Sample Essay: ArgumentativeDo you agree that youngsters nowadays spend too much time on the computer chatting with their friends?

In my point of view, I absolutely agree with the statement. Averagely, youngsters these days always fill their leisure in front of the computer. However, this seems not to be during their leisure time only, but mostly of their time they spend to chat with their friends. The matters are, how one could be ‘tenaciously ‘ keeps their point just to chat with his or her friends? Moreover, what actually are the effects would be on them?

The most probable reason why the teenagers spend too much of their time chatting with their friends on the computer is nonetheless they lack of love and attention from their parents. Most of the parents today are busy with their works rarely spend their time on their own. Usually, they will enjoy and have fun with their friends through computer chatting. Furthermore, it is the easiest way to keep them in touch. However, it seems that they take too much time chatting until they tend to neglect their study, their homework and many more. Thus, it will propel the youngsters to become irresponsible on the tasks or works that they need to accomplish at the first place.

Besides, living in such a hectic world that is showered with modern tech, teenagers are prompted to enjoy the achievements of the high-tech. One of it is through the computer chatting. Yes, it is undoubtedly that it is the easiest and simplest way for communication. All you have to do is just sit in front of the computer and start typing anything you want to talk about. That is easy, right? Consequently, youngsters will take too much time to enjoy the chatting with their friends. As the result, there will be lack of communication among family members. Besides, they

also rarely mix up with other people out there. For worst, they will ignore the importance of living in one society.

Since the youngsters spend too much time on the computer chatting, so this dilemma can be solved through co-operation and understanding between parents and their children. Parents should wisely divide their time and try to spend with their children. Parents can bring their children for vacation and share fun time together. Apart from that, parents also need to educate their children on how to mingle with the modern technology. On the other hand, youngsters should understand and know their responsibility as a child and also a student. Youngsters should spend time with their friends in other ways. For example, they can enjoy playing any outdoor games together. They also can discuss their homework together. Therefore, they will spend their time on computer chatting less. So, parents and children should play their own roles in order to overcome this problem.

As a conclusion, we all know that there are bad effects for youngsters who spend too much time on computer chatting. Fortunately, there are also solutions to solve these problems. So, try to think and act wisely thus happiness can be achieved in life. As the saying said, time is gold, right? Therefore, appreciate the time we have by doing something beneficial so that we can stand survive in this challenging world. 

Diet and Exercise to Stay HealthyGood exercise and diet habits are key aspects not only in appearance but in

living long, healthy lives. One may look fabulous, both fit and healthy, while being

just as unhealthy as an obese person. The exact opposite is true, also. A person

may be a little overweight but have a healthy heart and diet. The only way to find

out if one is eating healthy and getting the proper amounts and types of exercise

is by looking at their diet and activity level.

It is important to first start with a good eating plan. Age, health issues, and level

of physical activity are just a few factors that should be taken into consideration

when writing a meal plan for a person. For example, a young, healthy, and active

person can eat more freely than an older person with high cholesterol who does

not get much physical activity. On average, a person should try to eat 6-11

servings of grains, 3-5 servings of fruits, 3-5 servings of vegetables, 2-3 servings

of dairy, 2-3 servings of meat, and consume fats and sugars sparingly each day.

One should shoot for this range until he/she can have an eating plan written for

them.

Diet is not the only thing that should be factored into a healthy lifestyle. Exercise

is just as important as a nutritious diet.There are many benefits of physical

activity besides the obvious advantage of having a better physical appearance.

Exercise can reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression and improve one's

mood and feelings of well-being. Besides helping you look great it helps you feel

great, too. There are different types of exercises which give different results.

Strength training, such as lifting weights, produces dramatic differences in

physical appearance and raises one's metabolic rate. It also improves athletic

performance and builds stronger bones. Cardiovascular training builds a powerful

heart and strong lungs. It helps prevent hypertension, obesity, heart disease, and

Type Two diabetes.

