MUET my way...: MUET SPEAKING 800/2 TIPS - SAMPLE ANSWERS - Blog Muet

MUET my way...: MUET SPEAKING 800/2 TIPS - SAMPLE ANSWERS
MUET my way...: Tips for MUET Writing exam
MUET my way...: MUET Writing 800/4 Question 2 sample answers ...
MUET my way...: MUET March 2015 Reading answers.
MUET my way...: Here's a sample model answer for the lastest ...

MUET my way...: MUET SPEAKING 800/2 TIPS - SAMPLE ANSWERS

Posted: 04 May 2010 07:50 PM PDT

Candidate A

Instructions to candidates:

Task A: Individual presentation

Study the stimulus or topic given.
You are given two minutes to prepare your responses.
You are given two minutes to present.
Listen to the others while they are making their presentations and take down notes for the group discussion in Task B.

Task B: Group discussion

You are given two minutes to prepare points to support or oppose the other candidates' views.
After you have listened to everyone, try to come to a decision as to which of the four suggestions is the best.
Your group is given ten minutes for the discussion.

Task A and Task B will be carried out consecutively.

Situation

Your brother has been given the opportunity to study in England on a government scholarship. You and your family are very proud of him. Decide on a special gift for him to prepare for his trip abroad.

Task A: Suggest that they give him cash. Say why.

Task B: Discuss which of the following would be most useful.

i. cash

ii. a computer

iii. some suitable clothing

iv. some Malaysian foodstuff

Candidate A

Task A: Suggest that they give him cash. Say why.

Good morning to the examiners and my fellow friends. I'm very happy that my brother has just received a scholarship to study in England. My relatives and I would like to give him a special gift. We all think that the best gift is money because it will be very useful for him.

The first reason is with cash he can buy the things that he needs when he gets there. There will me a lot of things that he will need like new books, stationery, clothes and food. He will also need to pay for transportation like taking the bus or train to go to the university campus. As we know, it is very expensive in England so any money we give him will be very useful.

Secondly, my brother can use the money to buy a mobile phone when he gets to England. I think this is very important in case of emergencies so we can contact him easily. Furthermore, he can sms us and keep us updated with his progress in his studies there. Hence, if we really miss him we can just give him a call.

Finally, I also think giving him money is the best choice because it is light and doesn't take up a lot of space. If we were to give him a computer, books or winter clothes it will be very heavy and bulky for him to bring to England. Therefore, I think that it is much easier to bring money and buy those things when he gets there.

In conclusion, these are some of the reasons why I think giving him cash is the best choice. To me, it is the most useful gift we can give him. Thank you.

Task A: You suggest that they give him a computer. Say why.

A very good morning I bid to one and all. My relatives and I are very proud of my brother. He has just received a scholarship to study in England and so we would like to give him a special gift. We believe that the best present for him is a laptop computer.

Firstly, as a university student, my brother will have to do many assignments. If he has a laptop computer he can bring it everywhere and consequently, do his work anytime and anywhere. Thus, he will not have to share the computers at the computer room with other students and he will be able to do his work more quickly and efficiently.

Another point is that when he boards the plane from KLIA to London, he will be able to bring the laptop with him easily because it is compact and light compared to a desktop computer. Hence, it will not be too much trouble to transport it to England.

Last but not least, if he has a laptop he will be able to connect to the internet. This has two main advantages as firstly, he can do a lot of research online. The world wide web is a fountain of information so it will be very useful for him to make full use of this technology. Furthermore, he can keep in touch with friends and family here in Malaysia by e-mail.

In short, a laptop computer will prove to be very useful to my brother. He can do his assignments, research for information and keep in touch with us using it therefore it will make the best gift. Thank you for listening.

Task A: You suggest that they give him some suitable clothing. Say why.

To the examiners and my fellow candidates, a wonderful morning I bid you. My brother was lucky enough to receive a scholarship to study overseas. We want to send him off with a nice gift so we have decided to buy him some suitable clothing.

The main purpose for buying him some suitable clothing is because the weather in England is very different from the weather in our country. There are four seasons there so he will need to have different clothes for different situations. For example, we can buy him some sweaters, cardigans, scarves, snowcaps, thick socks and gloves and many more. These will definitely keep him warm in winter.

The second reason is we think that he should have clothes that reflect our Malaysian identity. This is because he will be a young ambassador for our country so if he has a few sets of traditional clothing like the Baju Melayu or formal Batik shirts, I am sure he will not only look good but promote our culture overseas.

Lastly, neat clothes make a good impression. For instance, if we buy him some everyday clothes like jeans and trousers with nice shirts and matching ties, this will give him a good feeling about himself so he will walk a bit straighter and talk a bit wiser. Moreover, people will look at him and have a good impression about Malaysian students.

To conclude, I think that the best present to give him is some suitable clothing because it will be very useful and will reflect positively on him. Thank you very much.

Task A: You suggest that they give him some Malaysian foodstuff. Say why.

I would like to wish everyone here a very good morning. As we all know, my brother has won a scholarship to study in England. Therefore, some relatives and I have decided to give him some Malaysian foodstuff as a going away present.

First and foremost, one of the main problems Malaysians face when studying overseas is that it is hard to find Halal food. We feel it is a good idea to give him some Malaysian foodstuff because it will take time for him to get used to the place and find out where to buy Halal food. Thus, in the meantime he can enjoy the Malaysian foodstuff that we have given to him.

