essay introduction examples spm

SPM Essay Writing Guide – Format & Examples

Table of Contents

What is SPM?

Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia, or SPM, is a significant national exam that Malaysian students who have completed Form 5 education—typically at the age of 17—take. It’s crucial since it determines whether or not they can continue their education after high school and serves as a measure of their overall academic success. Writing an essay is a significant part of the SPM exam since it evaluates the test taker’s command of the English language, analytical reasoning skills, and ability to form coherent arguments.

SPM Essay Format

Excellent SPM essays may only be written by students who have a firm grasp of the proper essay format. An essay typically consists of three primary components:

1. Introduction

The introduction of an essay serves as the initial section, strategically designed to captivate the reader’s interest and provide essential contextual information for the subsequent content of the paper. The factors that contribute to the level of interest in an introduction are:

A hook: A hook is a provocative statement or query that grabs the reader’s attention.

Background context: Introduce the topic and its relevance in a brief background context.

Thesis statement: Clearly state your essay’s principal contention or goal.

The body of your essay comprises several paragraphs, each of which deals with a different aspect of your thesis or a related concept. When composing the body, adhere to the following guidelines:

Topic sentences: Each paragraph should begin with an introduction to the key concept that is succinct and straightforward.

Supporting evidence: To support your claims, offer statistics, examples, or supporting proof.

Smooth transitions: Make sure the transitions between paragraphs are reasonable, retaining the coherence of the structure.

3. Conclusion

The conclusion is the last section, where you restate your thesis and briefly review your significant points. To write a strong conclusion:

Summarise main points: Briefly summarise your main points from the body paragraphs.

Restate thesis: Rephrase your thesis statement to reinforce your main argument.

Closing thought: A provocative statement or call to action should be the closing thought.

How to Write an SPM Essay?

Essay writing is a craft that can be honed with time and focus. Write an excellent SPM essay by following this simple outline:

1. Understand the Question

To completely understand the criteria of the essay question, carefully read and consider it. Indicate the essay type (e.g., descriptive, narrative, argumentative) and the keywords that will be used.

2. Plan Your Essay

The key ideas you intend to cover in each part should be included in an outline. Planning ensures a clear essay structure and helps you organize your thoughts.

3. Start with a Strong Introduction

Write a captivating beginning that introduces the subject, establishes the mood, and expresses your thesis statement succinctly.

4. Develop the Body Paragraphs

Each paragraph should focus on a single idea, with supporting details and arguments. Make seamless transitions between ideas.

5. Craft an Impactful Conclusion

Reiterate your thesis, restate your essential points, and give the reader a thought-provoking conclusion.

SPM Essay Writing Tips

Take into account these helpful tips to improve your essay-writing abilities:

1. Read Widely

Your vocabulary and knowledge base will grow due to exposure to various reading sources, including books, newspapers, and articles.

2. Practice Regularly

Consistent writing practice improves your writing abilities and increases your comfort level while confronting various essay subjects.

3. Seek Feedback

To pinpoint areas for growth, get comments from teachers, peers, or family members.

4. Time Management

Use your time effectively during the exam to allow enough time for preparing, writing, and reviewing.

5. Grammar and Vocabulary

Pay close attention to your grammar, spelling, and language choices for your writing to remain coherent and clear.

Types of SPM Essays

SPM essays can take many forms, each requiring a different strategy. Here are a few common types:

1. Narrative Essay

It tells a tale with aspects including characters, setting, and plot, frequently from the viewpoint of the author.

2. Descriptive Essay

It uses sensory details to create a realistic image of a person, location, or event to capture the reader’s attention.

3. Argumentative Essay

Presents reasons and proof to persuade readers to take a specific stance on a hotly debated subject.

4. Expository Essay

Gives details, justifications, or analyses on a subject backed up by examples and facts.

5. Reflective Essay

Reveals one’s own feelings, thoughts, and experiences while highlighting the lessons learned from a certain incident.

SPM Essay Example for Malaysian Students

To provide you with a practical reference, here is a brief example of an SPM essay provided by Malaysian Essay Helpers :

Example Title: “The Impact of Technology on Education”

The digital era has completely transformed every part of our lives, including education. Classrooms have changed as a result of the growing use of digital devices and the internet, with both positive and negative effects.

Paragraph 1 (Positive Impact)

The educational process has been greatly improved by technology. Interactive instructional software and applications provide pupils with fun ways to understand difficult ideas. Additionally, e-learning platforms have made it possible to receive a degree from a distance, eliminating geographic restrictions and fostering lifelong learning.

Paragraph 2 (Negative Impact)

However, there are negative consequences to using too much technology in the classroom. The decline of conventional methods of instruction may lead to a shortage of students with strong critical thinking and interpersonal skills. Additionally, the digital divide between kids from various socioeconomic origins has the potential to make educational disparities worse.

In conclusion, it is undeniable that technology has significantly influenced modern schooling. To guarantee that every student receives a well-rounded education, educators must strike a balance between tech-based instruction and conventional teaching techniques, despite the fact that technology has many benefits in terms of accessibility and learning opportunities.

For Malaysian students who want to perform well on their exams, mastering the art of SPM essay writing is essential. Students may improve their writing talents and create compelling essays highlighting their knowledge and critical thinking skills by adhering to the correct essay style, employing effective writing approaches, and practicing frequently. Remember to experiment with different essay formats to increase your writing versatility and use other people’s work as inspiration to enhance your own.

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Tips on How to Tackle the SPM English Papers 1 & 2

by StudyMalaysia.com on February 23, 2022 | Top Stories , Learning English in Malaysia

SPM English Papers 1 & 2

In line with the Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Menengah (KSSM), the new SPM format for SPM English is more comprehensive and covers all aspects of English learning. Since the new format is adapted from the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) it is similar to the Cambridge English paper and the grading will also follow the CEFR Measuring system.

The aspirational target for SPM leavers would be level B2 where they are equipped with adequate English for further studies and later on career enhancement.