When one's cardiovascular system works efficiently he/she is able to do aerobic

activities, such as running and swimming longer, which helps to burn maximum

fat and calories. Flexibility and balance training is also important when striving for

an over-all body workout. Flexibility and balance training increase agility, perfects

one's posture, and boosts over-all strength. Specific exercises can reduce back

pain, exercise-related soreness, and increase the range of motion in joints and

muscles. It is important to incorporate exercises from each group into your

exercise plan to reach optimal physical and mental health.

Exercise and diet are key factors in staying physically and mentally healthy. It is

a known fact that if you look great and feel great you will live a longer and

happier life. It is important to take one's age, health, and current physical activity

level into consideration when writing an exercise and diet plan. There are many

people out there, such as nutritionists, personal trainers, and even personal

doctors, who can help develop a diet and exercise plan that is right for him/her.

There are so many facilities out there to help keep you alive and healthy.

Exercise is not all about physical looks, it also has to do a lot with your actual

health and well being. For example, many overweight people tend to be more

susceptible to higher cholesterol and blood pressure. Well, by working out and

adding an exercise routine into your normal every day life, you can help to

decrease risk factors drastically. It is said that over 60% of American grown-ups

are on the heavier side, or over weight. Only about 15% actually engage in the

slightest amount of exercise.

“Obesity alone makes a person very vulnerable for heart disease, but also

susceptible to an additional 65% chance of having at least one added risk for

heart disease, diabetes and or stroke and a 50% possibility of having two or

more of these as possible risk factors. Some other possible risks are high blood

pressure, high blood sugar, cholesterol and blood fats that are not all curable

with insulin and are considered the Metabolic Syndrome” (Lissner, 886-92). This

becomes an even bigger risk when areas of fat accumulate around a person’s

middle area and the organs in which the fat surrounds. Basically people become

obese by consuming more calories then should be consumed for a whole day

and not using up that energy that has been consumed in calories by exerting it in

physical manner such as exercise. Some people have a fast metabolism which

would be the people you see eating what ever they want and still looking fit, or

have the average metabolism where you are what you eat, which makes it a lot

harder to stay fit and lean.

Exercise has also had a tremendous effect on the aging process of the body.

Apparently the increase in exercise has an enormous effect on nerve cell health

and with how long those cells are alive. By maintaining these healthy cells it

helps to promote the production of antioxidants which help to protect cells from

damage, this is the leading cause in aging. No matter what your age is you can

still benefit from exercise not only mentally but also help to prolong your ability to

function later on in life. But most importantly “you will be reducing the chance of

having a stroke and clotting which can result in deep vein thrombosis and death,

which is more critical as we age” (Tremblay, 814-18).

Keeping up a regular cardio routine is a great way to get in shape and also help

benefit you in various prolonging ways. It is still a good idea to have weight lifting

as a part of your routine too. There are six difference muscle groups that you can

work on with weights. You have arms, back, chest, shoulders, legs, and then

abs. You want to try and keep them all worked out pretty evenly. Keeping it

switched up and by not concentrating on lets just say bench press, you keep your

body guessing and keep it from getting immune to the exercise. Instead of just

doing bench press all the time you can switch it up to one week doing dumbbells,

maybe cables the next, or maybe even just doing flat out push ups. Then you

have the machine style work out which you can substitute in one week. Also you

can switch the focus point up, maybe you want to concentrate on your upper

chest this week and lower or mid chest the following week. With this type of

confusion your muscles will grow much stronger and you will notice much more

of an improvement.