The next reason is because some of the foodstuff we are used to having here in Malaysia is quite hard to find in UK. Most students studying overseas really enjoy eating Maggi Mee and sambal belacan. For instance, it is also hard to find the right spices for curry and rendang and so on so if we supply him with enough Malaysian foodstuff, he can eat it whenever he misses home.

The final point I have is that he can use the Malaysian foodstuff we give him and cook it for the Westerners there. Sometimes, universities organise events like Malaysian Night and so he and his friends can cook some Malaysian specialities for them to taste a bit of our way of life. Hence, the Malaysian foodstuff will be very useful to promote our culture.

In a nutshell, giving my brother Malaysian foodstuff to take with him to England is a good idea. This is because he will have some familiar food to eat when he misses home and he can also share it with his new friends. Thank you for listening to my opinion.

Task B: Discuss which of the following would be most useful.

i. Cash

ii. A computer

iii. Some suitable clothing

iv. Some Malaysian foodstuff

* Work together in your respective groups and complete the following discussion.

A: Good morning once again to everyone. We are here to focus on the issue at hand which is __________________________________________________________. I would like to invite anyone of you to kickstart this discussion by giving us your point of view.

B: Allow me to begin. First of all, I'm happy that our brother has won the scholarship to study in England. Therefore, we must decide what would be the most useful gift for him. In my opinion, I strongly believe that _______________ _________________________________________________________________. This is because I think he can _________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________.

For example, ______________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________.

C: I see your point but how about getting him ______________________________. In this way, he can use it to ___________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________.

D: I don't quite agree with you because ____________________________________ _________________________________________________________________. I think it would be more useful if we bought _______________________ for him. Does anyone agree with me?

A: Yes, I agree with you. To add to your point, I feel that ______________________ _________________________________________________________________.

This is so he will ___________________________________________________.

C: I'm afraid I don't see eye to eye with both of you. Buying that as a present for him is not the most useful gift because __________________________________ _________________________________________________________________.

Moreover, ________________________________________________________.

Can you all understand what I'm trying to say?

B: Indeed, I do see your point of view but I still feel that the most useful gift is __________________ because it can ___________________________________. Another reason is ___________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________. For instance, _______________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________.

D: That's an interesting perspective and I agree with you that ___________________ _________________________________________________________________. However, I think we should consider other points. We should also think about buying him _______________________________________________________.

If he gets this as a present, he can ______________________________________ and ____________________________________________. Wouldn't you agree?

A: I'm not sure I understand what you are saying. Can you explain it again, please.

D: What I mean is we should buy him _____________________________________ because it will me more useful for him when he is studying in England. This is because ___________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________.

A: Aaah… I see. Yes, I think it would be a very useful gift too. This way, he can _________________________________________________________________.

C: That's a good point, but don't you think if we gave him _____________________ it will be the most useful for him as a student. I still believe that this is the most useful because _____________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________.

Remember, we need to think of the best and most useful choice.

B: I agree with you, Candidate C. In addition, he can use this gift to _____________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________. So candidates A & D, what do you guys think?

D: Now that you've explained it like that, I also agree that it will be the most useful. In fact, he could also use it to _________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________.

A: As for me, I feel that it is also the most useful. When he arrives at his university in England, he will be able to ____________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________.

C: That's right. Well, after listening to all the points on the four choices we have, I think it is time to make a conclusion.

D: Yes, I think so too. Does everyone agree that we should give our brother _______________________________________ as a special going away present?

All: Yes, I agree.

B: In a nutshell, we all agree that _______________________________ is the best choice because firstly, he can _________________________________________, secondly, ________________________________________________ and finally _________________________________________________________________.

Thank you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The End~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What to conclude if after 10 minutes of discussion….

A)Agree = 3, Disagree = 1

Conclusion: To conclude, MOST OF US agree that ______________________

is the best choice because ________________________________.

___________________________________________. Thank you.

B)Agree = 2, Disagree = 2

Conclusion: In conclusion, we were unable to make a solid decision because

SOME OF US stongly believe that the best choice is __________ because _______________________________________________ while THE REST OF US think that giving him _______________ is the most useful because _________________

___________________________________________. Thank you.

C)All Disagree

Conclusion: In a nutshell, we were unable to come to an agreement on which of the four options is the best choice. It seems ALL OF US strongly believe in our own points so as we have run out of time, we think that we should each buy him a gift individually. Thank you.

MUET my way...: Tips for MUET Writing exam

Posted: 27 Oct 2014 09:09 PM PDT

Hi all.. I'm back to help you with this year's 2014 MUET exam. I'm sure everyone's knees are turning to jelly now because the countdown is ticking faster than you expected and your heart is racing like a speeding bullet. No fear, I am here.. haha.

Ok.. let's talk about why it is so hard to score in the writing component. Let's focus on the academic essay as I have blogged a lot about report writing in the past (check my archives for samples and discussions.)

Unbeknownst to most, there is usually TWO sections the essay question. I shall name it Part A & Part B.

This is the trial exam question I used in my school:
"Young people are becoming more materialistic because they want a better quality of life. How far do you agree with this statement? Give your opinion. You should write at least 350 words."

Can you spot the Part A & the Part B?
Part A = more materialistic
Part B = better quality of life
Hence, if the student just focuses on the factors or effects of materialism, they have not answered the question because they have failed to link to the concept of 'better quality of life'.

