in my personal opinion, horrendous!!!
Last year my school had only 5 B1s, but this year a grand total of 34 B1s were glaring at me
from the report sheet, as if mocking my entire MUET career.... my only consolation is that no
matter how badly we did compared to last year, when we compare it with other schools for
the final year exam, we still managed to top the rest in the area as we had 2 Band 4s and a
handful of Band 3s compared to some schools with all Band 1 and 2s only.... yeeesh! MPM
officers, if you are reading this, I implore you to rethink the level of questions and marking as
the standards are tooooo high. Considering these students need to pass in order to graduate,
it would cost too much for them to retake it over and over again esp since you have made a
quantum leap in terms of exam costs from rm60 to rm100 which is almost an 80% increase in
fees. It begs the question whether this exam is simply a money making industry or ???? ...
(not my opinion, but along the thoughts of most people, completely heresay).
Anyway, another issue I heard about the recent exam marking from some MUET examiners
(sources undisclosed as it was a discussion AFTER marking was done and dusted and based
on general comments only k) that the marking scheme is very stringent these days as MPM
wants students to be able to look at the tables/graphs/stimulis and come up with the 'tersurat'
and the 'tersirat' which in their terms are 'analysis' and 'synthesis'. If you dont know what that
means, then it will be hard for you to score in the report writing section. They also had a field
day deciding on the 'Overview' (second sentence of the introduction) because apparently
there was NO general trend based on the question produced. After looking at the question, I
could identify the 'general trend' but apparently it is not called that because it does not
involve a timeframe. Duh??? Regardless, you still need an 'Overview' so just come up with a
sentence that ties in the most outstanding features of ALL the stimuli. They really should vet
the questions properly cos we are teaching according to their format and it would be
ridiculous if the answers are not according to the format. Yeesh, go figure!
For the academic writing section, it is also harder to score these days because the arguments
must be directly relevant to the issue in the question as opposed to the theme in the essay
question. A very clear example of this is the July paper which asks students their opinion of
the co-curricular criteria for entering university. If you simply answered that this criteria is
good because it will teach students discipline, then you have not answered the question. The
key is to tie it to the issue of if this skill will benefit them at university and how it will help
them perform better in university. Anyway, what do I know what MPM actually wants, these
are only my theories as to why so many students scored poorly that time round.
Another bone of contention is the listening paper. Many blogwalkers and students have
written in complaning about their abhorred Listening paper marks.. and when I look at the
results transcript for students in my school as well I am super shocked. Last year I had a
student who got Band 5, scoring 45/45 for listening... but this year... the students in my
school.... so many of them scored single digits.. and abt six of them scored only '2/45'. I
mean.... TWO????? either I have a very weak lot of students or the listening paper was
excutiatingly hard, meaning to say MPM's standard is way higher than average. I do hope they
vet the questions extensively for the next paper so that the results tally and follow a more
standard graph,..... but hey, again, who am I to question them. They probably know best,
compared to an average teacher like me.
Right, so those reading this, thank you for staying tuned. I will be posting up sample MUET
lesson plans and ideas which I am currently using for this year's batch. I will also attempt to
answer the report writing question and the academic essay on women for last Nov's exam....
but even I am afraid that my answers will stray too far away from MPM's standard. Please be
reminded that the objective of my blog is to help the low bands (1 & 2) achieve band (3 & 4)
and if you want a Band 5 or 6, it boils down to the fluency and command of the language, and
your ability to think critically. Good luck all! Toodles for now!
P O S T E D BY A U D R E Y W I L E S AT 7 : 1 9 P M 1 1 8 C O M M E N T S :
M O N D AY , O C T O B E R 1 , 2 0 1 2
How to boost MUET students' critical thinking skills
I've received a few messages and emails from fellow MUET teachers about how to increase their
students' performance in the writing paper... It would seem that in the July 2012 paper, even
the good students did not manage to get 40 marks and beyond (out of 90) for writing.
So every year, one of my MUST-DO lessons is to analyse the Budget Highlights and extract what
can be used as back-up in the MUET academic writing question.
Step 1: Before the budget is tabled, give each student a sub-topic to listen out for.
( defence, education, pensioners, youths, sports, taxation, rural development,
agriculture, govt servants, environment, SMEs, transportation, scholarship, toursim,
health, etc)
Step 2: Students make notes of their sub-topic while listening to the budget or
referring to online reports after the budget is announced.
Step 3: Each student writes out a short paragraph to link general essay topics to
specific aspect of the budget.
Step 4: Students compile a table with as many sample paragraphs as possible.
Enrichment: Get students to write an academic essay and tell them you will award
bonus marks for as many aspects of the budget they can incorporate in their essays.
Example paragraph:
The government is serious about helping our society especially through Budget 2013
that was recently tabled. One of the main aspects in which this budget is able to
achieve the theme of 'Promises Fulfilled' is through education. Next year's budget is
a continuation of last year's effort to help ease the burden of parents and
students throughout the country by giving each school-going child RM100 and
tertiary education students RM250 book vouchers in order to prepare them for the
schooling year ahead. This indeed proves that our Prime Minister is serious about
raising the standard of life of each citizen so they may concentrate better on
education and producing high quality human capital to drive the country towards
greater progress.
Anyway.. below is the highlights I got from Bernama published in NST.
Tell me how this activity went with your students if you are a MUET teacher.
If you are a student, please write a sample paragraph of your choice in the comment section
below and i will help you to improve your writing. :P
DOWNLOADED FROM NST:
Following are the highlights of the 2013 Budget tabled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri
Najib Razak, who is also Finance Minister, at the Dewan Rakyat today. The Budget
2013 themed "Prospering The Nation, Enhancing Well-Being of the Rakyat: A

Promise Fullfilled"
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak presents the 2013 Budget in Parliament. NSTP/Aizuddin
Saad
* Economic growth projected to expand 4.5 per cent to 5.5 per cent.
* Nominal GDP expected to surpass RM1 trillion.
* Federal Government's revenue in 2013 is estimated to increase to RM208.6 billion.
* Pivate sector investment is to increase to RM148.4 billion.
* RM251.6 billion allocated for the implementation of development projects, programmes and
measures, with focus on the well-being of the rakyat and national development.
* RM201.9 billion is for Operating Expenditure while RM49.7 billion for Development
Expenditure.
* RM58.6 billion allocated for Emoluments dan RM33.7 billion for Supplies and Services.
* RM3 billion to implement Entry Point Projects
* RM1 billion for Domestic Investment Strategic Fund under Malaysian Investment
Development Authority to leverage on outsourcing opportunities and intensify technology
acquisition by Malaysia-owned companies
* RM1 billion SME Development Fund under SME Bank
* SME Bank and Islamic Development Bank (IDB) to provide RM200 million to Halal Industry
Fund to finance working capital of participating SMEs
* RM16 million a year group insurance scheme for registered hawkers and small businesses
for coverage of up to RM5,000
* Perbadanan Nasional Bhd to provide soft loans of up to RM25,000 for licensees and
RM500,000 for licensors under Business In Transformation programme
* Investment Tax Allowance of 100 per cent for a period of 10 years for qualified companies
involved in refinery activities on petroleum products
* Global Incentive for Trading (GIFT) programme is enhanced with 100 per cent income tax
exemption on statutory income for first three years of operation
* Expenses for issuance of AgroSukuk given double deduction for a period of four years from
year of assessment 2012 to 2015
* DanaInfra Nasional Bhd to issue retail bonds worth RM300 million by end-2012 to finance
MERT development projects
* RM30 billion allocated to the economic sector for infrastructure, industrial, agriculture and
rural development.
* RM11.1 billion allocated to the social sector including education and training, health welfare,
housing and community development.
* RM4.6 billion allocated for the development of the Security Sector, RM2 billion General
Administration and RM2 billion for Contigencies.
* The Government will continue to accelerate the implementation of the 12 National Key
Economic Areas (NKEAs).
* RM3 billion allocated for the implementation of Entry Points Projects (EPPs), including RM1.5
billion for agriculture projects such as oil palm, rubber, high-value herbs and paddy.
* Additional expenses incurred in issuance of retail bonds and retail sukuk to be given double
deduction for a period of four years from year of assessment 2012 to 2015
* Individual investors given stamp duty exemption on instruments relating to transactions of
retail bonds and retail sukuk
* Securities Commission to introduce Graduate Representative Programme in collaboration
with private sector to train 1,000 graduates to meet needs of securities and derivatives
industry
* Danajamin Nasional Bhd to get additional RM400 million for next two years, to multiply
issuance value between RM4 billion and RM6 billion
* RM100 million to be provided to Capital Market Foundation through Capital Market
Development Fund under the Securities Commission
* Allocation of RM75 million to increase the output of food and health products.
* For the plantation sector, RM432 million is allocated under the NKEA for oil palm replanting
programmes. * RM127 million is allocated for the development of high-value oleo derivatives
to transform the downstream industry towards higher production of derivatives.
* Four new paddy granaries will be developed and expanded in Kota Belud, Batang Lupar,
Rompin and Pekan. ith an expanditure of RM140 million, the four new paddy granaries with
acreage of 19,000 hectares and involving 12,237 farmers are expected to produce 104,000
tonnes.
* RM230 million to be provided as incentive for fish landing as well as payment for living
allowances for the fishermen. Currently, the Government provides a living allowance of RM200
per month, an incentive ranging from 10 to 20 sen per kilogramme and the introduction of
Fishermen Insurance Scheme.
* RM2.4 billion is allocated to provide subsidies and incentives to assist farmers in reducing
cost of production. The assistance comprises subsidies and incentives for paddy production
including subsidies on paddy rice (RM480 million), paddy fertilisers (RM465 million);
incentives to increase paddy yield (RM80 million), paddy production (RM563 million) and
subsidies on price of rice (RM528 million) and high-quality paddy seeds (RM85 million).
* Introducing a Paddy Takaful Coverage Scheme to benefit 172,000 paddy farmers who own
fields less than 10 hectares. The Government will initially allocate RM50 million for this
scheme.
* RM41 million to be provided for the Azam Tani project to benefit 6,730 of the poors to
increase their income.
* A sum of RM38.7 is allocated to the Ministry of Education for operating and development
expenditure.
* An additional allocation of RM500 million to enhance teaching skills in core subjects such
Bahasa Malaysia, English, Science and Mathematics through the Higher Order Thinking Skills
approach.
* RM6 billion to be allocated under the Private Financing Initiatives (PFI2) to implement
projects and programmes to ensure well-being of people and spur nation's development,
including refurbishment and maintenance of schools

and health clinics; housing, water tank and flood mitigation projects; and provision of sports
facilities
* RM1.9 billion to be allocated to build 123,000 affordable housing units in strategic locations,
to be implemented by PR1MA, Syarikat Perumahan Nasional Bhd and Jabatan Perumahan
Negara
* Real property gains tax (RPGT) from disposal of properties made within two years of date of
purchase to be taxed at between 15 per cent and 10 per cent of disposal of property within a
period of two to five years. For property
disposed of after five years from the date of acquisition, RPGT is not applicable
* RM100 million to be allocated to Housing and Local Government Ministry to revive 30
abandoned housing projects, and tax incentives to private sector to encourage its
involvement in reviving the projects
Read more: 2013 Budget Highlights UPDATE - Latest - New Straits

