(2017) EnglishModule Writing

SPM ENGLISH
1119
SMART LEAP
MODULE
2013
TABLE OF CONTENT
1. DIRECTED WRITING
1.1
1.2
1.3
Teachers Notes
Students Tips
Practices
Practice 1
Practice 2
Practice 3
Practice 4
Practice 5
Practice 6
Practice 7
2. CONTINUOUS ESSAYS
2.1
Teachers notes
2.2
GS4GS (Great Story for Great Score)

Essay 1 Essay 10
2.3
Essays Based on MyMy-Q Technique

Essay 1 Essay 10
2.4
Essays from Final Leap Module 2010

Essay 1 Essay 10
2.5
Essays from Smart Module 2 2011

Essay 1 Essay 16
3. LITERATURE COMPONENT NOVEL (CATCH US IF YOU CAN)

Practice 1
Practice 2
Practice 3
Practice 4
Practice 5
Practice 6
Practice 7
Practice 8
Practice 9
Practice 10
Practice 11
Practice 12
Practice 13
DIRECTED WRITING
1.1 Teachers Notes
The Directed Writing question carries a total of 35 marks 15 marks for content and 20
marks for language. The marks for format, which can vary between 1-3 marks depending on
the text type, are included in the 15 marks allocated for content. In this section, candidates
are given only one question. This means that candidates do not have the luxury of choice
which they are given in the Continuous Writing section.
Most candidates find this question quite manageable. In fact, even weak candidates
can be taught to cope with this question to a certain extent. Several factors make this
question quite do able. Firstly, candidates are given help with content. This means candidates
do not have to worry about what to write as content points are provided. It is not difficult to
score full marks for content. In fact, candidates can score full marks for content if they are
able to use the information given in grammatically sound sentences, irrespective of the
sentence type or length. It is also easy to get marks for format if they have been exposed to
the formats of different text types. Secondly, this question does not demand much
linguistically unlike the continuous writing question. Most candidates are able to cope with this
question, even if they are linguistically limited. Thirdly, the question is usually set around the
experiences of students. Hence, there is no reason for candidates not to attempt this
question.
Below is an analysis of the questions which have appeared until 2012:
Year
Text type
2000
Letter (informal)
2001
Article
2002
Speech
2003
Letter (formal)
2004
Report
2005
Letter (informal)
Purpose
To inform mother of choice of present for your brother and
persuade mother to lend you some money
To inform students on ways of coping with stress
To inform students about road safety - causes of road
accidents and suggestions to reduce them
To inform the class teacher about the choice of class trip
To inform the school principal about the conditions of the
school canteen
To inform a friend about a holiday camp
2006
Letter (informal)
To convince a friend to run for the post of head prefect
2007
Speech
2008
Article
2009
A Report
2010
Letter (Informal)
2011
Talk
To tell students about a science reference book

To inform students about a friend who has been chosen as
the Best Group Leader
To inform the Principal of the reasons why students lack of
interest in sports
To tell a cousin the benefits of taking part in National
Service Program
To students how to manage a sprained ankle
2012
Letter (Informal)
To younger sister studying overseas advise her how to

spend money wisely
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Common errors
Poor time management. Do not spend more than the allocated 45 minutes on this
question. Otherwise you will not have enough time for the second question.
Lengthy essays. Do not write too much. As mentioned earlier, this question does not make
many demands on a candidate. Directed writing is a succinct piece of writing. All you have
to do is use the given points and provide a sentence or two (maybe three) to elaborate on
them. A response of 1 - 2 pages is more than sufficient. After all, the more you write the
more mistakes you might make. Some candidates make the mistake of writing one
paragraph for each point. If you do this, your essay is going to be very lengthy. Save the
time and energy for Continuous writing.
Usage of informal language. This paper tests your written English. Do not use spoken
language. Avoid using slang words (such as guys, ..), contractions, and informal
language (such as informal idiomatic expressions or informal phrasal verbs).
Poor punctuation. Some candidates do not punctuate their sentences correctly. Make sure
you end your sentence with a full stop and not a comma. Also, make sure that the pronoun
I is written in upper case and not lower case (i) as is the practice among some candidates.
1.2 Students Tips

General Guidelines for Directed Writing
Read the question carefully. Identify your task, your role and your audience.
Use the 45 minutes allocated for this question wisely.
Plan your essay and organize your thoughts (this includes what to write and how to
elaborate on points)
Include an introduction and a conclusion and make sure your paragraphs are well
organized.
Use all content points given. It is advisable to cross out the points you have used, so that
no point is left out.
Include points of your own only if you are asked to. Otherwise, do not waste precious
time doing so because you will not get any extra marks.
Elaborate on the points given. Write 2-3 sentences to elaborate on each point.
Remember a crucial aspect of this paper is language and your ability to write can only be
tested if you provide sufficient language for the examiner to gauge your linguistic ability.
Use a variety of sentence structures so that your essay is not dull and monotonous.
Always read through what you have written. Correct grammatical, spelling and punctuation
errors.
1.3 Sample Essays And Practices

Sample essay and practice 1
Articles
General guidelines
1. Articles are pieces of writing giving information, advice or suggestions to the readers.
2. They are usually written for the school magazine or school newsletter.
3. The tone and style are formal.
4. An articles format
a) Title can be taken from the rubric
b) Writers name Just write By, and then followed by your name just below the title.
c) The people who are going to read the article.
Question
Many students feel that they have too many things to do in one day. Many of them really do
not manage their time wisely and end up not completing their homework or school projects on
time. You want to make a few suggestions on how they can manage their time in a better and
more effective way.
Write an article for your school magazine giving your suggestions on how to manage time.
Include the following points.
Change attitude
Pay attention in class
Try to complete as much homework as possible during school hours
Make a To do list
Set priorities right
Set a realistic target for examination
Plan a personal timetable
Make time for rest and relaxation
Join study groups
Seek help from parents, teachers or friends
Speak to school counsellor
Stay happy and healthy
When writing the article, you should remember to:
- Include the title
- Include the writers name
- Include all the points given
- Write in the format of an article
Sample Answer
How to Manage Time
By Albert Moss
Today many students feel that they have too many things to do in one day. Many of
them really do not manage their time wisely and end up not completing their homework or
school projects on time. So, here I would like to give some suggestions to students on how to
manage time.
Firstly, students must change their attitude. Next, students should pay attention in
class. Thirdly, students must try to complete as much homework as possible during
school hours. Furthermore students can make a To do list.
Students ought to set their priorities right. Students should set a realistic target for
their coming examination. Furthermore, students can plan a personal timetable. Students
must also make time for rest and relaxation.
Students can join study groups. All students should seek help from parents,
teachers or friends if needed. Students should speak to the school counsellor if
necessary. Finally students should be happy and healthy when they spend their time
wisely.
Examination Tips
1. Introduction of the article can be taken from the rubric as shown in the sample.
2. All students need to do is to add the phrase students followed by a modal, in front of
the given content points to create meaningful sentences.
e.g Students should, Students must etc.
3. Use conjunctions and sequence connectors
Practice 1
You are asked to write an article for your school magazine Your article is on Disciplinary
Problems in Schools. In your article, you also suggest ways to overcome the problems.
Below are some notes you have made.
Problems
Playing truant cutting classes, loitering in shopping complexes, frequenting cybercafes
during school hours
Smoking in toilets, behind the bushes, cutting classes to smoke
Bullying intimidating, beating, extorting money
Vandalism destroying school property, graffiti
Gangsterism involved in gangs, fighting, recruiting juniors
Suggestions to overcome the problems
Counselling
Joining voluntary organization
Being active in games and societies
Doing part-time job
Taking up a hobby
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Intervention by parents
Do remember:
To give a title
That your audience are students
To use all the notes given above
To write in paragraphs
Disciplinary Problems In Schools
By : Mohamad Khusairi bin Mat Jali
In the recent years, an alarming issue closely related to education that has always
been discussed is the students discipline in schools. As a student, I think you might have
heard of disciplinary problems happening in your own school. You yourself might have also
committed certain misconducts throughout the years. This article will deal with common
disciplinary problems in school. Apart from that, a few suggestions to overcome the
problems will be discussed.
Nowadays, it is common to find students playing truant. Normally, the students
involved will be cutting classes. During that time, they prefer to be loitering in shopping
complexes and frequenting cyber cafes during school hours. To make things more discreet,
right after leaving their homes in school uniforms, they change into their everyday clothes.
This makes it more difficult for the authorities to figure out their identities by just looking at
them physically. That is why some parents are baffled when informed about the failure of
their children to turn up at school.
Smoking is another common disciplinary problem among school students. The
offenders normally smoke in toilets and behind the bushes. They also resort to cutting
classes just to fulfil their craving for cigarette. Peer pressure is always attributed to this
problem. Smoking is seen as a way to make them feel that they belong to certain groups.
This problem should be dealt with as soon as possible, for it may lead to other problems in
the future, such as addiction and drugs.
Bullying is also another problem faced by the school administration. This is an
alarming problem because bullies can be quite intimidating to other students. Bullying does
not only come in forms of verbal abuse, it also comes in forms of physical beating.
Besides, bullies may also be extorting money from their victims. This problem may leave a
permanent damage to the victims, physically and mentally, if it is not curbed at the early
stage. Students might feel that school is not a safe place anymore. As a result, this can
affect them academically.
Vandalism is another form of misconduct. It is done by destroying school property. It
is common to see graffiti on the walls, in the toilet, and even in the classrooms. This
happens due to the lack of sense of belonging to the school. Students also do so to show
their anger and frustration towards certain issues. This act of vandalism must be put to a
stop because it involves a lot of tax payers money to repair the damage done.
Lately, gangsterism has also surfaced in the school scene. There are students who
are involved in gangs. They will be fighting with other students to solve some issues. The
possibilities of them recruiting their juniors are very real. Therefore, it is imperative that the
school administration takes a swift action when such problems occur in the school.
All parties must join hands together to overcome the disciplinary problems mentioned
earlier. There are a few measures which can be taken by various parties to solve the
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problems. One of the measures is counselling. The school administration can come
forward to offer counselling to the students who have become victims to bullying. By doing
so, the victim would feel that they are not alone in this issue. They may be recovering from
the trauma or stress from being bullied faster due to the support given by the school. On
the other hand, the bullies themselves can also be sent for counselling. The school
authorities may use this method as a way to get to the root of the problem and identify the
reason behind the offense done. Not only will we give support to the victims, we can also
use the counselling sessions to further understand the bullies themselves.
Encouraging students to join voluntary organisations is another way to curb bullying.
This is because those who are actively involved in voluntary organisations usually manage
to communicate well with other people. This is due to the interactions they make along the
way. By having good communication skills, they will make more friends. The students can
avoid themselves from being eyed by the bullies because normally, bullies will pick
students who are timid and constantly being alone.
Being active in games and societies can also be another way to curb the disciplinary
problems in schools. Games and societies are not just meant to be fun, they are supposed
to be educational as well. If student really out their effort into the games and societies, they
will learn to be more disciplined. Games come with certain rules to obey, so do societies.
By immersing themselves in the activities, students can instil into themselves the sense of
responsibility. This will lead them to be more responsible, more considerable and more
understanding students. They will respect others. As a result, they will evaluate every
single action they make and they will have a better judgement towards certain issues.
Doing part-time job is also recommended. The feeling of earning own income can be
very enlightening to students. Instead of getting everything easily by the help of their
parents, they can now learn that it is not easy to earn their own money. They also learn
how to follow instructions in the real situation. The consequences of not following orders
are very real once they join the work force. This can make them realise that if they fail to
comply, they will lose their job. This can be a meaningful lesson to them, since they can
relate this to their everyday life.
Taking up a hobby is another measure. Once the students have hobbies, they will not
be distracted by others easily. Having a hobby is good. It provides students with escapism
from the real world. Once students are indulged in a hobby, they will commit their spare
time for something beneficial. Even if they are stressed with life as students, they can put
aside the problems that they have for a while by getting themselves actively involved in
their hobbies. Once they get busy, there is no way they can think of committing disciplinary
cases.
Although the problems are happening in schools, the intervention by parents is vital in
dealing with this issue. Generally, students are at school only for a few hours in a day.
Teachers may monitor them during school hour. However, after school hours, parents
should shoulder the responsibility in an active way. Parents must monitor the movement of
their children and make sure that they know the whereabouts of their children all the time.
Parents should also give their full cooperation to the school administration whenever they
are summoned to school to discuss their childrens problems. They must realise that
discipline actually starts at home. If the parents themselves cannot afford to manage their
childrens discipline, they cannot put the blame on the school authorities for any actions
taken as a punishment for the childrens misbehaviour.
Although it is impossible to totally eradicate disciplinary problems in school, it is our
duty to bring the rate down. With cooperation from all parties, we can reduce the
disciplinary cases at school. It is in everybodys interest to make the school a conducive
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environment to study. Therefore, all parties should plan their actions in order to reduce the
effects of disciplinary problem on the teaching and learning conditions in schools.
Speech/Talk
General guidelines
1. Read questions and notes to understand situation. Determine:
a. Type of speech thank you/farewell/informative
b. Main idea/theme of speech pollution/safety/smoking/dumping babies
c. Who is your audience? students, teachers, club members
2. Identify the relevant points in the questions.
3. Elaborate on the points. Give examples.
4. Know the format of the speech:
a. Address the audience
b. Introduce yourself
c. State the topic
d. Conclude by summarizing all the points
e. Thank the audience
5. Some useful expressions
a. Opening.
- Good morning/afternoon/evening to the Principal, teachers..
- A very good morning I bid to the Chairman, teachers and my fellow friends.
b. Beginning.
- Today, I would like to talk about.
- I am Adiba bt Kassim and this morning I wish to talk about..
- Thank you for giving me the opportunity to talk about.
c. Closing
- I hope I have given you all the information on..Thank you
- Finally, let me end my speech by..
Question
As the President of the Environment Club, you have been asked by your teacher to give a
speech to all students in your school on how they can help to reduce environmental
problems. In your speech, include the following notes:
HOW TO REDUCE
ENVIRONMENTAL
PROBLEMS
Reduce energy
usage
Do not waste
electricity
Use products that
have timers
Use energy
saving appliances
Reduce air pollution

Avoid open
burning
Use unleaded
petrol
Practise car
pooling
Reduce waste
Use environmental
friendly products
Use recycled
materials
Use washable
items
When writing your speech text, you should remember to:

use the appropriate greeting and closing
state the purpose of the speech
use all the notes given
write in paragraphs
Sample Answer 1
Good morning to the Principal, teachers and friends. My name is Labu bin Labi from
class 5 Science. As the President of the Environment Club, I have been asked by my teacher
to give a speech to all students in my school on how they can help to reduce
environmental problems.
Firstly, we have to reduce energy usage. Do not waste electricity. For example we
must switch off the lights and fans before we leave the classroom. We should use products
that have timers so they will switch off automatically when the time is up. We should also
use energy saving appliances like light bulbs and many others.
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Secondly, we have to reduce air pollution. For example, we should avoid open
burning. It is better to bury than to burn rubbish in the open. We should also use unleaded
petrol for our cars. It is also good to practise car pooling to work. Fewer cars on the road
means less traffic and less pollution.
Thirdly, we have to reduce waste. We must use environmental friendly products
that do not harm the environment. We should also use recycled materials like paper bags
instead of plastic bags. We should also use washable items to reduce waste.
That is all for now. Thank you everyone for listening.
Sample Answer 2
Good morning to the Principal, teachers and friends. I as the President of the
Environmental Club feel greatly honoured to stand here before you to give a speech. I hope
my speech will enlighten you about how students can help to reduce environmental
problems.
Do you realize that men are contributing a lot in destroying the environment? Thus, we
must take our responsibilities in order to reduce the environmental problems. Reducing
environmental problems could be implemented in various ways. My speech will centre on
three main ways: reducing energy usage, air pollution and waste.
.
Firstly, we must remember to reduce energy usage. In order to reduce energy usage,
we should not waste electricity. Dont forget to turn out the lights when you leave a room.
Unplug all the appliances that you seldom use. Use power strips to switch off televisions,
home theatre equipment, and stereos when you're not using them. Even when you think
these products are off, together, their "standby" consumption can be equivalent to that of a 75
or 100 watt light bulb running continuously. The best alternative is to use products that have
timers. You can set the time when using the products and they will automatically switch off
when the time is up. Another way of reducing energy usage is by using energy saving
appliances. Energy -saving appliances use less power and water than inefficient models
whilst performing to the same standards. Besides, it also saves your bills.
My dear friends,
Air pollution is one of causes of environmental problems. Open burning is one example
of air pollution and it is a very common, yet very unhealthy method of garbage disposal. This
includes the burning of leaves, wood and trash. It could lead to haze. Thus, in reducing air
pollution, we should avoid open burning by educating people on the negative effects of it.
The other way is to use unleaded petrol. It does not have lead added to it as anti-knock
agent, therefore, when burnt in engines, this petrol does not give off toxic fumes and
produces far less smokes and fumes. Next, we should start practising car-pooling to
schools and offices. Other than helping to reduce environmental problems, it creates
friendship as well.
We often forgot that waste disposal is another factor that leads to environmental
issues. Waste such as aluminium cans and plastic bags take more than decades to be
decomposed. To overcome this problem, it is advisable to use environmental friendly
products. Going green is the latest campaign in reducing waste. Instead of using Styrofoam
and plastic tableware that will not biodegrade and will fill our landfills forever, why dont we
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use biodegradable tableware which only takes 50 to 100 days to completely compost. In
addition, use recycled materials in our everyday life. Bring your recycled bags to
supermarket for shopping and use recycled paper to write or to print notes. Finally, use
washable items. Do not be shy to bring your water tumbler and bento box to the restaurants
when you want to buy food. Instead of putting the food and drink in the plastic bag, use the
tumbler and bento box. Your effort may be belittled by others but it does help to save the
environment. Furthermore, going green does not make money for you, but it saves your
wealth, thats for sure. So it wouldnt be a foolish decision at all.
To sum up, there are many ways that we can do to reduce environmental problems.
However, it depends on us whether we want to do it or not. There is no point pointing fingers
to others. As Gandhi said, we must become the change we want to see. Change your thought
and you can change the world. With that, I thank you for lending me your ears.
Examination Tips
1. Remind students to write an appropriate greeting according to the question requirement.
2. All points should be written in complete sentences in order to be awarded marks for
content points.
3. Remind students to write simple sentences instead of lengthy ones to avoid grammar
mistakes.
4. Giving examples is considered as an elaboration.
Practice 2(a) - Speech
As the President of The Road Safety Club, you have been asked by your teacher to give a
speech to all students in your school on how motorists cause accidents and suggest some
ways to reduce these accidents.
Use the notes below to guide you.
Causes
Turning without signalling
Switching lanes, traffic jams - highways
Breaking traffic rules after midnight
Weaving in and out of traffic
Beating traffic lights
Underaged motorists
Speeding in housing estates
Ways to reduce accidents
Vehicle - in good condition
Traffic police - peak hours, after midnight
More speed traps
Impose heavier fines
Road safety campaign - raise awareness
In your speech, remember to:
provide a title
use all the information above
add two other ways to reduce accidents
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Practice 2(b) Talk

Many students in your school complain that they are stressed. As the President of the Health
Club in your school, you have been asked to give a talk during assembly. You have made a
list of the reasons given by these students and you would like to give them some suggestions
on how to cope with their problem.
Use the following notes to write your talk.
Causes
- long hours spent at school
- too much homework
- too many projects
- frequent exams
- tuition classes
- high expectations from parents
- lack of sleep
Suggestions
- have a positive outlook
- plan a timetable
- study consistently
- have manageable goals
- exercise regularly
When writing out your talk, you should remember to:

address your audience
state the purpose of the talk
use all the points given
end your talk appropriately
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Report
General guidelines
1. A report gives information to a particular person or group.
2. It has to be formal and concise
3. The content is inclusive of facts and opinions.
4. Types of report:
a. Report of an incident
b. Report on activity or event
c. Report on a survey
d. Newspaper report
Basic format
Report On__________________________________
To
: ( to whom the report is directed to )
From : ( the person who writes the report )

_______________
Date :
Facts and elaboration.
Conclusion
Reported by,
signature
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Question
You are the Secretary of the Environment Club in your school. Your club has successfully
organized Environment Week in your school. Write a report to the principal about the event.
Include the following information in your report:
Duration
3rd 7th March 2011
Objectives
raise awareness
beautify school compound
ENVIRONMENT
WEEK
Activities
paint murals
plant trees
recycle old newspapers
poster drawing competition
speech by invited guest
Advantages
create conducive environment
instill love for nature
foster closer relationship
develop co-operation
When writing the report, you should remember to:

give the report a title
address the report accordingly
provide an appropriate ending
use all the information given
write in paragraphs
15
SAMPLE ANSWER 1
To:
Principal
SMK Gemilang
From: Secretary
The Environment Club
Environment Week In My School
The Environment Club in my school has successfully organized an Environment Week.
The duration of the Environment Week was from 3rd - 7th March 2011.
The first objective of the programme was to raise awareness about the environment
among the students. The second objective was to beautify the school compound with as
many plants as possible.
There were many activities organized by the Environment Club during the week.
Students painted colourful murals on the wall about environment. They also planted trees
around the school with the help of the school gardeners. They brought old newspapers from
home to be sent for recycling. They took part in poster drawing competition on
environment and they also listened to a speech by an invited guest during the closing
ceremony.
The advantages of the Environment Week are as follows. Firstly. it creates
conducive environment to the students. Secondly, it instils love for nature in everyone.
Thirdly, it fosters closer relationship between students and teachers in the school. Fourthly,
it develops co-operation among students.
The Environment Week was successful and hopefully the programme will be held
every year as an annual event.
Reported by,
Labu bin Labi
Labu bin Labi
15 March 2011
SAMPLE ANSWER 2
To:
Principal
SMK Gemilang
From: Secretary
The Environment Club
Environment Week In My School
16
The Environment Club in my school has successfully organized an Environment Week.