Same goes for this actual MUET exam question some years ago which reads:
"In an arranged marriage, the choice of the husband or wife is made by parents or elders. What do you think of this practice in today's society? Discuss. You should write at least 350 words."

Has your ability to spot Part A & Part B improved?
Part A = choice made by parents or elders
Part B = appropriate practice in today's society?
Thus, to answer the question well, you would need to not simply focus on 3 reasons to agree or disagree with the practice but LINK CLEARLY to how important is this practice in TODAY'S society. The line of logic should be clear.
Here are 3 sample points for 100% disagree.
Pt. 1: Education - in the past women stayed at home and did not have access to a good education, therefore they did not work. These days women have more opportunities to contribute to society and meet different people. In the old days the elders were a more reliable source to determine who should be married because women had a lesser role in society due to poor education.
Pt. 2: Technology - in the past women had almost no social interaction because they mostly stayed at home. With modern technology like handphones, emails and various social networking, youths today have a larger network and are able to communicate with their peers and choose their own spouse which is more compatible than a spouse chosen by elders.
Pt. 3 Love vs. Stability - Society today places more emphasis on the concept of love and loving a person before getting married. In the past, elders assured that love would come later and what was more important was to find a spouse that could offer stability in marriage. There have been many cases where arranged marriages ends up in unhappy unions and even divorce so it is better to make a love match these days to avoid these negative outcomes.

Can you see the LINK between Part A & Part B?
If the student just talked about 3 points but did not compare past and present practices, then it would be hard to give Band 5 or 6 for task fulfillment, therefore pulling down the overall marks.

Right, my last tip is to show you my ex Form 5 student's (Nazri, tq for your permission to blog your essay) valiant effort to keep writing essays and coming to visit me in school to get my opinion. Here is a sample of his writing and later I will show you how to add info & modify sentences to create a LINK to parts A & B of the question so you may score higher in the writing component.

"People commit crimes for selfish reasons. Discuss. You should write at least 350 words."
FYI, Nazri was trying to use my suggested template of I+A1+D1+A2+D2+C
(Intro + Agree 1 vs Disagree 1 + Agree 2 vs Disagree 2 + Conclusion = 6 paragraph format)

Nazri's Intro:
In this globalization era, murder and kidnap are one of the heavy crimes people most commit. In addition, according to the articles I have read, these rate of crimes are increasing drastically all over the world. Women and children are the most common victim of the heartless criminals because they are weak or they look fragile. Do people commit crimes for selfish reasons? I agree to a certain extent that people commit crimes for fun and greedy, however, crimes may be committed because of financial problems and lack of parents' love.

Edited version:
In this globaliSation era, murderS and kidnapPING are SOME of the heavy crimes people MAY commit. In addition, according the articles I have read, the rate of crimes are increasing drastically all over the world. Women and children are the most common victimS of the heartless criminals because they are weak or look fragile. Do people commit crimes for selfish reasons? WE HAVE CERTAINLY READ CASES OF HUSBANDS KILLING THEIR WIVES TO CLAIM THE INSURANCE MONEY AND VICE VERSA BUT THERE ARE ALSO INCIDENCES OF CRIMES THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH SELFISHNESS SUCH AS MURDER COMMITTED IN A RAGE OF JEALOUSY. IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, I ONLY agree to a certain extent that people commit crimes FOR SELFISH REASONS BECAUSE IN SOME CASES SELFISHNESS IS NOT THE MAIN CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WHY CRIMES HAPPEN.

Editor's notes:
You will lose your ground as a Band 5/6 student if your grammar is inconsistent. Nazri's first sentence itself is controversial because he uses the word 'most'. Along with 'all', 'never', 'always' and 'everyone', these words must be avoided at all costs as it draws generalisations and sweeping statements that make the reader feel that the writer lacks critical thinking and maturity. Instead, use 'some', 'often', 'may', 'might', 'usually' etc.. He could also have improved the introduction by outlining some crimes that are driven by selfish reasons and some that are not as seen in the edited version. Finally, the thesis statement must clearly outline that you are going to discuss both sides of the coin.

Nazri's 1st Point:
First and foremost, people commit crimes just for fun that may drag them to a world without humanity. Why do I say so? One of the reasons is they love to see when people are suffering. They steal something that is valuable in someone's life to entertain themselves or to get a revenge. For instance, these heartless criminals especially men like to take women's pride by raping them and ignoring their tears and some of the unfortunate victims may get killed when they try to escape. Thus, people who commit crimes are selfish because someone's suffering is the happiness for them.

Edited version:
First and foremost, SOME people MAY commit crimes just for fun SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY ENJOY OTHER PEOPLE'S SUFFERING that may drag them to a world without humanity. Why do I say so? One of the reasons is they love MAY HAVE SELFISH REASONS TO MAKE people suffer. They MAY steal something that is valuable in someone's life to JUST TO entertain themselves or to get revenge. For instance, THERE ARE CASES OF heartless criminals especially men like WHO HAVE BEEN ARRESTED FOR TAKING women's pride by raping them and ignoring their tears and some of the unfortunate victims may HAVE EVEN BEEN killed when they try to escape. Thus, people who commit crimes are selfish because someone's suffering is the happiness for them.