Timeshttp://www.nst.com.my/latest/2013-budget-highlights-font-color-red-update-font1.149645#ixzz28695vioQ
From Malaysiakini:
Macro
Total expenditure RM249.7 bil, down 1.1 percent, but 7.2 percent higher than 2012
initial budget
Deficit Expected to go down by 0.5% to 4% in 2013. Target is to reach 3 percent by
2015
Federal government debt 2012 RM502.4 bil (highest in history) or 53.7 percent
(highest since early 1990s)
Government revenue RM208.6 bil, up RM1.4 bil
Government estimated to have overspent RM19.6 bil in 2012
Small and medium industries
RM1 bil SME development scheme
Group insurance for petty traders with maximum RM5,000 coverage
New loan facilities for petty traders
Tourism
Target for Visit Malaysia Year 2013/2014: 26.8 mil tourist
Three-year tax holiday for tourism companies handing 750 foreign tourists and 1,500
local tourists.
Agriculture
RM705 mil for replanting, technology development, smallholder assistance and product
development, particularly for oil palm.
RM200 monthly allowance, 10 to 20 sen/kilo income support and up to RM100,000
coverage for fishermen
RM2.4 bil in subsidies and incentives for rice plantations.
Commerce
10-year tax holiday for Tun Razak Exchange companies, expected to attract 250
companies related to finance sector
Skim Jaminan Modal Kerja expanded for companies with shareholdings worth RM20 mil,
and offered up to Dec 31, 2013
RM350 mil for entreprenuers under TEKUN programme, including RM50 mil for the
Indian community
SME Bank bumiputera fund RM1 bil
Bumiputera equity holding up: 23%
Education and labour
RM1 bil to improve school infrastructure

RM1.2 bil for pre-schools under government programmes including Permata
RM10,000 launching grants for private pre-school operators
Five-year tax holiday and building allowance for pre-school operators
Six pilot pre-schools for the disabled
RM3.7 bil for vocational training
Additional allocation of RM500 million for training of teachers in core subjects: Bahasa
Malaysia, English, Science and Maths
Free health checks, twice a year, for Perkeso members
Research and development
RM600 million R&D grants for five universities. Focus: Nanotechnology, automotive,
bio-technology and aerospace technology
Tax holiday for research and development investment (10-year tax holiday for statutory
earnings)
RM2 billion for green technology scheme
Pensioners and senior citizens
Minimum pension for those who served at least 25 years up from RM720 to RM820.
50 percent off passport fees for senior citizens starting Jan 2013
Armed forces
RM200 a month incentives for armed forces personnel
Allowance hike from RM4.00 to RM7.80 an hour for reserve corps and territorial army
One-off payment of RM1,000 for army veterans who served for at least 21 years, where
224,000 will qualify.
Insurance coverage of up to RM15,000 for police and army.
Crime
RM591 million for crime prevention
1,000 motorcycles for the police neighbourhood patrol unit.
Additional 10,000 volunteer police
496 CCTV in 25 local councils
RM10,000 grants for neighbourhood associations for patrols
New uniforms for 300,000 Rela members
Incentives for companies that install security systems
Additional 150 staff for Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC)
RM20 million for legal aid
Rural development
RM88 million for Orang Asli development
40,000 water tanks for those in the interiors of Sabah and Sarawak
19,000 homes to get electricity and 24,000 homes to get tap water
441 kilometers of new rural roads
Health
RM100 million to improve 350 government clinics
70 more Klinik 1Malaysia to be established, increasing total number to 240.
Youth and sports
Velodrom in Seremban, Negri Sembilan and a Badminton Academy in Bukit Kiara,Kuala
Lumpur
Subsidy of two percent of interest rates business loans for young entrepreneurs for
loans up to RM100,000
RM200 rebate for smart phone purchase for those aged 21 to 30 years.
Public transport
Half price Komunter fares for those earning less than RM3,000 a month.
Formation of RapidKuantan.
Housing
Affordable housing 123,000 units to be built, in areas such as Sungai Buloh and
seremban
First home scheme income cap raised from RM3,000 to RM5,000. Join income limit is
RM10,000. Applies only for houses below RM400,000
Up to 50 percent stamp duty exemption for first home owners until Dec 14, 2014
Real property gains tax (RPGT) for properties sold within two years of purchase raised
to 15%; 2-5 years 10%. No RPGT for properties sold five years after purchase
Tax breaks and incentives for contractors and banks who offer loans to contractors to
revive abandoned housing projects. Original buyers of abandoned projects will be
exempted from stamp duty for loan refinancing or ownership transfer agreements
Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M 2.0)
RM500 cash for households with combined income of RM3,000 or less
RM250 cash for unmarried individuals who are 21 and above and earning RM2,000 and
below
Disbursement Early 2013
Subsidi cuts
Sugar prices to increase as a result of subsidy cuts by RM0.20. New prices are RM2.50
per kilo for Peninsular Malaysia and RM2.60 per kilo for Sabah and Sarawak.
Tax cuts
1% tax reduction for those with a taxable income of RM2,500 to RM50,000
Tax cuts for corporations
Students
RM10,000 rebates and 2% interest subsidy on loans to purchase new school buses, to
replace buses which are 25 years or more. (Capacity 12 to 18 seats)
RM2.6 bil in welfare aid for schoolchildren
One-off payment of RM100 for each primary and secondary school student
Book voucher worth RM250 for tertiary education students

20% discount for National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN) loans for those who pay off
the entire amount outstanding (valid until Sept 30, 2013)
10% discount for PTPTN loan repayment for those who pay consistently
100 neighbourhood internet centres
Civil service bonus
One and a half month bonus, disbursed in three months.
Women, family and community
500 women trained as board members under Women Directors Programme.
The Single Mothers Skills Incubator Programme (I-Kit) will be improved to provide
advisory services and training for single mothers in entrepreneurship.
RM1,000 for Get Malaysian Business Online Programme (GMBO) to assist small
entrepreneurs, particularly women, to increase online sales.
RM25,000 for free mammogram examination for women, aged 40 and above.
RM1.2 billion to 1Malaysia Welfare Programme (Kar1sma) under the Ministry of Women,
Family and Community Development. To assist senior citizens, children and disabled
workers as well as chronic illnesses.
RM400 million for 1Azam or Akhiri Zaman Miskin programme for the low-income group
to generate income. Programmes under this initiative are Azam Kerja, Azam Tani, Azam
Niaga and Azam Khidmat.
Six more Anjung Singgah centres for senior citizens, street children and those who need
temporary shelter. Five Anjung Kasih in Sibu, Miri, Temerloh, Seremban and Ipoh
hospitals for poor patients or family members.
Credit to: Malaysiakini
T U E S D AY , S E P T E M B E R 2 5 , 2 0 1 2
July 2012 MUET Writing 800/4 : What went wrong and how to solve it
Hiya...
Ok.. I've gotten a lot of feedback abt the July 2012 MUET results and basically the results are
dire. That means that the entire country did badly this time round because the answers were
not accurate enough according to MPM's requirement.
Here's a lowdown from my discussion with various people.
Writing:
For Q1:
Apparently, you can only talk about the 2010 data in the first stimulus because the second
stimulus has only 2010 data... therefore, if you include the other info then it would mean that
your report content is irrelevant. You must also LINK both stimuli and show the
correspondence between the data without giving your own assumptions.
Any examiners out there to verify this?
For Q2:
Most students ended up telling grandfather tales about the BENEFITS co-curricular activities
rather than talking about their opinion (agree? disagree?) about CO-CURRICULUM
PARTICIPATION AS AN ENTRY REQUIREMENT FOR UNIVERSITIES. Therefore they have skewed
way off the main road... and into the ditch and sewer.
Would anyone like to write a sample essay and email to me so I can show everyone what a
good essay looks like?
Anyway... if you would like to try, here is another essay topic.... even if you dont write the
essay.. think about the 3 key issues...
Young people should be encouraged to join community service. Discuss.
Think very carefully abt the points so that you do not veer out of context. List down the 3
aspects by leaving a comment and i will tell you if you're on the right path or falling off the
cliff. :P
Cheerios!
ANSWERS:
If you write about the general benefits of community service you are not answering the
question. Zoom in on the word 'YOUNG' and it will become clearer. Give at least 3 reasons why
the young people should be the one who takes part in community service.
Your answers should discuss at least 3 of the following:
1. youngsters are physically more energetic, healthy and can achieve more when involved in
com service such as planting mangrove trees in protected wetlands etc.
2. young people have fresher and more invigorating ideas to do community service in an
effective way, e.g. go green campaigns using ICT/twitter etc. to spread info and gather
supporters
3. youths can use the experience to polish skills and for character building. Community
service instils good time management, punctuality, softskills, proactiveness etc.
4. the younger generation in general has less burdens and responsibilities like family, career,
debts etc. so they can take more active roles in community service including doing overseas
volunteerism with MERCY Malaysia.. etc.
5. the young today are the future leaders of Malaysia so taking lead roles in community
service like donation drives, running charity bazaars and dinners will give them priceless
leadership experiences.
To pass the writing paper with flying colours you need to think above and beyond the norm.
You have to show critical thinking skills and give valid and concrete examples to prove your
point. Zoom in on the keyword in the question in order to achieve a high band....
DOES ANYONE WANT TO SUBMIT THIS ESSAY TO ME? I'LL TRY TO FIND TIME TO
GRADE IT!
!
P O S T E D BY A U D R E Y W I L E S AT 5 : 5 6 P M 1 C O M M E N T:
W E D N E S D AY , S E P T E M B E R 1 9 , 2 0 1 2
Results are out... pls check!
Check your results in the MPM link here