The duration of the Environment Week was from 3rd - 7th March 2011. A total of 711 students
and 25 teachers were involved.
The first objective of the programme was to raise awareness about the environment
among the students. This is imperative as students are a part of society and thus have a vital
role in taking care of the environment. The second objective was to beautify the school
compound with as many plants as possible.
There were many activities organized by the Environment Club during the week.
Students painted colourful murals on the wall about environment. Some drew cartoons while
others drew mesmerizing graffiti-style murals. They also planted trees around the school with
the help of the school gardeners. They brought old newspapers from home to be sent for
recycling. They took part in poster drawing competition on environment and they also
listened to a speech by an invited guest during the closing ceremony. The speech was
very informative and helped us to have a better understanding of the environment.
The advantages of the Environment Week are as follows. Firstly, it creates
conducive environment to the students. This would helps students learn more effectively in
school. Secondly, it instils love for nature in everyone. Thirdly, it fosters closer
relationship between students and teachers in the school. Fourthly, it develops cooperation among students. It is also hoped that this would help students be more tolerant
and understanding of the customs and beliefs of the different races.
At the end of the week the Principal gave away prizes and certificates to the winners of
the poster drawing competition. In a nutshell, the Environment Week was successful and
hopefully the programme will be held every year as an annual event.
Reported by,
Labu bin Labi
15 March 2011
EXAMINATION TIPS
1. Remind students that they should use the words in the rubric to help them with their
introductory paragraph.
2. All points should be written in complete sentences in order to be awarded marks for
content points.
3. Remind students to write simple sentences instead of lengthy ones to avoid grammar
mistakes.
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Practice 3
You and your classmates have just returned from a trip to Kuala Lumpur. You are the class
monitor. Write a report to your class teacher about the trip.
Include the following information.
Trip to Kuala Lumpur
Date : 15 - 17 December
Duration: 3 days and 2 nights
No of students : 32
No of teachers: 3
Mode of transport: Bus
Accommodation: Hotel
Cost per person: RM 120.00
Paces of interest:
Art gallery
Shopping complexes
Parks and gardens
Zoos
Museums
When writing the report you should remember to:
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Formal Letter
Basic Format
Nur Adilah bt Mufti
24, Taman Desa Minangkabau
06400 Pokok Sena
The Director,
Municipal Council
P.O. Box 43
063500 Alor Setar
Kedah.
2011
24 APRIL
Dear Sir,
Complaint About Services
With the reference to the above matter, I
2
..
3
I
hope.
.
Thank you.
Yours faithfully,
(a) Letter of complaint

There has been a plan to build a mega shopping complex near the public beach in your
neighbourhood. As a concerned citizen, write a letter to the editor of a local newspaper
protesting against the plan. Write the letter based on the notes below:
A shopping complex already exists
Project may drive tourists away
Spoil the beauty of the beach
Local businesses affected
Increase traffic flow in the area
Social ills will increase
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When writing the letter, you should remember to:

Address the letter to the editor of a local newspaper
Use all the notes given
Elaborate all the notes
Sample Answer
Jason James,
5, Kampung Pantai Merdeka,
08100 Pantai Merdeka,
Kedah Darul Aman.
Editor,
The Star,
08000 Sungai Petani,
Kedah Darul Aman.
26 MAY 2011
Dear Sir,
PROTESTING AGAINST A PLAN TO BUILD A MEGA SHOPPING COMPLEX
I am writing this letter on behalf of the residents of Kampung Pantai Merdeka. It has come to
our knowledge that the local authority has already given the green light to build a mega
shopping complex near the public beach of Pantai Merdeka. We are totally against the mega
project. These are our reasons.
2.
Firstly, we do not need a mega shopping complex as a shopping complex already
exists in our area. [Where?] The existing shopping complex is only 1 kilometre from the
proposed site. Secondly, the new shopping complex will spoil the beauty of the beach.
[What will happen?] The swaying coconut and casuarina trees will be cut down. Besides,
there will be more rubbish on the white sandy beach.
3.
Next, the project may drive tourists away. [How?] The beach area will be reduced
and the shady areas will be demolished. With the mega project, there will also be an
increase of traffic flow in the area. [How?] [When?] More heavy vehicles such as lorries
and trailers will use the village road throughout the construction period. [What effect?] This
will increase the number of road accidents.
4.
Furthermore, local business will also be affected. [Who are involved?] Ten hawkers
who sell foods and drinks along the beach will be affected. [What are the effects?] They will
lose their income and will be unable to support their families. Finally, we believe social ills
will increase. [How?] The mega shopping complex will have a big cinema and a bowling
arena. These kinds of places may attract more teenagers to loiter and play truant. These may
lead to an increase in social ills.
20
5.
We appeal to the authorities to shelve their plans without any further delay as it would
mar the beauty of the beach.
Yours faithfully,
Jason James
(JASON JAMES)
Examination Tips
1. Make a simple introduction. Explain more about the location of the neighbourhood.
2. Rewrite the points given in complete sentences. Elaborate each of the points given by
giving simple details. Ask wh-questions to help you to elaborate.
3. Plan the organisation of each point.
4. If you do not have any personal experience regarding the issue, try to be imaginative. Your
imagination may help you to provide some relevant details.
PRACTICE 4 FORMAL LETTERS

LETTER OF COMPLAINT
Practice 4 a
There has been a plan to build a mega shopping complex near the public beach in
your neighbourhood. As a concerned citizen, write a letter to the editor of a local
newspaper protesting against the plan. Write the letter based on the notes below:
A shopping complex already exists

People will spend more
Spoil the beauty of the beach
Project may drive tourists away
Cost of living may go up
Local businesses affected
Increase traffic flow in the area
Traffic jam
Pollution
Social ills will increase
a) Loiter
b) Play truant

Address the letter to the editor of a local newspaper
Elaborate all the notes
21
SAMPLE ANSWER 1:
Jason James,
Kedah Darul Aman.
Editor,
The Star,
Kedah Darul Aman.
26 MAY 2011
Dear Sir,
I am writing this letter on behalf of the residents of Kampung Pantai Merdeka. We
came to know that there has been a plan to build a mega shopping complex near the
public beach in our neighbourhood. We are protesting against the plan. These are our
reasons.
1.
Firstly, we do not need another shopping complex as a shopping complex
already exists in our neighbourhood.. [Where?] Secondly, the new shopping complex
may cause people to spend more as there will be two supermarkets to go shopping
[What will happen?]
2.
In addition, the project may spoil the beauty of the beach. This will surely
drive the tourist away. The beach area will be damaged.
3.
Furthermore, the cost of living will go up. Furthermore, local business

will also be affected. [who are involved?] The hawkers who sell foods and drinks
along the beach will have bad business. [What are the effects?] They will lose their
income.
4.
There will also be an increase of traffic flow in the area. [How?] [When?]
Many vehicles such as lorries will use the village road when building the
supermarket.. [What effect?] This will increase the number of road accidents.
Traffic jams will occur. Air pollution will happen too.
22
5.
Finally, we believe social ills will increase. [How?] The teenagers

especially school students wil loiter and play truant in the new supermarket ..
6.
We hope the plan to build a shopping complex will be stopped.
Yours faithfully,
Jason James
(JASON JAMES)
SAMPLE ANSWER 2:
Jason James,
Kedah Darul Aman.
Editor,
The Star,
Kedah Darul Aman.
26 MAY 2011
Dear Sir,
I am writing this letter on behalf of the residents of Kampung Pantai Merdeka. It has
come to our knowledge that the local authority has already given the green light to
build a mega shopping complex near the public beach of Pantai Merdeka. We are
totally against the mega project. These are our reasons.
1.
Firstly, we do not need a mega shopping complex as a shopping complex

already exists in our area. [Where?] The existing shopping complex is only 1
kilometre from the proposed site. Secondly, the new shopping complex may cause
people to spend more as people have more options and choices [What will happen?]
2.
In addition, the project may spoil the beauty of the beach. As a result, the
swaying coconut and casuarinas trees will be cut down. Besides, there will be more
rubbish on the white sandy beach. This will surely drive the tourist away. The beach
area will be reduced and the shady areas will be demolished.
3.
Furthermore, the cost of living will go up. Having another shopping complex
is development. In a developed place, cost of things may go up. This will cause
hardship to people Furthermore, local business will also be affected. [who are
involved?] Ten hawkers who sell foods and drinks along the beach will be affected.
[What are the effects?] They will lose their income and will be unable to support their
families
4. With the mega project, there will also be an increase of traffic flow in the area.
[How?] [When?] More heavy vehicles such as lorries and trailers will use the village
23
road throughout the construction period. [What effect?] This will increase the number of
road accidents. Traffic jams will be part and parcel of our live then especially during
rush hours. It would also lead to air pollution as there will be much dust and smoke
during construction.
5.
Finally, we believe social ills will increase. [How?] The mega shopping
complex will have a big cinema and a bowling arena. These kinds of places for sure
will attract more teenagers to loiter and play truant. These may lead to an increase in
social ills.
6.
We strongly appeal to the authorities to shelve their plans without any further
delay as it would create all the problems as mentioned above
Yours faithfully,
Jason James
(JASON JAMES)
(b): Formal Letter of request
The Parent-Teacher Association of your school is organising a food fair to raise funds for
various projects. As the Secretary of the Interact Club, you are in charge of writing a letter to a
fast-food restaurant asking them to sponsor the food.
In your letter, include the following:
date, day, time and venue of the food fair
2 objectives of the food fair learn to share, experience the importance of cooperation
further details about the food fair
- involve all clubs and societies
- expected crowd: 1,000 people
- amount of money to be raised: RM10,000
request for sponsorship of food
request for lucky draw hampers
Address the letter to the manager
Use appropriate opening and closing
Include other relevant details
24
SAMPLE ANSWER 1:
Interact Club,
SMK Cempaka,
11900 Bayan Lepas,
Pulau Pinang.
The Manager,
KKC Fast Food Sdn. Bhd.,
28, BL Free Trade Zone,
11900 Bayan Lepas,
Pulau Pinang.
12 JULY 2011
Dear Sir,
A Request to Sponsor Food for the School Food Fair
The Parent-Teacher Association of our school is organising a food fair to raise funds for
various projects. Here are the details of the food fair:
Date
: 5 August 2011
Day
: Thursday
Time
: 9.00am 2.00pm
Venue: School Hall
2. The food fair has two objectives which are to learn to share and experience the
importance of co-operation. These two objectives are important for students. So, we can
learn how to share and co-operate in this food fair.
3. Here are the further details about the food fair. The food fair involves all clubs and
societies of the school. The expected crowd is about 1,000 people. The amount of money
to be raised is about RM10,000.
4. We would like to ask you to sponsor food like fried chicken, fish and chicken burgers. We
also like to request from you to sponsor lucky draw hampers.
5. We hope you can sponsor the food and hamper that we have requested. We will be happy
if you help.
Thank You.
25
Yours faithfully,
Ssyyysweirtv
(SYLVIA DIANA BT WIRA)
Secretary,
Interact Club
SMK Cempaka
Sample Answer 2:
Interact Club,
Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Cempaka,
11900 Bayan Lepas,
Pulau Pinang.
The Manager,
KKC Fast Food Sdn. Bhd.,
28, BL Free Trade Zone,
i11900 Bayan Lepas,
Pulau Pinang.
12 JULY 2011
Dear Sir,
A REQUEST TO SPONSOR FOOD AND DRINKS FOR THE FOOD FAIR
Our school is organising a food fair to raise funds for various projects. Here are the details of
the food fair:
Date : 5 August 2011
Day : Thursday
Time : 9.00 am 2.00 pm
Venue : School Hall
2.
The food fair has two objectives. First of all, the club aims to encourage the
students to learn to share with others. [How can they share with others?] They must learn
not to be selfish and help others in any way they can. Another objective is to allow students to
experience the importance of cooperation. [With whom will they cooperate?] Through this
food fair we are sure the students will learn how to work with other students of different clubs
and societies.
3.
The followings are further details of the food fair. This project will involve all
clubs and societies. [How many?] So far 12 clubs and 9 societies have confirmed their
participations. They will sell different kinds of foods to the expected crowd which is about
1,000 people. [Who are they?] The fair is open to all the students and their parents. Our
target amount of money to be raised is RM10,000. [Why RM10,000?] We need that
amount of money to organise various projects that will benefit the students.
26
4.
We would like to make two humble requests here. The first is to request for your
sponsorship of food. [How much? What kind of food?] We really appreciate if you could
sponsor 100 pieces of fried chickens and 100 pieces of fish burgers. There is also a request
for your company to sponsor lucky draw hampers. [How many? What is the cost?] It would
be good if you can sponsor 3 hampers. Each hamper may cost RM20.00 each.
5.
Every member of the Interact Club prays hard that your company would be able to
sponsor the food and hampers. We put a very high hope that you will be part of our fundraising activity. Your generosity is truly appreciated.
Yours faithfully,
Ssyyyysweirtv
(SYLVIA DIANA BT WIRA)
Secretary,
Interact Club,
Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Cempaka.
Examination Tips:
1. Make a simple introduction. Refer to the question for the key ideas to be written in the
introduction.
2. Rewrite the points given in complete sentences. Elaborate each of the points given by
giving simple details. Ask wh-questions when giving elaboration. Certain wh-questions are
much easier for you to answer such as when, who, how many and where. Answering why
is normally more challenging.
3. Plan the organisation of each point.
Practice 4
Letter of complaint
There are a few matters in your school which could be improved. You and your classmates
have had a meeting and decided to write a formal letter of complaint to the principal. As the
class monitor, you have been asked to write the letter.
In your letter, include the following:
Classroom:
Unsafe wooden chairs
Fans not working
Toilets:
Broken doors
Unhygienic
Canteen:
27
Limited choices of
foods
High price of foods

Set out the letter correctly
Elaborate each note appropriately
Informal Letter
General guidelines
1. Informal letter is written to pen pals, friends, relatives and family members.
2. The format of an informal letter has the following features.
a) Senders address
b) Date any form but avoid writing in the formal form 30 August 2011
Both a) and b) must be written on the top right-hand corner of the letter
c) Salutation on the left hand side of the letter Dear mum, Dear sister,
d) Start your letter asking about the receivers well-being How are you?
e) If you are replying a letter you may start like this I received your letter
f) State the purpose of your letter I am writing this letter because.
g) Closing Yours sincerely (for friends, pen-pals, etc.), Your loving daughter, etc.
Do not use Yours faithfully as it is used for formal letter.
3. Three marks are usually awarded for format although there are more than 3 features.
4. Write your letter in 3 - 4 paragraphs.
5. Informal language can be used in an informal letter Ive, dad, mum, sis, be happy,
etc.
6. Do not use sms language such as u for you and b4 for before
7.
Basic Format
Muhammad Akiff bin
Azizan,
No. 4, Taman Desa
Impian,
06350 Naka,
12 April 2011
Dear Hani,
I have just received your letter
...
..
28
Yours sincerely,
Akiff
Question
Your father wants to buy a computer but he is not sure whether it is better to buy a laptop or a
desktop computer. He asks for your opinion. After doing some research, you come up with
some information on both computers.
Using the notes given below, write an informal letter to your father stating your choice and
supporting it with reasons.
LAPTOP COMPUTER
Portable
Slim and light
Can function on battery
More expensive
More fragile
Easier to steal
DESKTOP COMPUTER
Cheaper
Easier to upgrade
Harder to steal
Bulkier- difficult to carry around
Require more space
Rely on direct supply of
electricity
When writing out your letter, you should remember to include the following:
To state your choice
To make comparisons
To state the purpose of the letter
To give appropriate greeting and closing
Use all the points given
SAMPLE ANSWER 1:
122,Taman Pearlview Avenue,
High Tech Park,
09000 Kulim,
Kedah Darul Aman.
30/8/10
Dear father,
29
How are you over there? I hope you are fine. I am doing okay here. I am writing this
letter to let you know about my opinion on whether to buy a laptop or a desktop computer. I
think you should buy a desktop computer.
Firstly, desktop computers are cheaper. They are also easier to be upgraded. It is
harder to steal desktop computers because they are heavy.
However they have some weaknesses too. They are bulkier and difficult to be
carried around. They also require more space and rely on direct supply of electricity.
On the other hand, laptops are portable, slim and light and can function on
battery. However I do not recommend it to you because laptops are more expensive and
fragile. Besides, they are easier for people to steal.
I hope that I have been helpful. I know that you will make a right choice. If you still
have doubts, feel free to contact me again. Till then. Goodbye .
Your loving son / daughter,
signature
..
SAMPLE ANSWER 2:
122,Taman Pearlview Avenue,
High Tech Park,
09000 Kulim,
Kedah Darul Aman.
30/8/13
Dear father,
How are you over there? I hope you are fine. I am doing okay here. I am writing this
letter to let you know about my opinion on whether to buy a laptop or a desktop computer. I
think you should buy a desktop computer.
Firstly, desktop computers are cheaper. They generally give you more computing
power and disk space for less money. In addition, desktop computers are cheaper to repair
than laptops.
Secondly, they are also easier to be upgraded. In a desktop, you only need to open
the casing to access the hardware. You can increase the RAM, upgrade the microprocessor
and even increase your storage capacity.
Thirdly, it is harder to steal desktop computers because they are heavy. If someone
happens to break into our house, they're unlikely to take the desktop, which has to be
unplugged from the wall and transported with all of its attached peripherals. Therefore, it is
more theft-resistant.
However they have some weaknesses too. They are bulkier and difficult to be
carried around. They also require more space, at least a full computer table! They rely on
direct supply of electricity. Also there is a mess of connection cables. Even a simple device
like a keyboard might have up to two cables that need to be plugged into the main console.
On the other hand, laptops give you portability and convenience. You can take your
work with you whenever you go on business trips, holidays or to your favourite cafe,
Starbucks. Laptops are also slim and light and can function on battery. However I do not
recommend it to you because laptops are more expensive and fragile. The miniaturization of
components to make it portable increases the cost of ownership and the sensitivity of the
hardware in the laptops make it delicate.
Apart from that, laptops are easier for people to steal. Just leave the laptop
unattended and you can be sure of never seeing it again. Someone could just put it in their
backpack and walk away without a trace because it is compact and weightless.
I
hope that I have been helpful. I know that you are in a quandary about what to buy but keep
30
your options open until youre sure its the best choice. If you still have doubts, feel free to
contact me again. Till then. Goodbye .
Your loving son / daughter,
signature
..
EXAMINATION TIPS
1. Refer to other model letters to see how the given content points are constructed into
meaningful sentences.
2. Sentences need not be long.
3. Just add phrases like They are or Desktop computers to the given content points.
4. Remember there would be 12 content points and it is easy to get marks for all the
content points.
5. End your letter in a friendly, informal manner Well, till we meet again, Goodbye.
Practice 5
You have a cousin who lives in Kuala Lumpur. You have decided to organize a trip there for
you and your classmates during the second term holidays. Write a letter to your cousin
informing him or her of your plan.
In your letter, ask your cousin to help you rent rooms at a hostel. You should also include the
following information:
Details of your visit
Date
Number of people going
Number of days you intend to stay there
Number of rooms required
Budget for the rooms per day
What you plan to do
Visit:
Kuala Lumpur Tower
National Zoo
Science Centre
Putrajaya
31
Tour the city

Go shopping at KLCC

- Use suitable format
- Use all the informations given above
- Elaborate on what you plan to do
Practice 6
You are asked to write an article for your school magazine. Your article is on Disciplinary
Problems in Schools. In your article, you also suggest ways to overcome the problems.
Below are some notes you have made.
Problems
Playing truant cutting classes, loitering in shopping complexes
Smoking in toilets, behind the bushes
Bullying intimidating, extorting money
Vandalism destroying school property, graffiti
Gangsterism involved in gangs, fighting
Suggestions to overcome the problems
Counselling
Joining voluntary organization
Being active in games and societies
Doing part-time job
Taking up a hobby
Intervention by parents
Do remember:
To give a title
That your audience are students
To use all the notes given above
To write in paragraphs
SAMPLE ANSWER:
32
DISCIPLINE AND ITS PROBLEMS

