Tips for MUET Writing examHi all.. I'm back to help you with this year's 2014 MUET exam. I'm sure everyone's

knees are turning to jelly now because the countdown is ticking faster than you

expected and your heart is racing like a speeding bullet. No fear, I am here.. haha.

Ok.. let's talk about why it is so hard to score in the writing component. Let's focus

on the academic essay as I have blogged a lot about report writing in the past

(check my archives for samples and discussions.)

Unbeknownst to most, there is usually TWO sections the essay question. I shall

name it Part A & Part B.

This is the trial exam question I used in my school:

"Young people are becoming more materialistic because they want a better quality

of life. How far do you agree with this statement? Give your opinion. You should

write at least 350 words."

Can you spot the Part A & the Part B?

Part A = more materialistic

Part B = better quality of life

Hence, if the student just focuses on the factors or effects of materialism, they

have not answered the question because they have failed to link to the concept of

'better quality of life'.

Same goes for this actual MUET exam question some years ago which reads:

"In an arranged marriage, the choice of the 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."

Has your ability to spot Part A & Part B improved?

Part A = choice made by parents or elders

Part B = appropriate practice in today's society?

Thus, to answer the question well, you would need to not simply focus on 3 reasons

to agree or disagree with the practice but LINK CLEARLY to how important is this

practice in TODAY'S society. The line of logic should be clear.

Here are 3 sample points for 100% disagree.

Pt. 1: Education - in the past women stayed at home and did not have access to a

good education, therefore they did not work. These days women have more

opportunities to contribute to society and meet different people. In the old days the

elders were a more reliable source to determine who should be married because

women had a lesser role in society due to poor education.

Pt. 2: Technology - in the past women had almost no social interaction because

they mostly stayed at home. With modern technology like handphones, emails and

various social networking, youths today have a larger network and are able to

communicate with their peers and choose their own spouse which is more

compatible than a spouse chosen by elders.

Pt. 3 Love vs. Stability - Society today places more emphasis on the concept of love

and loving a person before getting married. In the past, elders assured that love

would come later and what was more important was to find a spouse that could

offer stability in marriage. There have been many cases where arranged marriages

ends up in unhappy unions and even divorce so it is better to make a love match

these days to avoid these negative outcomes.

Can you see the LINK between Part A & Part B?

If the student just talked about 3 points but did not compare past and present

practices, then it would be hard to give Band 5 or 6 for task fulfillment, therefore

pulling down the overall marks.

Right, my last tip is to show you my ex Form 5 student's (Nazri, tq for your

permission to blog your essay) valiant effort to keep writing essays and coming to

visit me in school to get my opinion. Here is a sample of his writing and later I will

show you how to add info & modify sentences to create a LINK to parts A & B of

the question so you may score higher in the writing component.

"People commit crimes for selfish reasons. Discuss. You should write at least 350

words."

FYI, Nazri was trying to use my suggested template of I+A1+D1+A2+D2+C

(Intro + Agree 1 vs Disagree 1 + Agree 2 vs Disagree 2 + Conclusion = 6

paragraph format)

Nazri's Intro:

      In this globalization era, murder and kidnap are one of the heavy crimes people

most commit. In addition, according to the articles I have read, these rate of

crimes are increasing drastically all over the world. Women and children are the

most common victim of the heartless criminals because they are weak or they look

fragile. Do people commit crimes for selfish reasons? I agree to a certain extent

that people commit crimes for fun and greedy, however, crimes may be committed

because of financial problems and lack of parents' love.

Edited version:

      In this globaliSation era, murderS and kidnapPING are SOME of the heavy

crimes people MAY commit. In addition, according the articles I have read, the rate

of crimes are increasing drastically all over the world. Women and children are the

most common victimS of the heartless criminals because they are weak or look

fragile. Do people commit crimes for selfish reasons? WE HAVE CERTAINLY READ

CASES OF HUSBANDS KILLING THEIR WIVES TO CLAIM THE INSURANCE

MONEY AND VICE VERSA BUT THERE ARE ALSO INCIDENCES OF CRIMES

THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH SELFISHNESS SUCH AS MURDER

COMMITTED IN A RAGE OF JEALOUSY. IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, I ONLY agree

to a certain extent that people commit crimes FOR SELFISH REASONS BECAUSE

IN SOME CASES SELFISHNESS IS NOT THE MAIN CONTRIBUTING FACTOR

WHY CRIMES HAPPEN.