I would like someone to compare their reading answers with my answers and pls calculate if
my answers are same as MPM's or how many questions difference... If you understand what I
mean, pls email me or reply here.. so that I know if my answers are reliable enough. If the
difference is only 1- 3 questions out, then still reliable.. and if more than that i would be quite
worried. :P After all, my answers are just mine, MPM's questions are really tricky!
Anyway, let me know if you have good news! Pls post here so I can celebrate with you or give
you encouragement for the next time!
M O N D A Y , J U LY 3 0 , 2 0 1 2
MUET July 2012 Report Sample: REVISED
Before looking at the answers try the questions yourself first! Click on this link to
get the
Muet July 2012 Reading & Writing Questions
Primary & Secondary School Enrolment in 3 Regions
Table 1 depicts the school enrolment by region while Figure 1 shows a bar graph of
income level by region. In general, school enrolment corresponds directly to the income level
of each region whereby developed countries with higher income have much higher enrolment
compared to under-developed countries.
Based on both stimuli, it can be concluded that school enrolment is greatly affected
by income level. Developed countries such as USA with an impressive 85% high income level
are the only regions to achieve 100% enrolment in primary school for 2010 while secondary
school enrolment achieved a near-perfect 99%. Developing countries such as Thailand which
enjoy 80% middle and high income levels in 2010 show a relatively high school enrolment for
primary school (90%) and secondary school (82%). Finally, under-developed countries such as
Myanmar with majority low income and only a marginal 5% are affluent has directly affected
the poor enrolment rates with only 62% enrolment in primary schools and a low of 27%
for secondary schools for 2010.
In conclusion, the rate of school enrolment is directly related to the affluence level of
the region where countries that are under-developed and poor have poor school enrolment
both for primary and secondary.
What
do
you
think
of
my
answer?
:)
Similar
to
yours?
* Take note that the data for 2006 and 2008 is disregarded because it is irrelevant
to the report. This is one reason cited by examiners why the July results dropped
drastically.
M O N D A Y , J U LY 2 3 , 2 0 1 2
MUET JULY 2012 ... I can help you pass.. :P
Guys... I hv no time to update my blog recently, but I believe that everything u need to know
abt this exam is in my archive.
In the search box.. type
1. GRAMMAR for a grammar quickfix explanation and try out the test!
2. ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT REPORT WRITING... for the latest tips
3. SAMPLE MUET ESSAYS for a collection of essays that will help you get band 3 and above (u
hv to write better than me to get band 6)

4. SCRIBD .. for uploaded documents (past year reading/writing questions)
5. POWERPOINT SLIDES for my seminar slides which are ALREADY UPLOADED ON GOOGLE
DOCS SO U CAN REVISE ON YOUR OWN (STOP ASKING ME TO SEND TO YOUR EMAIL COS I
WONT!)
anyway, fingers crossed for all of you.... sorry if i didnt answer and emails. too busy right now
with so much on my plate. plate is piling u high!!!!
as soon as exam is over, pls scan and upload to scribd so i can come up with a set of answers
for reading and writing (Q1 n 2). my students r not taking this exam so i hv no access to
the questions.
cheers!
P O S T E D BY A U D R E Y W I L E S AT 1 : 4 3 A M 8 C O M M E N T S :
M O N D A Y , J U LY 1 6 , 2 0 1 2
The power of MUET Exhibitions
I'd like to blog about doing exhibitions as part of your MUET syllabus. I've used this technique
quite often in my classes... and if you've followed my development over the last few years,
you will find that the MUET Colloquium competition which was my brainchild
has successfully become an annual event in Sabah.
Anyway, what is the long and short of it?
For MUET teachers, the world is your oyster. You can get the students to do virtually any kind
of presentation on powerpoint. For the sample shown below, I realised that most Sabahans
and especially school students have no clue about what makes Sabah truly a world class
destination so I got my sixth formers to do a "I Love Sabah" campaign. They each prepared 10
slides for their individual project (you can get them to work in pairs as well) with pictures,
videos etc on any aspect of the theme. My students worked on 1. Festivals of Sabah, 2.
Famous events of Sabah, 3. Endemic animals of Sabah, 4. Eco-tourism in Sabah & so on.
STEP
STEP
STEP
STEP
STEP
1:
2:
3:
4:
5:
Select a theme.
Students prepare and practice their powerpoint and 'sales pitch'
Decide on an exhibition date and time. Prepare petition form and doorgifts.
Carry out the exhibition and get as many signatures to support their cause.
Reflect on the challenges/benefits/success of this activity.
In my opinion, this is a great activity to break up the chalk and talk routine, and to give
students a chance to use the language in a purposeful and very authentic way.
Just some ideas, you could get them to do awareness campain exhibitions like recycling,
organ donation, blood donation, reduce plastics etc...
Or you could get them to develop a product/service for their own company and set up booths
to find investors or sell the product. This I did with my adult learners in college and they were
great, creating banners and buntings and 'fighting' for investors, all the while making good
use of the English language.
Anyway, if you do carry out an exhibition using this as a guideline, please let me know the
outcome. :P
T U E S D A Y , J U LY 3 , 2 0 1 2
2ND SABAH INTERSCHOOL MUET COLLOQUIUM
So proud that the 2nd MUET colloquium was successfully organised and you can see from the
newspaper spread that it was very well received. Lots of schools took part this year (9)
compared to last year's 6. The theme this year was English & Technology. Hopefully, if I dream
big enough, I will get to organise it for the 3rd time next year. Schools in Sabah have been
advised to do research related to next year's theme: "Fun with English"
Anyway congrats to KK High for winning almost all the wards, to SMK Bandaraya for grabbing
2nd place and 3rd place goes to SM All Saints. :P
M O N D A Y , J U LY 2 , 2 0 1 2
MY 100TH POST ON MUET!
WOW!!! I can't believe that I've posted 100 times now on this blog.. haha.. and that I have so
many followers. Thank god for blessing me that I am able to share with students and teachers
all over the Malaysia about this interesting and very challenging topic. Anyway, just wanted to
drop by and wish everyone taking speaking tomorrow good luck. For those who attended my
courses, please use the quadrant (divide the paper into four parts) and write your 3 points
using arrow up (reasons) and arrow down (examples). If you dont know what i'm talking
about, look up the powerpoint slides on speaking which i uploaded here in the archives. thos
who keep asking for the slides, i'm tired to telling everyone to please check the blog archive
because i already google document it! hehe.. anyway.. speak confidently and dont stop until
the examiner asks u to. good luck all!
Oh n here is a recent pic from my course at Uni Tun Hussien Onn... Batu Pahat, Johore...
tqtqtqtqtqqtqtqtq so much for inviting me, I had a blast!
P O S T E D BY A U D R E Y W I L E S AT 2 : 3 2 A M N O C O M M E N T S :
T U E S D AY , J U N E 1 9 , 2 0 1 2
2nd Sabah Interschool MUET Colloquium 2012
Essay question for you to try:
"A country's development is dependent on national unity." Discuss in no less than 350 words.
***
Time has flown by again and the next MUET exam is around the corner. I've not managed to
do much with my blog but I hope everything that I've uploaded in the ARCHIVES are still
relevant and great samples especially for Bands 3 & 4. If you hope to achieve a higher band,
you will definitely need to demonstrate an extensive vocabulary and that your
language/grammar is pristine. The speaking part you have to show confidence, maturity and
ability to elaborate well with good examples. Anyway, if there are any out there who can send
me their essays, I'll happily grade it for you and you can know your band. However, I doubt if I
have much time to edit word for word.
Right, so tomorrow is the big day for the 2nd Sabah Interschool MUET Colloquium 2012 and
I'm very excited about this. This year we have 9 schools from all around the state
participating and this shows an improvement from last year where only 6 schools took part.
Will upload pics and a report as soon as it is over, hopefully.... if I'm not drowned in work.
On Fri I shall be flying to Johor for the 2nd time to do a longer workshop with the students
there. Thank you University Tun Hussien Onn, Batu Pahat for inviting me and I hope the
speaking workshop on Fri night and the fully day workshop on Saturday will be worth your
while. Thank you Mahfudzah and the committee for paying my passage and putting in the
effort to run this course. Much appreciated. :P Ok so UTHO students.. look out for me! :P
P O S T E D BY A U D R E Y W I L E S AT 1 1 : 0 8 P M 5 C O M M E N T S :
M O N D AY , M AY 2 1 , 2 0 1 2
Anyone wants to send me a sample of March MUET writing question?
Education is the most important factor in the development of a country. Discuss.
The above is the question for the March MUET paper. I'm calling for sample essays
to be sent to my queendrey@gmail.com email. I'll publish the entries which I think
are useful as a point of reference or discussion.
Meanwhile, Kent Pee has sent me an essay which I've edited with notes on what
were the lackings/errors he made. If you would like a copy you will have to email
him politely (kentpee@hotmail.com) and get him to send it to you cos I'm too busy
to send emails to anyone who requests. I've used microsoft word and the review
format so I can't upload it properly.. even on scribd it doesn't show my comments.
(go to this link:http://www.scribd.com/doc/94380415/As-in-Exam-Reviewed-byMdm-Audrey-Koh)
Anyway, waiting for sample essays before I write one myself. Happy studying,
guys!
W E D N E S D AY , M AY 9 , 2 0 1 2
MUET March 2012 Report Writing Sample Answer
Finally! Someone finally took the trouble to email me a typed up copy of the March report. :P
Ah well, better late than never!
Anyway, I've uploaded to google docs, and you can see both samples there and decide for
yourself which one is the higher band.
If you want to do effective self-study, discipline yourself to write first before you peek at the
answers. Can you do that? Hahahaha.. I doubt. :P
https://docs.google.com/document/d/13rfwLuVoSdTXR5-kvai3ZSM9b89h-f2I4Z1imWZ8jlA/edit
Sheen's Essay - Edited
tq sheen for your essay that you willingly share with others so that they may avoid the same
mistakes you've done. i've only edited for word class, word order and basic grammar errors
(there are many unmarked) without touching on the content.. you may leave comments here
about what you think of the essay. alternatively.. you may submit your essay to me (although i
don't guarantee that i can mark/edit each and every one that i receive)... so what do you think
of this essay?
http://www.scribd.com/doc/78240213/Sheen-s-Essay
Need help...
Hi guys.. I know I'm not very tech savvy.. but does anyone know how I can upload a microsoft
document (with edited comment) onto the net? I looked into google docs but it means I have
to retype everything including adding new comment boxes. How can I share this essay in the
simplest way? Hmmmmmm....
I edit quite a few MUET essays but have yet to figure out the best way to share them.
Comments please...
F R I D AY , J A N U A RY 1 3 , 2 0 1 2
MUET appeal procedures
Rayuan Penyemakan Semula Keputusan Ujian MUET Akhir Tahun 2011 akan dibuka mulai 12
Januari hingga 27
Januari 2012. Rayuan yang dikemukakan selepas tarikh tersebut akan ditolak.
http://www.mpm.edu.my/web/guest/rayuan-muet
go to the link above now if you want to submit an appeal. it costs rm70. :P a lot of money?
maybe, maybe not. depends on how much you desire a second marking.
T H U R S D AY , J A N U A RY 1 2 , 2 0 1 2
My thoughts on the MUET results..
Well the big day has come and is almost gone and I've endured a roller-coaster of emotions..
Firstly, I'm super proud of my SMK Majakir school students who took the exam and broke all
records, or at least records that matter to me. Bear in mind that I taught the best class and
the ahem.. 'least best' class and from the two we scaled many new heights. My star student
Joanne Gan managed to garner a Band 5 (we havent had one since 2007, be reminded that
we are on the outskirts of the city so for a small town school, to me that's a great
achievement) and the cherry on the sundae is the fact that she scored 45/45 (perfect!!!!)
scores for the listening paper. Va-va-voom! Good job, Joanne! The other class I teach has 21
students and only one obtained a Band 1 (I measure my success by eradicating hardcore
failures, footnote: this is my personal yardstick and I don't expect anyone else to follow in my
footsteps). Even he scored 95, 5 marks shy of the minimum target I place on them, so I'm still
proud that he tried his best.
However, there were a few people who did not hit the 140 target (B3), and one person in
particular whom I truly feel for as she has tried many times and fallen short, this time a single
mark (139) dividing between a pass (which translates to graduation vs. non-graduation) and a
fail. Sighs.. I wish the fates had been kinder to her. Never mind, as I've mentioned in an earlier
post, it's not how hard you fall, but how fast you get up. In addition, consider it one of those
tricky learning curves life boomerangs at you and you just have to duck faster or catch it with
more precision. Anyway, time to dust off and get back to the drawing board. Good luck for the
next round!
My next blog is courtesy of a blogwalker who's emailed me his essay and I've edited it. He's
allowed me to share it with you all so that you can see how a person's word order and
sentence order can affect your scores even if you have relatively good grammar and
vocabulary. Right, so for all out there gearing up for the next MUET exam, you need to work at
it starting now. Even now can be considered 'too late' as learning a language (esp one as
complicated as English) is NOT an overnight phenomenon. :P Stay tuned!
W E D N E S D AY , J A N U A RY 4 , 2 0 1 2
MUET YEAR END 2011 RESULTS OUT ON 12TH JANUARY 2012.
Head to MPM's page for your results by 9am. But I've also known students to get their results
via sms at midnight so if you're dying to know u can try in the wee hrs of the morning on the
12th.
Did you get your desired result? Did my blog help you in any way? What else would you like
me to blog about regarding MUET? If you're new to MUET (many ask me for advice) I'll repeat
again and again that you should trawl my whole blog archive and read up on all my tips and
sample answers.
Also dont forget to let me know if my reading 800/3 answers are accurate. for the mid year
answers I was 2 questions out of sync with MPM's so that makes my total 43/45 which is not
bad cos even I admit that some questions are tricky.
Fingers crossed esp for all my students, seminar participants (UiTM, UTHM, various schools in
Sabah) n all my blog followers. God bless you all. If you did well, good job! If you didn't, just
remember that it's not how hard you fall, but how fast you get up. :P
M O N D AY , J A N U A RY 2 , 2 0 1 2
4 muet writing samples
MUET WRITING QUESTION 2 SAMPLE ANSWERS FOR 350 WORD
A C A D E M I C E S S AY
Below are 4 samples of good essays... Band 4 or 5... Band 6 essays will
demonstrate a much better command of linguistic fluency and accuracy as well as
show more mature and critical thinking skills.
SAMPLE 1) 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. [60 marks]
They say that money makes the world go round. And indeed it does as without money, life
would be very difficult as in todays 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 societys way of life on an individual level, the countrys 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 countrys 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 countrys 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
countrys economy there. Thus, while a societys spending habits helps our economy to grow,
overspending due to materialism will have an adverse effect to the countrys 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 countrys economy and their morality. In my opinion, I still firmly believe that
materialism has a strong hold on todays 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 2) 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.
The most valuable thing in life is friendship. Do you agree? Discuss. You should
write at least 350 words.
[60 marks]
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 individuals
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 persons 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 4) 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.
[60 marks]
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.
MUET Year End 2011 resutls out by 1st or 2nd week of January 2011
MPM's page
based on the link above i think that the results will be out by the 1st or 2nd week of january...
those who did not pass to their expectation and minimum requirement can resit the exam in
March by registering before the 19th of jan. the only difference being it will be dearer this time
round as it will cost rm40 for admin and rm60 for the test, a.k.a. a whopping RM100 for
MUET... plus there will be tests 3 times instead of twice a year... hope those at the top r not
buying Mercedes Benzsss or whole condominiums on prime land with said loot.
hehehehehhe.. ok that was under the belt. i couldnt help it.. anyway.. good luck everyone!
F R I D AY , N O V E M B E R 1 8 , 2 0 1 1
2011 Year End MUET Writing 800/3 answers
Consumers' choice of venues for grocery shopping in 1985 and 2010
The stimuli present a bar graph on 'Places Where Consumers Buy Their Groceries' and a table
on 'Characteristics of Shopping Venues in 2010'. Generally, majority of consumers prefer to
shop in supermarkets that have customer-friendly characteristics compared to quarter of a
century ago where people favoured wet markets.
The grocery shopping trend has evolved over the last 25 years based on the data in Figure 1.
There is a significant increase of 55% of consumers visiting supermarkets in 2010 (60%)
compared to 5% in 1985. This is attributed to the positive characteristics of supermarkets
which are more comfortable, convenient and offering big discounts and variety. Also showing
a rising trend is a 3% increase in consumers visiting 24-hour stores because of its
convenience. Meanwhile, night markets seem to show a consistent trend stabilising at 11%
both in 1985 and 2010. The most substantial decline can be seen in the deteriorating
percentage of consumers visiting wet markets from 45% to 14% (difference of 31%) followed
by 27% difference for grocery stores. The table indicates that while negotiable price and
personalised service are key characteristics of grocery stores and wet markets, these venues
seem to lose customers to venues that offer more appealing characteristics.
In conclusion, venues like supermarkets with better characteristics in terms of discounts,
variety and services are more likely to win over customers.
(This answer is abt 200+ words... my first draft... will reduce the words later.. but u
get the picture)
Writing Question 2:
"A person's career choice should be determined by his or her interest." Discuss.
Any comments on how to tackle this question?
MUET 2011 Year End Exam 19 Nov 2011
So this is it... what can you do for that last minute sprint to the finish line?
Well, so many have asked... and I have to answer quite simply: read up on ALL my recent
blogposts as I've included samples and tips and various other guidelines like grammar fixit
formulae and calculation techniques. So please search my archive!
I've also received quite a number of questions regarding counter arguments and how to go
about doing this. So here are my thoughts on the matter.
Line of Argument:
Basically you can arrange your essay based on my writing template (search my blog for this)
which is a basic 5 paragraph format.
MODEL A (if you completely agree)
1. intro
2. body 1 (pro-argument 1)
5. conclusion.
or
MODEL B (if you completely disagree)
1. intro
2. body 1 (con-argument 1)
5. conclusion.
HOWEVER:
If you want to score much higher bands (5/6) you need to have a more mature and critical line
of argument. Therefore you must be able to present your counterargument and then
a refutationto steer it back to your stand. What am I talking about? Here goes:
Topic: Smoking is bad for health
Stand: Strongly agree
Pro-agrument: Smoking will endanger our health and may result in death.
Counter-argument: Some people can still have a long life even though they smoke a pack
or two a day.
Refutation: However, these people are not the majority as studies strongly
indicate that there is a direct link between smoking and diseases like lung cancer.
Notice that we need to AVOID ASSUMPTIONS/SWEEPING STATEMENTS/GENERALISATIONS when