By Banu Priya Mohan
As we all are well aware the school is the place where knowledge is gained. It is
the place thats houses teenagers from a variety of age. Thus the school has to have a set of
rules that help guide these teenagers in the right path as fools rush where angels fear to
tread.
It is common knowledge to one and all every school is faced by disciplinary
problems. Among them is playing truant. Students who play truant usually choose to cut
classes and hang out in places outside the school. Some of them can be found loitering in
shopping complexes. Another rampant problem is smoking which is often carried out in
toilets, behind the bushes, at the back of the school and also the stairways. These students
obviously are not aware that prevention is better than cure.
Aside from this, some students also take to bullying for instance intimidating
others and also extorting money from their peers. They believe that they are the king of the
area. Bullying would eventually lead on to gangsterism which involves gangs and brutal
fighting that can lead to fatality. Vandalism is also a problem that actually disturbs everyone
as the facilities cannot be utilized as properties are destroyed and graffiti on the walls make
the school is a sight for sore eyes.
It is never too late to mend these problems so we the students should work
hand in hand with the teachers to clean up the school of these social ills. The first and most
effective step would be counselling as the counsellors can serve as an ear for students to
pour out their problems as well as triumph over their troubles. The counsellors can then go on
to encourage this students to join voluntary organizations which would keep them occupied
as any empty mind is the devils humble abode
Aside from these they can also get themselves actively involved in games and
societies and also do part time jobs as this would form a good habit, habit is second nature.
Some parents encourage their children to take up a hobby like raring fish or writing stories
which keeps them busy. These kinds of hobbies also encourage the intervention by parents
which would eventually form a strong bonding between parent and child.
With all that has been sad I strongly believe that the students of these schools
would not fall prey to these bad habits if they strictly adhere to the advice given.
Practice 7
You and your classmates have just returned from a trip to Kuala Lumpur. You are the class
monitor. Write a report to your class teacher about the trip.
Include the following information.
Trip to Kuala Lumpur
Date : 15 - 17 December
Duration: 3 days and 2 nights
No of students : 32
No of teachers: 3
Mode of transport: Bus
Accommodation: Hotel
33
Cost per person: RM 120.00

Paces of interest:
Art gallery
Shopping complexes
Parks and gardens
Zoos
Museums
When writing the report you should remember to:
Sample answer:
A REPORT ON A TRIP TO KUALA LUMPUR
TO
FROM
SUBJECT
DATE
: MADAM NORMAIN BINTI NGAH,

CLASS TEACHER,
4 SCIENCE,
SEKOLAH MENENGAH KEBANGSAAN TAMAN HI-TECH.
: DHANYAAH RAJAN.
: A REPORT ON A TRIP TO KUALA LUMPUR.
: 29 DECEMBER 2012.
I, as the class monitor of class 4 Science at Sekolah Menengah Taman Hi-Tech, would like to
take this golden opportunity to inform you about a recent class trip we took to Kuala Lumpur,
after the final examination.
The weekend of 15-17th December 2012 will forever be etched in the minds of the 32
classmates of 4 Science and the 3 teachers accompanying, who attended the trip to Kuala
Lumpur, organised by the Counselling unit of SMK Taman Hi-Tech. The keyed up students
congregated at the school corridor at 8 a.m. on Saturday, 15 December, before boarding the
bus to Kuala Lumpur. The students were raring to go and did not mind paying RM 120.00 per
person for food and accommodation at Hotel Seri Intan Perda.
The journey kicked off smoothly. However, upon reaching Ipoh traffic thickened and the
bus was forced to move at a snails pace for over an hour. The teachers decided to make a pit
stop at a nearby R and R (Rest and Refreshment). Once the bottleneck cleared off, the bus
was back on track. Fortunately, we made it in time and were not back on schedule. Upon
arriving, students and teachers checked-in into their assigned rooms. Everyone had enough
time to take a bath, before assembling in the hotel lobby at 8.00 p.m. We were then taken out
for dinner to Sunway Pyramid Mall which was ten minutes away from the hotel. Students
were amused by the enchanting lights of the city. At 9.30 p.m. we were all taken back to the
hotel. By 10.30 p.m. all students were in bed.
34
On the 16th of December our journey entailed a lot of walking and sightseeing. After a
satisfying buffet style breakfast in the hotel at 9.oo a.m. we visited The Contemporary Art
Gallery. It was an eye-opener as the arrangement of local masterpieces engendered the
patriotic spirit in most of the participants. Then, we visited a few parks and gardens. The sight
of vibrant flowers in the midst of a bustling city was invigorating and refreshing. After lunch at
a restaurant we spent the afternoon visiting a few museums. The most enjoyable place was
The Museum of History. Students were not shy to apply what they learnt in the confinement of
the classroom. Before we headed back to the hotel, we visited the National Zoo. Students
were given 2 hours to roam in the zoo. Then, we headed back to the hotel and had dinner,
before calling it a night.
After a hearty breakfast on the 17 th of December, we checked-out of the hotel. The
course of the day was spent visiting a plethora of shopping complexes and buying souvenirs
before bidding farewell to the heart of Malaysia. During the journey back, students were given
the opportunity to voice out their feelings and thoughts regarding the trip. Some of the
participants gave constructive feedback on what this trip had taught them, while others gave
heart-warming speeches.
By the time we reached Kulim, we were worn out and exhausted. But, each of us had
a store of memories, which will not be easily effaced.
Reported by,
Dhanyaah Rajan
Class monitor,
4 Science,
SMK Taman Hi-Tech,
Kedah.
35
CONTINUOUS WRITING
Teachers Notes
Narrative essays are a favourite among students as they are easier to handle. This type of
essay enables the writer to use and share experiences with the readers.
1. Students must read the question carefully and know exactly what they are supposed to
write.
2. Ask the students to decide whether to write their essay from their own perspective or
someone elses. The first person or third person singular is the most popular choice.
3. Students should use a simple plot. Asking students wh-questions will help them to
develop ideas. Advise them to list in chronological order.
4. Students should use the past tense forms.
5. Encourage the students to include adjectives and adverbs.
6. Students may also use dialogue.
STUDENTS TIPS
WRITING A NARRATIVE ESSAY
A narrative is a story with a sequence of connected events. It could be about a personal
experience or an imagined event or events.
Let us look at some typical examination questions:
1. Write a story of a man who returns to his home after many years.
2. The day I lost my temper.
36
3. Write a story ending with, I shall never forget this day for the rest of my life.
4. Write about an occasion when you got into trouble.
5. Write a story beginning with, I could not believe my eyes.
How do I write a narrative essay for the examination?
ACTION PLAN: (1 hour)
A. Planning = 15 minutes
B. Writing = 35 minutes
C. Checking = 10 minutes
This is how we do it.
A. PLANNING
Lets say you have chosen question 3, - Write a story ending with, I shall never forget this
day for the rest of my life.
1. Read the question carefully and underline important phrases. Pay particular attention
to the ending.
2. Brainstorm for ideas by using the 5Ws and 1H approach and jot down notes.
Who is the character?
When is the event taking place?
Where is it happening?
What is happening?
Why is there a problem?
How is the problem solved?
Example:
Introduction
Who - main character, first person narrator (I) and cousin from Cambodia
When - holidays, one Sunday
Body
What - had to accompany cousin
Why - cousin loved riding escalators
Problem 1
Where - at the shopping centre

Why - riding escalators again
Problem 2
Who
What
How
Why
Problem 3
- main character
- nearly had an accident
- stumbled
- tried to escape from cousin
Climax
Conclusion
What lesson learnt gratitude
37
B. WRITING THE ESSAY

Now that you have got the skeleton of your story, it is time to begin writing.
1. Use linkers and phrases which link the events to move your story in a chronological
order. Some phrases that are suitable :
It was very dark.
I will never forget ..
A few minutes later.
Suddenly,
When the disaster happened, ..
2. Use the past tense forms. Check all the verbs you have used.
3. Use descriptive language (adjectives, adverbs)
4. Use sensory details to reveal the events and to get the readers involved. Do not
merely tell but show the events through words and phrases.
Example:
a. I went into the restaurant.
b. I walked into the restaurant.
c. I sauntered into the restaurant.
5. Sentence a: merely states that I went into the restaurant
Sentence b: gives a little more information as to how I went into the restaurant.
Sentence c: uses a more specific word to show clearly the idea of how I went into
the restaurant.
Sentence c. allows the reader to see what I am doing. The word sauntered means to
stroll. It gives the image of a person walking slowly into the restaurant. Thus, sentence c.
is more effective in narrative and descriptive writing.
6. Use direct speech, but use it sparingly and effectively. Remember, you are writing a
narrative, not a script.
7. Avoid using informal language
C. CHECKING
Read your essay once through and check for the following things:
Is the spelling accurate?

Is the punctuation appropriate? Did you use too many commas in a sentence?
Did you vary the sentence structure? Are your sentences too long?
Does one thought follow the next in a logical order?
Did you stick to the topic? Did you use words so that your reader could experience
the incident?
38
Did you use the appropriate tense of the verb throughout?

Make any corrections neatly.
WRITING A DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY

Writing a descriptive essay is perhaps more difficult than writing a narrative essay because it
makes more demands on ones use of language. In a descriptive essay, you need to give a
detailed description of a person, place, object, experience or memory. Your description must
be so effective that the person, place, object, experience or memory described is clearly
visualised by the reader.
If you are describing a person, the reader should feel that he knows the person well. If it is a
place that is described, the reader should feel as if he is there and seeing it with his very
eyes. How can this be achieved? Through the use of details that appeal to your readers
senses and a lively tone that draws his emotions.
Techniques in Descriptive Writing
STEPS
A. PLANNING
1. Read the question carefully. (eg. An Unforgettable Character)
2. Understand the question.
a. What does the phrase Unforgettable Character mean?
He/She is a person you will always remember.
b. What is your focus?
A favourable or unfavourable impression of the character.
3. Brainstorm for ideas. Expand and elaborate the points.
Introduction
Who is being describe - the canteen lady
Body
Detail 1 - General Appearance
Neat
Height short
Age 50
The way she walked - limps
Detail 2 - Non-physical features
Manners of speaking gentle, low voice
Habit smiled a lot
Detail 3 - Why she is unforgettable
Kind - art lesson
- the way she treated a bully
Keenness to learn the way she read newspapers even
though she was illiterate
Conclusion
Give an opinion not a person to sit back and let things go by
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B. WRITING THE ESSAY

1. Use details Focus on the five senses (sight, sound, smell, taste and touch). Details
are very important and when properly used, enable descriptions to come to life. Use
nouns, adjectives and verbs to evoke these senses. Nouns and adjectives help the
reader see; verbs help the reader feel.
2. Use a lively tone Show your own feelings, responses and reactions as these make
your description more vivid and lively.
3. Describe different aspects If you are describing a person, do not limit your
description to the persons physical appearance. Include a detailed description of the
persons character and personality and how other people react to him. Include a
detailed paragraph of an incident which highlights one of these aspects.
Lets look at the two extracts below on the topic An Unforgettable Aunt.
Sample 1
Aunt Eleanor had a sharp nose and a pair of black eyes. She was thin, and had a thin,
long face, an aquiline nose and sunken cheeks. Her hair was always tied in a knot and
her clothes were only of one colour grey. My cousins and I were afraid of her and
always found an excuse to disappear whenever she was around.
Sample 2
Aunt Eleanor was thin and scrawny and her protruding bones almost made her look
like a walking skeleton. Her aquiline nose and sunken cheeks added to her witch-like
looks and her dark eyes, when they flashed in anger, were capable of sending tremors
of fear down ones spine. The dreary grey tones of her clothes and her sparse dark
hair, which was always tied in a knot, further emphasised her sternness. My cousins
and I cringed with fear and were reduced to silence when she glared at us with her
smouldering dark eyes. Her serious demeanour and scrooge-like appearance did
nothing to endear her to us.
Sample 1 is a plain description of the narrators aunt. Although there are several verbs and
adjectives, the description is somewhat dull. Sample 2, on the other hand, is a vivid and
interesting description which brings the character to life. We can almost see her in our
minds eye and this effect is achieved through the description of the persons features that
are prominent and striking.
Note the details about

- her overall physical appearance (thin, skeleton-like)
- her facial features (aquiline nose, sunken cheeks, dark eyes)
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- her manner of dressing and grooming (dreary grey tones, tight bun)
- feelings stirred by her appearance (tremors of fear, reduced to silence, cringed with
fear).
The description of her physical appearance supports and reinforces her character and
personality, and this makes the essay interesting and engaging.
Some writers like to merge descriptive writing with narrative writing. There is nothing wrong
with this as the description enriches the narration.
C. CHECKING
Read your essay once through and check for the following things:
Is the spelling accurate?
Is the punctuation appropriate? Did you use too many commas in a sentence?
Did you vary the sentence structure? Are your sentences too long?
Does one thought follow the next in a logical order?
Did you stick to the topic?
Did you use the appropriate tense of the verb throughout? Make any corrections
neatly.
ESSAYS TAKEN FROM SMART MODULE 2 2011

Sample Essay 1
Write a story beginning with, I was happy to be in Group 10........................
I was happy to be in Group 10. There were six members in my group. There were
three other boys and six girls. All of them, just like me, were happy to take part in the district
level language camp. The camp was held at a two-star hotel in Ipoh. We did not have to pay
anything. Everything was sponsored.
The members in my group came from different secondary schools in the district. But all
of us were form 5 students. We were chosen to join the language camp because we had the
potential to score an A in the SPM 1119 examination.
Seri, from SMK Seri Permai, was our group leader. Seri was a very pretty girl. I had a
crush on her. I knew the other boys also admired Seri. We named our group Seri Bombastic.
In the first activity, we created our groups logo, motto and song. When we presented our
song, everybody liked it. Then, there was a talk on how to answer examination questions.
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On the second day, we had several language games. We had spelling competition,
vocabulary game, sketch and many others. Our group won the sketch competition. We
presented a very good performance. We presented a story about a princess who fell in love
with a fisherman. Seri played the role of a princess and of course I was the poor but
handsome fisherman. The activities went on until 10.00 p.m. We were very tired but enjoyed
ourselves a lot.
On the third day we had a jungle trekking in a forest nearby the hotel. All instructions
were given in English. We also had to solve some problems and answer tricky questions
throughout the trekking activity. It was very challenging.
The camp ended with a simple closing ceremony. Each participant was given a
certificate. After going through all the activities I felt more confident that I would be able to get
an A for English in my SPM. I would also miss my group members, especially Seri. I would
never forget them. We promised that we would continue to contact each other. Seri also
promised to help me improve my English.
Sample 2
A Visit To A Hospital
Yesterday, I followed my father to visit my uncle who was hospitalised at a private
hospital. We left home at about 5.00 p.m. and reached the hospital at 6.15 p.m. The private
hospital was a new hospital. It was opened two months ago.
My uncle suffered from chronic diabetes. Two days ago he came to the hospital for his
regular check-up but the doctor had to admit him because his sugar level was very high. The
doctor had to monitor him all the time. He would be allowed to go home once his sugar level
stabilised.
My uncles ward was at the fifth floor. The lift was very spacious and fast. A nurse, who
was my mothers old friend, greeted my father. She told us that my uncle was doing fine. After
talking to the nurse for a while we went to Room 515. My uncle was very happy to see my
father and me. A young Egyptian doctor was examining my uncle at that time. The doctor said
that my uncle was getting better and he would be discharged soon.
My father chitchatted with my uncle for almost one hour. I felt bored so I went out of the
room to explore the new hospital. I went to the hospital lobby. It was like a hotel lobby. There
was a long list of specialists and their academic qualifications on the wall. Altogether, the
hospital had 35 specialists and some of them were foreigners.
Then, I went to the cafe. I was surprised as the cafe was like a five-star restaurant.
They served a variety of healthy dishes. But I would not eat there on my own as a plate of
fried rice alone was RM7.50! Even a glass of plain water cost RM1.00! Initially, I planned to
have something there but I just walked out as I only had RM2.15 in my pocket.
When I was waiting for the lift to go back to the fifth floor, a woman cried hysterically
with her daughter. From her words, I understood that she had just lost her husband. I did not
say a word but I sympathised them, especially her cute and charming daughter. I wish I could
console her daughter. But before I could offer some help, the door of the lift opened and my
father appeared. He indicated it was time to go home so I just followed him. I walked to the
main entrance while my eyes still looking at the girl.
Sample 3
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My Favourite Restaurant
Last week, the SPM result was announced. The night before, I could not sleep. I was
very nervous. I was scared I did not get a good result because my parents were really hoping
that I could go to university. I went to school to collect my result with my parents. My hands
were shaking when I held the result slip. My class teacher congratulated me. I looked at my
result and hugged my father and mother. I got 5A+, 1A and 4A-. Even though I was not the
best student in my school, I was very happy with my result. My parents were very proud of
me.
That night, my father took me and the rest of the family members to my favourite
restaurant, Bamboo Restaurant. It was only five kilometres from my house. The restaurant
was opened three years ago. I liked the restaurant very much because it offered a wide range
of local, Thai and western foods. I would always try different dishes each time I went there. All
the customers said the restaurant was very spacious. Some said Bamboo Restaurant was the
biggest restaurant in town.
When we arrived at the restaurant, I saw a big crowd. My father took some time to park
his car. My mother said, We have a surprise for you! I insisted my mother to tell me about
the surprise but she just asked me to be patient. My family and I walked to a room which my
father booked for us. The room was quite big and it could accommodate more than 50 people.
When I opened the door, I saw many people standing while clapping their hands happily.
They were my grandparents, uncles, aunties, cousins and immediate neighbours. I was really
surprised to see my girlfriend with her parents too! Everybody congratulated me for my SPM
result.
I was deeply touched. I hugged my parents for organising such a dinner to celebrate
my success. I sat beside Mimi, my girlfriend. She gave a gift but I had to promise her to open
it at home. My father ordered my most favourite dish for all of us chicken chop with black
pepper sauce. We also had garlic bread, salad and crab meat soup. I always told my friends
to come to Bamboo Restaurant if they wanted to taste the best chicken chop in town.
It was a long night at my favourite restaurant. My cousins sang a Justin Biebers song
for me. My grandparents sponsored prizes for lucky draw. In short, we had so much fun at the
restaurant. It was really a memorable night.
Sample 4
The Day When Everything Went Wrong
I had just started working as a despatch boy at an international company in Kuala
Lumpur. The job was not great but I accepted it after failing to get a job in my hometown,
Kuala Nerang. Actually, my neighbours son who was staying in Kuala Lumpur recommended
me for the job. Living in a big city was totally different from living in Kuala Nerang. But,
whatever it was, Kuala Nerang was still in my heart.
After six months working, I began to fall in love with Lisa, a clerk at a primary school.
One day, I approached her at a coffee shop. She was having lunch alone. I joined her. She
was very happy and really welcomed me to accompany her. Nothing much happened on that
day but we just talked. We got to know each other better. After lunch, I asked her if she would
be interested to watch a movie with me on the coming weekend. I was surprised when she
43
gave me a definite Yes!. From that day, we became closer and love began to bloom between
us.
Lisa confessed to me that she was worried about what some other people might say to
me because she was ten years older than me. But I convinced her that age was not important
to me. What was more important was her sincerity and happy-going attitude. Lisa believed in
me. She knew I truly loved her. So, one day she asked me to meet her parents.
On one Sunday, I went to Lisas house. I was supposed to be there at 9.00 am.
However, I only reached her house at 11.00 am. My motorcycle broke down once I left my
house. I did not know why I was so stupid not to take a taxi but waited for two hours to get my
motorcycle repaired. It was supposed to be an important day in my life but everything went
wrong. I also left my mobile phone at home. I borrowed the mechanics mobile phone to
inform Lisa about what happened to me but I just could not recall her contact number. My
mind went blank.
When I reached her house at 11.00 am, I could see her parents unhappy faces. Their
conversation with me was very limited. I was confident they were not listening to me when I
was explaining about what happened to me. To make it worse, I left a box of chocolate, which
I promised to give to Lisas mother, at the workshop.
I knew Lisa was frustrated with me but she still treated me well. Lisa served tea and
some curry puffs. I was very hungry as I missed my breakfast so I kept eating them one after
another. Lisas parents were speechless to see my act. When I saw their shocking faces, only
then I slowly put back the curry puff in my hand into the plate. It was the last piece.
After that, I asked for permission to go to the washroom as I really had to answer
natures call. I was too clumsy. I fell in the washroom as the floor was slippery. My pants were
soaking wet. I did not know what to do so I stayed in the washroom for about fifteen minutes.
Finally, I came out with my wet pants. I quickly said goodbye to Lisa and her parents and left
the house. It was truly a day when everything went wrong.
Sample 5
Examination
This morning I sent my son to school. It was the first day of his SPM examination. My
son, Dean, was a diligent boy. Unlike me when I was his age, he did not need any motivation
to study for examination. He was able to manage his own time very well. He made his own
timetable. Dean knew when to study, play, watch television and go out to have fun with his
friends.
I really saluted him for his independence and maturity. I respected him because I was
very much different from him when I was 17 years old. When I was in Form 5, I was a lazy
student. Perhaps, the laziest in my family and in class. My parents especially my mother was
always angry with me when she came back from work and saw me sleeping in my room.
Even my teachers in school did not know what to say to advise me to study for my
SPM examination. Mr. Nick, my History teacher, always punished me for my laziness. I had
never completed his History notes and exercises. My Chemistry teacher, Madam Beh, could
not even look at my face. She gave up on me.
I really did not have any idea how could I prepare for my examination. I realised I could
not blame anybody but myself. I was the one who refused to listen to all the advice given by
44
my parents, teachers as well as friends. Even when the school organised motivational talks
and study skills seminar, I would find ways and create excuses not to attend the programme.
I only picked up my revision books and began to study two months before the
examination. My mother was surprised to see me with SPM books around me. She just could
not believe her eyes. She did not say a word but gave me a hug while shedding tears. I
promised her that though it could be too late for me to prepare for my SPM, I promised my
mother that I would still try my best. For two months, I did all I could for my SPM examination.
The result was announced several months later. Of course, I did not get straight As but
I did not fail in any subject. My parents were not happy with my result. Me too. I learnt my
lesson well.
Sample Essay 6
The day that I will never forget