Basic Users

• level A1 (Elementary/Beginner)
• level A2 (Pre-Intermediate/Elementary)

Independent Users

• level B1 (Intermediate/Pre-Intermediate)
• level B2 (Upper Intermediate/Intermediate)

Proficient Users

• levels C1 and C2 (Advanced)

CEFR Grading for SPM will be only up to B2.

Basically any English test is about understanding what you’re reading. Thus you should take time to comprehend what you’re reading and accomplish the task according to what is asked for.

SPM Paper 1

Paper I tests Reading and Use of English. It consists of 5 parts. The time allocated is 90 minutes. (40 marks)

Part 1: 8 Multiple Choice Questions consisting of short texts from books, magazines, advertisements etc. Candidates will choose the best answer from 3 choices given for each question. (8 marks)

ADVICE: Very quickly read through the question before reading the text given. This gives you an idea of what you will be looking for in the text. After this go through all the three options given before deciding on the answer. Make sure you read all the options as there may be slight differences in the answers given.

Part 2: Cloze Passage. You should try to get all the 10 answers correct. The passage tests you on grammar and vocabulary. There are 4 options given for each blank. (10 marks)

ADVICE: Do not attempt to fill in the gaps on your first reading of the text. First, read through the text quickly to see what it is about and determine the tense or tenses required for the text. Then go to the answers given and determine the right word for each blank.

Part 3: Here you will need to read a longer passage and answer 8 questions related to the text. This is of course a test on reading comprehension. (8 marks)

ADVICE: Take time to read the text carefully before going on to the questions. Some of the questions direct you to specific paragraphs to look for the answers. For other questions, look for key words to enable you to zoom in to the right paragraphs to look for the answers. Once again read through all the options given before deciding on your answer.

Part 4: In this section you are given a longer text from which six sentences have been removed. You have to choose the 6 correct sentences from among 8 choices given to fill in the gaps to form a correctly structured paragraph. (6 marks).

ADVICE: Here is where you have to apply your skills on ‘coherence and cohesion’ to find the correct sentence to fill the blank. Your sentence should blend in smoothly with the sentences before and after the blank.

Part 5: You are given a few paragraphs on a certain topic to read. You are given four statements which describe 4 of the paragraphs given. You have to identify the 4 paragraphs to fit the statements given. For the next 4 questions you are required to find words (one word each from the text) to complete the 4 sentences given. (8 marks)

ADVICE: Read the short texts carefully and determine the main idea in each text. This will help you decide to pick the statement which best describes the text.

SPM Paper 2

This essay and writing paper is worth 60 marks. However, the weightage in the overall SPM English paper is still at 25%. The time allocated for this paper is 90 minutes and the paper has 3 parts.

Part 1 - Students are required to write a short note or email in less than 80 words. (20 marks)

ADVICE: Read the email or short note carefully and underline the tasks given to you so that you will not miss out on any point. For example the task set out may want you to suggest

• a place to visit
• some activities to be done there (give a few - about three)
• things to bring (suggest a few - about three)

As you have only 80 words to juggle with, you must go straight to the point with a little elaboration if necessary.

Part 2 - This is Directed Writing in 125 - 150 words. (20 marks)

ADVICE: In this question, notes will be given to you to guide you on what to write. Whatever it is, the golden rule is to give at least three to four suggestions so that there will be enough subject matter for you to write about. Here you may need to give your opinion or provide proof for your suggestions. Do not write longer than required.

Part 3 - In this section, you are given 3 choices for a descriptive writing

(report/review/article/story). You will need to choose I essay to write in 200 - 250 words. (20 marks)

ADVICE: This essay calls for all your writing skills. Quickly mind-map four to five main points you want to talk about in your essay. For each point briefly jot down elaborations/examples/reasons to expand the point. Then organise your paragraphs with each main point as your topic sentence for each paragraph. Think of a good introduction and conclusion. The introduction and the conclusion should not be too lengthy.

For the writing task, you will be assessed on

task achievement - Have you answered according to what is required by the question?

What are your key points? Do you support your key points with proof or definite opinion?

coherence and cohesion - Are all your paragraphs part of a whole? Does each of the

paragraph have a key point? Do all the sentences in each paragraph talk about the key point? Use cohesive devices like thus, therefore, moreover, furthermore, on the contrary ... etc to help you.

vocabulary - You will need to show you have a wide range of vocabulary at your disposal. A wide vocabulary enables you to write better essays. To acquire a wide vocabulary you need to read books, magazines and newspapers. When you come across any good words or expressions jot them down in your vocabulary book. Learn how to use these words or expressions in the right contexts. Try not to use descriptive words more than twice in the same essay. For example:

Last holiday my whole family went for a very interesting trip to the East Coast. We stayed at an interesting holiday resort. While we were there we joined a lot of interesting activities.

Writing a paragraph like the above will show your limited vocabulary usage.

grammar - Make sure to use the correct tenses throughout your writing. Punctuations

are equally important as a wrong punctuation may contribute to misunderstanding.

5. sentence structures - Your writing should show

• variety in sentence structures ( There should be a combination of simple, compound and complex sentences in your essay. Make sentences of different lengths and with different beginnings.)
• vivid and interesting sentences - Write interesting sentences by adding adjectives to nouns, adverbs to verbs, adjective phrases and clauses. Students should learn how to use synonyms, idioms, figurative language, similes, proverbs etc. Avoid making spelling mistakes.

use of direct speech or quotes - Wherever possible adding a quote or a direct speech can break the monotony in your essay.

Do your best!

After years of studying, your success will be measured by your performance in this coming examination. Best wishes from us at STUDYMALAYSIA!

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SPM Essay Writing Guide – Format, Examples

The SPM exam is a challenging time for Malaysian students. It’s an opportunity to showcase their knowledge and skills, but it can also be confusing as the requirements are constantly changing. For example, this year there is no essay marking scheme provided by the Ministry of Education or any other official source on how essays should be assessed. This blog post will guide how to write an engaging essay that is sure to impress your teacher and get you top marks.