we are writing because it affects the strength of your opinions. Therefore use the vocab in
RED above to mediate your sentences. Do not use banned terms like ALL, ALWAYS, EVERYONE,
NONE, NEVER, WILL & MUST unless you really have the facts to back you up. Compare to the
sentences below:
Topic: Smoking is bad for health
Stand: Strongly agree
Pro-agrument: Smoking will endanger our health and will result in death.
Counter-argument: All people can still have a long life even though they smoke a pack or
two a day.
Refutation: However, these people are never affected as all studies show that there is a
direct link between smoking and diseases like lung cancer.
The vocab in blue indicates to the examiner that you do not know how to control the strength
of your opinions and have thus made serious assumptions that can be easily disproved by
facts. Therefore you are NOT in the high bands.
Words to refute:
However/Although/Even though/Nevertheless/On the contrary/Conversely/On the
other hand...
Ok.. so coming back to Line of Argument, here are more essay models you can follow to get
high bands. A band 5/6 person will write more than the minimum 5 paragraph format which I
have introduced earlier (which is fine if you just need to get band 3/4).
Which do you prefer?
MODEL C (if you have equal pro & con arguments, 50/50)
1. intro
6. conclusion
MODEL D (if you agree, but would like to discuss counterarguments before refuting
it with your final point)
1. intro
4. body 3 (counterargument followed immediately by refutation which is your pro-argument 3)
5. conclusion
MODEL E (if you agree, but would like to first address the counterarguments before
refuting it with your first point)
1. intro
2. body 1 (counterargument followed immediately by refutation with is your pro-argument 1)
5. conclusion
MODEL F (if you have equal number of counter and pro arguments)
1. intro
2. body 1 (counterargument 1 & pro-argument 1)
5. conclusion
Anyway.. hope you can make sense out of this as I've tried to simplify it as much as
possible. Please stay tuned for the reading paper answers which I will post after
today's exam and there will be a discussion about the writing paper questions 1 &
2 as soon as I can generate a plausible answer. Again...GOOD LUCK TO ALL MY
STUDENTS BOTH IN REAL TIME AND ONLINE. You're all in my prayers. :P
P O S T E D BY A U D R E Y W I L E S AT 1 0 : 0 8 A M 5 C O M M E N T S :
S U N D AY , N O V E M B E R 1 3 , 2 0 1 1
MUET Writing 800/4 Question 2 sample answers for 350 word academic essay
Below are 4 samples of good essays... Band 4 or 5... Band 6 essays will
demonstrate a much better command of linguistic fluency and accuracy as well as
show more mature and critical thinking skills.
FYI: I'm sticking to my writing template so that the organisation of your essay is clearer and it
makes writing 350 words easier. Read up on my template here:
http://muetmyway.blogspot.com/2009/08/foolproof-academic-writing-template.html
Plus: Fix your grammar in 15 mins: Read my grammar notes n take the grammar test!
http://muetmyway.blogspot.com/2011/10/muet-2011-grammar-tips.html
SAMPLE 1) 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. [60 marks]
They say that money makes the world go round. And indeed it does as without money, life
would be very difficult as in todays 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 societys way of life on an individual level, the countrys 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 countrys 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 countrys 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
countrys economy there. Thus, while a societys spending habits helps our economy to grow,
overspending due to materialism will have an adverse effect to the countrys 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 countrys economy and their morality. In my opinion, I still firmly believe that
materialism has a strong hold on todays 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.
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.