One evening when the sun was about to set, my mother asked me to buy some onions
and salt from a nearby sundry shop. The shop is run by Ah Kow, a jovial middle-age Chinese
man with a huge pot-belly. His wife and three young children, two boys and a girl help him
everyday.
It was almost completely dark when I reached the shop. Ah Kow had switched on the
lights in his small but adequately stocked shop. He was alone at that time and I was the only
customer. Ah Kow greeted me with a warm smile. I always want to ask him how he kept his
teeth so sparkling white but I was afraid to ask. I told him what I wanted and he went to get
the things.
Next door to Ah Kow is a coffee shop, owns by an Indian man. It was still open at that
time. From the coffee shop came two men. They came into Ah Kows shop. I could smell bad
breathe from these two men and I knew they both drunk. Both of them were young but from
the way they half-walked half-staggered into the shop, it was obvious they had too much
drink. I kept a safe distance from these men. It is never a good idea to be near drunks. One
never knows what they will do next.
True enough, my caution was justified. For the next moment, without any warning, one
of the men swept a pile of tinned goods from a table onto the floor. In a second the neat rows
were reduced to utter chaos. The man who did it roared but in laughter. I could see Ah Kows
anger rising. He raised his voice. As if in reply to his retort, the two men started shouting at
him. Then, suddenly a knife appeared in one of the mens hand. The man that held the knife
was small and wiry, judging from the muscles in his hand and I had no doubt he was very
strong
The knife-man lunged and in a flash he had the point of his knife at Ah Kows throat. Ah
Kow froze and his face paled. I was overwhelmed by the suddenness of events that the next
thing I knew I could not move my hands, nor the other parts of my body. I was held in a vicelike grip by the other man. I did not even see him coming. I struggled but all I could do was to
make the grip tighten more. It got difficult to breathe.
I hears a lot of shouting and I could see the knife=men slapping Ah Kow. Reluctantly,
Ah Kow opened the drawer where he kept his cash and the knife-man leaned over and made
a grab of cash. That was a big mistake he made. For a fleeting moment, his knife was
forgotten and in that short time Ah Kow seized his chance. Ah Kows huge right hand came
45
down hard over the back of the leaning mans head right down hard on the table. There was a
sickening thud when face met table. The knife-mans head rebounded like a rubber ball from
the table and I could see blood all over his face. He was badly hurt. The knife dropped from
lifeless hands on the floor.
Moving with surprising speed, Ah Kow grabbed a bottle of tomato ketchup from a shelf
and knocked the mans head. The red tomato ketchup splattered all over the place. I could
not distinguish how much of the red stuff on the mans face was his own blood, or tomato
ketchup. Slowly he sank to the floor and lay still.
I struggled to get loose. It felt so easy. Then I realized that hands no longer held me. I
turned around and saw the dark figure of a man running out of the shop and disappearing to
the semi-darkness. I was about to go in pursuit but
Ah Kow stopped me. He said it was useless pursuing somebody in the dark. Moreover the
man could be armed and that would be dangerous.
Ten minutes later, the shop was filled with curious people wanting to know what had
happened. The knife-man was herded in the police car. Ah Kow and I had to give our
statements to the police.
When I arrived home half an hour later, my mother was waiting impatiently for me. I
told her everything and she smiled. She said she was glad I was not injured. I will never forget
for the rest of my life.
Sample Essay 7
My Favourite Holiday Destination
My favourite holiday destination is Langkawi, which is made up of 99 islands on
Malaysias west coast. It is the countrys best-known holiday destination. Surrounded by
stunning turquoise sea, it is the most popular and is frequented by both local and foreign
tourists.
The sightseeing attractions in Langkawi certainly will not disappoint visitors. One of the
interesting places I love to go is the Underwater World Malaysias largest aquarium which
features 200 different species of marine and freshwater creatures. It is located at Langkawis
most popular beach, Pantai Cenang, where visitors can enjoy the varieties of water sports or
simply strolling along the white sandy beach.
46
Mahsuris Tomb is another tourist attraction which preserves the historical past of
Langkawi. This memorial is built in honour of Mahsuri, a fair maiden who was accused of
adultery and unjustly put to death. According to legend, she bled white blood as a sign of her
innocence and she cursed Langkawi for seven generations. Besides, you can visit the Gamat
Factory nearby where you can purchase a wide variety of this traditional Malay medicine. Just
5 kilometers away from Mahsuris Tomb, the Field of Burnt Rice is another must-visit place. It
is believed that when the Siamese army invaded Langkawi, the local chief ordered that all the
rice in the land be cut and burnt to prevent it from falling into enemy hands. To this day you
can purportedly still see the burnt rice on the ground during heavy rain-fall.
Your visit to Langkawi is not complete without experiencing the gondola ride at Oriental
Village, home of the cable car. It takes you from the foot of Gunung Machinchang to its apex.
From the peak, you will get a birds eye view of Langkawis thick greenery and also the Telaga
Tujuh waterfalls.
If you are a nature lover, you can enjoy a glimpse of the lush flora and fauna of the
Kilim Nature Park. This trip will take you on a fascinating journey to explore the parks natural
inhabitants as well as its natural limestone caves.
Finally, if you are intent on carting off duty-free perfumes, imported dishes, batik and
chocolates, then this is the place to be. There are many shops offering these items at good
prices, especially in Kuah Town. It is indeed a shopping heaven especially for ladies.
Langkawi is definitely my favorite holiday destination. Besides being a duty-free island
and beautiful tourist spots to go, it is a place where I can relax and feel as if I am in another
world. I will definitely spend my holidays in Langkawi again.
Sample Essay 8
Internet
The Internet or the World Wide Web is indeed a wonderful and amazing addition in our
lives. The Internet can be known as a kind of global meeting place where people from all
parts of the world can come together. However, there are advantages and disadvantages of
using the internet.
One of the things that you can do via the Internet is e-mail. With e-mail you can send
and receive instant electronic messages, which works like writing letters. Your messages are
delivered instantly to people anywhere in the world, unlike traditional mail that takes a lot of
time. There are also many chat rooms on the web that can be accessed to meet new people,
make new friends, as well as to stay in touch with old friends. It is a great way to meet up with
people of similar interest and discuss common issues.
47
Information is probably the biggest advantage internet is offering. Any kind of

information on any topic under the sun is available on the Internet. The search engines on
the Internet can help you to find data on any subject that you need. Along with getting
information on the Internet, you can also shop online. There are many online stores and sites
that can be used to look for products as well as buy them using your credit card. You do not
need to leave your house and can do all your shopping from the convenience of your home.
Besides, we can also download software from internet. This is one of the most
happening and fun things to do via the Internet. You can download games, music, videos,
movies, and a host of other entertainment software from the Internet, most of which are free.
However, there are certain cons and dangers relating to the use of Internet. If you use
the Internet, your personal information can be accessed by other people. If you use a credit
card to shop online, then your credit card information can also be stolen which could be akin
to giving someone a blank check. Besides, pornography is a very serious issue concerning
the Internet, especially when it comes to young children. There are thousands of
pornographic sites on the Internet that can be easily found and can be harmful to children.
Such illegal activities are frustrating for all Internet users, and so instead of just
ignoring it, we should make an effort to try and stop these activities so that using the Internet
can become much safer. In conclusion, the advantages of the Internet far outweigh the
disadvantages, and millions of people each day benefit from using the Internet for work and
for pleasure.
Sample Essay 9
Write a story beginning with, I could not believe my eyes

I could not believe my eyes as I saw the skinny lady who was walking slowly towards
the medicine counter. She looked old, haggard and depressed. She looked so familiar to me,
but a younger, happier version. There was no way I could be wrong.
Quietly, she sat on one of the chairs and waited patiently for her turn to collect her
medicine. I suddenly remembered, it had to be Diana, my best friend in secondary school. But
48
this person looked too old to be 30. Anyway, I braved myself to approach her. Hearing my
footsteps, she looked up slowly.
You are Diana Yusof, arent you?
She nodded her head silently. Hello, Amira? You are looking good.
Her remarks reminded me of how beautiful she had been once. Diana had been the
school beauty. Everyone had admired her for her looks, her brains and her beautiful
character.
One day, Diana had stopped coming to school. No one knew where her family had
gone and why they had left so suddenly.
Taking a seat next to her, I wondered what had happened to her.
Why did you leave so suddenly, Diana? Why?
She looked at me nervously. I could sense that she was reluctant to talk and expose a
part of her life. After a long silence, finally, she started telling me her story.
Her mother had been diagnosed with cancer and there was nothing the doctors could
do. They said that she had only three months to live. Her father decided to return to their
hometown, to let her live in peace.
Her father, distressed by his wifes death, started to neglect his own health and three
months later, he too died, leaving Diana in the care of her aunt.
Tears rolled down Dianas cheeks as she related the difficult years with her aunt. Her
aunt treated her badly. She forced her to quit school and to work at a restaurant. The cruel old
lady often beat her. Her cousins, jealous of her beauty, were nastier than their mother.
Now that the aunt was old, her five children had left her when they realised that she
needed special care. Despite her aunts poor treatment of her, Diana felt sorry for her.
She has no one else, she said. I have promised to take care of her.
I looked at Diana and saw her goodness. Instead of seeing a gaunt and weary figure, I
saw an amazingly beautiful human being. My heart went out to her. Just then, her name was
called. She got up and collected the medicine which, I knew, was for her aunt. Her story
reminded me of something my mother used to say,
Life is like an onion: You peel it off one layer at a time, and sometimes you weep.
Before leaving, Diana turned and smiled sadly at me. I never saw her again after that.
Sample Essay 10
49
Football / My favourite sport / Interest

Manchester United? Liverpool? Arsenal? Kedah?
It's Tuesday morning. Do you find yourself longing for the weekend? Not because the
idea of having two days off from school, but because your living room television is bombarded
by football matches, both local and international scenes. Football is the greatest sport of all
time and has endured the test of time, dating back to the ancient Greece. Here are the little
things that get me through the week and reasons why I love football.
Firstly, I love football because it is simply far more entertaining than any other sport in
the world. Its the worlds most popular sport, simple. As a sport it is far less predictable than
most. Its a sport where upsets can and do occur on a regular basis. Besides, it is a simple
and inexpensive sport that anyone can play. All you need are shoes and a ball.
Obviously among other reason, my family and I share a love for football which means
family gatherings of watching our favorite teams during football season. My mother would
prepare some crackers and hot, black coffee, allowing us to enjoy the match despites her
favourite Malay drama is playing on the other channel.
Football is also source of national pride. A great example of this is Iraq. Even though
their country was in shreds, they still managed to piece together a national soccer team to
represent in the Olympics. I remember when they came out during the opening ceremony and
received a standing ovation, it was very touching.
It sounds like an old clich, but football really is a sport that unites all. The game of
football is played by more worldwide than any other sport. Therefore, when the World Cup
arrive in Brazil in the summer of 2014, for those two weeks, civil wars will cease and people
will gather and watch their national teams play for the most coveted trophy on the planet.
Its a beautiful thing. I do not like football. I simply love it.
Sample Essay 11
The Person I Admire Most
The person I admire most is none other than my maternal aunt, Mak Su Midah. She is
my mothers youngest sister. I love Mak Su Midah because she is a responsible and
understanding person.
Mak Su Midah stands 161 cm, with a petite, slim figure. She has fair complexion,
smiling eyes and lustrous, black, shoulder-length hair. Her face is as smooth as silk, and she
has rosy cheeks and pink lips. Being a successful businesswoman, she holds herself very
well and has the charm and grace to go with it. Mak Su Midah owns a chain of bakeries in
Johor Bahru. She is a person who always puts her best foot forward and she is planning to
expand her business to other major cities like Melaka, Seremban and Singapore.
As a single mother, Mak Su Midah always works hard to provide for her three sons.
Although she is busy with her business, she always finds time to spend with them. She
50
makes sure they have dinner together. During school holidays, Mak Su Midah would also take
some time off to take her sons for a vacation. Her sons are doing very well in school as they
are very disciplined and focused. Mak Su Midah is a good role model not only to me, but also
to her sons.
Although she is very successful, Mak Su Midah is very humble, modest and respectful
to everyone. She is also supportive towards her siblings and never fails to help anyone who is
in trouble. Sometime ago, my father was in a financial distress and Mak Su Midah stepped up
and helped him to solve his problem. I have learnt to be like her in this respect. She always
says that helping others brings her joy.
Mak Su Midah is also always understanding and supportive towards me. As a young
child, I used to play with her and I even broke her favourite vase, but she was very patient
with me and never lost her temper. Besides that she always encourages me to study hard
and reminds me to stay focused. She is like a friend to me and also the favourite aunt of all
her nephews and nieces.
To me, she is my role model. When I grow up, I want to be like her. That would
certainly make my parents very happy to have a daughter who is not only successful, but
also respectful to everyone.
Sample Essay 12
Hari Raya Celebration
One of the biggest celebrations in Malaysia is Eid or more commonly known as Hari
Raya Aidilfitri or Hari Raya Puasa. Hari Raya literally means 'Celebration Day'. It is celebrated
by Muslims on 1 Syawal of Muslim Calendar after a month of fasting.
Shopping malls and bazaars are usually filled with people days ahead of Hari Raya,
which creates a distinctive festive atmosphere throughout the country. This is the time when
my mother and I will do our last minute shopping for clothes and delicacies. Then, we will
return to our home town to celebrate the festival.
The night before Hari Raya is filled with the sounds of the takbir in the mosques. Just
like in many parts of Malaysia, especially in the rural areas, I will lit oil lamps and place them
outside and around my grandmothers home. My brothers, together with my cousins, will light
traditional bamboo cannon or firecrackers which are notoriously loud and can be very
dangerous. My mother and aunts will be busy preparing special dishes like ketupat, dodol,
rendang and other delicacies to serve on the next day. My favourite is definitely lemang which
is a type of glutinous rice cooked in bamboo.
On the morning of Hari Raya, we will wear our traditional clothing, baju kurung. Before
heading to the mosque for prayer, we will greet one another and ask for forgiveness for sins
which we may have committed. Once the prayer is completed, it is common for many
Muslims to visit the graves of loved ones. During this visit, we will clean the grave, recite
Yassin, and also perform the tahlil ceremony. All these are done as a means to ask God to
forgive both the dead and the living for our sins. The rest of the day is spent visiting relatives
or serving visitors. Hari Raya is a very joyous day for me and other children as we will be
given token sums of money, also known as "duit raya", from our parents or elders.
51
I truly enjoy the Hari Raya celebration which is a really unique festival. It is more than a
religious celebration as it fosters closer relation in a family as well as the neighbourhood.
Sample Essay 13
My school
My school, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Sri Cempaka is located in Taman Indah,
about three kilometers away from the town center. It was built in 1961, the first secondary
school in the district.
It is a grade A school and has more than 2000 students. To cater such a big population,
there are thirty classrooms with busy sessions both in the morning and afternoon as well.
As you enter the school compound, you will immediately come to the office. It is on the
ground floor of a three storey building which also holds the library and two Science
laboratories. The school hall which can seat 1000 students is next to the office. The hall has
witnessed a lot of glorious moments ever since it was built 25 years ago.
There is a spacious garden behind the office block. It is a beautiful garden with exotic
palm trees and a fish pond. Each of uniform body in the school takes turn to clean the garden
every weekend. Just beside the garden is the school canteen. It is a large canteen and sells
varieties of food. I particularly love the Laksa. It is very delicious.
The school field is well-equipped. It has a football field, a hockey field, a basketball
court and two volleyball courts. It is not surprising as the students in this school are active in
sports. Many of the students play football, basketball and hockey for the state. The school is
also the champion in the district athletics games for three consecutive years.
Although the school is old, it has a proud history of producing brilliant students who are
good in sports and in their studies. I love the school because of the friendly students and
dedicated teachers there. I will definitely miss this school when I leave it at the end of this
year.
Sample Essay 14
An Unforgetable Experience
May 25 2001 is a day I will never forget. It was the day when my family suffered a
tragedy. The day began like any other day and we all got ready for school while my father got
ready to go to work. We all had breakfast together, enjoying our favourite banana pancakes
and hot chocolate, before leaving the house. My sister and I got on our school bus while I saw
father got into his car to get to work, leaving my mother doing her usual house chores.
At 10.00 a.m., I was having a Mathematics lesson when a teacher came and told me
my father was at the canteen waiting to take me home. I could sense something bad had
happened. Fearing the worst, and thinking of all kinds of bad things that could have
happened, I met my father who had already fetched my sister. Her face was white as a sheet.
Our house was burnt down and mom is in the hospital, explained my father sadly. His
voice shook as he spoke. I was so shocked.
52
We rushed to the hospital and the doctor told us that mom was all right. We thanked
God that nothing serious had happened to her. She only suffered minor injuries. However, we
lost everything in the fire, our computer, furniture, books and clothes. I found my piggy-bank
in the ashes and the coins were still inside. That was all I had left. My father comforted us by
saying that the house could be built and the things inside could be bought.
Mother is all right and that is the most important thing, he said. That is why May 25 is
a day I will never forget.
Sample Essay 15
The Dong Festival
Chinese celebrate thanksgiving on 22nd December for the Dong Festival. It is the day of
merriment, feasting and giving thanks. It is also a day for setting out hopes for the coming
year and for ancestor worship.
In ancient times, according to tradition, the Emperor had to fast on the eve of
Dong to prepare for the ceremonial rituals and ancestor worship, which was carried out on the
Altar of Heaven in Beijing. On the day itself, the Emperor would offer sacrifices at the Temple
of Heaven. If the day was dry and clear, the coming year would be peaceful.
Dong is a family celebration with a family dinner for those who live nearby or are free
to come. Prayers are offered at the family altar. The day is marked by the preparation of tong
yuen, a dish of glutinous rice flour balls in syrup. The process involved the making of ground
glutinous powder into dough. Then, half of the dough would be coloured red and the rest left
white. The roundness of the balls symbolizes family co-operation and union. Usually there
would be twelve larger white balls symbolizing the number of months of the year. The rice
balls would be boiled until they are cooked. Everyone must eat at least one such ball to
indicate that one is a year older.
I can recall those early years when I helped to make the rice balls. It was a fun activity
when we would compete to see who could roll the roundest and the most number of balls.
Mother would be the judge and give a reward to the winner. When she had enough of the rice
balls, we were allowed to shape the balance into any shape we like. They would also be
boiled and we would eat our own creations.
Nowadays, Dong is not celebrated like it should be. The balls with fillings can be
bought ready-made. People are too busy to observe traditions and customs. It is not a public
holiday and many young people tend to forget that such a festival even exists. Moreover, no
one wants to eat tong yuen as it is tasteless and not attractive at all. We seem to have
become too sophisticated to enjoy the simple pleasures of life as a family.
Sample Essay 16
Chronicles of Rina : Mothers walk Of Life
The postman was at the door with a parcel for me. It was from my sister who was pursuing a
degree in London. I tore the packaging paper and what I had in my hand was a book that
53
traced my mothers walk of life from the day she was born up to today. There were all together
50 pages for each year of her life.
I had e-mailed all the documents, photographs and even couriered a host of other
things that I could not e-mail. She had utilized all that she needed into treasure of a moment
for Mama or Mothers Day.
The cover was a stained glass rose design of a fusion of Mamas favourite colours. As I
turned the pages, I was taken on a walk down memory lane. The first five pages showed her
entry into this world, her birth certificate, photos of birthdays, rides, swim and cries.
The next few pages illustrated her years in kindergarten, the concerts and her
graduation photograph. She capped with her mortal board and holding a scroll which had a
toothy grin.
Her thirteen years in primary and secondary school were written in pictures. There are
sports activities, bicycle rides, school excursions, science projects of pressed flowers and
leaves as well as candid photographs of her teenaged peer activities.
She next left to pursue tertiary education in Kuala Lumpur where she met Papa. I
managed to find photos of them together culminating in their wedding ceremony. She was
splendid in her wedding attire, so was Papa in his Malay suit.
She started a teaching career and I followed her posting to the interior of Pahang.
Being young and inexperienced, she enjoyed in her work which we read about in her letters.
These letters were to her family, relatives and friends.
Then we came on the scene, the five of us, commencing with my eldest brother and
wnding with me. She has her favourite photographs and Lia knew just the one each of us to
include in the chronicles of events.
Next were photographs of Rahims graduation with our proud parents. It was followed
immediately by Rahmahs entry to the medical profession and Rahmans setting up his
accountancy firm. Then, came photographs of Papa and Mamas pilgrimage to Mecca with
Opah and Atuk. The serene looks on their faces were crystal clear to us. The children
sponsored Mama and Papas first overseas tour of Western world. Although we stayed home,
we were the armchair travelers when they showed us the candid shots of their tour.
The last page of the never-ending Saga was the celebration of the 25 th wedding
anniversary of Papa and Mama. It was a joyous occasion for everyone and the emotional
outpourings could been on their faces and heard in the recording made on the CD.
The souvenir ended with the words, the saga continues- Happy Mothers day! and to
accompany it was another CD with messages from all her five children. I closed the book,
wrapped it up with batik cloth, tied it up with ribbon, largely written with the words, WE LOVE
YOU.
54
ESSAYS TAKEN FROM GREAT STORY FOR GREAT SCORE (GS4GS)