What is SPM?

The Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), or the Malaysian Certificate of Education, is a national examination taken by all fifth-form secondary school students in Malaysia. It was created to test what they have been learning over their course of study and aspires them for higher education opportunities abroad.

Malaysians take the SPM exam that is set and examined by a Malaysian Examinations Syndicate. This Syndicate is also known as Lembaga Peperiksaan Malaysia. The education system in Malaysia can be completed after passing this test, which is equivalent to O-levels at the secondary school level. It’s compulsory for those seeking tertiary education before taking it; only then will they have an idea of what field of study suits them best. The age for completion of this public examination is 18 years old and students must pass it to be eligible for higher education.

The syndicate has made Bahasa Malaysia, English (Bahasa inggeris), Islamic studies, moral studies, history, and mathematical reading a compulsion for the students.

The Islamic studies subject is a compulsion for Muslim candidates. And moral studies are compulsory for non-Muslim candidates. The science coursework is common and compulsion to all students, but you can choose your elective subjects from these core courses below:

• Arts And Health- Music education, visual arts education, and sports science knowledge.
• Language And Literature- Malay literature, English literature, Chinese language, Arabic language(advanced), Chinese, Tamil, Iban, Arabic language for communication, English for science and technology, Chinese literature, Tamil literature, French language, and Punjabi language.
• Technical And Vocational- Agricultural science, home economics, engineering drawing, mechanical engineering studies, invention, food management, fashion design, engineering technology, domestic constructions, automobile servicing, etc.
• Science and Mathematics- additional Mathematics, chemistry, physics, biology, additional science, information and communication, and applied science.
• Social Science And Religion- Business, entrepreneurial studies, principles of accounting, basic economics, Islamic worldviews, AL-Quran and As-Sunnah education, bible knowledge, etc.

SPM Essay Format

SPM essay writing is divided into two parts, part A and part B

Part A- This section is where you’ll be writing an essay, a report, or a letter. You’re given 45 minutes to answer this and it’s compulsory for you as only one question will bring in 35 marks- so make sure not to skip over the questions! Your examiner may award 3/35 points for your format, 12/35 points on content, and 20 out of 35 if they think that your language (grammar) is good enough.

Part B – This is the section where you apply all your knowledge of writing skills. It’s also a place to study grammar rules and how they work. Take some time now before we dive in so that by taking this bird’s eye view of it, you’ll know what to expect from this portion of our coursework.

• You will be given five options and you have to opt for only one.
• 60 minutes will be given to students to read all the questions thoroughly and plan key points for the same.
• This part carries 50 marks.

How to Write SPM Essay

Introductory paragraph:.

• Always write general information to write an introductory paragraph.
• Write at least 6-7 sentences.
• Use proper grammar, punctuation, and correct spelling.

Body Paragraph:

• Write at least the main idea
• 3-4 supporting details
• One conclusion paragraph
• Write 40-50 words
• Use correct grammar, correct spellings, and punctuation marks

Concluding Paragraph:

• Restate all the main ideas in a brief
• Write synonyms to restate your idea

SPM Essay Writing Tips

• Read all the questions wisely, some students make mistakes while selecting the question and later regret that they could have handled the other questions with much ease.
• Must choose a topic you are familiar with.
• Plan your essay like outline/ideas/thoughts/supporting points etc.
• Write sentences of different lengths a short sentence looks better after the long one.
• Always write neat and clean must use bullet points etc.
• Pay strict attention to the length of an essay, you have to write no less than 350 words if you write less than that, then you will be penalized, also never write extend your essay from 600- to 1000 words the more you write, the more the mistakes will happen.
• Always spare 10 minutes to proofread and edit an essay.
• After opting for a topic for an essay you can either write descriptive, narrative, reflective, descriptive, argumentative/persuasive, or factual/expository), but according to my suggestion always choose a narrative essay because another one requires a lot of knowledge of current issues.

Types of SPM Essays

The types of essays in SPM are:-

• Narrative essay- To write an interesting narrative essay often needs the right ingredients – just as cooking up a plate of curry masala does. The first thing about writing such essays is one’s creative imagination; so long as they are imaginative enough and think out of their box, then any story becomes more exciting than ever.
• Descriptive essay- a descriptive essay is an essay that aims to describe one’s viewpoint of the world through observations and feelings. The goal of this type of essay is to provide a vivid portrayal of the subject to get readers excited about what they are reading.
• Factual Essay- A factual essay is a non-fiction form of writing that is typically used when discussing some point relating to science or history. Factual essays are very similar to research papers in structure and format; however, they both vary in the use of citations and footnotes.
• Reflective Essay- A reflective essay is a personal essay that focuses on the writer’s reflection about an event, experience, or topic. The goal of this type of essay is typically to think critically and deeply about something which has been experienced by the writer.
• Persuasive Essay- Persuasive essays are a common way to voice opinions and sway readers. Readers will often disagree, which is why writers need to present their point of view as persuasively as possible with evidence from research or arguments that the reader can’t refute.

Topics for SPM Essay

• Illustrate an adventurous activity that has been done recently. Describe the preparation you have done before that and how was your experience?
• Describe your College reunion of yours; explain how memorable for you it was?
• Describe the project conducted at your school and you have played the most important role, what was your experience with that?
• Should parents give freedom to children? Discuss
• Write a story about a neighbour who is very popular in your neighbourhood. Discuss the reasons that make the neighbour popular and what other residents think of the popular neighbour.
• Write a story about a young successful farmer who is very generous. End your story with: “My friends and I learned a lot, especially the meaning of generosity.”

SPM Essay Example for Malaysian Students

Schools and universities have turned to online classes during this pandemic. Your teacher asked about your experience with online classes.