Editor's notes:

You will lose your ground as a Band 5/6 student if your grammar is inconsistent.

Nazri's first sentence itself is controversial because he uses the word 'most'. Along

with 'all', 'never', 'always' and 'everyone', these words must be avoided at all costs

as it draws generalisations and sweeping statements that make the reader feel that

the writer lacks critical thinking and maturity. Instead, use 'some', 'often', 'may',

'might', 'usually' etc..  He could also have improved the introduction by outlining

some crimes that are driven by selfish reasons and some that are not as seen in the

edited version. Finally, the thesis statement must clearly outline that you are going

to discuss both sides of the coin.

Nazri's 1st Point:

     First and foremost, people commit crimes just for fun that may drag them to a

world without humanity. Why do I say so? One of the reasons is they love to see

when people are suffering. They steal something that is valuable in someone's life

to entertain themselves or to get a revenge. For instance, these heartless criminals

especially men like to take women's pride by raping them and ignoring their tears

and some of the unfortunate victims may get killed when they try to escape. Thus,

people who commit crimes are selfish because someone's suffering is the

happiness for them.

Edited version:

       First and foremost, SOME people MAY commit crimes just for fun SIMPLY

BECAUSE THEY ENJOY OTHER PEOPLE'S SUFFERING that may drag them to a

world without humanity. Why do I say so? One of the reasons is they love MAY

HAVE SELFISH REASONS TO MAKE people suffer. They MAY steal something that

is valuable in someone's life to JUST TO entertain themselves or to get revenge.

For instance, THERE ARE CASES OF heartless criminals especially men like WHO

HAVE BEEN ARRESTED FOR TAKING women's pride by raping them and ignoring

their tears and some of the unfortunate victims may HAVE EVEN BEEN killed

when they try to escape. Thus, people who commit crimes are selfish because

someone's suffering is the happiness for them.

Editor's notes:

Here you need to be really careful when making sweeping statements so I have

modified the sentences using words that can temper the effect. Using informal

sentences are also not advisable such as 'just for fun' especially when you cannot

prove specifically that men rape others 'just for fun' because they 'enjoy' it. At all

costs too, avoid sentences that declare 'people love to ...' or 'people like to ...' as

these statements are not well quantified and examiners will usually have a huge

frown because you did not provide concrete proof highlighting your own opinions

just doesn't cut it. Try to back up your points with some evidence of reading such

as 'there have been cases that../a local newspaper recently reported that../from a

study done on...', all of which will make your essay more credible rather than

picking out lines from thin air.

Nazri's 2nd point:

     On the other hand, crimes may be committed because of financial problems.

The high cost of living makes them desperate to look for money or to feed their

family. They do not have enough money to buy some food or their needs as the

prices are increasing. So, they tend to do crimes such as snatch or robber to earn

some money by selling the stolen items back at a higher price. For example, a rich

person's house will be the target of the criminals to break into and steal expensive

items such as jewelleries and handphones. Therefore, poverty or desperation in life

can lead people to commit crimes.

Editor's version:

     On the other hand, NOT ALL CRIMES ARE COMMITTED SIMPLY BECAUSE

PEOPLE ENJOY THE SUFFERING OF OTHERS BUT because of other issues such

as financial problems. The high cost of living makes them desperate to look for

money to feed their family SO INSTEAD OF BEING SELFISH, THEY ARE

ACTUALLY COMMITTING CRIME FOR SELFLESS REASONS WHICH IS TO

SUPPORT THEIR FAMILY. They MAY not have enough money to buy some food or

their DAILY needs as the prices are increasing. So, they tend to do crimes such as

snatch THEFT or ROBBERIES to earn MAKE some money by selling the stolen

items at a higher price. For example, SOME PEOPLE ARE DRIVEN TO DO

CRIMES LIKE STEALING FOOD AND EVEN MILK POWDER FROM

SUPERMARKETS BECAUSE THEY CANNOT BEAR TO SEE THEIR FAMILY

STARVE. Therefore, poverty and desperation in life AND SELFLESSNESS TO

SACRIFICE THEMSELVES TO SAVE THE PEOPLE THEY LOVE, can lead people to

commit crimes WHICH IS THE OPPOSITE OF COMMITTING CRIMES FOR

SELFISH REASONS.