ESSAY 1:
POSSIBLE QUESTIONS:
1. Shopping
2. Change
3. A memorable gift
4. Write a story beginning with, I have all the money in the world but.....
5. Love
6. Family
7. Describe an incident that changes your life.
Source:
http://nicefun.net/very-touching-storyon-the-last-day-before-christmas-vt6281.html
On the last day before Christmas, I hurried to go to the supermarket to buy the remaining of
the gift I didn't manage to buy earlier. When I saw all the people there, I started to complain
55
to myself," It is going to take forever here and I still have so many other places to go.
Christmas really is getting more and more annoying every year. How I wish I could just lie
down, go to sleep and only wake up after it..." Nonetheless, I made my way to the toy section,
and there I started to curse the prices, wondering if after all kids really play with such
expensive toys.
While looking in the toy section, I noticed a small boy of about 5 years old, pressing a doll
against his chest. He kept on touching the hair of the doll and looked so sad. I wondered who
was this doll for. Then the little boy turned to the old woman next to him, "Granny, are you
sure I don't have enough money?"
The old lady replied, "You know that you don't have enough money to buy this doll, my dear."
Then she asked him to stay here for 5 minutes while she went to look around. She left quickly.
The little boy was still holding the doll in his hand.
Finally, I started to walk toward him and I asked him who did he want to give this doll to. "It is
the doll that my sister loved most and wanted so much for this Christmas. She was so sure
that Santa Claus would bring it to her." I replied to him that maybe Santa Claus will bring it to
her, after all, and not to worry. But he replied to me sadly. " No, Santa Claus cannot bring it to
her where she is now. I have to give the doll to my mother so that she can give it to her
when she goes there." His eyes were so sad while saying this. "My sister has gone to be
with God. Daddy says that Mummy will also go to see God very soon, so I thought that
she could bring the doll with her to give it to my sister."
My heart nearly stopped. The little boy looked up at me and said, "I told daddy to tell mummy
not to go yet. I asked him to wait until I come back from the supermarket. " Then he showed
me a very nice photo of him where he was laughing. He then told me, "I also want mummy
to take this photo with her so that she will not forget me." I love my mummy and I wish
she doesn't have to leave me but daddy says that she has to go to be with my little sister."
Then he looked again at the doll with sad eyes, very quietly. I quickly reached for my wallet
and took a few notes and said to the boy, "What if we checked again, just in case if you
have enough money?" "Ok," he said. " I hope that I have enough." I added some of my
money to his without him seeing and we started to count it. There was enough for the doll,
and even some spare money. The little boy said, "Thank you God for giving me enough
money."Then he looked at me and added, "I asked yesterday
Before I slept for God to make sure I have enough money to buy this doll so that
mummy can give it to my sister. He heard me." " I also wanted to have enough money to
buy a white rose for my mummy, but I didn't dare to ask God too much. But He gave me
enough to buy the doll and the white rose." " You know, my mummy loves white rose."
A few minutes later, the old lady came again and I left with my trolley. I finished my
shopping in a totally different state from when I started. I couldn't get the little boy out of
my mind. Then I remembered a local newspaper article two days ago, which mentioned of a
drunk man in a truck who hit a car where there was one young lady and a little girl. The little
girl died right away, and the mother was left in a critical state. The family had to decide
whether to pull the plug on the life-assisting machine, because the young lady would not be
able to get out of the coma. Was this the family of the little boy?
Two days after this encounter with the little boy, I read in the newspaper that the young lady
56
had passed away. I couldn't stop myself and went to buy a bunch of white roses and I went to
the mortuary where the body of the young woman was exposed for people to see and make
last wish before burial. She was there, in her coffin, holding a beautiful white rose in her
hand with the photo of the little boy and the doll placed over her chest.
I left the place crying, feeling that my life had been changed forever. The love that this little
boy had for his mother and his sister is still, to that day, hard to imagine. And in a
fraction of a second, a drunk man had taken all this away from him. [913 words]
ESSAY 2:
POSSIBLE QUESTIONS:
1. Flowers
2. My regret
3. Love
4. Family
5. Describe an incident that changes your life.
6. Anger
7. Sorry
Source:
http://www.rogerknapp.com/inspire/Child.htm
I ran into a stranger as he passed by, "Oh excuse me please," was my reply. He said,
"Please excuse me too; I wasn't watching for you." We were very polite, this stranger and I.
We went on our way saying good-bye.
But at home a difference is told, How we treat our loved ones, young and old. Later that
day, cooking the evening meal, my son stood beside me very still. As I turned, I nearly
knocked him down.
"Move out of the way," I said with a frown.
He walked away, his little heart broken. I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken.
While I lay awake in bed, God's still small voice came to me and said, "While dealing with a
stranger, common courtesy you use, but the children you love, you seem to abuse.
Go and look on the kitchen floor, you'll find some flowers there by the door. Those are the
flowers he brought for you. He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue. He stood very
quietly not to spoil the surprise, and you never saw the tears that filled his little eyes." By this
time, I felt very small, and now my tears began to fall.
I quietly went and knelt by his bed, "Wake up, little one, wake up," I said. "Are these the
flowers you picked for me?" He smiled, "I found 'em, out by the tree. I picked 'em because
they're pretty like you. I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue."
I said, "Son, I'm very sorry for the way I acted today; I shouldn't have yelled at you that
way." He said, "Oh, Mom, that's okay. I love you anyway." I said, "Son, I love you too, and I
do like the flowers, especially the blue."
Are you aware that if we died tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily
57
replace us in a matter of days. But the family we left behind will feel the loss for the rest of
their lives. And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than to our own family an unwise investment indeed, don't you think? [362 words]
So what is behind the story? Do you know what the word FAMILY means?
FAMILY = (F)ATHER (A)ND (M)OTHER, (I) (L)OVE (Y)OU! [394 words]
ESSAY 3
POSSIBLE QUESTIONS:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Describe an incident that has changed your life.

Write a story beginning with, I was happy to drive my new car....
Choices of life
Time
Window
Describe a valuable lesson you learnt from someone
Source:
http://www.indianchild.com/wait_for_the_brick.htm
A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighbourhood street, going a bit
too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars
and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no children
appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door! He slammed on the brakes
and spun the Jag back to the spot from where the brick had been thrown.
He jumped out of the car, grabbed some kid and pushed him up against a parked car
shouting, "What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing?!"
Building up a head of steam he went on. That's a new car and that brick you threw is
going to cost a lot of money. Why did you do it?"
"Please, mister, please. I'm sorry, I didn't know what else to do," pleaded the youngster. "I
threw the brick because no one else would stop..." Tears were dripping down the boy's
chin as he pointed around the parked car.
"It's my brother," he said. "He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't
lift him up." Sobbing, the boy asked the executive, "Would you please help me get him back
into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me."
Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He
lifted the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and wiped
the scrapes and cuts, checking to see that everything was going to be okay. "Thank you and
may God bless you," the grateful child said to him.
The man then watched the little boy push his brother down the sidewalk toward their home. It
was a long walk back to his jaguar....a long, slow walk. He never did repair the side
58
door. He kept the dent to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to
throw a brick at you to get your attention. [347 words]
Lessons from the Mail:
"God whispers in your soul and speaks to your heart. Sometimes when you don't have time to
listen, He has to throw a brick at you. It's your choice: Listen to the whisper - or wait for the
brick."
ESSAY 4
POSSIBLE QUESTIONS:
1. Love
2. Man
3. Marriage
4. Life / realities of life
5. Body / Heart
6. Control
7. Give and take
8. Happiness
9. Write a story beginning with, I knew it was my fault. / Lisa left the house in
tears.
Source:
http://www.smsrule.com/love-stories-sms/a-girl-in-love-asked-her-boyfriendgirl.html
A girl in love asked her boyfriend.

Girl: Tell me. Who do you love most in this world?
Boy: You, of course!
Girl: In your heart, what am I to you?
The boy thought for a moment and looked intently in her eyes and said, "You are my rib. It
was said that God saw that Adam was lonely. Hence, when Adam was sleeping, God took
one of his ribs and created Eve. Ever since then, every man has been searching for his
missing rib. It is said that only when you find the woman of your life then you'll no
longer feel the lingering ache in your heart."
The girl was extremely touched at his reply. Before long, there were married. After their
wedding, the couple had a sweet and happy life for a while. However, the youthful couple
began to drift apart due to the busy schedules in their lives and the never ending
worries of daily problems. Their life became mundane. All the challenges posed by the
harsh realities of life began to gnaw away their dreams and love for each other. The couple
began to have more quarrels and each quarrel became more heated.
59
One day, after a particularly heated quarrel, the girl ran out of the house. At the opposite side
of the road, she shouted, "You don't love me!" The boy hated her childishness and out of
impulse retorted, "Maybe, it was a mistake for us to be together! You were never my
missing rib!"
Suddenly, she turned quiet and stood there for a long while. He regretted what he said but
the words spoken are like water that was thrown away, you can never take it back. With tears,
she went home to pack her things and was determined to breakup.
Before she left the house she said, "If I'm really not your missing rib, please let me go."
She continued, "It is less painful this way. Let us go on our separate ways and search for
our own partners."
Five years went by. He never remarried but he had tried to find out about her life indirectly.
She had left the country for a while but returned eventually. She had married a foreigner and
that relationship ended with a divorce. He felt anguished that she never waited for him.
In the dark and lonely night, he lit his cigarette and felt the lingering ache in his heart. He
couldn't bring himself to admit that he was missing her. One day, they finally met each other
by chance at the airport, a place where there were many reunions and goodbyes. He was
going away on a business trip. She was standing there alone. They were separated by the
security door. She smiled at him gently.
Boy: How are you?
Girl: I'm fine. How about you? Have you found your missing rib?
Boy: No.
Girl: I'll be flying to New York in the next flight.
Boy: I'll be back in 2 weeks time. Give me a call when you are back. You know my number.
Nothing has changed.
With a smile, she turned around and waved goodbye.
Goodbye...
One week later, he heard of her death. She had
perished in New York in the event that shocked the world on September 11. Once again
on another dark and lonely night, he lit his cigarette. And like before, he felt the lingering
ache in his heart. He finally knew. She was the missing rib that he had carelessly
broken. [584 words]
Sometimes, people say things out of moments of fury. More often than not, the outcome could
be disastrous and detrimental. We vent our frustrations 99% of the time at our loved ones.
And even though we know that we ought to "Think twice and act wisely", it's often easier said
than done. Many of the things which happened each day are beyond our control. Let us
treasure every moment and everyone in our lives. Tomorrow may never come. Give and
accept what you have today
ESSAY 5
60
POSSIBLE QUESTIONS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Smile
Courage
Love
Beauty
Wish / Unfulfilled wish
Write a story beginning with, I was too shy to talk to the girl. / I took out the money
from my pocket
Source:
http://www.inspirationallane.com/SadLoveStories3.htm
A boy walked into a CD store and saw a girl behind the counter. She smiled and he
thought it was the most beautiful smile he has ever seen before and wanted to kiss her right
there. He said "Uh... Yeah... Umm... I would like to buy a CD." He picked one out and gave
her money for it.
"Would you like me to wrap it for you?" she asked, displaying her cute smile again. He
nodded and she went to the back. She came back with the wrapped CD and gave it to him.
He took it and walked out of the store. He went home and from then on, he went to that
store everyday and bought a CD and she will have it wrapped for him. He took the CDs
home and put them in his closet. He was still too shy to ask her out and he really wanted to
but he couldn't. His mother found out about this and told him to just ask her out.
So the next day, he summoned all his courage and went to the store. He bought a CD like
he did everyday and once again she went to the back of the store and came back with it
wrapped. He took it and when she wasn't looking, he left his phone number on the desk
and ran out...
!!!RIING!!! The mother picked up the phone and said, "Hello?" It was the girl!!! She asked for
the boy and the mother started to cry and said, "Don't you know? He passed away
yesterday..." The line was quiet except for the cries of the boy's mother.
Later in the day, the mother went into the boy's room because she wanted to remember
him. She thought she would start by looking at his clothes. Hence, she opened the closet.
She came face to face with piles and piles of wrapped CDs. She was surprised to find all
those CDs and she picked one up and sat down on the bed. She started to open the
wrapped CD.
Inside, there was a CD and as she took it out of the wrapper, out fell a piece of paper. The
mother picked it up and read it. It said, Hi... I think you are really cute. Do you want to go
out with me? Love, Jacelyn.
The mother opened another CD. Again there was a piece of paper. It said, Hi... I think you
are really cute. Do you want to go out with me? Love, Jacelyn. [423 words]
61
ESSAY 6
POSSIBLE QUESTIONS:
1. Write a story beginning with, You must believe in yourself / Nothing was
impossible in this world.
2. Dark
3. Reality of life
4. Confidence
5. A test of love / Power of love
6. Loyalty
7. Senses
8. Practice makes perfect
9. Lucky / Luck
Source:
http://www.spiritual-short-stories.com/spiritual-short-story-62-The+Blind+Bus+Passenger.html
The passengers on the bus watched sympathetically as the attractive young woman with
the white cane made her way carefully up the steps. She paid the driver and, using her
hands to feel the location of the seats, walked down the aisle and found the seat he'd told her
was empty. Then she settled in, placed her briefcase on her lap and rested her cane against
her leg.
It had been a year since Susan, 34, became blind. Due to a medical misdiagnosis she
had been rendered sightless, and she was suddenly thrown into a world of darkness, anger,
frustration and self-pity. And all she had to cling to was her husband, Mark.
Mark was an Air Force officer and he loved Susan with all his heart. When she first lost her
sight, he watched her sink into despair and was determined to help his wife gain the
strength and confidence she needed to become independent again.
Finally, Susan felt ready to return to her job, but how would she get there? She used to
take the bus, but was now too frightened to get around the city by herself. Mark volunteered
to drive her to work each day, even though they worked at opposite ends of the city. At
first, this comforted Susan, and fulfilled Mark's need to protect his sightless wife who was so
insecure about performing the slightest task.
Soon, however, Mark realized the arrangement wasn't working. Susan is going to have to
start taking the bus again, he admitted to himself. But she was still so fragile, so angry - how
would she react? Just as he predicted, Susan was horrified at the idea of taking the bus
again. "I'm blind!", she responded bitterly. "How am I supposed to know where I am going? I
feel like you're abandoning me."
Mark's heart broke to hear these words, but he knew what had to be done. He promised
Susan that each morning and evening he would ride the bus with her, for as long as it
took, until she got the hang of it. And that is exactly what happened. For two solid weeks,
Mark, military uniform and all, accompanied Susan to and from work each day.
He taught her how to rely on her other senses, specifically her hearing, to determine
where she was and how to adapt to her new environment. He helped her befriend the bus
drivers who could watch out for her, and save her a seat.
62
Finally, Susan decided that she was ready to try the trip on her own. Monday morning
arrived, and before she left, she threw her arms around Mark, her temporary bus-riding
companion, her husband, and her best friend. Her eyes filled with tears of gratitude for his
loyalty, his patience, And his love. She said good-bye, and for the first time, they went their
separate ways. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday... Each day on her own went
perfectly, and Susan had never felt better. She was doing it! She was going to work all by
herself.
On Friday morning, Susan took the bus to work as usual. As she was paying the fare to exit
the bus, the driver said, "Boy, I sure do envy you." Susan wasn't sure if the driver was
speaking to her or not. After all, who on earth would ever envy a blind woman who had
struggled just to find the courage to live for the past year? Curious, she asked the driver,
"Why do you say that you envy me?"
The driver responded, "It must feel good to be taken care of and protected like you are."
Susan had no idea what the driver was talking about, and again asked, "What do you mean?"
The driver answered, "You know, every morning for the past week, a fine-looking
gentleman in a military uniform has been
standing across the corner watching you as
you get off the bus. He makes sure you cross the street safely and he watches until
you enter your office building.
Then he blows you a kiss, gives you a little salute and walks away. You are one lucky
lady." Tears of happiness poured down Susan's cheeks. For although she couldn't physically
see him, she had always felt Mark's presence. She was lucky, so lucky, for he had given her a
gift more powerful than sight, a gift she didn't need to see to believe - the gift of love that can
bring light where there is darkness. [748 words]
ESSAY 7:
POSSIBLE QUESTIONS:
1. The power of love / Endless love / Unconditional love
2. Hospital / A visit to a hospital
3. Marriage
4. Describe a married couple whom you admire
5. My best gift (my marriage is the best gift)
Source:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/gavon/the-tragic-inspiring-story-of-cancer-patients-in
Rodney Conradi and Lynse Rainford met in 2010 at the Ronald McDonald House in
Seattle while they were both being treated for cancer. Rodney, 19, had Ewing's sarcoma, a
rare form of cancer that causes bone tumors. Lynse, 20, had leukemia, the cancer of blood
cells. "He acted, like, goofy all the time," said Lynsie of Rodney. "He didn't really care what
other people thought at all. That's what I liked the most probably. He just didn't care what
other people thought."
Rodney and Lynse began dating in 2011. Lynse had finished her chemo and was in
remission. Rodney appeared to be turning a corner. "We talked about moving in together and
63
just having a normal life finally," said Lynsie. "Pretty much through our whole relationship
one of us has been sick or we've both been sick. We never really had a normal
relationship."
Rodney's cancer returned in late 2011, more severe than ever. He was admitted to the
Yakima Valley Hospital for aggressive treatment. It was becoming evident, however, that
Rodney didn't have much time. On Valentine's Day of 2012, despite being in agony and
with the bones in his legs devoured by cancer, Rodney got down on one knee and proposed.
"He was really, really sick, and he was puking," said Lynsie. "That's what made it special;
even though he was really sick, he still wanted to do it right."
Rodney's condition continued to deteriorate. Time was of the essence. Two days after
Rodney proposed to Lynsie, on February 16th, 2012, they were married in the basement
of the Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital. Rodney, barely able to stand, walked down the
makeshift aisle with his I.V. bag. "He had a goal: 'I'm going to marry that girl before I die," said
Rodney's father, Kirk Conradi. "She's the love of my life. She's my soul mate.'"
Later that night, Rodney's pain became unbearable. Doctors sedated him to help him
cope. Although he was mostly unconscious in the days and weeks that followed, he had
moments of lucidity in which he would recall his improbable wedding. "He kept saying, 'That's
the best day of my life,'" said Kirk Conradi.
On March 11th, 2012, Rodney Conradi died. He was 21-years-old. He was surrounded by
his family and his wife whom he had married less than a month before, Lynsie. "It was
what they wanted and nothing was going to stop them, no matter how painful it was," said
Emily Conradi, Rodney's sister. "The power of love was enough to get through."
"It was the best wedding I could ask for," Lynsie said. "Magical, kind of."
[432 words]
ESSAYS TAKEN FROM MyMy-Q Technique