Editor's notes:
Here you need to be really careful when making sweeping statements so I have modified the sentences using words that can temper the effect. Using informal sentences are also not advisable such as 'just for fun' especially when you cannot prove specifically that men rape others 'just for fun' because they 'enjoy' it. At all costs too, avoid sentences that declare 'people love to ...' or 'people like to ...' as these statements are not well quantified and examiners will usually have a huge frown because you did not provide concrete proof highlighting your own opinions just doesn't cut it. Try to back up your points with some evidence of reading such as 'there have been cases that../a local newspaper recently reported that../from a study done on...', all of which will make your essay more credible rather than picking out lines from thin air.

Nazri's 2nd point:
On the other hand, crimes may be committed because of financial problems. The high cost of living makes them desperate to look for money or to feed their family. They do not have enough money to buy some food or their needs as the prices are increasing. So, they tend to do crimes such as snatch or robber to earn some money by selling the stolen items back at a higher price. For example, a rich person's house will be the target of the criminals to break into and steal expensive items such as jewelleries and handphones. Therefore, poverty or desperation in life can lead people to commit crimes.

Editor's version:
On the other hand, NOT ALL CRIMES ARE COMMITTED SIMPLY BECAUSE PEOPLE ENJOY THE SUFFERING OF OTHERS BUT because of other issues such as financial problems. The high cost of living makes them desperate to look for money to feed their family SO INSTEAD OF BEING SELFISH, THEY ARE ACTUALLY COMMITTING CRIME FOR SELFLESS REASONS WHICH IS TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILY. They MAY not have enough money to buy some food or their DAILY needs as the prices are increasing. So, they tend to do crimes such as snatch THEFT or ROBBERIES to earn MAKE some money by selling the stolen items at a higher price. For example, SOME PEOPLE ARE DRIVEN TO DO CRIMES LIKE STEALING FOOD AND EVEN MILK POWDER FROM SUPERMARKETS BECAUSE THEY CANNOT BEAR TO SEE THEIR FAMILY STARVE. Therefore, poverty and desperation in life AND SELFLESSNESS TO SACRIFICE THEMSELVES TO SAVE THE PEOPLE THEY LOVE, can lead people to commit crimes WHICH IS THE OPPOSITE OF COMMITTING CRIMES FOR SELFISH REASONS.

Editor's notes:
His 2nd point seems inconsequential because there is no clear LINK why he is introducing his opposition point. Basically, to make this clear, you need to write a topic sentence that clearly links to the first point introduced earlier. This shows the contrast with the opposition point so you may argue contrary to the first idea introduced. When contrasting ideas, the right vocabulary works best whereby SELFISHNESS is contrasted to SELFLESSNESS, which makes it clear to the reader that you are still on track discussing the LINK BETWEEN PART A & PART B. Furthermore, I had to modify the example to show a high degree of selflessness and sacrifice because the example of a rich man's house being burgled does not highlight the concept of selflessness. Lastly, the summation sentence needs to really LINK back to the concept of selfish or unselfish reasons in order to make the argument crystal.

Nazri's 3rd Point:
Apart from that, I do agree that people get involved in crimes because of selfish reasons such as greed especially. They want to get rich in the easiest way instead of work hard to accomplish their mission. People receive money as bribe, are hired to do a dirty job. Moreover, this white-color crime is committed in the whole world. Money is powerful enough to make people lose their sense of humanity as they can kill a person if they are asked to do so as long as the reward is money.

Editor's version.
Apart from that, I STILL DO agree that people get involved in crimes because of selfish reasons RELATED TO greed. THEY ARE SELFISH BECAUSE THEY GREEDILY want to get rich in the easiest way instead of WORKING hard to accomplish their mission. SOME people receive money as bribeS OR are hired to do dirty jobS BECAUSE THEY SELFISHLY WANT TO MAKE A PROFIT FROM COMMITTING CRIMES. Moreover, THESE white-color WHITE COLLAR crimeS ARE committed ALL OVER THE WORLD AS WE SPEAK BECAUSE SELFISHNESS TO MAKE money is powerful enough to make SOME people lose their sense of humanity as they can EVEN kill a person as long as the reward is money. THEREFORE, SOME PEOPLE DO INDEED HAVE VERY SELFISH REASONS TO COMMIT CRIMES ESPECIALLY IF THEY CAN MAKE A HUGE PROFIT FROM IT.

Editor's notes:
When introducing the 2nd point to agree with the statement, you should outline it clearly in the topic sentence which is the very first sentence in each paragraph. Greed is a factor on its own so the LINK to selfishness must be made very clear, otherwise you may veer out of topic. The terms used also should be accurate as seen in white color vs white collar crimes. He also forgot to close the paragraph with a summation where in the edited version, rounds off the argument clearly that crime is indeed linked to selfish reasons including greed for profit.

Nazri's 4th Point:
Nevertheless, people also commit crimes because of lack of parents' love and guidance. When the children is not the priority of parents, moral values will be hardly instilled in their children themselves. They fail to differentiate what is good and bad for them. As a consequence, they may get involved in social problems and crimes because of lack of parental guidance.