Diet is just as big of a part of your health as exercising, that’s why it is so crucial

to eat well balanced healthy meals. This requires knowing what you are eating;

you can obtain this by the dietary label present on the back of the food when you

buy it in the grocery store. “Water is an essential to being healthy; you should

drink eight 8 ounce glasses per day. Most people do not eat a well balanced diet

like they should, but instead have a diet high in fat and are not consuming

enough fiber” (Gebhardt, 72). The best way to start towards a healthy diet is to

start consuming more natural whole foods, such as fruit, vegetables, bread,

cereals, potatoes, and pastas. You have six different food groups one of which

would be a good idea to eliminate completely from your diet, the sweets. The

other five groups which you need to focus on are the dairy group, meat group,

vegetable group, fruit group, and the bread group. It is a good idea to try and eat

a little from each of these groups with each meal. Also keep in mind that you

need to be paying attention to the amount of protein, fiber, salt, vitamins, and

minerals in which you consume too. These are a little bit harder to keep track of

and have always caused more confusion.

“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 today’s society,

nothing is free. The side effect however is that people are becoming

more materialistic; more concerned with making money and what

money can buy. But how much money is enough? Is it ever enough?

To some, it will never be enough. In my opinion, I truly believe that

this statement is true and that people are becoming more

materialistic in nature. In this essay, I will discuss how materialism

has affected modern society’s way of life on an individual level, the

country’s economy as well as our spiritual and moral beliefs.

First and foremost, each individual is affected by materialism to some

extent in this day and age because hedonism is becoming an uprising

trend. This is because today's generation are geared towards making

more and more money so that they can enjoy the carefree lifestyle

that is so popular these days. Moreover, people now are striving to

earn more income in order to afford things that are more expensive

and branded. For example, people spend their hard earned money on

material objects like genuine LV and Coach handbags, expensive

gadgets like Iphones and Tablet pcs and so on which in my opinion is

a waste of money when regular goods may prove to be good enough.

Therefore, while individuals become more focussed on their pursuit of

material wealth and improving their standard of living, they may

forget that what matters most in life is quality time spent with family

and friends and not the quantity of their material goods.

Secondly, when society starts spending in a materialistic manner it

will surely have a domino effect on the country’s economy. This means

that the spending power of society will help boost the economy and

create more business opportunities for the booming trade. However,

when a society overspends, using plastic money or credit cards, or

when they take loans they cannot afford to repay, then the country’s

debt margin will be higher. For instance, USA today is facing an

economic crisis because banks have approved home loans to people

who aspire to own bigger houses than they can actually afford and

this is causing the collapse of the country’s economy there. Thus,

while a society’s spending habits helps our economy to grow,

overspending due to materialism will have an adverse effect to the

country’s financial stability.

Last but not least, materialism affects our spiritual and moral beliefs.

This is due to the fact people who are materialistic may become

‘amoral’ whereby they disregard their spiritual and moral upbringing

and instead turn to crime to satisfy their materialistic needs. In fact,

the crime rate is increasing because criminals these days have

developed many ways to gain more money from society. Take for

example, there are more reports of snatch thefts, burglaries,

kidnapping for ransom, credit card fraud, internet banking hacking

and others that are driven by materialistic criminals. Hence, when

people lose sight of their spiritual and moral beliefs and believe

instead in the greed of materialism, therefore the crime rate is bound

to increase.

In a nutshell, materialism is a common agenda in the 21st century as

more people are working hard to afford things beyond their reach.

While this may spur individuals to work harder to improve their

standard of living, overspending due to materialism may cause the

downfall of a country’s economy and their morality. In my opinion, I

still firmly believe that materialism has a strong hold on today’s

society; both positive and negative effects. Our government can

encourage society to be less frivolous and wasteful in spending by

running campaigns such as ‘Consumer Awareness’ and ‘Buy

Malaysian Made Products’ in order to educate our younger generation

for the prosperity of our nation. 

SAMPLE 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. 

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

The most valuable thing in life is friendship. Do you agree? Discuss. You should write at least 350 words.[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 individual’s principles in life are ranked higher.