ESSAY 1: INTERNET / COMPUTER
My name is Brahim. I am 17 years old. I am a form five student. I like to eat pizza, burger,
chicken chop and chicken rice. I like to drink apple juice. My hobbies are playing football and
reading novels. [40 words]
I have many friends. They are Boon, Vince, Ganesh and Hanif. I like them. My friends also
like me. We always study together. Boon is handsome. Vince is rich. He has a lot of money.
Ganesh and Hanif are very smart. [41 words]
My friends and I love internet. We like internet very much. I have a computer at home. I have
an old computer. I have a second hand computer. Boon and Ganesh do not have a computer
at home. [38 words]
Internet is very good. I get new friends from internet. I get new friends from London, New York
and Tokyo. My new friends are Rachel, David and Kawasaki. I like my new friends. My new
friends also like me. They also like Malaysia. [43 words]
64
I can see many pictures in the internet. I can see beautiful pictures. The pictures have many
colours. I always print the pictures. Some pictures are big. Some pictures are small. I cut the
beautiful pictures. I put the pictures in my album. [43 words]
Boon and Ganesh always come to my house. We surf the internet together. Boon and I like to
get information about science. We love science. We also love our science teacher. Ganesh
does not like science. Ganesh likes to get information about animals. He loves animals.
Ganesh likes to know about snakes, tigers and birds. [55 words]
Sometimes, we go to Vinces house. Vince has a new computer. He has a very good
computer. We will surf the internet together. We love to surf the internet. [29 words]
[TOTAL: 289 WORDS]
ESSAY 2: DESCRIBE AN INTERESTING DAY IN SCHOOL
My name is Meena. I am 16 years old. I am a form four students. I have a happy family. My
father is a teacher. He is a good teacher. My mother is a doctor. She is a very good doctor. I
love my father and my mother. [48 words]
I study at SMK Pillus. My school is a famous school. My school is very big. I like my school.
My school is also very beautiful. All students like SMK Pillus. I like my classmates. I also like
my teachers. I like Mr. Hassan, Mr. Ching, Ms. Jane and Mdm. Bibi. [51 words]
Yesterday was an interesting day in school. It was Teachers Day. I love Teachers Day. All
teachers were very happy. All students were also very happy. Teachers Day was a special
day in my school. We had a special programme yesterday. [41 words]
Lim, Bala, Nasir and I played football with our class teacher. Our class teacher was a
handsome man. He was a very good teacher. Our class teacher was very happy. We were
also very happy. We played football at the school field. After playing football, we played
badminton. [48 words]
At 11.00 am, we went to the school hall. My school hall was big. The school hall was also
beautiful. All students were happy. It was a special day. Many teachers sang songs. Our
principal sang a rock song. He was very good. All students liked him. [47 words]
Yesterday was a very interesting day to me. I love Teachers Day. [12 words]
[TOTAL: 247 WORDS]
ESSAY 3: DESCRIBE YOUR LIFE AS A STUDENT
My name is Siva. I am 15 years old. I like to eat. I like to eat pizza, fries, burger and chicken
nuggets. I also love to play games. I play on-line games. I play on-line games after school. I
do not like to play football but I like to play badminton. [52 words]
65
I study at SMK Jertih. I am in 3 Gagah. I love my class. My class is clean. All my friends are
very good. They are smart. They like to do homework. I also like to do homework. My friends
and I study hard for our tests and examinations. [49 words]
I am a smart student. I always get an A for all my subjects. I am very happy. My parents are
also very happy. I love three subjects. I love Mathematics, Science and English. I like all my
teachers. My teachers are very good. [44 words]
I pay attention in class. I do not talk in class. I keep quiet when a teacher is teaching in class.
I read many books. I read all books. I love to read Mathematics, Science and English books.
My father buys many books for me. [45 words]
I go home at 3.00 pm. I go home by bus. I do my homework at home. I like to do homework.
After doing homework, I relax by watching television. I like to watch television. I love cartoons.
I love Mickey Mouse. I also love Peter Pan. [47 words]
At 6.00 pm, I play football with my friends. I like football. I play football with Farid, Yusof,
Maniam and Boon. I am a good football player. Boon is also a good football player. At night, I
go for tuition. My tuition centre is very famous. I like Mr. Gan, the tuition teacher. [53 words]
I sleep at 11.00 pm. Before I sleep, I read my novel. Sometimes, I listen to the radio. [18
words]
[TOTAL: 308 WORDS]
ESSAY 4: FAMILY
My name is Fifi. I am a beautiful girl. Many people say I am very beautiful. I am 17 years old. I
am a form five student. I am in 5 Mesra class. Many boys in my school like me but I do not
like them. I like one boy in 5 Maju. He is not handsome but he is very rich. [62 words]
I have a happy family. My father is Mahmud bin Majid. He is 48 years old. He is a
businessman. He has a restaurant and a car workshop. My mother is Naimah binti Borhan.
She is 44 years old. She is very beautiful. My mother is a teacher. [44 words]
I love my family. I love my father. I also love my mother. I love my brother and sisters. My
brother is a USM student. He is very kind. He is a clever student. My sisters are in Form 1
and Form 3. They are also beautiful. They are smart students. [51 words]
I love to cook with my family. I love to cook chicken rice. All my family members love chicken
rice. I do not know how to cook chicken rice but my mother teaches me how to do it. It is easy
to cook chicken rice. My father loves my chicken rice [51 words].
66
My family also loves picnic. We like to have picnic at Pantai Ceria. Pantai Ceria is a beautiful
beach. We love sea. We love the blue sky. We love to play volleyball on the beach. When we
go for a picnic, my mother and I will cook some foods. We cook some foods [49 words].
My family and I love to watch television together. We like to watch Malay drama. I love
Rosham Nor. My father likes Lisa Surihani. He said Lisa is very beautiful. My mother does not
like Lisa Surihani. My mother says she is more beautiful than Lisa Surihani. [43 words]
My family likes to do many things together. I love my family very much. [14 words]
[TOTAL: 314 WORDS]
ESSAY 5: DESCRIBE A LEADER THAT YOU RESPECT

My name is Bieber bin Badol. I am 17 years old. I am a form five student. My friends call me
B.Bieber. I am a very famous student in my school. I am famous because of my name. Many
girls like me. Sofia, Maya, Shasha and Nisha like me a lot. [50 words]
I have many friends. Geeta, Aidil, Izzany, Azwan and Kee are my good friends. Geeta is very
pretty. Aidil and Izzany love football. They play football in the school team. Azwan is a very
hardworking and smart boy. Kee is the Head Prefect. [43 words]
Kee is a good leader. I respect Kee. Many students like Kee. All teachers also like Kee.
Teachers also respect Kee. Kee likes to help people. Kee helps all girls and all boys. If
students have problems, they go to Kee. [41 words]
Kee helps all students. Kee helps Malay, Chinese and Indian students. Kee helps form one
students. Kee also helps form 5 students. Kee gives them some money if he has some extra
pocket money. All students respect Kee. [38 words]
Last week, Kee helped Husin, Bablu and Hani. He gave them RM300.00. He helped them to
buy books. He bought Science, Mathematics and English books for them. Kee bought twenty
books. Husin, Bablu and Hani were very happy. [38 words]
To me, Kee is a very good leader. I respect Kee. I know many students also respect Kee. [18
words]
[TOTAL: 228 WORDS]
ESSAY 6: SHOPPING
My name is Joe. I am 15 years old. I study at SMK Jaya. My school is very big. It is also very
famous. My school is one of the best schools in my district. I am in Form 3. I am very
handsome. I am more handsome than Justin Bieber. Many girls like me but I only like one girl.
She is my class monitor, Selena binti Gommeng. [69 words]
I have a happy family. My father is a doctor. He is a good doctor. His name is Majid Rock. He
is also handsome. My mother is a teacher. She is a good English teacher. We stay at Taman
67
Kenangan. Our house is big. My house has five rooms. I have a big room. I have two brothers
and three sisters. One of my brothers is also a doctor. I am the youngest in my family. [76
words]
Last week, my family and I went to a shopping complex. We went to Maju Shopping Complex.
It was a new shopping complex. The complex was very big. There were many people. We
went there on Monday. It was a public holiday. My mother and sisters loved shopping very
much. My mother bought new clothes for her. My sisters bought magazines and novels. [63
words]
My father also liked shopping. He bought a new car shampoo. It was cheap. The car
shampoo was only RM6.99 per bottle. I did not know what to buy. I just walked around the
shopping complex. The new shopping complex was very beautiful. I liked the place a lot. After
one hour, I felt tired. My father asked me to sit down on a chair. I relaxed for twenty minutes.
[70 words]
Before we went home, my mother went to a boutique. She looked at all the clothes there. She
loved the beautiful clothes. My father was angry with my mother because she could not stop
shopping. My father did not have enough money. My mother asked my father to use his credit
card. However, my father did not want to use his credit card. Finally, I told my mother that she
must stop shopping. It was time to go home. [79 words]
At 7.00 pm, we went home. I did not buy anything. However, I was very happy to go out with
my family. My mother said she would go shopping again alone. She wanted to spend
RM1000.00. She really loved shopping. [40 words]
TOTAL [397 WORDS]
ESSAY 7: DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE ATTENDING A LANGUAGE CAMP.

My name is Jehan Kaayaa. I am a smart student at SMK Kadok. I am a Form Five student. I
always get a very good result in my examination. I always get all As for all my subjects. I
always score 100 marks for English and Mathematics. Many teachers like me but I do not like
my teachers. I do not like my English teacher. [65 words]
I have many friends. They are Boboi, Yaya, Gopal and Ying. We are very close. We like to
spend time together. We always study together. I like to study at Yings house. Her house is
big and clean. Sometimes, we study at Gopals house. His house is small and dirty. I do not
like to study at Gopals house. I also do not like my friends to come to my house because my
house is also small and dirty. [79 words]
Last week, Boboi, Yaya, Gopal, Ying and I joined our school language camp. The camp was
held at a two-star hotel in Ipoh. We did not have to pay anything. Everything was sponsored.
There were ten groups. I was in Group 10. The members in my group came from different
classes. But all of us were form 5 students. [59 words]
68
Seri, from Class 5 Permai, was our group leader. Seri was a very pretty girl. I liked her so
much. I knew the other boys also liked Seri. We named our group Seri Bombastic. In the first
activity, we created our groups logo, motto and song. When we presented our song,
everybody liked it. [54 words]
On the second day, we had many language games. We had spelling competition, vocabulary
game, drama and many other games. Our group won the drama competition. We presented a
very good drama. We presented a story about a princess who fell in love with a fisherman.
Seri played the role of a princess and of course I was the poor but handsome fisherman. The
activities went on until 10.00 p.m. We were very tired but enjoyed ourselves a lot. [79 words]
On the third day we had a jungle trekking in a forest nearby the hotel. We had to climb hills.
We also had to answer many difficult questions. It was very challenging. Seri was not feeling
well. She could not walk fast. I had to walk slowly. I did not want Seri to be alone. Finally, we
reached our destination. Seri smiled at me. She gave me her photo and thanked me. [72
words]
I was very happy. Seri was happy too. After the language camp, Seri and I got closer. We
planned to join the language camp again next year. [27 words]
TOTAL [435 WORDS]
ESSAY 8: A VISIT TO A HOSPITAL

I am the most handsome boy in class. I look like the hero of Hindi movies. I am very happy
with my good look. My friends call me Alif the Handsome Hero. I have a girlfriend. She is very
beautiful. She is beautiful like Miss World. No, I think she is more beautiful than Miss World. I
call her Peah the Bomb! [62 words]
I have a handsome father. My father looks like Shahrukh Khan. Shahrukh Khan is a very
famous Hindi superstar. My father is 49 years old. He is a businessman. He has six
restaurants. His restaurants are very famous. Many people like to eat at his restaurants. [46
words]
Yesterday, I followed my handsome and caring father to visit my uncle at a hospital. We left
home at about 5.00 p.m. and reached the hospital at 6.15 p.m. The hospital was a new
hospital. It was opened two months ago. It was clean and big. There were many people at the
hospital. [53 words]
69
My uncle was also handsome. He was more handsome than my father but I was more
handsome than my uncle. In short, I was the most handsome man. I was happy to be the
most handsome man in the family. My uncle was a chronic diabetic. He was in the hospital
because his sugar level was very high. [58 words]
My uncles ward was at the second floor. The lift was very big and fast. I saw a nurse in the
lift. The nurse was my mothers old friend. She talked to my father. She told us that my uncle
was doing alright. After talking to the nurse, my father and I went to Room 515. My uncle was
very happy to see my father and me. [67 words]
There was a young doctor. The doctor said that my uncle was getting better and he could go
home soon. My father talked to my uncle for one hour. I felt bored so I went out of the room. I
went to level one. I saw a young nurse. She smiled at me. I smiled at her. She looked like
Seri, my girlfriend. [63 words]
Then, I went to the hospital caf. The caf was not big but clean. I saw the young nurse
again. She smiled at me again. The young nurse came to my table. I smiled at her. I did not
know what to say. I ate my fried rice quickly. After that I ate my burger. Later, I ate another
plate of fried rice. I did not say anything to the young nurse. [72 words]
Suddenly, the young nurse stood up and left me. She still smiled. I quickly went to Room 515.
My father was waiting for me. I said goodbye to my uncle. Then, my father and I went home. I
could not forget the young nurse. [44 words]
TOTAL [465 WORDS]
ESSAY 9: MY FAVOURITE RESTAURANT
My name is Naomi. Now, I am a college student. When I was in school, I was an average girl.
I was not so smart but I was also not stupid. I always passed in all subjects but I did not get A
for all subjects. When I was in Form 3 I only scored 4As and 3 Bs in my PMR examination. I
was happy with my result. However, my parents were not happy with my result. They told me
to study hard. I told them I would not give up. [92 words]
When I was in Form 4 I befriended Liza, Muna and Kim. Liza was very hardworking. Muna
was a clever girl. Kim was as clever as Muna. I liked them very much because they always
helped me in my studies. We always studied together. When we were in Form 5, we always
studied together in the school library after school. Sometimes, I would go to Kims house to
study. After some time, my result improved. [75 words]
Last year, I got 5A+, 1A and 3 B+ in my SPM. I was very happy. My parents were happy too.
That night, my father took me and all my family members to my favourite restaurant, Bamboo
Restaurant. It was only five kilometres from my house. The restaurant was opened three
70
years ago. I liked the restaurant very much because it offered Malay, Thai and western foods.
[67 words]
When we arrived at the restaurant, I saw many people. My father took some time to park his
car. My family and I walked to a room which my father booked for us. The room was quite big.
When I opened the door, I saw my uncle, my grandmother and my classmates. They smiled
at me. They were happy. I was really surprised to see my boyfriend with his parents too! [71
words]
I kissed my mother and I thanked her. I liked the party very much. At 8.45 pm, we were ready
for dinner. I sat beside Aaron, my boyfriend. He smiled at me. I smiled at him. We looked at
each other for some time. My father ordered my most favourite food chicken chop with
black pepper sauce. We also had chicken soup, pizza and fried rice. I loved all the foods very
much. To me, the restaurant had the best chicken chop in town. [84 words]
My friends also liked the foods at the restaurant. After dinner, y cousins sang a Justin Biebers
song for me. We had so much fun at the restaurant. It was really a memorable night. [34
words]
TOTAL [423 words]
ESSAY 10: SOMEONE THAT I LIKE

I am Mamat Kelaboo. I am 24 years old. I am from Kuala Nerang, Kedah. Some people say I
look like Saheizy Sam. Maybe they are right. Some other people say I look like Zizan Raja
Lawak. I do not know who are right. I do not want to be Saheizy Sam or Zizan Raja Lawak. I
only want to be myself. I only want to be Mamat Kelaboo. [69 words]
I came to Kuala Lumpur last year. I started working as a dispatch boy at an international
company ten months ago. I have some new friends in Kuala Lumpur. My friends are Babu,
Kishen, Babe and Vee. Babu is my housemate. We stay at a flat in Cheras. He is a very kind
man. He always helps me. Babe and Vee are my friends at the office. [67 words]
Babe is very beautiful. Babe is more beautiful than Vee. Babe is a caring woman. Babe
always helps me with my work. I always have lunch with Babe. I think Babe likes me. I have
a problem. I know Babe likes me but I do not like Babe. I do not know how to tell her that I like
Vee. [60 words]
71
Vee is special. Yes, Vee is not a very beautiful girl but I like her very much. I like to see her
smile. Her smile is very sweet. Vee is very caring. Vee always calls me every night. Vee
always makes sure I eat and rest well. When I have headache, Vee will give me Panadol.
Sometimes, Vee cries when she knows I have headache. [64 words]
Vee is someone that I like. I think I want to marry her. I know she also wants to marry me. I
think I am in love. I am sure I am in love because I will miss Vee when I do not see her for
one day. I know we are more than friends because I will miss her voice if she does not call
me. [67 words]
I know it is not easy to marry Vee, someone that I like and love very much. I know I have to
work hard. I know I will need a lot of money to marry her. However, I promise to work hard
and save as much money as I can. Then, Vee will be mine. [55 words]
TOTAL [382 WORDS]
ESSAYS TAKEN FROM FINAL LEAP MODULE 2010

