QUESTION: Write a story with the ending, "If only I had been more careful, that wouldn't have

happened". Your story should not be less than 350 words.

Tonight was a cold and stormy night. The doors slammed shut as the rustling sound of the leaves could be heard. The storm had been like this for the past three days. I sat on my bed thinking if I had upset the Gods above in heaven. As I lay my head down soft and gently on my comfy pillow, I wondered if mom and dad were ok. They had gone for a vacation to the Bahamas and I had to stay back because of my exams. I wasn't worried about it as I've stayed alone many times. Suddenly, the lights went out. My heart raced in agony as the storm got worse. I could see lightning lashing onto my gate and the roaring sound of thunder that came along. I pulled myself together and realized I needed to light some candles. So I headed downstairs with my trusty torchlight and worked my way to the storage room. I found the candles and begun to light them all over the house. I couldn't stand the fact that the darkness was playing games with my mind.

An hour had passed till I realized something wasn't right. I felt as if something else besides me was in the house. I panicked. My mind filled with fear but I had to be sure I was right. So, I searched all the rooms on the same floor and found nothing. So I carefully walked down staircase. As I was walking, I realized all the candles that I had lit were put out. I was surprised but aware that there could be someone else in the house. My mind pondered as to how i was going to sneak around without alerting the possibly dangerous stranger.

Then, it happened. As I hid behind one of the room's doors. I saw someone walk by me. He was a huge muscular guy who wore a beard and had hair that was so curly a fly could get stuck if it went through it. I was puzzled. Why would someone want to break into my house, I asked myself. I noticed the man had a huge revolver on his belt. The same one the cops used. I didn't want to stick around and ask questions. I had to call the cops. So I crept towards the phone and thank God it was still working. I made a distressed call and the cops said they would be at my house in five minutes.

As I crept back upstairs, I accidently knocked over a small lamp and it broke. By this time I knew the stranger had been alerted. I was scared and feared for my life. My fears turned into my worst nightmare as I heard a loud noise. I was shot in the chest. I could feel blood oozing all over my shirt. The stranger walked towards me while mumbling words I just couln't understand. I thought I was a dead man. Then a miracle happened just as the stranger was about to finish me off. I heard a second gunshot and the stranger was down. It was the cops who had arrived.

I was rushed to the hospital and the doctors commenced emergency surgery on me to remove the bullet. I was then transferred to the Intensive Care Unit(ICU) as the bullet had hit my lungs and I was unable to breathe properly. My parents rushed back as soon as they got the news. I was lucky to be alive. The doctor had explained that if the bullet had hit me a bit more to the left , it

would have hit my heart and I would be dead. Nobody knew who the stranger was or what he wanted. If only I had been more careful, that wouldn't have happened.

Title:friends Friends are people whom we turn to when our spirits need a lift. They are always by our side through thick and thin. They stand beside us even when our disposition is not perfectly right and will fight for us if we are oppressed. Therefore, it is clear that friends play a vital role in shaping who we are today. But what qualities exactly do we need to look for in a friend? A friend should always be caring towards you. He or she should take interest in your problems no matter how big or petty your problem may be. A friend should be able to sit beside you and encourage you to keep your chin up even when everyone else is against you. A friend s empathy and lovingness will also replenish your worn-out soul and will make you realize how important a friend really is. Apart from that, a friend should be an honest person. An honest friend will dissipate any worries that he or she is lying towards you. A friend s honesty will enable you to trust his or she s opinion when it comes to telling you the truth about yourself. For example, an honest friend will remand you on your declining grades and will ask you to work harder while a dishonest friend will see it with a blind eye. Therefore, an overall improvement in yourself will be noticeable if you have an honest friend. Moreover, a friend should be generous both emotionally and knowledge wise. A friend who is generous ought to be able to connect with you and provide emotional support. He or she should also be generous when it comes to sharing knowledge. A true friend must be ever-ready to help you when you are inept in certain subjects. A friend can easily guide you towards understanding the subject matter better as he or she is often on the same page as you. The only difference is that you can t quite grasp the content of the page per se. Besides that, a friend must also be able to humour you. Humour plays a quintessential role in making your day more lively and enjoyable. Friends who pull your leg and mess about will indefinitely make life seem so much better. As they say, laughter is the best medicine and a little levity on rainy days is always welcomed. In conclusion, friends are people we spend most of our time with. Thus, we have to be selective when it comes to choosing our friends.

How to start your essay?

I am sure many of you have a problem in starting your essay. Many of my students take a long time to start their introduction or worse, they use the overused intro.: Everyone in this world has a friend...... Everyone in this world love to watch television..

Your introduction must be something that grabs peoples attention. Use the following ideas: 1 Use some startling information or fact Start with a pertinent fact that explicitly illustrates the point you wish to make. Then, elaborate with a sentence or two. Example: Topic: Teenagers and their problems o A recent survey on teenagers provided some food for thought for parents. It was found that about 70 per cent of them smoked, 40 per cent watched pornographic videos and 14 per cent took drugs.Several factors have been identified as contributing to these problems. 2 Use an anecdote An anecdote is a short story that illustrates a point. Example: Topic: The loafing syndrome among teenagers Raj and his friends do not go home after school. They hang out daily at a shopping complex to while their time away. There, they join many other students from other schools. Sometimes, they play some video games or just enjoy each others company. Raj and his friends are just the tip of the iceberg of the loafing syndrome among teenagers. 3 Dialogue Use an appropriate dialogue to start your story or convey a point. Use only two or three exchanges between speakers to make your point. Topic: An unforgettable incident Help! Someone just snatched my purse! The screams shattered the still of the night. Suddenly, lights were switched on and heads popped out of doors and windows. Hey, whats the matter? 4 Use a question You can also use a rhetorical question which jolts people into attention. Topic: Reduce, reuse and recycle Did you know that Malaysians throw away 1.2 million tonnes worth of newspapers daily? For every ten newspapers bought, only four are recovered for recycling. Thus, the government spearheaded a recycling campaign to encourage Malaysians to separate their waste. Topic: Coping with peer pressure What choice do you have if your friends are pressuring you to do something which you think is wrong? Would you walk away? Are you able to say no? 5 Use a definition Define your topic. Example: Topic: Gawai Dayak Festival In Sarawak, the word Gawai is the equivalent to a Festival. Numerous Gawais are celebrated throughout the year by the States indigenous people but Gawai Dayak marks the end of the

harvest season and heralds a new year. 6 Use a quotation Topic: How to save water It is better to be safe than to be sorry. That is the message of the environmentalists to those who take water for granted. For one day, we may be faced with the situation whereby there is not enough water for everyone. Thus, we should take steps to save water. 7 Use a general statement Use a general statement about your topic, then narrow it to a specific point of view. Topic: Ways to reduce pollution Of late, there has been increasing concern with the impact of pollution on the environment and our society. The public outcry over the various environmental disasters in our own country should be lauded. How do we resolve these problems?