Editor's version:
Nevertheless, people also commit crimes because of OTHER FACTORS SUCH AS lack of PARENTAL love and guidance SO IT IS CLEAR THAT WE CANNOT SIMPLY BLAME SELFISHNESS AND GREED FOR CRIMES COMMITTED. When children ARE not the priority of parents, moral values will hardly be instilled in their children. THESE CHILDREN MAY EVENTUALLY fail to differentiate what is good and bad for them. As a consequence, they may get involved in social problems and crimes SUCH AS DRUG ABUSE, THEFT, ABORTION, BABY DUMPING AND SO ON. HENCE, IN THESE CASES, CRIMES ARE COMMITTED NOT FOR SELFISH REASONS BUT because of lack of parental guidance, THE NEED TO GET PARENTS' ATTENTION OR OTHER EXTERNAL FACTORS.

Editor's notes:
Again, the topic sentence needs to clearly state that there are other factors that lead to crimes being committed other than for selfish reasons, especially greed (as stated in the previous paragraph - it is important to LINK the previous idea to a contrasting new idea so that the flow of logic is not impeded). Notice the use of the word 'MAY' to indicate probability and avoid generalisations. Adding 'social problems' is not a good idea because the focus is on crimes, but do add examples of crimes that happen due to other factors such as lack of parental guidance etc. Also, the final sentence should conclude the point eloquently.

Nazri's Conclusion:
In conclusion, people commit crimes are not only for selfish reasons but also because of other motivation such as environmental factors. Most of them commit crimes because of narrow minded and do not have enough money to bear the cost of living. Therefore, our government with the help of relevant authorities should increase the safety at a place where crimes often occur and help poor family. Besides that, parents should spend more time for their growing children.

Edited version:
In conclusion, IT IS CRYSTAL CLEAR THAT THERE ARE TWO FACES TO A COIN WHEREBY people commit crimes not only for selfish reasons but also because of other FACTORS such as their ENVIRONMENT AND UPBRINGING. Most SOME of them commit crimes because of NARROW-MINDEDNESS OR THEY do not have enough money to bear the cost of living, AMONG OTHER ISSUES. I STILL ABSOLUTELY BELIEVE THAT SELFISH REASONS ARE NOT THE MAIN CONTRIBUTING FACTOR AND THAT THERE ARE MANY OTHER REASONS FOR CRIME TO BE CONSIDERED. OUR government HAS A ROLE TO PLAY IN ENSURING the relevant authorities increase the PUBLIC'S safety at placeS where crimes often occur. THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT MAY ALSO LOOK INTO STRATEGIES TO help poor FAMILIES SO CRIME CAN BE AVOIDED FROM THE GRASSROOTS. Besides that, NATIONAL CAMPAIGNS SHOULD ALSO BE CARRIED OUT TO EDUCATE parents ON SPENDING QUALITY TIME WITH THEIR CHILDREN AND ENSURING A SOUND MORAL UPBRINGING. THEREFORE, WE WILL BE ABLE TO PRODUCE A FUTURE GENERATION THAT STEERS CLEAR AWAY FROM CRIMES OF ALL KINDS AND INSTEAD CREATING YOUTHS THAT CAN CONTRIBUTE PRODUCTIVELY TO OUR NATION'S PROSPERITY.

Editor's notes:
A good conclusion should have 3 parts, ie repeat the points in a more creative way, repeat your stand from the introduction and outline some recommendations for this issue. It is also wise to end on a high note because the conclusion gives the reader and examiner a lasting impression so you might as well end with a bang!

Phew... so much typing and editing... I do hope you appreciate my effort in providing you with some samples. I think it is crucial to write essays and as a teacher, add spice to enhance the students' compositions so that you can help upgrade their writing style starting at their level. One mistake teachers often make (and I have made myself) is to use essays from reference books wholesale. This means that you copy and paste the texts and expect the students to magically be able to write like the authors of textbooks. This is not only wrong, it is cruel and demoralising. Therefore, I would strongly suggest that you pick one essay at a time (doing too may will demoralise you instead), fix it up prettily by adding all the yummy spices, and re-serve the essay to the student and share with the class. It is not enough to correct errors at MUET level, but to demonstrate step by step how the student MAY improve his Highter Order Thinking Skills (HOTS is a hot topic these days) and Creative Thinking Skills.

Anyway, a final say from me is, keep ploughing. If you don't get down to writing and the business of editing, no one can benefit. Keep ploughing, slowly and steadily, and you WILL create a field of wonder in the end. Teachers, make a difference in your students' lives. Students, strive to make a difference in your own life so you may change the destiny of your family for the better. Today's keyword: LINK. Link Part A & Part B, and the story of life will all make sense in the end... and you may reap the seeds you have sown.

MUET my way...: MUET Writing 800/4 Question 2 sample answers ...

Posted: 13 Nov 2011 11:46 PM PST

Below are 4 samples of good essays... Band 4 or 5... Band 6 essays will demonstrate a much better command of linguistic fluency and accuracy as well as show more mature and critical thinking skills.
FYI: I'm sticking to my writing template so that the organisation of your essay is clearer and it makes writing 350 words easier. Read up on my template here:
http://muetmyway.blogspot.com/2009/08/foolproof-academic-writing-template.html
Plus: Fix your grammar in 15 mins: Read my grammar notes n take the grammar test!
http://muetmyway.blogspot.com/2011/10/muet-2011-grammar-tips.html

SAMPLE 1) YEAR END 2008: MUET WRITING 800/4 QUESTION 2

"People are becoming more materialistic. They are concerned with making more money and what money can buy." What is your opinion on being materialistic? You should write at least 350 words. [60 marks]
They say that money makes the world go round. And indeed it does as without money, life would be very difficult as in today's society, nothing is free. The side effect however is that people are becoming more materialistic; more concerned with making money and what money can buy. But how much money is enough? Is it ever enough? To some, it will never be enough. In my opinion, I truly believe that this statement is true and that people are becoming more materialistic in nature. In this essay, I will discuss how materialism has affected modern society's way of life on an individual level, the country's economy as well as our spiritual and moral beliefs.