In the wake of an infectious disease outbreak, Malaysia has had to change how its students are getting educated. The COVID-19 virus is spreading rapidly in schools and villages across Asia; as a result, many Malaysian children have been forced into remote learning for fear that they will come into contact with someone infected by this highly contagious pathogen. These changes force educators all over the world to switch from traditional teaching methods– instructing pupils face-to-face or via webcam–to online coursework where the distance between teacher and student is not just social but physical too. Some Malaysian kids accept these new conditions readily while others may be struggling with adapting because it’s difficult adjusting without close human interaction on a day today.

I reap the benefits of Online education, first of all, you will spend less than in traditional classrooms, you can easily communicate with your teacher, you will gain new technical skills, you can gain better self-motivation, and enjoy a broader perspective.

The demerits of Online learning are that it can cause social isolation, it also needs strong self-motivation and time management skills, lack of communication skills, preventing mischievous activity can be complicated, teacher-focused only on theoretical knowledge, not on practical, E-learning lack face to face communication.

With the unprecedented virus covid-19, safe to say that online learning is the best alternative we have now. In the future, I would opt for classroom learning it has various plus points that E-learning cannot replace.

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How to Write an Essay Introduction (with Examples)   

The introduction of an essay plays a critical role in engaging the reader and providing contextual information about the topic. It sets the stage for the rest of the essay, establishes the tone and style, and motivates the reader to continue reading. 

Table of Contents

What is an essay introduction , what to include in an essay introduction, how to create an essay structure , step-by-step process for writing an essay introduction , how to write an introduction paragraph , how to write a hook for your essay , how to include background information , how to write a thesis statement .

• Argumentative Essay Introduction Example: 
• Expository Essay Introduction Example 

Literary Analysis Essay Introduction Example

Check and revise – checklist for essay introduction , key takeaways , frequently asked questions .

An introduction is the opening section of an essay, paper, or other written work. It introduces the topic and provides background information, context, and an overview of what the reader can expect from the rest of the work. 1 The key is to be concise and to the point, providing enough information to engage the reader without delving into excessive detail. 

The essay introduction is crucial as it sets the tone for the entire piece and provides the reader with a roadmap of what to expect. Here are key elements to include in your essay introduction: 

• Hook : Start with an attention-grabbing statement or question to engage the reader. This could be a surprising fact, a relevant quote, or a compelling anecdote. 
• Background information : Provide context and background information to help the reader understand the topic. This can include historical information, definitions of key terms, or an overview of the current state of affairs related to your topic. 
• Thesis statement : Clearly state your main argument or position on the topic. Your thesis should be concise and specific, providing a clear direction for your essay. 

Before we get into how to write an essay introduction, we need to know how it is structured. The structure of an essay is crucial for organizing your thoughts and presenting them clearly and logically. It is divided as follows: 2  

• Introduction:  The introduction should grab the reader’s attention with a hook, provide context, and include a thesis statement that presents the main argument or purpose of the essay.  
• Body:  The body should consist of focused paragraphs that support your thesis statement using evidence and analysis. Each paragraph should concentrate on a single central idea or argument and provide evidence, examples, or analysis to back it up.  
• Conclusion:  The conclusion should summarize the main points and restate the thesis differently. End with a final statement that leaves a lasting impression on the reader. Avoid new information or arguments. 

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to write an essay introduction: 

• Start with a Hook : Begin your introduction paragraph with an attention-grabbing statement, question, quote, or anecdote related to your topic. The hook should pique the reader’s interest and encourage them to continue reading. 
• Provide Background Information : This helps the reader understand the relevance and importance of the topic. 
• State Your Thesis Statement : The last sentence is the main argument or point of your essay. It should be clear, concise, and directly address the topic of your essay. 
• Preview the Main Points : This gives the reader an idea of what to expect and how you will support your thesis. 
• Keep it Concise and Clear : Avoid going into too much detail or including information not directly relevant to your topic. 
• Revise : Revise your introduction after you’ve written the rest of your essay to ensure it aligns with your final argument. 

Here’s an example of an essay introduction paragraph about the importance of education: 

Education is often viewed as a fundamental human right and a key social and economic development driver. As Nelson Mandela once famously said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” It is the key to unlocking a wide range of opportunities and benefits for individuals, societies, and nations. In today’s constantly evolving world, education has become even more critical. It has expanded beyond traditional classroom learning to include digital and remote learning, making education more accessible and convenient. This essay will delve into the importance of education in empowering individuals to achieve their dreams, improving societies by promoting social justice and equality, and driving economic growth by developing a skilled workforce and promoting innovation. 

This introduction paragraph example includes a hook (the quote by Nelson Mandela), provides some background information on education, and states the thesis statement (the importance of education). 

This is one of the key steps in how to write an essay introduction. Crafting a compelling hook is vital because it sets the tone for your entire essay and determines whether your readers will stay interested. A good hook draws the reader in and sets the stage for the rest of your essay.  

• Avoid Dry Fact : Instead of simply stating a bland fact, try to make it engaging and relevant to your topic. For example, if you’re writing about the benefits of exercise, you could start with a startling statistic like, “Did you know that regular exercise can increase your lifespan by up to seven years?” 
• Avoid Using a Dictionary Definition : While definitions can be informative, they’re not always the most captivating way to start an essay. Instead, try to use a quote, anecdote, or provocative question to pique the reader’s interest. For instance, if you’re writing about freedom, you could begin with a quote from a famous freedom fighter or philosopher. 
• Do Not Just State a Fact That the Reader Already Knows : This ties back to the first point—your hook should surprise or intrigue the reader. For Here’s an introduction paragraph example, if you’re writing about climate change, you could start with a thought-provoking statement like, “Despite overwhelming evidence, many people still refuse to believe in the reality of climate change.” 