Editor's notes:

      His 2nd point seems inconsequential because there is no clear LINK why he is

introducing his opposition point. Basically, to make this clear, you need to write a

topic sentence that clearly links to the first point introduced earlier. This shows the

contrast with the opposition point so you may argue contrary to the first idea

introduced. When contrasting ideas, the right vocabulary works best whereby

SELFISHNESS is contrasted to SELFLESSNESS, which makes it clear to the

reader that you are still on track discussing the LINK BETWEEN PART A & PART

B. Furthermore, I had to modify the example to show a high degree of selflessness

and sacrifice because the example of a rich man's house being burgled does not

highlight the concept of selflessness. Lastly, the summation sentence needs to

really LINK back to the concept of selfish or unselfish reasons in order to make the

argument crystal.

Nazri's 3rd Point:

     Apart from that, I do agree that people get involved in crimes because of selfish

reasons such as greed especially. They want to get rich in the easiest way instead

of work hard to accomplish their mission. People receive money as bribe, are hired

to do a dirty job. Moreover, this white-color crime is committed in the whole world.

Money is powerful enough to make people lose their sense of humanity as they can

kill a person if they are asked to do so as long as the reward is money.

Editor's version.

     Apart from that, I STILL DO agree that people get involved in crimes because of

selfish reasons RELATED TO greed. THEY ARE SELFISH BECAUSE THEY

GREEDILY want to get rich in the easiest way instead of WORKING hard to

accomplish their mission. SOME people receive money as bribeS OR are hired to

do dirty jobS BECAUSE THEY SELFISHLY WANT TO MAKE A PROFIT FROM

COMMITTING CRIMES. Moreover, THESE white-color WHITE COLLAR crimeS

ARE committed ALL OVER THE WORLD AS WE SPEAK BECAUSE SELFISHNESS

TO MAKE money is powerful enough to make SOME people lose their sense of

humanity as they can EVEN kill a person as long as the reward is money.

THEREFORE, SOME PEOPLE DO INDEED HAVE VERY SELFISH REASONS TO

COMMIT CRIMES ESPECIALLY IF THEY CAN MAKE A HUGE PROFIT FROM IT.

Editor's notes:

   When introducing the 2nd point to agree with the statement, you should outline

it clearly in the topic sentence which is the very first sentence in each paragraph.

Greed is a factor on its own so the LINK to selfishness must be made very clear,

otherwise you may veer out of topic. The terms used also should be accurate as

seen in white color vs white collar crimes. He also forgot to close the paragraph

with a summation where in the edited version, rounds off the argument clearly that

crime is indeed linked to selfish reasons including greed for profit.

Nazri's 4th Point:

     Nevertheless, people also commit crimes because of lack of parents' love and

guidance. When the children is not the priority of parents, moral values will be

hardly instilled in their children themselves. They fail to differentiate what is good

and bad for them. As a consequence, they may get involved in social problems and

crimes because of lack of parental guidance.

Editor's version:

     Nevertheless, people also commit crimes because of OTHER FACTORS SUCH

AS lack of PARENTAL love and guidance SO IT IS CLEAR THAT WE CANNOT

SIMPLY BLAME SELFISHNESS AND GREED FOR CRIMES COMMITTED. When

children ARE not the priority of parents, moral values will hardly be instilled in

their children. THESE CHILDREN MAY EVENTUALLY fail to differentiate what is

good and bad for them. As a consequence, they may get involved in social

problems and crimes SUCH AS DRUG ABUSE, THEFT, ABORTION, BABY

DUMPING AND SO ON. HENCE, IN THESE CASES, CRIMES ARE COMMITTED

NOT FOR SELFISH REASONS BUT because of lack of parental guidance, THE

NEED TO GET PARENTS' ATTENTION OR OTHER EXTERNAL FACTORS.