First and foremost, each individual is affected by materialism to some extent in this day and age because hedonism is becoming an uprising trend. This is because today's generation are geared towards making more and more money so that they can enjoy the carefree lifestyle that is so popular these days. Moreover, people now are striving to earn more income in order to afford things that are more expensive and branded. For example, people spend their hard earned money on material objects like genuine LV and Coach handbags, expensive gadgets like Iphones and Tablet pcs and so on which in my opinion is a waste of money when regular goods may prove to be good enough. Therefore, while individuals become more focussed on their pursuit of material wealth and improving their standard of living, they may forget that what matters most in life is quality time spent with family and friends and not the quantity of their material goods.

Secondly, when society starts spending in a materialistic manner it will surely have a domino effect on the country's economy. This means that the spending power of society will help boost the economy and create more business opportunities for the booming trade. However, when a society overspends, using plastic money or credit cards, or when they take loans they cannot afford to repay, then the country's debt margin will be higher. For instance, USA today is facing an economic crisis because banks have approved home loans to people who aspire to own bigger houses than they can actually afford and this is causing the collapse of the country's economy there. Thus, while a society's spending habits helps our economy to grow, overspending due to materialism will have an adverse effect to the country's financial stability.

Last but not least, materialism affects our spiritual and moral beliefs. This is due to the fact people who are materialistic may become 'amoral' whereby they disregard their spiritual and moral upbringing and instead turn to crime to satisfy their materialistic needs. In fact, the crime rate is increasing because criminals these days have developed many ways to gain more money from society. Take for example, there are more reports of snatch thefts, burglaries, kidnapping for ransom, credit card fraud, internet banking hacking and others that are driven by materialistic criminals. Hence, when people lose sight of their spiritual and moral beliefs and believe instead in the greed of materialism, therefore the crime rate is bound to increase.

In a nutshell, materialism is a common agenda in the 21st century as more people are working hard to afford things beyond their reach. While this may spur individuals to work harder to improve their standard of living, overspending due to materialism may cause the downfall of a country's economy and their morality. In my opinion, I still firmly believe that materialism has a strong hold on today's society; both positive and negative effects. Our government can encourage society to be less frivolous and wasteful in spending by running campaigns such as 'Consumer Awareness' and 'Buy Malaysian Made Products' in order to educate our younger generation for the prosperity of our nation.

SAMPLE 2) MID YEAR 2010: MUET WRITING 800/4 QUESTION 2

The world today is turning more to electronic communications such as the e-mail, Facebook and Short Message System (SMS). What is your opinion of this growing trend? Discuss. You should write at least 350 words. [60 marks]
Everywhere we turn today, the world is crowded with people busy typing SMSes on their Nokias or iPhones or someone is staring unblinkingly at a Facebook or Yahoo page on the computer screen. Whether you like it or not, the age of Information Technology is upon us, and we can either learn new skills and adapt to this new technology, or be forever lost and stuck in the older generation. In my opinion, I am fully convinced that this growing trend is the way of the future, and it brings countless benefits to mankind. In this essay, I will discuss three positive effects of electronic communication, namely its efficiency, enhances communication and creates a borderless world community.

First and foremost, more and more people are relying on e-mail, Facebook, Short Message System (SMS) and other types of electronic communication tools because of its high efficiency. This is because in today's age of globalisation, we need information at the tip of our fingers. Moreover, with the use of these tools, we can increase the speed of getting the necessary and relevant information within seconds and this will increase our productivity. For example, gone are the days of using 'snail mail' or regular letters using stamps and envelopes and many more examples of 'old' technology because it is simply too slow and inefficient. Therefore, these e-communication tools increases the access to important information which is why the new generation is fully accepting this growing trend.

Secondly, this form of technology enhances communication among people today. This means that when we use SMS, e-mails and websites like Facebook, we are able to communicate clearly and directly to our target audience. Furthermore, people today find that the message is more important than the form it comes in as an e-mail in short but clear sentences is just as good or even better than a long and formal letter. For instance, an SMS can give clear instructions in just a few words and this communicates what needs to be done quickly and directly. Thus, when the intended message can be spread clearly using short and clear information like in SMSes and emails, communication can be enhanced and there will be less problems of miscommunication.

Last but not least, e-communication creates a borderless community in the world we live in today. This is due to the fact that the boundaries that separate each country becomes less relevant when information is transferred without limitations. In addition, the world would be a better place because there is a sense of 1-World commitment, respect and tolerance for the global community through efficient and clear e-communication. Take for example, we are able to connect with people on an international basis using Facebook, Friendster, Tagged, Hotmail, Yahoo and others. Hence, these tools will enhance global unity and create a more peaceful world.