(1)
A Dream/ An Unexpected Visitor/Home Alone
The doorbell rang loudly. It rang again almost immediately. The sound was asking for
attention, but little Ramya hardly heard it. She was watching a funny cartoon. Reluctantly
Ramya dragged herself to the door. Her right hand touched the knob and she found herself
opening the door.
Suddenly she remembered her mothers strict instructions. Never open the door before
you see who is outside through the keyhole. It was too late. The door was pushed open and a
strange man rushed into the room. She stepped away. The man looked weird as he had very
big ears like those of an elephant. On his head he had only one eye instead of two. His neck
was very long. He was only a little taller than Ramya. Ramya realised he was an alien. She
also suddenly remembered she was alone at home. What was she to do now? She wished
she had been more careful and looked through the key-hole before opening the door.
72
The bell was ringing again, more insistently. Someone was also banging on the door.
The person outside was losing her patience. Ramya woke up with a start at the ringing of the
bell. She had been sleeping on the couch watching television. She hobbled to the door. She
saw through the keyhole. It was her mother. Ramya opened the door. What a relief. It had all
been a dream
(2)
An Interesting Person I Once Met / Never give up / Perseverance/A person who has
influenced/changed me/ Write a story ending with He made a difference in my life
During the last school holidays, I often went out for walks at the beach. It was there that
I met an interesting person.
He was sitting under a coconut tree. His gaze was fixed on something far away. He was
hardly aware of my approach. But, when I was about two metres away from him, he turned
and greeted me with a toothless smile. I guessed he must be in his early 70s. He was
cheerful and friendly as I talked to him.
During our conversation, he told me certain parts of his personal history. He had been
a fisherman all his life. In fact, he started learning the trade ever since he was a young boy of
thirteen when he helped his father to earn a living. It had been a very tough life at sea, getting
up as early as two or three in the morning to go out fishing.
Then with a twinkle in his eyes, he began to relate to me some of his adventures at
sea. Once, during a storm, his boat was smashed up. He managed to cling onto a piece of
plank for one day and one night. Then he was finally rescued by a passing boat. Another time,
he came face to face with a hungry shark in the rough sea. He had fallen into the water from
his boat but he managed to escape death when a friend in another fishing boat helped him
out of the water in time.
Here was a humble man who had come through life with a smile in spite of its many
dangers and hardships. Since then I decide to face life bravely.
(3)
A Frightful Experience / A Scary Day
One day, as I was returning home late from school at about 7.30pm, I was shocked to
discover a group of rough-looking boys following me.
As I quickened my steps, one of them, apparently the leader stopped me. He ordered
me to surrender my watch and my wallet. At first I resisted. When he threatened to cause
me harm, I quickly handed over the items. I felt frightened and, at the same time, mad
because I had to part with my possessions. They laughed and made their way to a coffee
shop nearby while I was left by the road feeling angry.
At first I wanted to report the incident to the police but later, I decided against it and
went straight home. I told my parents about it and they concluded that it was unsafe for me to
73
walk alone. They then arranged for me to go in my neighbours car and that solved the
problem.
(4)
An Idea/ A dream / Ambition / Motivation/ Never give up / Success / Future plan
Everyone has a dream but Bens dream made him successful.
When Ben was in his final year in school, he had an idea to sell something. He wanted
to sell toys but he had no money. He talked to his parents and they agreed to lend him
RM5000 to start his business. His mother said, When you see someone who has a dream
and a great idea, you dont want to stop him.
His business in toys turned out to be a success. Ben started by selling a few types of
toys he bought from a factory in China. His sales were good. He made a lot of trips to China
to learn how toys were made. He learnt very quickly.
Later, he designed and manufactured his own toys. The sales of his products
increased very fast. Two things motivated him: a lot of money and no money. He knew that
without money he could not run his business well so he worked very hard.He had the
confidence and was not afraid of failing.
To make his sales even better, he kept on coming up with new ideas and products.
People liked his new products.
Ben now has three factories operating in the country. When interviewed, he said he
wanted to start another factory in the south. He said, There are so many people and I have
so many ideas.
Hint for teachers: Essays can be modified to suit the title Future Plan by changing the
past tense to future tense.
(5)
A Dishonest Friend/ My Friend Cheated Me/ Dishonesty
Would your friend cheat you? Nobody would believe me when I told them that my best
friend had cheated me. I could not believe it myself at first. How could someone who had
been so close to me for so many years just turned around and cheated me of my life savings?
I should not have believed him in the first place he and his get-rich-quick scheme,
which promised a guaranteed return of 100% of the sum invested. How could any company
afford to give out so much money in so short a time?
Well, he was very persuasive and not only that he came up with an attractive story
and managed to get me to lend him almost RM25 000. He said he would repay within three
months. I was a fool to believe him.
Later I heard that he had migrated to Brunei to find his fortune there. It seemed he had
swindled money from other people and the company that he worked in. Once I saw him
unexpectedly inside a supermarket. He actually pretended not to know me. I tried to chase
him but he disappeared into the crowd. I was very disappointed.
74
Many of my other friends have told me to forget about the whole thing. But I still
believe that one day he would be caught. This is a lesson I learnt, that is, do not trust people
too easily.
(6)
An Unfortunate Day / An Unlucky Day / An Unforgettable Experience / A Bad Day
It was the first day of examination for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia. It was the Bahasa
Melayu paper so Norma took her revision notes and left for school earlier than usual. As she
was cycling, she remembered her parents advice to read the questions carefully before
answering. The examination was going to start at eight in the morning and it was already
7.15am. She felt nervous at the thought of the examination so she started to hum her
favourite songs.
After about five minutes, she heard a loud gushing sound out of the tyre. She quickly
stopped cycling and looked at the tyres. The back tyre was flat. Norma panicked. She looked
around but there was nobody. The mechanic shop which was about 100 metres away was still
close. Immediately she locked the bicycle under a tree and started to run home. She was
hoping her parents would still be at home to take her to school.
When she reached home, she was disappointed because her parents had already left
for work. She was frustrated and sad. It was already 7.40am. She started to run to the
nearest bus stop for the public bus. As she was running, she heard someone honking at her.
When she turned around, she saw her parents in their car. She was relieved to see them.
She jumped into the car and told her parents about her bicycle and that she was late for the
examination. Her parents advised her to be calm and relaxed and that she would make it on
time. Norma was grateful to her parents because she was able to attend the examination on
time.
(7)
My Baby-Sitting Experience / An Unforgettable Experience
One day, my parents had to go off for some hours to visit a sick relative. So I was left in
charge of my baby sister. She is four years old and very mischievous.
When lunch time came, I seated her at the dining table. She spilt the food all over her
and did not want me to feed her. I had to clear up the mess and clean her up. Taking care of
her was a difficult task as she was reluctant to have her dress changed. She was also crying
all the time.
Next, she wanted to sleep. So I put her in her cot but she was restless and wanted a
drink. When she finished her drink, I thought my job was over and I could have some peace.
But, no, she wanted to listen to a story and I had to read her one until she finally fell asleep. I
then took the opportunity to watch a TV programme. Unfortunately, the noise woke her up and
she let out a cry. So I switched off the TV and carried her.
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Soon, it was time for her bath. She played in the water and splashed it all over me.
Then the soap got into her eyes and she cried so much that I could not handle her. Finally, I
picked her up and wrapped a towel around her. By then, she had stopped crying. I powdered
her and dressed her in her favourite frock. It was 3.00pm, so I put her to sleep while I lay on
the sofa with a story book and dozed off after a while. It was at that very moment that my
baby sister woke up and came down the stairs. She lost her balance, tumbled down, yelled
and screamed.
I rushed to her, picked her up and checked for any injuries. Just then, my parents
returned, much to my relief. I hope I shall not have to baby-sit as it is a tiresome and difficult
job.
(8)
A wedding/ A memorable event/ An unexpected event
Recently, I attended my aunts wedding in my hometown in Sungai Petani, Kedah. My
aunts wedding came as a surprise to every one of us. All our relatives, including my family
could not believe our ears and eyes when we heard the news and read the wedding invitation
card. The reason was we all thought she would not want to marry after all these years of
being single since she was nearly fifty years old. Anyway we were all happy for her. At least
she would not have to spend the rest of her life alone.
It was a simple wedding at my grandparents house. The wedding started at nine in the
morning. She was dressed in her pure white wedding gown and she looked radiant. The
bridegroom too looked smart and charming. He was actually my aunts former schoolmate.
They met at a reunion dinner a year ago.
My grandparents were overjoyed to see their daughter finally getting married. They had
waited for such a long time. After refreshments, it was time for the bridegroom to leave with
his newly-wedded wife to their new home. Everyone said their goodbyes and well wishes.
Tears of joy were flowing down my grandmothers cheeks. It was a touching scene and
indeed, a memorable one too. I wished the couple a blissful marriage together.
(9)
The day I cannot forget / The ending of a story ..never to speak another lie
again
The incident that I am telling here occurred on a hot Monday morning in February. I
was a Standard One student in Miss Leelas class. The problem was over in a few minutes,
but the memory of it is imprinted forever in my mind.
Miss Leela was a very strict teacher. She was infamous for her stern discipline. We were then
little children and we were kept busy all the time. If we were to lose our focus and play with
our friends, we were hit with a sharp rap on the head or knuckles with the long pointed stick
she carried. You can imagine the horror I felt when I accidentally whistled. I was only drawing
in a deep breath of air. Miss Leela turned around from the blackboard, and seeing my
expression, demanded, Jo, did you do that?
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I managed to find my voice and pointed to a boy next to me and said, No. He did it.
The boy next to me, Han, immediately stood up and said, No! I didnt But that did not help.
In a moment the stick came down and Han was sobbing pitifully. All went silent. No one dared
to speak another word.
That incident made me really guilty. Han, how I wish I could ask for your forgiveness. I
dont remember your last name, but Ill never forget your face. My sin of telling a lie stays with
me till today. That has taught me never to speak another lie again.
(10)
How I helped to catch a thief / Story with the ending What a day it had been. / An
Exciting Day / A Day at a shopping complex
It was a Friday afternoon. I was sitting at home feeling bored. Then I remembered there
was a book sale at a shopping complex close by. I decided to make a trip there.
The shopping complex was crowded when I arrived. I was making my way to the
escalator when I saw a young boy running down the escalator.. Behind him was a security
guard, chasing him and shouting, Stop! Thief!
People were pushing each other to avoid him and some ladies were screaming. Others
were staring helplessly when I decided to do something. I quickly picked up a rubbish bin and
blocked the boy. The boy knocked into the bin. The bin rolled and both the boy and the bin
crashed into me. I was knocked out. Fortunately, two men managed to catch him. I lay on the
floor numb with shock. A lady then took hold of my hand and helped me up.
The boy had tried to steal an expensive book from a bookshop. As he was walking out,
the owner tried to stop him. The boy panicked and ran out of the shop. The security guard
who saw what happened gave chase.
I learned later that the boy was handed over to the police. As for me, the shop owner
decided to reward me with a cash voucher of RM100. What a day it had been!
(11)
Honesty / A Good Deed / Mobile Phone
It was a sunny day and John was cycling home after school. As he was passing a
hawker stall, he saw a red bag on the bonnet of a car. Seeing no one around, he stopped to
look at the bag.
When John unzipped the bag, he was surprised to see an expensive mobile phone. He
had always wanted one but was unable to afford it. Without hesitation, John took the bag and
rode off in a hurry. He was glad no one had seen him.
John tried not to feel guilty as he cycled away. Upon reaching home, he rushed into
his room and looked through the bag again. He discovered the bag belonged to a foreigner.
However, John began to feel bad about taking the bag. It was not his. He should have
handed it over to the police instead of taking it. His conscience told him to go to the police
station immediately.
The police were very helpful and soon found the man who had lost his bag. Mr Louis,
a French national had left his bag on the car while buying a drink from the hawker stall. He
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was overjoyed when he heard that John had found his bag. Both the police and Mr Louis
praised John for his honesty.
(12)
An Unforgettable day / The day I got lost
I remember this unforgettable day which took place when I was about 5 years old. My
grandmother wanted to take my sister and me to town after we had shopped at the sundry
shop near home. I did not want to join them so I suggested that I would walk home on my
own. I was so convincing I could get home easily that my grandmother agreed to my
suggestion.
So my grandmother and my sister left on a trishaw for town while I walked home. After
walking for about 10 minutes, I began to feel that the way home seemed rather long and
endless. I looked out for a familiar sign or spot but there was none. It was then I realised I
was lost.
I continued walking for hours and it was way past noon when I decided to rest under a
tree. A passing trishaw man stopped to talk to me. When I told him my story, he offered to
send me home. We soon reached the residential area where I lived but I was horrified to find
that I could not recognize my own house. All the houses looked the same!
Just when the trishaw man was beginning to regret he had helped me, I heard
someone call out my name. It was my father. He was on his way out to make a report at the
police station. My family discovered that I was missing when my grandmother and sister
came back from town. My parents thought I was with them all the while!
On that day, I was lost for 7 1/2 hours. It is a day I will never forget because I dared not
imagine what would have happened to me if I had not got home.
(13)
What happened at grandfathers birthday party / My Most Embarrassing Experience
Last week was my grandfathers eightieth birthday. My family and I attended his dinner
party at a newly-opened hotel named Modern Hotel. I decided to wear my sisters high-heeled
shoes with my new dress. I wanted to look elegant. My parents advised me against wearing
the shoes as they felt that I might not be able to manage walking on the high heels. I assured
them that it would be all right.
When we reached there, I realised that it was not easy to walk on high heels. After a
short walk from the parking lot to the hotel reception, I twisted my ankle. I pretended that
nothing had happened and tried my best to walk normally. However, I had to limp to the
dinner table while holding onto my mother. Many guests looked at me with curiosity. My
cheeks burned with shame.
Finally, I was able to sit down. I was relieved and thankful. Later, I needed to go to the
washroom. I had no choice but to drag my mother along. I needed her for support as I limped
to the washroom. All eyes were on me again.
It was my most embarrassing experience. I vowed not to wear high-heeled shoes
anymore unless with much practice beforehand.
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(14)
Lost in the Jungle / Carelessness
The school holidays started two weeks ago. Hamid and Samad were getting bored.
They had nothing to do at home. They called each other and made plans to catch some
butterflies in the jungle nearby.
They started off to the jungle after lunch. When they were in the jungle they saw some
butterflies. One of them was a rare one. They were very excited and wanted to catch it. They
ran after the butterfly and were not aware of which way they took. After a while, they realised
they were lost. They could not figure the way out of the jungle.
Soon it was getting dark. They started to feel frightened. They were both hungry and
tired too. They regretted their playful actions. They knew they must be brave. Night fell. They
were so exhausted they found a tree and rested under it. As they were about to fall asleep,
they heard voices calling out their names. They immediately shouted back. Their parents and
some villagers had come to their rescue. They were so relieved and promised to be more
careful the next time.
(15)
Flash Flood / Natural Disaster
Last week, there was a flash flood in my town. It was the first time my town had turned
into a sea of muddy water. There was great chaos and confusion. Many people were affected.
Before the flash flood, there was a heavy downpour for five hours. By 4 p.m., most
parts of the town were under half metre of water. The roads were flooded and there was a
massive traffic jam. Cars could not move. Drivers who were stranded had to stay in their cars
and wait for the water to subside. People from their work places could not go home. Many of
them were wading in the water trying to get to higher ground. They were wet and cold.
Fortunately, the flash floods gradually subsided by 8 p.m. It was dark then. Traffic began to
move slowly and the police had a busy time controlling the traffic. People were able to go
home.
I will never forget the chaotic scene during those few hours.
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LITERATURE COMPONENT NOVEL

Note for teachers: It is crucial for students to present their viewpoints in their response. Their
viewpoints should allow them to be awarded a higher mark for their response.
PRACTICE 1
Using details from the novel you have studied,
describe a close relationship between two characters
explain why you would consider them to be very close
Support your answer with close reference to the text.
Guidelines
Name the novel and the author that you have chosen
Choose and write the names of two characters from the story
Describe their close relationship
Explain why you would consider them to be very close
SAMPLE Answer
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In the novel Catch Us If You Can by Catherine MacPhail, Rory McIntosh and his
grandfather share an inseparable bond.
According to Rory, they are like a double act. His father abandoned his mother and
him, so when his mother died, he was taken care of by his grandparents. The death of his
grandmother had left him with his grandfather. He called him Granda and Granda had looked
after him all his life and now it was his turn to look after Granda. However both of them were
incapable of looking after themselves because Granda was too old and sick while his
grandson was too young to shoulder the responsibility of looking after himself and his
forgetful and sometimes disorientated grandfather. Whatever the difficulties, Rory and Granda
refused to be separated. Rory argued that sending Granda to a home would kill his
grandfather and forcing him to stay in a childrens home would be unbearable. That showed
how close they were and how emotionally dependent they were on each other. I believe that
I would act the same way Rory did when it comes to this situation. This is because
nothing can replace the comfort of love and care from someone who has been together
with me through thick and thin.
Rory loved Granda so much that he was prepared to make a lot of sacrifices for the old
man. He let go the chance to be in the school football team because he needed to look after
Granda. He had to run home from school during lunch break to bring Granda lunch. On
several occasions, Granda had unwittingly lost or misplaced Rorys homework and that had
earned him the wrath of his teacher, Mrs Foley. Besides all these, he had to think of the little
precautions to take to keep Granda out of harm. Still, he did not want to part with his Granda
who would have been better off in an old folks home. Granda felt the same also. The bond
between the two was a special one. Without any doubt, I would also make any sacrifice
that is necessary to protect the ones I love. Although it is very likely for me to get
unfavourable treatment as a result of my deeds, I would not desert my loved ones.
However, events took a decisive turn when Granda accidentally caused a fire in the
kitchen of their flat. Granda was taken to hospital and then to Rachnadar, a home for the
elderly. Rory ended up in Castle Street where he met the troubled Tess and fought with her.
He was miserable there. Granda fared no better at the home. Rory felt that they had been
cheated by his social worker, Val Jessup. He plotted on the run while the police launched a
hunt for them. The news of the runway pair was everywhere on television but they managed
to evade the police with the help from sympathizers along the way. They suffered a lot of
discomfort while on the run and the old mans condition worsened but they seemed happy.
Being together has become a source of strength to them. They were finally persuaded to go
and see Rorys long-lost father, Jeff McIntosh, who had been traced to Liverpool as a result of
the publicity. But before they could do this, Jeff came for them. They ended up together again,
and this time in a flat near where Jeff and his new family lived. Jeff was finally ready to
assume responsibility for his father and his son. In my opinion, in a noble quest, I will
soldier on, no matter how hard things can be. Nothing can beat the feeling we get once
we get to enjoy the fruit of labour at the end of the journey.
Rory and Granda were inseparable. It looked as if only death could separate them.
Nothing mattered as long as they were together.
PRACTICE 2
81
Using details from the novel you have studied, write on the theme of happiness. Use
evidence from the text to support your answer.
GUIDELINES
Choose evidence from the novel which relate to the theme of happiness
State the characters
Explain what the characters do to be happy
SAMPLE ANSWER
The novel Catch Us If You Can is an interesting novel. The story has many themes. One of
the themes is happiness. Though there are sad moments, we can still see happiness enjoyed
by Rory and Granda throughout the story.
Firstly, we can see happiness at the beginning of the story. In the novel, Rory McIntosh
has been living happily with his grandfather since he was a young boy. On the surface, this
arrangement such as theirs cannot be a happy one because Granda is old and sick while he
is too young to be able to look after himself, let alone his forgetful and sometimes
disorientated grandfather. Granda would have been better off at Rachnadar, a home for the
aged where his needs will be taken care of by professionals and Rory would have been able
to lead a more normal life at Castle Street Childrens Home. But they refuse to be separated.
Despite the difficulties, they are happy together. In their own determined way, they are
guarding their right to be together and be happy. In my opinion, they deserve to enjoy
happiness and nobody should take their happiness away without valid reasons.
Secondly, the theme of happiness can be seen when Rory and Granda escape from
the authorities. After Granda causes a fire in their flat, the social worker assigned to them
takes Granda to Rachnadar while Rory goes to the Castle Street home. Rory is upset and so
is Granda. Both of them lose their happiness. Then, Rory decides to run away from the home,
rescue his Granda from Rachnadar and they would run away from all these meddling
people. They are on the run for several weeks and the television is full of news about them. A
massive search is launched for them. Ironically, while on the run, they experience some of the
happiest moments of their lives, with the help of sympathizers like Darren, Sammy and Ruby.
Then, Rab and his girlfriend, Annie help them. Personally, I believe one will experience
true happiness when one is always with the loved ones. Unexpected help from
strangers can also trigger ones happiness.
Finally, Rory and Granda experience a more meaningful happiness at the end of the
story. Their run comes to an end when Norma, Annies cousin calls the police. Alls well that
ends well when McIntoshs long-lost son, Jeff, who is also Rorys father comes for them. He is
ready to assume his responsibility as a son and father. Rory and Granda live happily at a
house near Jeffs flat. I think Rory deserves the happiness to be with his father and be
surrounded by all the individuals who love him. In life, anybody will feel that they are
blessed when they are taken care of well and loved by their loved ones.
In conclusion, Rory and Granda are basically searching for happiness whether as a
stubborn pair fiercely defending their rights to stay together in the flat in the face of
insurmountable problems or whether as runaways, oblivious to the frenzy they are causing
82
through their actions. They sincerely believe that they are looking for happiness. After all,
nothing matters as long as they are happy because life is a quest for happiness.
PRACTICE 3
The title suits the story perfectly
Using details from the novel you have studied, discuss whether you agree with the statement
above. Give reasons for your answer. Use evidence from the text to support your answer.
GUIDELINES
Read and understand the statement given
Explain how the title suits the story
Use evidence from the novel to support your answer
SAMPLE ANSWER
The title of the novel Catch Us If You Can by Catherine MacPhail is simple and
catchy that suits the novel perfectly because it captures the actions of a grandfather and a
grandson who cause a frenzy when the police launch a massive search for them. The
grandfather has run away from an old folks home he hates and the grandson has escaped
from a horrible childrens home.
The title has the semblance of a challenge to the people tracking down the pair. It
sounds cheeky, insolent and child-like and it reflects the character of the runaway pair. The
grandfather, suffering from age-related ailments can be childish and does not realize the
implications of what he has done. In his pursuit, he has caused bodily harm to a youngster
who recognizes his grandson, Rory, from the news on television and wants to turn them in.
Then, he steals a car to get away. All these can be considered criminal but he is happily
nonchalant or ignorant of all the legal implications. His grandson and accomplice, Rory, is a
child who knows no better. As I see it, these make Rory and Granda a dangerous pair as
they are willing to resort to extreme measures just to avoid being captured. As such,
catching them would be no simple task.
As I see it, the expression If You Can is not only tongue-in-cheek, but also
suggests that tracking them down can be difficult. One would think it would be easy to
catch them but it is not. Although what they are doing is unbelievably crazy, they have
earned the sympathy of many people along the way and this has helped them to evade
the police for so long. First, Darren, Rorys best friend, plans the first lap for them when he
steals his mothers caravan key for them to hide out while they think of a better plan after they
leave the homes.
Then, they meet Sammy and Ruby who offer them help as the police are closing in on
them. Next, there is Rab at the petrol station who gives them a respite and convinces them
83
that they should go and find Jeff McIntosh, Rorys father, in Liverpool because it is time for
him to do something in his whole useless life. After that, there is Annie, Rabs girlfriend, who
hands them over to her cousin, Norma. Norma finally brings the whole saga to an end when
she decides to call the police because she can see that the old man really needs medical
help. From my point of view, these prove that Rory and Granda are capable of getting help for
themselves and to a certain extent, are opportunists. I belief these traits have a significant
role in helping them elude the authorities for as long as they did.
The title suits the story perfectly because it is a story about a grandfather and a
grandson on the run. I also feel that it is a reflection of what the story is the police are
not looking for regular criminals but just two ordinary people whom the police do not
want to apprehend but to protect and keep out of harm.
PRACTICE 4
Using the details of the novel you have studied
Describe the decision made by any one character in the novel
Do you think the decision was a wise one?
Support your answer with evidence from the novel.
GUIDELINES
Name the novel and the author you have chosen.
Choose a character from the story
State the decision made by the character you have chosen.
Give your opinion whether the decision made by character you have chosen
was a wise one.
SAMPLE ANSWER
In the novel Catch Us If You Can by Catherine Mac Phail, I would choose the
decision made by Rory to run away with Granda so that they can be together. This
decision is known as The Great Escape.
Rory lived with his grandparents and his mother since young when his father
Jeff McIntosh left the family. When his mother and later his grandmother passed away,
his Granda took care of him. Rory and his Granda are very close and they have
become inseperable. When Granda becomes older, he becomes sick and his memory
begins to fails, it was Rorys turn to look after Granda. Rory prepared Grandas meals,
took him to see the doctor whenever needed and he makes sure Granda takes his
medicine on time.
However one day Granda was preparing potato chips for lunch, he accidently
burnt down the flat. He inhaled too much smoke and was admitted to the hospital. Val
Jessup, the social worker decided that Rory is incapable to take care of Granda as he
is still young and schooling. The state also decides that Granda might pose a danger to
84
himself, Rory and those around him. So she decides to separate them by sending Rory
to Castle Street and Granda to Rachnadar after being discharged from the hospital.
Granda was devastated when he was sent to Rachnadar as he always has said
that it is a place for those who do not have anybody. He is miserable. Rory who is sent
to Castle Street is not happy either. Although the other children accepted him, he had
trouble with a girl named Tess and once fought with her.
So Rory decide to plan the Great Escape. He ran away from the orphanage and
rescued Granda from Rachnadar and the both run away to Darrens mothers caravan.
During the escape, they were hunted down by the authorities but managed to give
them the slip as they got much help from a lot of people like the Tyrones, Rab, Annie
and others.
Although I understand their plight, I think the decision to run away is not a
wise decision. There are three reasons why I disagree with Rorys decision. Firstly,
Rory did not think of Grandas health. Granda was not very healthy or strong. When he
was organising the escape, Rory didi not have a proper and fixed destination. By
dragging Granda into The Great Escape, Rory is exposing him to more danger. Granda
might fall ill and die. Granda did faint at a park. If I were Rory, I would not have
planned The Great Escape at all because I do not want Grandas health to
deteriorate.
The second reason is Rory did not have a proper escape plan as he did not
plan their destinations. Rory only thought of being together with his Granda had fail to
plan The Great Escape properly. In fact, he managed to get to Liverpool to be with his
father, because he was helped by many people. On his own, I doubt he would have
made it there. If I were Rory, I would make sure of where to head for and all the
destinations I need to pass through.
Last but not least, Rory is not mature enough to carry out such a major event
like The Great Escape. The burden is too heavy for him. He did something which was
too big/heavy for him. Being young and inexperienced, Rory did not understand the
harsh reality of the outside world. He and Granda were lucky enough to meet helpful
people. If he had met people like the lemonade boy, the ending would have been
different. If I were Rory, I would have thought of another way to be together with
Granda.
So for me, The Great Escape was not a wise decision. Although it ended
on a happy note, it was because they were lucky to meet all the helpful people;
not because of Rorys planning.
PRACTICE 5
Using details from the novel you have studied, write on the theme of forgiveness OR
reconciliation. Support your answer with close reference to the text.
GUIDELINES
85
State the characters
Choose the events from the novel which highlight the theme of forgiveness or
reconciliation
Explain what the characters do to show forgiveness
Support your answer with evidence from the novel
SAMPLE ANSWER
In Catherine MacPhails Catch Us If You Can, Rory has been cared for by his
grandfather whom he calls Granda for as long as he remembers. According to Granda, his
own father was a spoilt brat of a boy; just mentioning him would make Granda angry. He grew
up to be someone who did not appreciate what he got and left Rorys mother who later died of
heartbreak. And that was when the senior McIntosh decided to cut all ties with his son. He is
adamant that the only son he had is Rory and he can very well take care of the boy. If I were
Granda I would not have taken the excruciating decision to cut all ties with Jeff
because cutting the ties with loved ones could be a self-destructing act.
The irony of the situation is, Rory has been looking after his Granda who is not well
and needs medications for all sorts of ailments. As a result, Rory has to look after him, take
him to the doctor, prepare his lunch and make sure he takes his medicines all too big a
responsibility for a young boy like him. Despite the difficulties, both Rory and Granda refuse to
be separated, as any solution would entail sending the old man to a nursing home and the
boy, a childrens home.
However, after Granda accidentally sets fire in their flat, he is sent
to Rachnadar, an old folks home and Rory to the childrens home in Castle Street. They
cannot bear being separated. I believe that Rory deserves to be with his Granda because
they cannot live without each other. For this reason they are willing to go against all
odds because their love for each other is undeniably strong.
Rory takes Granda out from the home and both go on a run. Soon, the police is looking
for them. News about them appears on the media. Rory and Granda manage to evade the
police because they get help from people who sympathize with them along their journey.
Investigations reveal that Rorys father, Jeff Mcintosh is in Liverpool and they are advised to
go and see him. While on their way to Liverpool, Granda becomes too sick. The police is
informed by one of the people who helps them, Norma, who feels that the old man needs
immediate help. Jeff, with the help of the authorities, arrives to take his father and his son with
him. Both father and son are reconciled and Rory finds his long-lost father. Jeff is ready to
take on his responsibilities as a son to his father, Granda, and as a father to his son, Rory.
Personally, I think Jeff has taken the right step to reconciliate with his long-lost family
and reignite the respectful relationship. After all, they are flesh and blood and nothing
can change that.
The story ends with a reconciliation between the ageing and ailing father and the son
he has vowed to disown, Jeff. As for Rory, it is a happy reunion with the father he has never
known. In my opinion, Rory must see the good in his father and find the positive
aspects of the situation and he should feel blessed at last he has his father to bring
him into adulthood. In life, we cannot destroy kindred; our chains stretch a little
sometimes, but they never break.
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PRACTICE 6
From the novel you have studied, what is the most important lesson you have learnt?
GUIDELINES
Think of a lesson you have learnt after reading the novel
State the characters and the hardships they go through that have an impact on you
Explain how the story affects you
SAMPLE ANSWER
From the novel Catch Us If You Can by Catherine MacPhail, an important lesson I
learnt is to be persistent and determined when facing challenges. Often, persistence leads
to better results than losing hope easily.
Two characters in the novel, Rory and Granda, handled challenges with determination.
Rory knew that he must be strong and determined in order to withstand the rigours of the
escape. There was never a time he felt like giving up and turning in to the police. It was the
strong sense of perseverance that helped him bear all the hardships. To me, I should
exemplify them to succeed in life.
It was the same with Granda. When things got difficult, he was even more persevering
even though it was hard for a man his age to be on the run. He knew he needed to be strong
so that he could be together with Rory.Personally if a man of that age can persevere why
cant we youngsters do the same.
The escape got very arduous and tough at times. The police were always after Rory
and Granda. There was a wide TV coverage on them. But Rory and Granda were determined
to pull through. They knew they would be together and not be separated as long as they
continued to run. I believe their determination helped them tide through their problems.
From the way they went through their escape, I learn that challenges should be
dealt with determination. One must not easily give up hope and accept defeat. As long
as one has the chance, one must keep on going till success is met.
PRACTICE 7
The characters in novels often face problems. Some solve their problems but some do not.
Using information from the novel you have studied, show how
one character solves his/ her problems
one who does not solve his/ her problems
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GUIDELINES
Choose a character, state his/her problems
Explain how the character solves his/ her problems
Choose another character and state his/ her problems
Explain why the character fails to solve his/her problems
Suggest what the character should do to solve his/ her problems
Catherine MacPhails Catch Us If You Can, is a heart warming tale about a loving
grandfather and his responsible grandson. As depicted in the novel, problems are part and
parcel of life. However, some characters manage overcome these obstacles, but some fail to
do so.
A character who successfully solves his problem is Rory McIntosh. After Granda
accidently sets their apartment on fire, the pair is forced to part. Rory is sent to the childrens
home in Castle Street, whereas Granda is sent to the old folks home in Rachnadar. Rory
cant stand to see Granda, who he loves unequivocally, so miserable and dejected. So, Rory
devises a great escape and the duo embark on a great adventure in order to be together . If I
were in Rory McIntoshs shoes, I would do likewise but not before exhausting all
venues to convince the authorities that we are fit and capable of taking care of each
other with the assistance of the relevant authorities.
Next, Rory also faces a problem when he and Granda are on a train to Glasgow. His
world went red with fear when he assumes that a passenger recognises them. So, he gets of
the train and eventually confronts a punk who threatens to turn him in. Granda saves the day
by knocking the youngster out cold. Then, Granda steals a car. Even though I am both
tickled and horrified by these events, I nonetheless would have done the same things
because these are the obstacles that would force me to part with my beloved
grandfather and vice versa.
Another problem faced by Rory is when he and Granda are at Normas house at Lake
District. Grandas health worsens and Norma makes a report on them because she feels that
Rory has been through enough. So, Rory decided to hit the road once again with Granda .
Rory decides to take this drastic and dangerous action because he is afraid for both himself
and for his granda. Granted that Rory is just an eleven year old boy, he lets emotions rule his
heart and this is his answer to escape from the people who actually want to help him and his
grandfather. Unlike Rory, I would not risked my grandfathers life and I would have let
the authorities take us in for Grandas sake. After all Granda is not getting any
healthier. Furthermore, I feel that if the authorities took us in, they could help Granda
get better. I am in the opinion that sometimes we have to admit that we are wrong in
our decisions and accept failure. After all life is full of ups and downs and we
sometimes have to let others deal with our problems.
On the other hand, Tess, a girl whom Rory meets at the childrens home, fails to solve
her problems. Her mother is in prison and none of her family members want to take custody
of her. She has no choice but to stay at the childrens home in Castle Street until she is taken
in by someone else. She turns bitter and lashes out at other children, scaring them away. She
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has no friends. If I were Tess, I would practice any sort of meditation to put a lid on my
temper. This would help me make the best of my life.
Another problem she faces is when Rory stands up to her, after a rough day. She
immediately zeroes in on him and is determined to hurt him. Her outburst get so out of hand
that someone has to hold her down. If I were Tess, I would have forgiven Rory on the spot
because he didnt mean any harm; he was just having a bad day. That way, I would
have at least made a new acquaintance.
In a nutshell, the realistic conflicts portrayed in the novel definitely add to the
excitement of it all.
(647 words)
PRACTICE 8
Who is the most interesting character in the novel that you have studied? Give reasons to
support your answer.
GUIDELINES
Name the novel and the author that you have chosen.
Name the character that you consider interesting.
Explain the role of the character in the novel.
Give evidence from the novel to support your comments.
State your opinion again.
SAMPLE ANSWER
In the novel Catch Us if You Can by Catherine MacPhail, I think Granda is the most
interesting character in the book.
Reading through the novel, I found out that he was a caring and kind grandfather to
Rory. The fact that Rory is to return the favours implies that Granda must have been a good
man and good grandfather. His love for Rory is absolute. Also, Granda finds it hard to bear
that Rory has to be in a home and wants to get out of hospital to take Rory home. This shows
how much he cares for Rory. I believe that we should always be ready to give back as a
response to somebodys kindness, especially to our family members whom has been
with us through good and bad times.
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Granda is also a charmer. It is because he easily compliments others especially