First and foremost, before one can enjoy the beauty of friendship, one must surely value life itself or in other words, we should value our health. This is because, the quality of our life is the single most important criteria in life if we are to live a meaningful and wholesome life. Moreover, without good health, we will be hard pressed to do even the simplest of tasks like feed ourselves or relieve ourselves without the help of doctors, nurses and caregivers. For example, if we are paralysed, lost our sight, hearing or ability to speak or even a

simple case of a fever or allergic reactions, then the quality of our life is greatly reduced and no amount of friendship can make us healthy again. Therefore, while friends can stand by us in our time of need, pristine health is still the most valuable asset in our lives.

Secondly, we are no one without our family as indeed blood is thicker than water. This means that however you analyse it, friendships will almost always play second fiddle because family always comes first. Furthermore, if we do not value our family above others, then there must be a problem among the family members that has caused their relationship to be strained. For instance, people tend to turn away from family if the family member(s) themselves are the ones to cause them to react negatively such as divorced parents, abusive parents or siblings and so on. Thus, when people consider friendship to be the most valuable thing in life, more often than not they may come from a troubled household.

Last but not least, a person’s principles in life is by far more valuable than friendship alone. This is due to the fact that each person needs to have a code of ethics, quite often prescribed by their individual religions. In addition, this code will guide each person to live their lives according to the good and right principles. Take for example, if an individual has set his principles to do good, then no amount of friendship especially negative influence from friends, can shake his hold on his principles and cause him to commit undesirable deeds like smoking, stealing, raping, murdering and others. Hence, if a person values friendship so much to the point where he is willing to break his principles, then he has done a serious misdeed against himself and will most likely regret his actions later in life.

In short, friendship is the rainbow of life as it colours our horizons with invaluable experiences but without good health, a supportive family and strong principles, life becomes empty and meaningless. In my opinion, it is beyond a shadow of a doubt that I still firmly believe that friendship is not the most valuable thing in life. Our government can encourage people to prioritise health, family and principles in life by organising awareness campaigns especially in primary schools where the younger generation should learn about priorities in life because they are the leaders of tomorrow.

SAMPLE 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.

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

According to National Institute of Health (NIH) over 30 % of the U.S adults population is obese - a person who has an excessive amount of fat tissue- and numerous risks factors are associatedwith obesity, such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, and high cholesterol.

Reversing this trend of obesity is a national concern, and the institute suggests several solutions to curb this issue, such as encouraging people to follow a healthy diet. 

On Contrary to NIH's suggestion, the subject on hand claims "Dieting makes people fat "; the reason why the claim needs to be examined closely.

I strongly believe the claim is questionable, and I will demonstrate why choosing a suitable diet decreases fat in the human body.

Dieting in this context is choosing a specific food that helps people to lose weight and to burn fat.

The Weight Watchers diet for example, is proved to be very successful in an article written by ECoseed. 

This research clearly demonstrates that dieting helps people to burn fat instead of building it.

The review even stressed that Vegetarian populations tend to be slimmer than meat-eaters, and compiled data from 87 previous studies, where the weight-loss effect did not depend on exercise or calorie-counting, and occured at a rate of approximately 1 pound per week.

The review suggests that a plant based diet is a sensible method to prevent obesity in children ( Sabate J, Wein M 2010).

Some people may say that the problem of dieting is that the compliance to the directives and the restrictions are often too hard for people to follow, and ultimately some of them may fall back into their old eating habits, which make them gain weight again. 

Studies show that once a diet offers flexibility to people to follow and focuses on burning the amount of calories more, the amount taken in the same period of time, it works successfully by enhancing the compliance of followers. ---This sentence should be revised for clarity.

For instance during the study, EcoSeed, compared the effectiveness of four weight loss diet programs including the Weight Watchers program and 2 types of counseling.

The Weight Watchers program was found to be the most effective, due to its flexibility and because it allows people to eat what they want in a day, as long as they do not exceed their daily point allowance ( EcoSeed, 2011).

Also a diet, when it is customized to one's physical and physiological states as well as his expectations, is likely to succeed. 

Several dieting programs have proven their success through scientific evaluation, and that contradicts the statement " Dieting makes people fat". 

:)