Including background information in the introduction section of your essay is important to provide context and establish the relevance of your topic. When writing the background information, you can follow these steps: 

• Start with a General Statement:  Begin with a general statement about the topic and gradually narrow it down to your specific focus. For example, when discussing the impact of social media, you can begin by making a broad statement about social media and its widespread use in today’s society, as follows: “Social media has become an integral part of modern life, with billions of users worldwide.” 
• Define Key Terms : Define any key terms or concepts that may be unfamiliar to your readers but are essential for understanding your argument. 
• Provide Relevant Statistics:  Use statistics or facts to highlight the significance of the issue you’re discussing. For instance, “According to a report by Statista, the number of social media users is expected to reach 4.41 billion by 2025.” 
• Discuss the Evolution:  Mention previous research or studies that have been conducted on the topic, especially those that are relevant to your argument. Mention key milestones or developments that have shaped its current impact. You can also outline some of the major effects of social media. For example, you can briefly describe how social media has evolved, including positives such as increased connectivity and issues like cyberbullying and privacy concerns. 
• Transition to Your Thesis:  Use the background information to lead into your thesis statement, which should clearly state the main argument or purpose of your essay. For example, “Given its pervasive influence, it is crucial to examine the impact of social media on mental health.” 

A thesis statement is a concise summary of the main point or claim of an essay, research paper, or other type of academic writing. It appears near the end of the introduction. Here’s how to write a thesis statement: 

• Identify the topic:  Start by identifying the topic of your essay. For example, if your essay is about the importance of exercise for overall health, your topic is “exercise.” 
• State your position:  Next, state your position or claim about the topic. This is the main argument or point you want to make. For example, if you believe that regular exercise is crucial for maintaining good health, your position could be: “Regular exercise is essential for maintaining good health.” 
• Support your position:  Provide a brief overview of the reasons or evidence that support your position. These will be the main points of your essay. For example, if you’re writing an essay about the importance of exercise, you could mention the physical health benefits, mental health benefits, and the role of exercise in disease prevention. 
• Make it specific:  Ensure your thesis statement clearly states what you will discuss in your essay. For example, instead of saying, “Exercise is good for you,” you could say, “Regular exercise, including cardiovascular and strength training, can improve overall health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.” 

Examples of essay introduction 

Here are examples of essay introductions for different types of essays: 

Argumentative Essay Introduction Example:  

Topic: Should the voting age be lowered to 16? 

“The question of whether the voting age should be lowered to 16 has sparked nationwide debate. While some argue that 16-year-olds lack the requisite maturity and knowledge to make informed decisions, others argue that doing so would imbue young people with agency and give them a voice in shaping their future.” 

Expository Essay Introduction Example  

Topic: The benefits of regular exercise 

“In today’s fast-paced world, the importance of regular exercise cannot be overstated. From improving physical health to boosting mental well-being, the benefits of exercise are numerous and far-reaching. This essay will examine the various advantages of regular exercise and provide tips on incorporating it into your daily routine.” 

Text: “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee 

“Harper Lee’s novel, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ is a timeless classic that explores themes of racism, injustice, and morality in the American South. Through the eyes of young Scout Finch, the reader is taken on a journey that challenges societal norms and forces characters to confront their prejudices. This essay will analyze the novel’s use of symbolism, character development, and narrative structure to uncover its deeper meaning and relevance to contemporary society.” 

• Engaging and Relevant First Sentence : The opening sentence captures the reader’s attention and relates directly to the topic. 
• Background Information : Enough background information is introduced to provide context for the thesis statement. 
• Definition of Important Terms : Key terms or concepts that might be unfamiliar to the audience or are central to the argument are defined. 
• Clear Thesis Statement : The thesis statement presents the main point or argument of the essay. 
• Relevance to Main Body : Everything in the introduction directly relates to and sets up the discussion in the main body of the essay. 

Writing a strong introduction is crucial for setting the tone and context of your essay. Here are the key takeaways for how to write essay introduction: 3  

• Hook the Reader : Start with an engaging hook to grab the reader’s attention. This could be a compelling question, a surprising fact, a relevant quote, or an anecdote. 
• Provide Background : Give a brief overview of the topic, setting the context and stage for the discussion. 
• Thesis Statement : State your thesis, which is the main argument or point of your essay. It should be concise, clear, and specific. 
• Preview the Structure : Outline the main points or arguments to help the reader understand the organization of your essay. 
• Keep it Concise : Avoid including unnecessary details or information not directly related to your thesis. 
• Revise and Edit : Revise your introduction to ensure clarity, coherence, and relevance. Check for grammar and spelling errors. 
• Seek Feedback : Get feedback from peers or instructors to improve your introduction further. 

The purpose of an essay introduction is to give an overview of the topic, context, and main ideas of the essay. It is meant to engage the reader, establish the tone for the rest of the essay, and introduce the thesis statement or central argument.  

An essay introduction typically ranges from 5-10% of the total word count. For example, in a 1,000-word essay, the introduction would be roughly 50-100 words. However, the length can vary depending on the complexity of the topic and the overall length of the essay.

An essay introduction is critical in engaging the reader and providing contextual information about the topic. To ensure its effectiveness, consider incorporating these key elements: a compelling hook, background information, a clear thesis statement, an outline of the essay’s scope, a smooth transition to the body, and optional signposting sentences.  

The process of writing an essay introduction is not necessarily straightforward, but there are several strategies that can be employed to achieve this end. When experiencing difficulty initiating the process, consider the following techniques: begin with an anecdote, a quotation, an image, a question, or a startling fact to pique the reader’s interest. It may also be helpful to consider the five W’s of journalism: who, what, when, where, why, and how.   For instance, an anecdotal opening could be structured as follows: “As I ascended the stage, momentarily blinded by the intense lights, I could sense the weight of a hundred eyes upon me, anticipating my next move. The topic of discussion was climate change, a subject I was passionate about, and it was my first public speaking event. Little did I know , that pivotal moment would not only alter my perspective but also chart my life’s course.” 

Crafting a compelling thesis statement for your introduction paragraph is crucial to grab your reader’s attention. To achieve this, avoid using overused phrases such as “In this paper, I will write about” or “I will focus on” as they lack originality. Instead, strive to engage your reader by substantiating your stance or proposition with a “so what” clause. While writing your thesis statement, aim to be precise, succinct, and clear in conveying your main argument.  