The most valuable thing in life is friendship. Do you agree? Discuss. You should
write at least 350 words.
[60 marks]
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 individuals
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 persons 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 4) 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.
[60 marks]
to society today.
tragedy.
SAMPLE OF ESSAY FROM ONLINE STUDENT JEFF (TQ FOR ALLOWING ME TO BLOG THIS) ON
WHAT NOT TO WRITE IN YOUR ESSAYS.
On 9 November 2011 00:53, jeff lai wrote:

A university education is better than a college educaton.Give your opinion.
After the SPM examination,many students have to decide their future on which education to
pursue.Some of my friends chose to enrol in college.I decided to study in matriculation college
as a Pre-U qualification to enter university.My reason is university education is better than
college education.
This is because university has a better education system,more dedicated lecturers and better
facilities.
First,university education provides a better education system than college does.A SPM
certificate is enough for you to enrol in a college but to enter a university you need a Pre-U
qualification such as STPM or A-level.This simply shows that it is harder to study in university
as you need some qualifications in which the college does not demand.Besides,the grading
system in university is stricter than that of college.So,students have to work harder to get a
good result.On the other hand,most college change their grading system,according to the
overall result of their students.Moreover,the the syllabus in university is well designed.Besides
giving knowledge,it helps to develop the social skills of students.For example,Students have
to do survey on public about topics related to their study.This ensures that the graduates can
have critical thinking skill and communication skill.
Universities usually hire more experienced lecturers with better knowledge.According to a
research, these lectures possess a Master or PhD degree and some even graduated
overseas.Thus,they have higher level of of knowledge which benefits the
students.Besides,Most of them have years of teaching experience and so they know how to
guide their students,developing their skills and exploring their potential.For instance,a Physics
lecturer does not only talk on theories.Instead,he teaches the students to analyse a problem
logically.They are also more caring and responsible to their students.These qualities are hard
to seen in college lecturers,who are mostly bachelor degree holder and work just for money.
(very serious generalisation here!)
Last but not least,university usually has better facilities,for example,the state-of-art
computers.Unlike those college such as Inti College which are run by private
companies,university has a better management.Thus every single thing in the
university,including the infrastructure is planned and developed well.This is beneficial to
students.For instance,university with advanced laboratories is beneficial to students as they
can learn science better by being explored to the real situation while conducting
experiments.Besides,university with better sports facilities can help the students to relax their
mind.In other words,better facilities means a more conducive environment for university
students.
In a nutshell,university education is better than college education for its better education
system,lecturers and facilities.Despite the growing number of college in our country,I advice
fellow friends to choose university education so that when you graduate,you are competitive
enough to survive in this ever developing world.
(MY REPLY)
Hi...
Language wise you would score a high band 4... however your content is not very mature and
there is lack of critical thinking skills so you might get only low band 3. Add the two together
you may get a low or mid band 4.
Good try but i can assure u that this question will never come out in the exam as the scope is
too small. if you compare spm with uni, then it would be a more viable question. comparing
uni n college requires in-depth knowledge abt the two so majlis peperiksaan malaysia would
never use this question as it would be too biased for some parties (urban) while the rural ones
will not be able to answer it well at all.
Also, you mentioned too many assumptions and sweeping statements in your essay. I have
highlighted the generalisations in GREEN ABOVE where you have stated what you consider to
be a fact but is actually just your opinion. Please avoid such statements.
I do like how you've followed an academic style format.. and that you've given concrete
examples. Good try.
Anyway... thanks for trying. :P
MORAL OF THE STORY: AVOID SWEEPING STATEMENTS AND GENERALISATIONS THAT YOU
HAVE NO PROOF ABOUT. STAY AWAY FROM WORDS LIKE:
ALL, NEVER, ALWAYS, EVERY, EVERYONE, EVERYTHING ETC.
P O S T E D BY A U D R E Y W I L E S AT 1 1 : 4 6 P M 4 9 C O M M E N T S :
Guest Lectured at University Tun Hussien Onn Malaysia, Batu Pahat, Johor 12/11/11
All you need to know about MUET Report Writing
So you have no clue on report writing... well I'm here to help, as always. :P
Report Writing Formula:
TITLE
I + OV
KFs
S
Here is what i consider to be the 'must know' tips.
TIPS:
1. WRITE THE TITLE AND UNDERLINE
2. YOU CAN WRITE 'By Audrey Koh' UNDER THE TITLE BUT THIS IS OPTIONAL MEANING NO
EXTRA MARKS OR DEDUCTION OF MARKS WILL BE GIVEN.
3. WRITE IN 3 PARAGRAPHS (MINIMUM, BODY CAN BE MORE THAN 1 PARA)
4. INTRODUCTIONS CONSISTS OF ONLY 2 SENTENCES (INTRODUCTION +OVERVIEW: I + OV)
I: 1ST SENTENCE WRITE THE TYPES OF GRAPHS/DIAGRAMS/HEADLINES ETC THAT YOU SEE IN
THE QUESTION.
(The stimuli present a bar graphs on ... and a pie chart on ... etc.)
5. OV: 2ND SENTENCE WRITE ABOUT THE MOST OUTSTANDING TREND THAT COMBINES ALL
THE STIMULI
(Generally, ... )
5. BODY - WRITE ONLY INFORMATION THAT IS OUTSTANDING (KEY FEATURES KFs, NOT
FEATURES.. FEATURES JUST MEANS EVERY SINGLE POINT, YOU NEED TO BE SELECTIVE IN
CHOOSING THE MOST IMPORTANT ONES ONLY)
(According to the __graph,../Based on the ___ chart,...)
6. CONCLUSION IS JUST ONE SINGLE SENTENCE AS SUMMARY S. JUST REWRITE THE OVERVIEW
(2ND SENTENCE IN THE FIRST PARAGRAPH) IN A DIFFERENT SENTENCE. DO NOT ADD YOUR
OWN OPINIONS.
(In conclusion, ... )
7. ALL WORDS AFTER 200 IS NOT CHECKED/READ/EXAMINED. EXAMINERS WILL NOT READ
AFTER THAT SO STICK TO THE WORD LIMIT. MPM REQUIRES ALL EXAMINERS TO ACTUALLY
COUNT THE WORDS AND MARK THE 200TH WORD SO BE TRUTHFUL WHEN YOU WRITE THE
NUMBER OF WORDS AT THE END OF THE REPORT.
8. TRY TO LINK ALL THE INFO AND EXPLAIN IT IN A SIMPLE BUT EFFECTIVE WAY. DO NOT COME
OUT WITH DIFFICULT AND CONFUSING CALCULATIONS AS THIS IS NOT NECESSARY.
9. USE A WIDE VARIETY OF LANGUAGE TO DESCRIBE THE STIMULI IN ORDER TO
DEMONSTRATE YOUR VOCABULARY POWER. HOWEVER, DO NOT BE VERBOSE, AIM FOR
ACCURACY.
10. GOOD LUCK, AND ALWAYS ANSWER THE ESSAY QUESTION FIRST BEFORE TRYING TO
WRITE THIS REPORT. ESSAYS ARE 60% WHILE REPORTS ARE 40% AND IF U DONT COMPLETE
YOUR ESSAYS WITH A MINIMUM 5 PARAGRAPH FORMAT, YOU CAN ONLY GET BAND 2 ON
AVERAGE.
Here are some of my samples on good report writing.

http://muetmyway.blogspot.com/2010/11/report-writing-muet-8004-question-1.html
http://muetmyway.blogspot.com/2011/04/muet-report-writing-2011.html
T U E S D AY , N O V E M B E R 9 , 2 0 1 0
REPORT WRITING MUET 800/4 QUESTION 1
TIPS:
1. WRITE THE TITLE AND UNDERLINE
2. WRITE IN 3 PARAGRAPHS (MINIMUM, BODY CAN BE MORE THAN 1 PARA)
3. 1ST SENTENCE WRITE THE TYPES OF GRAPHS/DIAGRAMS/HEADLINES ETC.
4. 2ND SENTENCE WRITE THE MOST OUTSTANDING POINT
5. BODY - WRITE ONLY INFORMATION THAT IS OUTSTANDING (KEY FEATURES, NOT FEATURES..
FEATURES JUST MEANS EVERY SINGLE POINT, YOU NEED TO BE SELECTIVE IN CHOOSING THE
MOST IMPORTANT ONES ONLY)
6. CONCLUSION IS JUST ONE SINGLE SENTENCE AS SUMMARY.
7. ALL WORDS AFTER 200 IS NOT CHECK/READ/EXAMINED. EXAMINERS WILL NOT READ AFTER
THAT SO STICK TO THE WORD LIMIT.
8. TRY TO LINK ALL THE INFO AND EXPLAIN IT IN A SIMPLE BUT EFFECTIVE WAY.
9. TITLES ARE CONSIDERED 1 WORD (BUT I COULD BE WRONG)
10. GOOD LUCK, AND ALWAYS ANSWER THE ESSAY QUESTION FIRST BEFORE TRYING TO
WRITE THIS REPORT.
SAMPLE 1:
The Various Types of Cooking Oil Used in the Kitchen
The stimuli present a line graph on 'Global production of cooking oil (2000-2006)', a bar graph
on 'Fat content in commonly-used cooking oils' and an article excerpt on the healthiness of
oils. In general, palm oil is the most produced oil while the least produced but healthiest
option is sunflower oil.
According to the line graph, the highest world oil production is palm oil increasing steadily
from 25 million tonnes in 2000/01 to 35.5 million in 2005/06, beating soya oil by a small
margin. Among the 5 types of oil, sunflower has the lowest production stabilising at just under
10 million tonnes from 2000 to 2006. Based on the bar graph, the healthiest oil is sunflower
because it contains the second lowest fat (12%) content and the highest healthy
polyunsaturated fat (71%). This is followed by other healthy oils with lower fat like canola
(7%), olive (15%) and soya (16%). The unhealthy oils are very high in fat and very low in
polyunsaturated fat such as palm oil (51%) and coconut oil (91%). The article states that we
cannot be sure about how healthy the oils we eat are because it may contain too much trans
fats leading to heart diseases and cancer.
In conclusion, coconut and palm oil should be avoided because fo the high fat content while
the healthiest oils are sunflower, canola, olive and soya.
SAMPLE 2:
Crimes Involving Foreign Workers in Malaysia