In a nutshell, this growing trend has many positive effects not just to individuals but the global society in terms of efficiency, enhancing communicative skills and shaping a borderless community. In my opinion, I still firmly believe that this latest trend is the best way forward and if we do not catch up, we will be left behind by the tide of development. Our government can encourage the proper usage of electronic communications by increasing communication amenities and free broadband accessibility especially in rural areas so that they can enjoy the same facilities as city-folks therefore balancing the development of our country towards achieving Vision 2020.

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

The most valuable thing in life is friendship. Do you agree? Discuss. You should write at least 350 words.
[60 marks]

It is true that no 'man is an island' meaning that no one in this world can live alone without friendship. That person would be very socially challenged as he or she would miss the camaraderie and life experiences that come with friendship. However, I completely disagree with the statement that the most valuable thing in life is friendship as there are certainly more important and priceless things in life besides this. In this essay, I will outline how life itself is more valuable than friendship, and elaborate on why family and the individual's principles in life are ranked higher.

First and foremost, before one can enjoy the beauty of friendship, one must surely value life itself or in other words, we should value our health. This is because, the quality of our life is the single most important criteria in life if we are to live a meaningful and wholesome life. Moreover, without good health, we will be hard pressed to do even the simplest of tasks like feed ourselves or relieve ourselves without the help of doctors, nurses and caregivers. For example, if we are paralysed, lost our sight, hearing or ability to speak or even a simple case of a fever or allergic reactions, then the quality of our life is greatly reduced and no amount of friendship can make us healthy again. Therefore, while friends can stand by us in our time of need, pristine health is still the most valuable asset in our lives.

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

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

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

SAMPLE 4) MUET WRITING 800/4 QUESTION 2

The rising fuel price has pushed up the price of other consumer products. How will this affect the society? Give your opinion. You should write at least 350 words.
[60 marks]

Money is always an issue in today's era of materialism. Most people need it for basic survival while the lucky few indulge in luxuries without worrying about money. In my opinion, I strongly agree that the rising fuel price has pushed up the price of other consumer products and this will definitely affect the society. In this essay, I would like to touch on the effects this price increase has on society today, namely increasing vice activities, widening the gap between the rich and the poor and affecting the population trend in the long term.

First and foremost, society will immediately be affected by the rise in fuel prices because consumer products will be more costly and this leads to an increase of vice activities. This is because basic necessities such as rice, flour, sugar and so on will be in great demand and some warehouses will store or hoard the items to further increase the price of the product. Moreover, in the newspapers today, reports of smuggling of these items prove that this vice activity is on the rise. For example, the recent sugar price hike caused a furor among the Malaysian society as it costs more fuel to travel to and from the supermarket and when arriving, most places had run out of stock even though the government had allocated 2kg of sugar to one person. Therefore, the fuel price increase had definitely caused more hardships to society today.

Secondly, it is undeniable that the rise in fuel prices leads to the widening of the gap between the rich and the poor. This is due to the fact that people are greatly affected by the price of basic necessities such as food and fuel in particular. Furthermore, the rich people will still be able to afford such things but the poor will face greater challenges as the popular saying goes: "The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer." For instance, when money is used to purchase consumer products that are necessary for survival, then less money will be spent on health and dental check-up, educational purposes and others. Thus, it is clear that the fuel price hike will further stress on the differences between the rich and the poor which is such a tragedy.

Last but not least, in the long term the population trend or demographics of the society will be greatly affected. This means that new families will consciously decide not to have too many children in order to increase their quality of life. In addition, society is now more aware of birth control and family planning so this will greatly reduce the population as most families will have 1 to 5 children instead of more. Take for example, new families with less children will surely spend less on basic necessities like food, clothes, transport and many more. Hence, the demographics of the whole country will be affected and this in turn will reduce our workforce which will affect our country's productivity and prosperity.

In short, there are many short term to long term effects of a fuel price increase which includes more crimes like hoarding and smuggling will occur and this leads to the widening of the gap between the rich and the poor as well as a change in the society's demographics. I still strongly believe that the rising fuel price has pushed up the price of other consumer products and this will surely cause a negative impact to society. The government must find a way to stabilise the fuel price at a reasonable rate so that it does not affect the productivity of this country towards achieving the aspirations of the nation for Vision 2020.

SAMPLE OF ESSAY FROM ONLINE STUDENT JEFF (TQ FOR ALLOWING ME TO BLOG THIS) ON WHAT NOT TO WRITE IN YOUR ESSAYS.

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

A university education is better than a college educaton.Give your opinion.

After the SPM examination,many students have to decide their future on which education to pursue.Some of my friends chose to enrol in college.I decided to study in matriculation college as a Pre-U qualification to enter university.My reason is university education is better than college education.
This is because university has a better education system,more dedicated lecturers and better facilities.

First,university education provides a better education system than college does.A SPM certificate is enough for you to enrol in a college but to enter a university you need a Pre-U qualification such as STPM or A-level.This simply shows that it is harder to study in university as you need some qualifications in which the college does not demand.Besides,the grading system in university is stricter than that of college.So,students have to work harder to get a good result.On the other hand,most college change their grading system,according to the overall result of their students.Moreover,the the syllabus in university is well designed.Besides giving knowledge,it helps to develop the social skills of students.For example,Students have to do survey on public about topics related to their study.This ensures that the graduates can have critical thinking skill and communication skill.