To create an effective essay introduction, ensure it is clear, engaging, relevant, and contains a concise thesis statement. It should transition smoothly into the essay and be long enough to cover necessary points but not become overwhelming. Seek feedback from peers or instructors to assess its effectiveness. 

References  

• Cui, L. (2022). Unit 6 Essay Introduction.  Building Academic Writing Skills . 
• West, H., Malcolm, G., Keywood, S., & Hill, J. (2019). Writing a successful essay.  Journal of Geography in Higher Education ,  43 (4), 609-617. 
• Beavers, M. E., Thoune, D. L., & McBeth, M. (2023). Bibliographic Essay: Reading, Researching, Teaching, and Writing with Hooks: A Queer Literacy Sponsorship. College English, 85(3), 230-242. 

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Related Reads:

• What is an Argumentative Essay? How to Write It (With Examples)
• How to Paraphrase Research Papers Effectively
• How to Cite Social Media Sources in Academic Writing? 
• How Long Should a Chapter Be?

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Thursday, June 26, 2014

46 good spm english model essays / free essay samples for o-level, ielts, toefl & muet writing.

46 Model Essay Samples for SPM English, O-level, IELTS, TOEFL & MUET Writing

        descriptive essays.

• My Best Friend
• Describe an afternoon at the bus station
• A Horrifying Swim
• A Prominent Malaysian Leader
• A Demonic Gold
• My Favourite TV Programme
• The Night Market

Narrative Essays

• A Horror / Tragic Story
• Finally, A Voice Message
• That is the reward for my patience and hardwork
• A Holiday I Would Never Forget
• Couple Foils Robbery Attempt
• Write a story starting with: “The widow had to work hard to bring up her little son alone...”
• My Most Embarrassing Situation
• A Road Accident
• Autumn on Sugarbush Street
• Of Bombs and Ice-Cream

Argumentative / Persuasive Essays

• Haze: A Danger to Health
• Cell phones - One of Our Greatest Technologies Misused
• Importance of Studying English

Reflective Essays

• Are undergraduates ready for the real world?
• Does School Prepare Us for Life
• What would you do if you had a lot of money

Factual Essays

• Social Networking Website

Directed Writing

• Anti-Smoking Campaign Speech
• Informal Letter
• Informal Letter Sample
• Formal Letter: Letter of Application
• Formal Letter: Letter of Complain
• Complain Report About School Canteen
• Book Report
• Police Report on Accident

48 comments:

Is there any chinese language essay?? can recommend??

lol u retarded?

Why are you so mean? Which part of it is retarded?

Maybe he lack of attention in his life

Dude, there are really chinese essay in spm. What's wrong with you guys

Are you lost mate? This webpage is for english essays, not chinese retard

Cmon he just asking if theres any chinese language essay... nothing wrong with it... sorry i think u are the one who is retarded here... no one r supporting ya...

what is naratif composition

Lol retarded 9 yr olds hating over a single question

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Senyap ar semua

Ahaha. Retarded indeed.

Ni nk buat rujukan ke gaduh?

Spm around the bout

guys i think,personally that this site helps you a lot in your studies.Amazing essays which are wonderfull

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hey there.. im just here looking through the comments

i honestly thought that no one gonna be on this blog in 2021

bunch of pointless people arguing about an idiot

The test score works as a proof of their language proficiency and knowledge. Finding the Best TOEFL Coaching it self is a task because the objective of TOEFL classes is to give you interactive examples of TOEFL test questions.

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This is important to remember while you are browsing IELTS or TOEFL preparation course, if you are planning on applying for citizenship or collage and intend to use your results as an entry requirement.

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That's really huge list of sample essays for students those need to write essay and facing difficulties. I am sure that will be very helpful for students studying in various level.

To be honest All the 46 Model essays are uncomparable to the O level English Standard. In fact,writing such a essay in o level english will guarantee a fail

Woah,these essays are actually good for SPM level. Seeing this comment,I wonder how am I going to survive after SPM with my own level of English. HUhu..T-T

totally useful for me

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Hey I would like to get in touch with you about publishing one of my articles here? Any way to do that??

Click here for email address to submit your article.

Thank you for sharing. This is a good material for the development of creative thought. I'm writing an essay for more than five years. Sometimes creative crisis comes. In this moment you need to distract yourself with other thoughts. Good luck to all with essay writing.

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How to write an Essay Introduction (5-Step Formula)

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

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One of my friends – a high-up professor in an English university – told me he can tell the grade a student will get within the first 90 seconds of reading a paper.

This makes the introduction the most important paragraph in your whole paper.

The introduction orients your reader to how well you understand academic writing, your skills in critical thinking, your ability to write professionally with minimal errors, and the depth of knowledge you have on the topic.

All in one fantastic paragraph! No pressure.

No wonder introductions are so difficult to write. If you’re like me, you find that you can sit and stare at a blank page as the moments tick by. You’re just not sure how to write an introduction!

After reading the top 30 online articles on how to write an essay introduction, I synthesized the five most common steps that universities give on how to write an introduction.

The five steps I am going to introduce to you in this paragraph are from my I.N.T.R.O. method. The intro method provides an easy-to-use acronym for how to write an introduction that the top universities recommend.

The INTRO method’s steps are:

• [I] Interest: Provide an opening sentence that shows why the topic is of interest to everyday human beings
• [N] Notify: Notify the reader of background or contextual information
• [T] Translate: Translate the essay topic or question by paraphrasing it
• [R] Report: Report on your position or argument
• [O] Outline: Provide an outline of the essay structure

Below, I go through each step one by one. Each step is designed to be written in order, although you may feel free to mix them up after you’ve written each sentence to make it feel and read just the way you like.

Use the INTRO method as a guide for how to write an introduction and get words down on paper. As I often argue on this website, just writing something is often the hardest part .

You may also find that some essay introductions work better without one or more of these 5 steps. That is okay, too. Use these 5 steps as advice on points to include in an introduction and adjust them as you need. You may find in your specific area of study you need to add or remove other sentences. Play around with your introduction until you feel comfortable with it.