The stimuli show a line graph on 'Number of crime cases involving foreign workers (20062008)', a bar graph on 'Types of crime committed by foreign workers (2006-2008)' and a
newspaper headline on 'Overworked and Underpaid foreign workers'. In general, the number
of crimes are increasing steadily from 2006 to 2008 especially petty crimes like robbery and
snatch theft by underpaid foreign workers.
According the the line graph, every year the number of crimes increases by about 200 cases
which is 1535 in 2006, 1780 in 2007 to 1926 in 2008). These crimes can be divided into petty
crimes including robbery and snatch thef and hardcore crimes like rape and murder. Based on
the bar graph, the highest incidence of crime is robbery that rose from 65 in 2006 to 75 cases
in 2008. This is followed by snatch thefts from 15 in 2006 to 18 cases in 2008. Conversely,
rape and murder cases have reduced drastically by 50% or more from 2006 to 2008. The
reasons given for the increase of crimes in the headline are that foreign workers are unhappy
with their meagre incomes which result in them being overworked and underpaid.
In c onclusion, foreign workers are committing more petty crimes like robbery and snatch theft
because they are overworked and underpaid.
How are reports marked?
Language - 20 marks
Task Fulfilment - 20 marks
____________________
Total - 40 marks
Any questions?
F R I D AY , N O V E M B E R 4 , 2 0 1 1
Past year actual MUET Writing questions
Year End 2008
"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.
Mid 2009
Information and communications technology (ICT) is the cause of today's many social ills.
What is your opinion? Support your answers with examples. You should write at least 350
words.
Year End 2009
People commit crime for selfish reasons. Discuss. You should write at least 350 words.
Mid 2010
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.
http://muetmyway.blogspot.com/2010/04/heres-sample-model-answer-for-lastest.html
Year End 2010
In an arranged marriage, the choice of a husband or wife is made by parents or elders. What
do you think of this practice in today's society? Discuss. You should write at least 350 words.
Mid 2011
The most valuable thing in life is friendship. Do you agree? Discuss. You should write at least
350 words.
Anyone wants to try to write some essays for me to grade? Send to queendrey@gmail.com
Come on people, any comments about what the next question will be this Year End 2011? :P A
special prize will be given to the person who has the most accurate guess.. hehe.. yup.. i'll
actually send u a present through the post! LOL... come on n comment then!
Hui Chuen wrote this:
Every brain drain is a potential brain gain ...Do you agree or disagree ?
How to write this type of essay? I definitely do not know how start it ?
Audrey Wiles
o
It discusses the issue of our graduates and educated people migrating to other
countries to work. You have to discuss how the country could gain in knowledge
(brain) if they managed to keep these workers in Malaysia rather than working
for other countries. Some suggested points: 1) leaving the country means
knowlegable ppl in malaysia is reduced, 2) Malaysia is forced to hire foreigners to
work (negative effect on foreign exchange), 3) country spends a lot of money on
quality education through upgrade of local tertiary institutes so if when they
graduate they do not serve the country (brain drain), Malaysia will lack
innovative minds capable of new innovations to propel us forward because all the
geniuses will prefer to work in other countries. The conclusion is that the govt
must make it attractive for local brains to stay in the country and contribute back
to society. The recent 2012 budget tabled by our PM includes higher allocation
for human resource development esp the empowerment of women in business.
W E D N E S D AY , O C T O B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 1
MUET 2011.. Budget 2012 & how to incorporate it in your essays.
A requirement for the MUET writing paper is to show critical thinking skills in task fulfillment.
This means that a candidate has to have a good grasp of local and international knowledge
and know how to link it to the question in a critical and mature manner.
Here's Budget 2012 at a glance:
http://www.opf.com.my/blog/malaysia-budget-2012-summary-of-goodies-for-the-rakyat/
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/10/7/nation/20111007162147&sec=nation
So what aspects of Budget 2012 can be incorporated in your essays? Follow my lead below
and add your comments here. I will copy and paste to my blog post so that the lists will
hopefully get longer and longer.
1. Sports
1 District 1 Futsal Court. This allocation is aimed at improving the general health of
Malaysians by encouraging physical activities that are good for fitness, competitiveness and
improving social skills among all Malaysians.
2. Education
Free primary & secondary school education, RM100 for schoolgoing children and RM200 book
vouchers for tertiary education students, RM5000 for Masters & RM500 for PhDs demonstrate
the Government's seriousness in raising the level of education and emphasising the
importance of a solid education background in its aspiration to achieve developed nation
status by Vision 2020.
3. Women
Women will be empowered with more skills and business opportunities in order to strenghten
their position in the economy and to increase their productivity for the benefit of the nation.
More training programs tailored especially for women will be carried out through Budget
2012.
Using the links above, try to write your own versions of the above and I will copy and paste to
this blogpost. :P
P O S T E D BY A U D R E Y W I L E S AT 6 : 3 8 P M N O C O M M E N T S :
MUET 2011 YEAR END EXAM...
is on 19th Nov 2011. :P Are you up for it? I'm in the midst of compiling new notes and
materials for my three upcoming talks... tq SMK Pengiran Omar, Sipitang for inviting, for a
course in my own school... and I'm honoured to be offered a fully sponsored trip to University
Tun Hussein Onn, Batu Pahat, Johor... to do a 6 hr intensive course on the 12th of Nov. Tq to
Mdm. Mafudzah for coordinating this. I'm sure I'll enjoy the experience.
As for the exam proper, please read up on my previous blogs for sample answers and see the
slides here.. I am very angry with WandererSuria on ISSUU for uploading my slides
WITHOUT MY PERMISSION!!!! TAKE IT DOWN OR ELSE!!!!
Anyway, will be uploading more sample answers for report writing and essays soon. cheers. If
you have any questions post here and I will try to answer them within minutes (I love my
Blackberry!)
http://muetmyway.blogspot.com/2010/07/grammar-test.html
WELL... WHAT DO YOU THINK?
P O S T E D BY A U D R E Y W I L E S AT 1 1 : 3 0 A M 2 6 C O M M E N T S :
M O N D AY , S E P T E M B E R 1 2 , 2 0 1 1
MUET Writing 800/4 tips : Factual Writing
Hey all... I'm back.. hehe sort of. Anyway, I've recieved some great emails and messages on
facebook (add me as Audrey Wiles) about my blog and the good stuff you've gained from it.
Hopefully I didn't disappoint.
Right, I've been thinking about why my students cant score higher than band 3 and 4... and
I've finally hit the nail on its head. It's because students these days include too many
generalisations and sweeping statements which are not backed up by facts. So then I sent
them of a fact finding research and they have come back with key facts that can be used in
their essays. I've then compiled (the first batch below) the info and written MUET style
academic sentences which addresses key issues. I then printed out the samples below and
got them to highlight whichever parts they considered as factual. Then in my next lesson, I
will give them some sections with fill in the blanks activity (fill with facts) and some sections
where they have to write their own sample sentences using the facts they can recall. Anyway,
whichever style you use to present is not the issue but the fact that Band 5 & 6 students are
expected to have a very HIGH LEVEL OF CRITICAL THINKING and maturity of ideas is reflected
based on the content of their academic essays.
So students out there, read the examples below and highlight the facts. Teachers, get your
students to do it. An enrichment activity is you can give them more issues and they can write
their own samples, maybe one group one issue.
My next blog will be on using Malaysian government policies as content for factual and
academic writing. So stay tuned and don't forget to comment about this technique. Was it
effective for you? Your students? :P
FACTUAL WRITING
1. WAR
In terms of world peace, we should never repeat the mistakes of World War I in
1918 where we lost about 5 million people and World War II in 1945 that took the
lives of more than 61 million. These wars are concrete examples of why killing and
death are not acceptable. Instead, we should find a way through the United Nations
and other such organisations to conduct peace talks at all costs because wars give
nothing but negative impact to the human race.
2. ENVIRONMENT
Mankind is doing irreparable damage to mother nature to the extent that more and
more natural disasters have occurred in recent times such as the undersea
earthquake a day after Christmas in 2004 which unleashed multiple tsunamis in 14
countries killing over 230,000 people. More recent are the earthquakes in New
Zealand last year and this year Japan was hit full force by a tsunami that almost
destroyed the Fukushima nuclear power plant and caused a nuclear meltdown
similar to the radioactive disaster in Chernobyl, Ukriane (1986). Therefore, we must
reduce our negative impact to the environment because it will definitely affect
mother nature.
3. NATIONAL UNITY
There are many lessons we can learn from our own history including the May 13
1969 racial riots between the Malay and Chinese especially in Kampung Baru, Kuala
Lumpur. Almost 200 people were killed and this really emphasised why we need to
be more understanding, tolerant and respectful of each others cultural
differences. Otherwise, another terrible racial riot will occur and this will destroy
the national unity that we have worked so hard to achieve for the past half century
of independence.
4. TERRORISM
World peace is threatened when terrorists launch attacks such as the 9/11/2001
hijacking of two 767 jets into the twin towers of the World Trade Centre in New
York City. This is such a tragedy because it took 2,753 lives but there are
uncountable more lives, maybe millions, that have been shaken by this terrible
event. This has led to more lives lost through the hunting down of Saddam Hussien
and Osama bin Laden, both of whom were influential leaders that commanded
troops of terrorists. Hence, the governments of each country need to work hand in
hand to protect its citizens from further terrorist threat.
5. PATRIOTISM
In recent times, the world has seen a number of tragedies that are unbelievable
and atrocious such as the bombing in Oslo, Norway where Anders Brevik went on a
shooting rampage and killed at least 77 youths because he was against
multiculturalism and Muslim immigration. Thus, although we should be patriotic at
all times, there must be moderation because the extremism showed by Norweigian
Anders Behring Breivik is very unhealthy and this does not create peace, but
instigates world wars.
6. PROUD TO BE MALAYSIAN
We should be proud to be living in a peaceful land as there are no wars, enough
food and opportunity to improve our standard of living. On the other hand, places
like Palestine face the uncertainty and horrors of war every day, while there are
many crisis elsewhere such as in Somalia, Afghanistan and even in Thailand which
is our direct neighbour. In short, we need to defend our peace and freedom not just
for this generation but for our children, and our childrens children.
7. ENDANGERED ANIMALS
Datuk Michelle Yeoh from Perak is an international actress most famed for her role
in action movies and being the Bond girl in Tomorrow never dies is also known for
her full support of the anti-smuggling of endangered animals campaign. Along with
celebrities such as Jackie Chan, they both support the saying, When the buying
stops, the killing will too. Therefore, we should also support this campaign to stop
the buying of illegal animal products such as ground rhino horn, ornamental
elephant tusks and animal fur and skin to make clothes and accessories.
8. INSPIRATIONAL PEOPLE
Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamed is an extremely inspirational man as he was the longest
serving prime minister of Malaysia from 1981 to 2003 during which he was called
the Father of Modernisation. We have a lot to thank him for including our
aspiration to achieve the developed nation status through Vision 2020. He was also
behind the successful programs such as Multimedia Super Corridor, Proton cars,
KLCC and KL towers, Formula 1 Sepang Circuit and many more which have brought
prosperity and countless opportunities to fellow Malaysians. Therefore, to me he is
truly inspirational as even today he has his own website, blog and Facebook page
where he shows eloquence and critical thinking even though he is now 86 years
old.
9. SPORTS
Malaysia has a lot to be proud of in terms of sports as today we have two
individuals in racquet sports that are ranked No. 1 in the world. They are Datuk Lee
Chong Wei for badminton and Datuk Nicol Ann David for squash, both hailing from
the island of Penang. The two are prime examples of a combination of hard work
and good upbringing because they have managed to divide their time to be a
successful sportsperson. Datuk Nicol is 28 years old and been playing squash
intensively since young but she still managed to score flying colours in her SPM
where she obtained 7As. This is evidence that with the right attitude and diligence,
anything is possible.
10. BUSINESS
Malaysia is proud to have businessmen who have carved a name for themselves in
the international arena. Tan Sri Anthony Francis Fernandes, CEO of Air Asia, owns
the world best low-cost airline (2009-2011) which has created countless
opportunities for Malaysians to travel around the world for business and leisure.
With his amazing tagline, Now everyone can fly, it is truly wonderful that we can
experience international travel because travelling is now affordable for all. Another
famous Malaysian entrepreneur is Datuk Jimmy Choo, famed for his exquisite
handmade heels which are sought after by all the celebrities in America and the
whole world including the fashionista Sarah Jessica Parker, a famous Hollywood
actress. Therefore, we should always look for opportunities to expand our business
not just in the Malaysian market but penetrate the international market as well.
Hello I'm Back!!
Sorry for the long absence ... life got in the way. Also been on Raya mode n went to KL for a
short break with the kids. Fun!!
Anyway, the MUET speaking exam is around the corner. I will be writing more tips about that
in the next blog post. In the mean time, here is an essay submitted by Chin Hong, a fellow
MUET lecturer from Taiping, Perak. Everyone is welcome to submit essays for me to publish
but I reserve the right to edit and 'doctor' it for accuracy and fluency. :P
There are important issues relating to consumerism. Discuss the various ways whereby we as
consumers leave an impact on the environment, society and our nation. Support your view
with examples. You should write at least 350 words.
*****************************************************************************
As a nation progresses, so does the level of consumerism among its citizens. The changing
lifestyles of people have increased the market demands for more sophisticated products and
lifestyles. All said, such demands have improved our general lifestyles in certain ways but
they too do leave behind some negative impacts on the environment, society and the nation.
Firstly, consumerism has affected the environment in such ways that if not resolved will
greatly affect the world that we live in. Due to our hectic lifestyles, many people have
forsaken their task of cooking and eating at home. Generally, most working people opt to buy
ready-prepared food outside and these foods are packed in disposable plastic boxes or bags.
As we all know, such boxes are non-biodegradable and thus will cause environmental
degradation if they are disposed of and buried in landfills. The overdependence on plastic
shopping bags instead of using shopping baskets while shopping by consumers also
contributes to the degradation of the environment therefore we must support the No Plastic
Bags campaigns. The use of aerosol sprays by consumers and CFCs-based products will have
a detrimental effect on the environment. It will deplete the ozone layer in the atmosphere
exposing mankind to the harmful effects of the ultra-violet rays of the sun. The affluent
lifestyle of people nowadays has seen an increase in the ownership of private cars and this
has caused air pollution to the environment to increase dramatically.
The changing spending habits of consumers too have an impact on society and the nation as
well. The greater demands of consumers for luxury goods such as electric appliances and
modern gadgets have caused an artificial demand of such goods and this has pushed up the
price of such products. Thus consumers will be at the losing end as they need to pay more for
such products causing inflation to rise. The widespread use of plastic money or credit cards
too produces a negative impact on our society and the nation. The uncontrollable use of credit
cards to purchase products has caused many a person to be heavily indebted to credit
companies and banks. This has affected the saving power of the people and the country will
be short of money with which to generate its economic growth. There will be a slowdown of
the economy of the country as consumers will have no more money to spend or save due to
the debts incurred from the overuse of credit facilities.
In short, although the increased level of consumerism has improved our lifestyles to a greater
extent but the long term negative effects it has on the environment, society and nation needs
to be looked into so that we as consumers can learn to be smart consumers benefitting not
only ourselves but the society and nation at large. Our government needs to step up efforts to
acquaint consumers with their rights and responsibilities by carrying out more consumer
awareness campaigns nationwide. Smart consumers, prosperity for all.
T U E S D A Y , J U LY 1 9 , 2 0 1 1
P O S T E D BY A U D R E Y W I L E S AT 5 : 2 2 A M N O C O M M E N T S :
W E D N E S D AY , J U N E 1 5 , 2 0 1 1
Can't seem to comment on my own site.. argh!
Great job guys... now I know that my answers are almost 100% accurate compared to MPM's.
Yippee!
Mich... no need to aim for B6. Only 1% of Malaysians can actually score B6 so a B5 is already
a great achievement. Mind you, even English teachers cannot be sure of getting a B6 if they
take MUET as the level is excruciatingly high. :P
Chew.. as for appealing, well I haven't had any experience regarding this but you are welcome
to appeal if you really need a B4 to advance in your education. If you can do so with a B3 then
there is no point. If you appeal, do let me know how it turns out. Will keep my fingers crossed
for you.
Once again, thanks guys for all the compliments. My greatest joy is to be able to give back to
the people what my teachers have given me along the way. An open mind, and more
importantly, an open heart. Cheerios!
T U E S D AY , J U N E 1 4 , 2 0 1 1
Results are in!!!
Hey guys... sorry I have been so busy relaxing that I haven't touched my blog in ages!!!
Great work for those who got the bands they targetted... Proud of you guys...
Need a favour.. can you check your reading comprehension marks and compare to the
answers that I published here.. I need to know how close or far my answers were from MPM's.
If u scored 40/45 on mine and on your slip it says you scored 41/45 then i know that my
answers are 1 question out of sync... If u cant figure out the math.. just tell me your result and
i'll work it out.
FOLLOWERS
M O N D AY , N O V E M B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 0
Life, through my eyes.. Dedicated to my children and students.
Everyone writes stuff everyday that is meaningful, and I guess it's time to jump on the
bandwagon. This is for Besra & Lanner.. and all my 'external' children who weren't sired in my
womb, but have a room in my heart nonetheless.
Here's 10 lil gems from me. Read it. Do it. Feel it. Don't let this life slip you by. Now.
1. At the top of the list is: Do Good. Anywhere, everywhere, all the time. But don't expect
anything in return. As simple as opening the door for someone, paying the car park fee for the
car behind you, never killing, stealing or sleeping with someone else's partner. Do Good, not
Evil.
2. Air Asia.. Now Everyone Can Fly. See the world.. it is so affordable these days that you
should pack your bags and go.. even if it is just for a weekend. And even if you go alone. Guys
no prob.. girls, read everything you can before you go; check out maps, book hostels/hotels,
plan your holiday so that you look purposeful, and no one will dare to cheat you. Or go with
close friends, they will show you a different spin on the things you see. Friendships are
priceless.
3. On the same note, here are some places you MUST visit and experience. The canals of
Venice are gorgeous. Stonehenge is magnificent and so is the Colosseum in Rome. The Eiffel
tower and the river Sien beckons the romantic in all of us. The fields of golden sunflowers in
Italy are simply breathtaking. The pastel coloured buildings in Florence and the rest of that
country is spellbinding. Walking down the streets of La Ramblas in Spain was amazing.. and so
was Athens.. where orange trees permeated the sweetest scent perfuming the air. Travel to
Inverness in Scotland to see the elusive Loch Ness monster and go stay a night in the hostel
on the Isle of Skye. I haven't done much of Asia yet.. except for Singapore and Thailand.. even
if you're not Buddhist, visit a temple in Bangkok and feel the peace, calm and contentment
awash you. The beauty of travel... it makes you realise that life is so short, we must grab joy
with both hands lest it slips from our fingers and disappears into the transient nothingness.
Promise yourself - One Country Every Year. I myself will get back to that promise once the kids
are older.
4. Spend time with the people you love. Your mother loves you. And your father does too,
sometimes quietly. They and your siblings wouldn't mind hearing the words 'I love you' once
in a while. Declaring your love doesn't make you weak but stronger. This world needs more
love to make it spin on its tilted axis. Anger, greed, envy, hatred... we should never gravitate
towards the forces of evil. We could all do with less of these negative emotions and more of
love, care, giving, generosity, helpfulness, tolerance and bliss.
5. On that note: call your mother now! Or write your friend a real letter with a real stamp.
Drive or take the bus and visit an old aunty today.. To sum it up: Nothing; nothing beats your
personal touch. One day you might be able to afford a personal assistant to buy presents and
send cards or flowers for you.. but it wont mean as much as if you yourself put in the time and
effort to show someone you love them.
6. Get a job you really love. There is no point waking up every day dreading the day ahead.
Even if you don't earn much money (like being a teacher).. think of how satisfied you are
when you do a job well. Think of all the lives you have touched by committing to your
profession and giving it your best. If you hate your job.. get up and get out! Dare to make that
change in you by trying something new.
7. Children need time - quality time and quantity time if you can spare it. When you have kids
and you hear them laugh out loud for the first time, you'll know what a gorgeous lil piece of
creation you helped to make. Read to them. Sing nursery rhymes with them. Play lego or dolls
with them. Sit them on your lap and make them feel like your time is their time, your love is
all theirs and hold them tight like you'll never let them go. Children feel it if you love them and
want to spend time with them, listening to their never ending questions. Children know if you
don't care. So please, find the time for them no matter what you're doing. PRIORITIZE!
8. Take picture. Make memories. Life if not just work, work and more work. I try to make sure I
never bring my work home with me. Finish it all at the office. And when you come home, plan
something simple but nice or extravagant but meaningful. Take a picnic basket and enjoy the
beach, river, mountaintop etc. Plan family holidays. Have a bbq or potluck with friends.
Nothing beats enriching our lives with soul-feeding experiences. Don't retreat into your own
world, thinking nothing is worth the effort. Life is worth the effort, don't let it go down the
drain and dissipate into oblivion.
9. Read. I love romance novels. Erotic and moving love stories with a happily ever after. But
read everything and anything. Roadsigns, articles, newspapers... I love John Grisham (laywer
stories), Jeffrey Archer (incredible storyteller) and Dan Brown (you don't know intelligent until
you read him.. then you wikipedia it and and be goggle-eyed by the sheer amazement of the
true things he writes about). I really respect people who buy books. Books will live long after
you have left this mortal world. They are the footprints of all the loud heroes and quiet
victors... And maybe one day, if I am so blessed, I will write a book and seal my footprints in
the sands of time.
10. Be good to yourself. If you don't love and appreciate yourself, no one will. Whatever you
look like now, I'm pretty certain you are the best person you can be cos everyone gets old and
then the bones start creaking and the skin starts becoming friends with gravity and a spare
tyre is the norm. By that time, you'll be wishing you were 10, 20, 30 years younger. So no
regrets, love yourself now before it is too late. Change your dressing style once in a while.
Colour your hair. Wear torn jeans. Learn something new. Pick up a new hobby or try something
different. Don't keep ordering the same menu when you get to the same restaurant. Be
adventurous. Really enjoy the things that you do for yourself. Even if you do it all by yourself.
If you're still single, enjoy the freedom of having no one to answer to but yourself. Sooner or
later someone will pop into your life. And if they don't, there is no crime in not getting married
or having children. If you do tie the knot, make the best of it. Be good to your spouse, be
considerate, loving, compassionate and verbal about how much your life has changed for the
better just by being together.
And so we return to the essence of my ramblings. Be good. To others. Even your enemies. Kill
hatred with love. And most of all, be good to yourself because the rest will follow.
With all my love,
Audrey
30 Nov 201
P O S T E D BY A U D R E Y W I L E S AT 5 : 0 8 P M N O C O M M E N T S :
S U N D AY , N O V E M B E R 1 4 , 2 0 1 0
FOLLOWERS
W E D N E S D AY , A P R I L 2 8 , 2 0 1 0
OLD FORMAT: NOT APPLICABLE ANY LONGER Question 1 MUET Mid Year Writing Paper 800/4
sample answer
CONTENT DELETED BY ME AS IT IS THE OLD FORMATP O S T E D BY A U D R E Y
W I L E S AT 1 1 : 1 5 P M 3 2 C O M M E N T S :
Here's a sample model answer for the lastest MUET exam.
MUET WRITING PAPER 800/4 QUESTION 2
Facebook and Short message System (SMS). What is your opinion of this growing
trend? Discuss. You should write at least 350 words.
Generally, in answering academic essays, you need to really focus on a higher level of
thinking which befits a Band 6, university style response. If you were to just answer that this
electronic communication trend is good and that you can chat with your friends and keep in
touch, then you really haven't explored the question in a mature and critical way.
How do you train your mind to be more critical and mature in approaching the question? Well,
you need to focus not just on the effects of the concept to yourself and the people around
you, but focus on how it will affect society not just in your country but globally.
Anyway, have a read of the sample answer below. Take note that I'm sticking to my writing
template, but better students can use a more creative style to show their flair in writing
effective compositions.
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 email 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.
So what do you guys think? Please give me some feedback. ;-)
P O S T E D BY A U D R E Y W I L E S AT 1 2 : 2 6 A M 4 1 C O M M E N T S :
M O N D AY , A P R I L 5 , 2 0 1 0
Sample MUET essay on fuel price
Question:
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.
When tackling this question, one should think in terms of : 1. short term effect, 2. mid term
and finally 3. long term. This question gauges a student's level of critical thinking and
prediction.
I would like to stress that it is unnecessary to pepper the entire essay with bombastic words.
Better to keep it short and simple.
Note: affect (verb), effect (noun)
Here's a sample answer.
to society today.
tragedy.
W E D N E S D AY , A U G U S T 1 9 , 2 0 0 9
Foolproof Academic Writing Template
Hi Wani & Pok Chah... n all the rest out there if you are reading this, hope you're having a
brilliant day! well upon special request, today i will be blogging about how to teach writing
especially for the muet 350 word academic essay component of the writing paper (800/4).
however, this template can be adopted or adapted to suit any academic writing class... i thin
it's the perfect answer to teaching writing in the weak to average classes and it will also be
good for the better students as a starting point efore you allow them to break free from the
template and do their own thing.
to begin with, they need to learn to brainstorm in an organised manner. therefore, i always
make them write notes using the template below:
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:
eg.
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?
anyway, here comes the best part: the writing template that is foolproof! only completely
illiterate morons cant do this!
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
Anyway, here is a sample essay:
Question 2:
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.
Ok... so what do you think? Workable? Pls give me some feedback on this... ;-) happy writing
or more specifically, happy teaching writing! Cheers for now! ;-)
Guest Lectured Today...;-)
Had a good session today at UiTM, KK lecturing about MUET reading comprehension to abt
150 students.. this is actually my second time there as i'd given a similar lecture last year to a
different group. anyway, how DOES one teach reading comprehension? yikes.. the first
problem is that they dont read enough, therefore their vocabulary sucks and on top of that
the level of english in muet is astronomically high when our students these days cant even
string a single sentence flawlessly!
anyway, to help them along i've divised two approaches... Content analysis and Vocabulary
analysis.. here's the general breakdown..
CONTENT ANALYSIS
Techniques:
1. Anaphoric and Cataphoric referencing. Look before or after the target word/phrase to locate
the answer. (I can send u my powerpoint if u like.. just drop me a note in your email)
2. Paraphrasing.
3. Inference.
4. Predicting.
5. Summarising.
VOCABULARY ANALYSIS (more interesting!!!)
STEP BY STEP:
1. Eliminate all illogical/impossible answers.
2. Is the word Positive, Negative or Neutral?
3. Identify the root word.
4. Identify prefixes and suffixes.
5. Use anaphoric or cataphoric referencing to extract clues from context.
6. Select the best answer.
Plastic surgery involves the reconstruction of physical aspects of the
human body to make it more aesthetic or symmetrical.
The word reconstruction refers to
A. the study of chemistry
B. building or shaping something again
C. a place where structures are being built
STEP BY STEP:
1. Eliminate impossible answers. = A: Not possible, consider options B & C only
2. Positive, Negative or Neutral word? = Positive
3. Identify the root word. Sounds like? = construct : build
4. Identify prefixes and/or suffixes. = re-: repeat something (ie replant plant again)
-tion: a noun (ie information noun)
5. Use Anaphoric or Cataphoric referencing = Anaphoric : refers to plastic surgery
= Cataphoric : refers to phy. aspects of body