Universities usually hire more experienced lecturers with better knowledge.According to a research, these lectures possess a Master or PhD degree and some even graduated overseas.Thus,they have higher level of of knowledge which benefits the students.Besides,Most of them have years of teaching experience and so they know how to guide their students,developing their skills and exploring their potential.For instance,a Physics lecturer does not only talk on theories.Instead,he teaches the students to analyse a problem logically.They are also more caring and responsible to their students.These qualities are hard to seen in college lecturers,who are mostly bachelor degree holder and work just for money. (very serious generalisation here!)

Last but not least,university usually has better facilities,for example,the state-of-art computers.Unlike those college such as Inti College which are run by private companies,university has a better management.Thus every single thing in the university,including the infrastructure is planned and developed well.This is beneficial to students.For instance,university with advanced laboratories is beneficial to students as they can learn science better by being explored to the real situation while conducting experiments.Besides,university with better sports facilities can help the students to relax their mind.In other words,better facilities means a more conducive environment for university students.

In a nutshell,university education is better than college education for its better education system,lecturers and facilities.Despite the growing number of college in our country,I advice fellow friends to choose university education so that when you graduate,you are competitive enough to survive in this ever developing world.

(MY REPLY)

Hi...

Language wise you would score a high band 4... however your content is not very mature and there is lack of critical thinking skills so you might get only low band 3. Add the two together you may get a low or mid band 4.

Good try but i can assure u that this question will never come out in the exam as the scope is too small. if you compare spm with uni, then it would be a more viable question. comparing uni n college requires in-depth knowledge abt the two so majlis peperiksaan malaysia would never use this question as it would be too biased for some parties (urban) while the rural ones will not be able to answer it well at all.

Also, you mentioned too many assumptions and sweeping statements in your essay. I have highlighted the generalisations in GREEN ABOVE where you have stated what you consider to be a fact but is actually just your opinion. Please avoid such statements.

I do like how you've followed an academic style format.. and that you've given concrete examples. Good try.

Anyway... thanks for trying. :P

MORAL OF THE STORY: AVOID SWEEPING STATEMENTS AND GENERALISATIONS THAT YOU HAVE NO PROOF ABOUT. STAY AWAY FROM WORDS LIKE:
ALL, NEVER, ALWAYS, EVERY, EVERYONE, EVERYTHING ETC.

MUET my way...: MUET March 2015 Reading answers.

Posted: 08 Mar 2015 01:06 AM PST

Finally got a copy. Will b uploading pics as answers so u can see d evidence. Feel free to dispute.

Okay, answers done. Up for debate. Please try to remember I am doing this for FREE and you shouldn't annoy me by demanding answers especially since my own students did not take this exam and I was hard pressed to find a copy of the questions. Remember that it is virtuous to be patient and I do not tolerate rudeness. Be thankful that someone bothers to discuss MUET answers with you and stop being selfish. I am officially annoyed by the emails I am getting 'forcing' and 'demanding' answers. If you can't say anything nice, just don't say anything at all - that's the golden rule!

Anyway, I will be blogging soon about the writing tasks. Even I didn't expect Q2 to be so tough but if you gave good examples like aviation tragedies, natural disasters including flood mitigation in Malaysia and mass massacres or terrorism including the ISIS agenda then you are on the right track. if you spoke about problems as opposed to 'tragedies' which are calamities that are on a much larger scale, then you may not have answered the question accurately. The trick is to tie in Part A with Part B of the question. Wait for my next blog, but this time, be patient!

MUET my way...: Here's a sample model answer for the lastest ...

Posted: 28 Apr 2010 12:26 AM PDT

MUET WRITING PAPER 800/4 QUESTION 2

The world today is turning more to electronic communications such as the e-mail, Facebook and Short message System (SMS). What is your opinion of this growing trend? Discuss. You should write at least 350 words.

Generally, in answering academic essays, you need to really focus on a higher level of thinking which befits a Band 6, university style response. If you were to just answer that this electronic communication trend is good and that you can chat with your friends and keep in touch, then you really haven't explored the question in a mature and critical way.

How do you train your mind to be more critical and mature in approaching the question? Well, you need to focus not just on the effects of the concept to yourself and the people around you, but focus on how it will affect society not just in your country but globally.

Anyway, have a read of the sample answer below. Take note that I'm sticking to my writing template, but better students can use a more creative style to show their flair in writing effective compositions.

Everywhere we turn today, the world is crowded with people busy typing SMSes on their Nokias or iPhones or someone is staring unblinkingly at a Facebook or Yahoo page on the computer screen. Whether you like it or not, the age of Information Technology is upon us, and we can either learn new skills and adapt to this new technology, or be forever lost and stuck in the older generation. In my opinion, I am fully convinced that this growing trend is the way of the future, and it brings countless benefits to mankind. In this essay, I will discuss three positive effects of electronic communication, namely its efficiency, enhances communication and creates a borderless world community.

In a nutshell, this growing trend has many positive effects not just to individuals but the global society in terms of efficiency, enhancing communicative skills and shaping a borderless community. In my opinion, I still firmly believe that this latest trend is the best way forward and if we do not catch up, we will be left behind by the tide of development. Our government can encourage the proper usage of electronic communications by increasing communication amenities and broadband accessibility especially in rural areas so that they can enjoy the same facilities as city-folks therefore balancing the development of our country towards achieving Vision 2020.

So what do you guys think? Please give me some feedback. ;-)

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