So don’t be too hard on yourself: have a go at a draft of your introduction with no pressure to use it in the end. You’ll find by the time you’ve written these five sentences you’ll have the creative juices flowing and a compelling introduction will be down on paper in no time.

1. Interest

Provide an opening sentence that shows why the topic is interesting to everyday human beings

Nearly every source on how to write an introduction that I found online recommended that your first sentence be an engaging ‘hook’ . Most sources highlight that the ‘hook’ sentence should draw in the reader’s interest in order to make your piece stand out.

The marker wants to see if you understand why this topic is of interest is in the first place. They want to see if you ‘get it’ from the very start.

I also recommend that you view the hook as an opportunity to show why the topic is interesting to everyday human beings . This makes it relevant to your reader.

To show you understand why the topic is of interest in the first place, aim to do one of the following things:

• Show what makes the topic worth discussing. Your ‘Interest’ sentence might help show why someone should care about the topic. Will it affect our livelihoods? Will it harm us? Make our work lives easier? The more relatable this point is to real human lives, the better.
• Highlight the single most interesting point in the essay. You might notice that you have already pointed out this interesting ‘hook’ somewhere in your essay. Find that interesting, relatable point and make it the opening sentence of your introduction.
• Use an interesting fact or figure to show the topic’s importance. Percentages or real numbers about how many people are or would be impacted by the issue help to show the topic’s importance. This will create reader interest with a ‘wow’ factor.
• Show how the essay topic is relevant to today’s world. If you’re struggling to identify this interesting ‘hook’, go onto google and find news reports related to your topic. How has the topic made it into the news recently? The news report will help you to brainstorm why this topic is of interest to the everyday lives of real human beings.

However, do not overstate the issue. You should provide a clear, reasonable perspective in this first sentence rather than an over-the-top claim. For example, aim to avoid hyperbolic or overly emotional phrases:

To find out more about retracting over-the-top emotion and hyperbole, we have put together a guide on academic language that you may like to read.

To summarize, I recommend that your first step in how to write an introduction is to write a ‘hook’ sentence that focuses on why the topic is interesting to everyday human beings . Use sober, clear facts about the importance of the topic to real human lives to get yourself started.

Read Also: My Suggested Best Words to Start a Paragraph

Notify the reader of background or contextual information

Nearly every source I found also recommended that you provide brief ‘background’ or ‘contextual’ information.

‘Background’ or ‘contextual’ information shows your depth of knowledge and understanding of the topic.

Here are some examples of ‘context’ for a few topics:

Hopefully, you can see here that giving ‘context’ is a way of showing that you have a really strong or deep knowledge of the history or background story of the topic. This is your chance to differentiate your depth of knowledge from other students. A sentence or two giving some of this context also helps to show off your knowledge right from the start.

Most sources recommend only providing one or two sentences of background information. This will help you to show off your knowledge without stealing content from the body of your essay. The body of the essay will add depth and detail to your points in the introduction, so feel free to leave out examples and explanations beyond your engaging sentence or two: you will have time in the body of the essay to elaborate.

3. Translate

Translate the essay topic or question

This point was mentioned by more than half the websites I found giving advice on how to write an introduction.

Many universities recommend re-stating the essay topic or question in your own words. This helps your marker to see that you understand the topic and are directly addressing it.

Here are some examples of essay questions and ways you can re-state the essay question in your introduction:

Something to keep in mind is that you do not want to appear to be re-stating the essay question simply to take up extra words. We call this ‘padding’. An example of padding is when a student drops the essay question in as a question, word-for-word:

• How can knowledge about history help us to improve our lives in the future? This is the question that will be answered in this essay.
• This essay will answer the question “What is the lasting impact of European Colonisation in the 21 st Century?”

Do not drop the essay question into the introduction without paraphrasing or surrounding explanation. If you do this, your marker will think you’re just trying to add words to the introduction because you’re not sure of anything interesting to say

Report your position or argument

Most essays do not require you to take a stance on an issue.

Essays that do require you to take a stance are called either ‘argumentative essays’ or ‘persuasive essays’.

If you are writing a persuasive essay, you will need to include Step 4: Report. For this step, you’ll need to state where you stand on the issue:

Keep in mind that essays should never leave a reader confused. Essay writing is not like creative writing: your reader must always know what’s going to be said right from the start. When reading to gather information, readers don’t like to be surprised. They want the facts up-front. Therefore, your marker will expect to know what your stance is on the issue right from the introduction onwards.

Provide an outline of the Essay Structure

This last point on how to write an introduction is important and separates average students from top students.

Introductions should always highlight the key points that will be made in an essay. Academic writing should never surprise the reader.

The fact that steps 4 and 5 both highlight that you should orient your marker reinforces the importance of this. Always, always, guide your marker’s reading experience.

Your essay should signpost all key concepts, theories, and main sections that make up your essay. If an important point is made in the essay but not signposted in the introduction, you are likely to confuse your marker. A confused marker very rapidly lowers your mark.

Too often, students fail to outline key points of their essays in the introduction. Make a habit of signposting your key ideas, points, theories, or concepts you will cover in the introduction in order to gain marks.

It is always easier to write this outline once the essay plan is written. You will then be able to gather together the key points that you listed in your essay plan and include them in the introduction.

The outline of the essay structure can only be one or two sentences long. You can state as your last sentence in your introduction:

• “Firstly, this essay … then, …, and finally …”
• “The essay opens with …, then, …, and then closes with …”
• “After exploring …, … and …, this essay will conclude with …”

Try to outline the issues you will cover in order. Providing an orderly outline of your essay is very helpful for your reader.

Now, I know that some people don’t like this method. Let me reassure you with this study from Theresa Thonney in 2016. Thonney examined 600 top-ranking articles in fields including Literature, Music, Environmental Sciences, Nutrition, Inter-Cultural Studies, and more to see how many articles used this method. In other words, she completed a comprehensive study of whether professional, published authors use this method of orientating the reader to the structure of the article.