Editor's notes:

     Again, the topic sentence needs to clearly state that there are other factors that

lead to crimes being committed other than for selfish reasons, especially greed (as

stated in the previous paragraph - it is important to LINK the previous idea to a

contrasting new idea so that the flow of logic is not impeded). Notice the use of the

word 'MAY' to indicate probability and avoid generalisations. Adding 'social

problems' is not a good idea because the focus is on crimes, but do add examples

of crimes that happen due to other factors such as lack of parental guidance etc.

Also, the final sentence should conclude the point eloquently.

Nazri's Conclusion:

     In conclusion, people commit crimes are not only for selfish reasons but also

because of other motivation such as environmental factors. Most of them commit

crimes because of narrow minded and do not have enough money to bear the cost

of living. Therefore, our government with the help of relevant authorities should

increase the safety at a place where crimes often occur and help poor family.

Besides that, parents should spend more time for their growing children.

Edited version:

     In conclusion, IT IS CRYSTAL CLEAR THAT THERE ARE TWO FACES TO A

COIN WHEREBY people commit crimes not only for selfish reasons but also

because of other FACTORS such as their ENVIRONMENT AND

UPBRINGING. Most SOME of them commit crimes because of NARROW-

MINDEDNESS OR THEY do not have enough money to bear the cost of living,

AMONG OTHER ISSUES. I STILL ABSOLUTELY BELIEVE THAT SELFISH

REASONS ARE NOT THE MAIN CONTRIBUTING FACTOR AND THAT THERE

ARE MANY OTHER REASONS FOR CRIME TO BE CONSIDERED. OUR

government HAS A ROLE TO PLAY IN ENSURING the relevant authorities

increase the PUBLIC'S safety at placeS where crimes often occur. THE SOCIAL

WELFARE DEPARTMENT MAY ALSO LOOK INTO STRATEGIES TO help poor

FAMILIES SO CRIME CAN BE AVOIDED FROM THE GRASSROOTS. Besides that,

NATIONAL CAMPAIGNS SHOULD ALSO BE CARRIED OUT TO EDUCATE parents

ON SPENDING QUALITY TIME WITH THEIR CHILDREN AND ENSURING A

SOUND MORAL UPBRINGING. THEREFORE, WE WILL BE ABLE TO PRODUCE A

FUTURE GENERATION THAT STEERS CLEAR AWAY FROM CRIMES OF ALL

KINDS AND INSTEAD CREATING YOUTHS THAT CAN CONTRIBUTE

PRODUCTIVELY TO OUR NATION'S PROSPERITY.

Editor's notes:

   A good conclusion should have 3 parts, ie repeat the points in a more creative

way, repeat your stand from the introduction and outline some recommendations

for this issue. It is also wise to end on a high note because the conclusion gives the

reader and examiner a lasting impression so you might as well end with a bang!

Phew... so much typing and editing... I do hope you appreciate my effort in

providing you with some samples. I think it is crucial to write essays and as a

teacher, add spice to enhance the students' compositions so that you can help

upgrade their writing style starting at their level. One mistake teachers often make

(and I have made myself) is to use essays from reference books wholesale. This

means that you copy and paste the texts and expect the students to magically be

able to write like the authors of textbooks. This is not only wrong, it is cruel and

demoralising. Therefore, I would strongly suggest that you pick one essay at a time

(doing too may will demoralise you instead), fix it up prettily by adding all the

yummy spices, and re-serve the essay to the student and share with the class. It is

not enough to correct errors at MUET level, but to demonstrate step by step how

the student MAY improve his Highter Order Thinking Skills (HOTS is a hot topic

these days) and Creative Thinking Skills.

Anyway, a final say from me is, keep ploughing. If you don't get down to writing

and the business of editing, no one can benefit. Keep ploughing, slowly and

steadily, and you WILL create a field of wonder in the end. Teachers, make a

difference in your students' lives. Students, strive to make a difference in your own

life so you may change the destiny of your family for the better. Today's keyword:

LINK. Link Part A & Part B, and the story of life will all make sense in the end...

and you may reap the seeds you have sown.