women not only for the looks but also for their talents as he praises Ruby for her cooking. All
the times he remains the perfect gentleman, like opening the door for the young mother at the
clinic. In my opinion, treating other people properly is the way to go. People will respect
us and in return, they will treat us well.
Other than that, he is quite a fascinating character. He knows a lot about films and film
stars. His love for movie stars makes him even name his son and grandson after some film
heroes of his time. Also, he loves singing and has no inhibitions about singing some old
songs, however badly, in front of others.
With all the above, I believe that Granda must be an interesting and remarkable
man.
PRACTICE 9
From the novel you have studied, write about an important moral value you have learnt.
GUIDELINES
State an important moral value you have learnt after reading the novel
State the characters and the events where the moral value you have learnt is
emphasized
SAMPLE ANSWER
From the novel Catch Us If You Can by Catherine MacPhail, an important moral value
I have learnt is that family relationships should be nurtured and not taken for granted.
Granda looked after Rory after Rorys father walked out on them. Since Granda was
old and forgetful, Rory took it upon himself to look after Granda. Nobody forced or told him to
do it but Rory felt it was the right thing to do. He was willing to forego things that teenage
boys should be doing. He was willing to sacrifice his love for football. He did all the household
chores. Rory prepared lunch and all the other meals for Granda. Besides, he made sure
Granda took his medication all the time. He even kept Grandas pipe to make sure there
wasnt any untoward incidents. Obviously, what Rory did clearly shows that he did not
take his Granda for granted. We should learn this valuable value from Rory. In life, no
matter what obstacles that we have to face with our family members, we should not
take any of them for granted. If it is our responsibility to take care of them, then we
must shoulder those responsibilities with full commitment.
Granda and Rory did not take their relationship for granted. Granda, on several
occasions, had expressed appreciation to Rory for always being there for him while Rory felt
proud to have Granda as his grandfather. Rory was protective and defensive of Granda. They
nurtured their relationship right up to the end even when they had a family, Jeff and Karen. To
me, the process of nurturing family relationships is a long-term process. It has to begin
from young and this nurturing process should have no ending.
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Sammy, Ruby and Tyrone also showed a strong family relationship. Sammy and Ruby
were free and easy but respectful with each other. Ruby would tease Sammy and vice versa.
But, when it came to making decisions, Ruby left it to Sammy, showing him respect as the
head of the family. Tyrone was respectful and obedient to his parents, Sammy and Ruby.
Again, it is very clear that both Ruby and Sammy did not take their family relationship
for granted. No doubt, respecting each other is one of the key elements that can
nurture a strong family relationship.
All in all, I have learnt from the novel that family relationship should be nurtured and
not taken for granted as family happiness and stability depend on this positive attitude.
PRACTICE 10
Using the details of the novel you have studied,
Write about the moral value that has impressed you the most.
Give evidence from the text to support your answer.
GUIDELINES
Name the moral value that you have learnt.
Give examples from the novel to support your answer.
State your opinion again
SAMPLE ANSWER
In the novel Catch Us if You Can by Catherine MacPhail, I learn about compassion for
fellow human beings. Many characters exhibit compassion for each other and act in a kind
manner because of their compassionate nature.
Rory and Granda care for each other and there is compassion in their actions. For
example, Rory cares for his grandfathers well-being. For instance, he makes sure his Granda
takes his medicine. Moreover, he always rushes home from school to ensure Granda takes
his lunch. Moreover, Rory protects his Granda from anything he considers bad, offensive or
dangerous. Rory even keeps Grandas pipe to make sure there isnt any untoward incidents.
Granda tries his best to help Rory and unfortunately makes mistakes, but there is still
compassion. He strongly says that no grandson of his is going to a home for as long as he is
around. As I see it, the things Rory does for Granda are examples of compassion in its
purest form. I say so because Rory does all that to ensure his Granda live as
comfortable as possible and at the same time keep Granda by his side for as long as
he can. There are ulterior motives.
In addition, Dr Nicol insists that Granda and Rory get a home help. This is because he
believes that Granda and Rory are not capable of taking care of each other. Val Jessup, the
social worker, also shows compassion. She shows enthusiasm to help Rory and Granda.
When they are on the run, Val Jessup pleads on television for Rory and Granda to come
home. The police and the nurse also act compassionately towards Granda and Rory. From
my point of view, they are affected by the dilemma of an ageing man who is so
91
dependent on a young boy and therefore do what they think is the best. Besides,
Darren, Rorys close friend offers his mums caravan to them because he cares for Rory and
Granda. He warns them about the arrival of the police.
Personally, I think these are excellent examples of compassion. I am impressed by
the magnitude of compassion shown by the characters in the novel. Besides, it warms
my heart as the compassion in the story is devoid of any malice. With all the above, I
believe that we must be compassionate to people. This quality keeps us humane and
makes the world appear kinder and the troubles bearable.
PRACTICE 11
In the novel you have studied
Pick any one decision in the novel made by someone or some party that you
disagree
Explain why you disagree.
Support your answer with evidence from the novel.
GUIDELINES
State the decision.
Give reasons why you disagree with the decision.
State your opinion again.
SAMPLE ANSWER
In the novel Catch Us if You Can by Catherine MacPhail, there is one decision
in the novel that I disagree with. It is the one taken by the government to separate both
Rory and his grandfather.
Rory and his Granda are very close and each depends on the other for love and
comfort. They are family, a double act and one cannot survive without the other.
When Granda accidently starts a fire in the flat, the State makes a decision to put him
in a home because he may endanger himself and others. On the other hand, Rory was
put in Castle Street as he is deemed too young to take care of Granda. I was so mad
with the State. If I were on the State Committee member or panel, I definitely
would not separate them.
I can understand that the State has the interest of Rory and Granda at heart
when it makes this decision. But, what makes me disagree is that it regards them as
only a case on which it needs to act, not as people with feelings. I believe each
citizen has a right to run his or her life the way he or she wants to without outside
interference. Unfortunately, it did not happen that way. Personally I feel the state has
tackled this family issue in the wrong manner as its decision did not make either
Granda or Rory happy because they have been separated.
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In addition, no discussion was held with Rory and Granda how best to solve the
problem. When the two run away, however, the police go after them as if they are
criminals. As a person interviewed on a television rightly said , the police are wasting
their time hunting down an old man and a young boy instead of chasing criminals and
fighting the gun culture. The way the State tackled the situation pissed me off. If I
were the state or authorities, I would have a discussion with Rory and Granda
before making a decision. The decision made must be acceptable to Rory and
Granda.
As a conclusion, people like Rory and Granda should be treated with greater
respect and compassion and not like cases to be solved.
PRACTICE 12
Faith in the God is essential.
Using the evidence from the novel, explain how this is shown in the novel you have studied.
GUIDELINES
State the character who conveys this message.
Give examples from the story to support your answer.
SAMPLE ANSWER
In the novel Catch Us if You Can by Catherine MacPhail, Faith in God is Essential is
one of the messages in the story.
Rorys prayers are in the form of warm and friendly conversations with God, which he
addresses as The Big Man. Rory is a character who has faith in God. Rory promises to be
good and do good things if The Big Man would make Granda wake up when he sees his
grandfathers face pale, his mouth open and he is hardly breathing. Personally, I think that
Rory has prayed earnestly and respectfully to God for help. In life, we know that God
consoles us through prayer when we are troubled.
In addition, Rory believes that The Big Man wanted him to escape as things go
smoothly. Rory promises to collect money for the Salvation Army if The Big Man keeps
Granda safe. Rory tells The Big Man that they both are having great time and Granda is no
trouble at all. In my opinion Rorys faith in God is bigger than his fears. Even though
Rory did not know much about religion, he was full of faith. He knows that God is there
to guide him to do the right thing and to take the right path.
The other evidence that resembles Rory as a person who has faith in God is when he
and his grandfather did not crash since Granda cannot drive well. Due to that, he believes
93
that The Big Man is looking after him. In my view when one constantly prays to God, one
is granted courage to face difficulties and challenges.
As a conclusion, prayers play a vital role in keeping Rorys spirit up and prove that faith
is essential in life. I believe that Rorys faith in God has provided him comfort, strength,
encouragement and healing for both Granda and him.
PRACTICE 13
Love, compassion and family relationship are important in ones life.
Using the evidence from the text, explain how this is true. Support your answer with close
reference from the text.
GUIDELINES
Discuss the different aspects of love.
Give your views with examples from the text.
SAMPLE ANSWER
Catherine MacPhail put the elements of love, compassion and family relationship in
her novel, Catch Us if You Can. From the beginning to the end of the story, those three
elements hold the story together.
The love between generations shows that love is continuous and never ending. For
example, Rorys love for his Granda is unconditional and vice versa. He is ready to sacrifice
anything so that he remains united with his grandfather. The grandfather, in turn, has devoted
his life to bring up the child from birth and his whole life revolves around him. In my opinion
all of us must love both our parents and our grandparents at all times.
Love in a family and the power of love among family members are also portrayed in
this story. For example, Sammy, his wife, Ruby and son Tyrone portray a warm and loving
family. Besides, Bernie, his wife and daughter are equally warm-hearted and helpful. Rab and
Annie are loving and caring too. In life a strong family bond builds a strong society.
Love and respect among Rorys friends also keep him from troubles. They look upon
Granda with great affection. Darren, the one who is the weakest in the class, shows much
compassion for Rory and helps him as much as he can. Mrs. Foley also shows sincere, love
and care for Rory. She shows her concern towards Rory when Granda is admitted into the
hospital. She realizes that Rory should not be in the childrens home. I believe a good
friendship is always important.
As a conclusion, the concept of the elements of love, compassion and family
relationship bring beauty to the story.
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SPM ENGLISH

GS4GS (Great Story for Great Score)

Essays Based on MyMy-Q Technique

Essays from Final Leap Module 2010

Essays from Smart Module 2 2011

3. LITERATURE COMPONENT NOVEL (CATCH US IF YOU CAN)

To convince a friend to run for the post of head prefect

To tell students about a science reference book

To younger sister studying overseas advise her how to

1.2 Students Tips

1.3 Sample Essays And Practices

Reduce air pollution

When writing your speech text, you should remember to:

Practice 2(b) Talk

When writing out your talk, you should remember to:

Sample essay and practice 3

: ( to whom the report is directed to )

From : ( the person who writes the report )

Facts and elaboration.

When writing the report, you should remember to:

The Environment Club in my school has successfully organized an Environment Week.

Sample essay and practice 4

(a) Letter of complaint

When writing the letter, you should remember to:

PRACTICE 4 FORMAL LETTERS

A shopping complex already exists

When writing the letter, you should remember to:

Furthermore, the cost of living will go up. Furthermore, local business

Finally, we believe social ills will increase. [How?] The teenagers

We hope the plan to build a shopping complex will be stopped.

Firstly, we do not need a mega shopping complex as a shopping complex

When writing the letter, you should remember to:

Tour the city

When writing the letter, you should remember to:

DISCIPLINE AND ITS PROBLEMS

Cost per person: RM 120.00

: MADAM NORMAIN BINTI NGAH,

Where - at the shopping centre

B. WRITING THE ESSAY

Is the spelling accurate?

Did you use the appropriate tense of the verb throughout?

WRITING A DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY

B. WRITING THE ESSAY

Note the details about

ESSAYS TAKEN FROM SMART MODULE 2 2011

The day that I will never forget

Information is probably the biggest advantage internet is offering. Any kind of

Write a story beginning with, I could not believe my eyes

Football / My favourite sport / Interest

ESSAYS TAKEN FROM GREAT STORY FOR GREAT SCORE (GS4GS)

Describe an incident that has changed your life.

A girl in love asked her boyfriend.

ESSAYS TAKEN FROM MyMy-Q Technique

ESSAY 5: DESCRIBE A LEADER THAT YOU RESPECT

ESSAY 7: DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE ATTENDING A LANGUAGE CAMP.

ESSAY 8: A VISIT TO A HOSPITAL

ESSAY 10: SOMEONE THAT I LIKE

ESSAYS TAKEN FROM FINAL LEAP MODULE 2010

LITERATURE COMPONENT NOVEL

Granda is also a charmer. It is because he easily compliments others especially

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