6. Select the most likely answer. = B : to build again or reshape body parts
Of course nothing in life is as simplistic as this but for weaker students
especially it is a good place to start. The trick is to get students thinking
and analysing for themselves on a completely conscious level..
hahahahahhaha with our spoonfed ones, not many will
rise above this tall order! lol.. ah well we can die tryin right!?!?!?
Anyway, like i mentioned above.. drop me an email at queendrey@gmail.com
and i'd be happy to share my stuff with anyone who's interested. better yet,
invite me to your school to give a talk! ;-) i train both students n teachers..
lol.. muet courses (all components) or perfect grammar in 3 hrs! haha..
T H U R S D AY , A U G U S T 1 3 , 2 0 0 9
Referencing Skills
Heya.. to start every new MUET year when the new sixth formers arrive, a good thing to do is
teach them referencing skills. This doesn't just mean opening up the dictionary and checking
a word. There are 3 aspects of referencing you may want to have specific lessons for.
1. TEACHING PHONETICS
i.At the back of any good dictionary is a phonetic symbols list.. read out the various
consonant, vowel and dipthong sounds to them and they repeat (can be really funny
sometimes) and then get them to look up some words in the dictionary.
ii.Focus their attention on the fact that each word is separated by slashes / ... / and the
syllable stress is noted using the symbol ' .
iii. Give each student a different symbol and he/she looks up 5 words from the dictionary and
puts it on a coloured piece of paper.. then he/she gathers some friends around and they each
teach the others the sound and how to read the words they have selected.
*Alternative task suggestions:

1. students write the sentences in phonetic symbols such as "My name is ........" and "I
am ........ years old"
2. each student writes a secret sentence in phonetic symbols at the top of a piece of paper
with the English alphabet sentence at the bottom of the page (fold this section twice so the
answer can only be seen if they unfold it). stick on wall and get students to read the secret
sentence n if they get it right, they can sign the page and draw a smiley face if it was easy to
figure out, a sad face if it was too difficult to decipher! Get the students to mingle n read and
sign as many as possible. I just did this in college last Saturday n it was a HIT! ;"Peer Sharing Session"
2. EXPLOITING THE LONGMAN ACTIVATOR
In case you've never used this before, go get one NOW! It's a brilliant referencing tool as it
groups words and phrases by categories. It covers all necessary vocabulary and common
phrases that are related to each topic. In the example below, the girl looked up the term
'ENVIRONMENT' and from the info in the Activator, she made a mind-map. Then she shared
her information with a group of friends (peer teaching is more motivating than teacher
centred teaching, not always but usually).
For additional enrichment activities, you can get them to decorate the information notice
board with the work they produced, or use the notes to write a composition based on the
muet 350 words requirement, etc.
3. BILINGUAL DICTIONARY SKILLS

Well in the Malaysian classroom we can't run away from translation. It's quicker and more
effective but sometimes it can be a cop out when the kids expect you to translate all the time.
Anyway, I think teaching them to look up words they WANT TO KNOW as opposed to what you
want them to know is more effective. So the steps are, give them a topic each or in pairs,
make a list of vocabulary in their mother tongue they would like to research and then look up
the translation. As the norm, write neatly on a piece of paper and ensure they have a peersharing session.
Get them to be more creative and graphic in their final product. Colours and pictures always
help. ;-)
An extension of this activity is to get students to make their own thematic crossword or
wordsearch puzzles for their classmates to have fun doin whilst subconsciously acquiring the
new vocabulary.
Anyway, hope these tips are useful. Anyone has other ideas about this? If you do try them out,
please let me know your strengths and weaknesses..
Hugs to all!
Nov 2012 MUET Writing 800/4 Academic Essay question
Women make better leaders than men. Do you agree? Discuss. You should write at
least 350 words.
Well the question above seems simplistic but the reality is that most of the students who took
this exam last Nov, failed. Why did they fail when it would seem like a very debatable topic?
It's not as if they had no idea at all as was the case with the 'arranged marriages' question.
After some research, I've come upon the main reason and this, I have to emphasise here, is
entirely my own opinion, not MPM's.
So what is the main reason? Well.. simply put, lack of critical thinking skills. MUET teachers
out there, I implore you to teach your students these 3 key concepts.
1. Argument, counter-argument and refutation.
2. Differentiating fact from opinion.
3. Quantifying overgeneralisation/sweeping statements.
The first two are relatively simple to teach as there are countless resources you can find... I
remember blogging about No. 1 so you may be able to find it here, in fact... just click on the
linkHERE.
As for the third item, let me elucidate using this essay question.
Most of the candidates were unable to present mature arguments because they simply ended
up with statements that are not based on fact but opinion. To make matters worse, they did
not quantify the statement with the correct adverb of degree (some, a few, many,
most etc) instead they used words like all, always, never. They also misused other adverbs
such as too, very, every etc. Therefore the validity of the essay is seriously affected. It is
therefore better to use modals like may, might and could to mediate your sentences to
make it more acceptable and believable. A MUET examiner is able to spot a sweeping
statement a mile away and you can be sure Bands 5 & 6 have flown out the window!
Let me show you some examples.
Women make better leaders than men.
Samples (a) are over-generalisations and (b) has been mediated to sound more credible.
1a) Women are too emotional so they will always make the wrong decision.
b) Some women are very emotional so they may make wrong decisions.
2a) Men are very intelligent but women always never use their brains and cry all the time.
b) Surveys have shown that men are more intelligent than women and can handle stress
better.
3a) Men are better leaders because they invented all the things in the world.
b) Men could make better leaders because they are intelligent enough to
create most inventions.
(3a is a poor sentence because it is over-generalised as well as having faulty logic. 3b is
better because it adds 'intelligent enough' thereby linking the two ideas to make it flow more
logically.)
Basically, to write this essay well, one needs to be objective, neutral to an extent and able to
discuss both the pros and cons before coming to a mature decision. So, would anyone like to
submit an essay before I post a sample?

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S A T U R D A Y , J U LY 5 , 2 0 1 4

MUET July 2014 Report Writing Sample Answer

FEATURES and KEY FEATURES by now.

It just LOOKS deceptively easy.

a. In my opinion, I strongly/totally/completely/absolutely believe/feel/agree/disagree that...

*NOTE that 5 paragraphs are the bare minimum, 6 is suggested,

a. causes, effects and solutions

2013 themed "Prospering The Nation, Enhancing Well-Being of the Rakyat: A

including refurbishment and maintenance of schools

Read more: 2013 Budget Highlights UPDATE - Latest - New Straits

RM1 bil to improve school infrastructure

Book voucher worth RM250 for tertiary education students

Check your results in the MPM link here

hv to write better than me to get band 6)

principles in life are ranked higher.

Notice that we need to AVOID ASSUMPTIONS/SWEEPING STATEMENTS/GENERALISATIONS when

SAMPLE 3) MID YEAR 2011: MUET WRITING 800/4 QUESTION 2

On 9 November 2011 00:53, jeff lai wrote:

Here are some of my samples on good report writing.

Crimes Involving Foreign Workers in Malaysia

Hui Chuen wrote this:

This means that...

= Cataphoric : refers to phy. aspects of body

*Alternative task suggestions:

3. BILINGUAL DICTIONARY SKILLS

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