Thonney found that 100% of top-ranking articles she looked at in the Astronomy field used this method. 98% of articles in Sociology journals used this method. In fact, the field with the lowest amount of authors who use this method is Art, which had 76% of authors use this method. In other words, even the lowest result she found showed that three in every four professional authors use this method.

So, you should too.

Let’s sum point 5 up by reinforcing this very important rule: your marker should always be very clear about what they will read, and in what order, to improve their reading experience.

A short list of things to Avoid in Introductions

I want to conclude this post with an outline of some of the worst things you can do in an introduction. The introduction sets the scene, so you want to make a good impression. You don’t want your marker taking away marks due to one of these top mistakes:

• Rhetorical Questions.
• Vague padding.
• Dictionary definitions.

Sometimes, teachers also recommend avoiding referencing in introductions. I have colleagues who absolutely refuse to let students include references in their introductions. Personally, I think that’s absurd – if a reference is required, include it! However, check with your teacher on their personal preferences here as I know this is a point of contention in faculty lounges.

The introduction is important for creating a strong first impression, especially since markers often make up their mind about your grade very early on in the marking process.

Introductions are best written last. That way, you will be able to include all the signposting you need to do (step 5), have a good understanding of the context (step 2), and be more certain about what your stance is on the issue (step 4).

Here’s the five INTRO steps I’d encourage you to use every time:

Once you have written your introduction, it is a good idea to put it away for a few days and then come back to edit it with fresh eyes . Remember that grammar and punctuation are important in the introduction. You want to leave a good impression.

If you have a friend who can read the draft for you and give you tips, or if your teacher has drop-in hours, use them to get some tips on how to write an introduction, what sounds right, want sounds off, and how you might be able to improve your introduction.

Once you have written your introduction, you might want to have a look at our guidance on how to write conclusions in order to end your piece as strongly as you started! People often think conclusions are just like introductions. That’s not true. Conclusions are unique paragraphs, so head over to our guidance on conclusions now to get the support you need on writing the best conclusion you can.

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 19 Top Cognitive Psychology Theories (Explained)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 119 Bloom’s Taxonomy Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ All 6 Levels of Understanding (on Bloom’s Taxonomy)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 15 Self-Actualization Examples (Maslow's Hierarchy)

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• How to write an argumentative essay | Examples & tips

How to Write an Argumentative Essay | Examples & Tips

Published on July 24, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

An argumentative essay expresses an extended argument for a particular thesis statement . The author takes a clearly defined stance on their subject and builds up an evidence-based case for it.

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Table of contents

When do you write an argumentative essay, approaches to argumentative essays, introducing your argument, the body: developing your argument, concluding your argument, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about argumentative essays.

You might be assigned an argumentative essay as a writing exercise in high school or in a composition class. The prompt will often ask you to argue for one of two positions, and may include terms like “argue” or “argument.” It will frequently take the form of a question.

The prompt may also be more open-ended in terms of the possible arguments you could make.

Argumentative writing at college level

At university, the vast majority of essays or papers you write will involve some form of argumentation. For example, both rhetorical analysis and literary analysis essays involve making arguments about texts.

In this context, you won’t necessarily be told to write an argumentative essay—but making an evidence-based argument is an essential goal of most academic writing, and this should be your default approach unless you’re told otherwise.

Examples of argumentative essay prompts

At a university level, all the prompts below imply an argumentative essay as the appropriate response.

Your research should lead you to develop a specific position on the topic. The essay then argues for that position and aims to convince the reader by presenting your evidence, evaluation and analysis.

• Don’t just list all the effects you can think of.
• Do develop a focused argument about the overall effect and why it matters, backed up by evidence from sources.
• Don’t just provide a selection of data on the measures’ effectiveness.
• Do build up your own argument about which kinds of measures have been most or least effective, and why.
• Don’t just analyze a random selection of doppelgänger characters.
• Do form an argument about specific texts, comparing and contrasting how they express their thematic concerns through doppelgänger characters.

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An argumentative essay should be objective in its approach; your arguments should rely on logic and evidence, not on exaggeration or appeals to emotion.

There are many possible approaches to argumentative essays, but there are two common models that can help you start outlining your arguments: The Toulmin model and the Rogerian model.

Toulmin arguments

The Toulmin model consists of four steps, which may be repeated as many times as necessary for the argument:

• Make a claim
• Provide the grounds (evidence) for the claim
• Explain the warrant (how the grounds support the claim)
• Discuss possible rebuttals to the claim, identifying the limits of the argument and showing that you have considered alternative perspectives

The Toulmin model is a common approach in academic essays. You don’t have to use these specific terms (grounds, warrants, rebuttals), but establishing a clear connection between your claims and the evidence supporting them is crucial in an argumentative essay.

Say you’re making an argument about the effectiveness of workplace anti-discrimination measures. You might:

• Claim that unconscious bias training does not have the desired results, and resources would be better spent on other approaches
• Cite data to support your claim
• Explain how the data indicates that the method is ineffective
• Anticipate objections to your claim based on other data, indicating whether these objections are valid, and if not, why not.

Rogerian arguments

The Rogerian model also consists of four steps you might repeat throughout your essay:

• Discuss what the opposing position gets right and why people might hold this position
• Highlight the problems with this position
• Present your own position , showing how it addresses these problems
• Suggest a possible compromise —what elements of your position would proponents of the opposing position benefit from adopting?

This model builds up a clear picture of both sides of an argument and seeks a compromise. It is particularly useful when people tend to disagree strongly on the issue discussed, allowing you to approach opposing arguments in good faith.

Say you want to argue that the internet has had a positive impact on education. You might:

• Acknowledge that students rely too much on websites like Wikipedia
• Argue that teachers view Wikipedia as more unreliable than it really is
• Suggest that Wikipedia’s system of citations can actually teach students about referencing
• Suggest critical engagement with Wikipedia as a possible assignment for teachers who are skeptical of its usefulness.

You don’t necessarily have to pick one of these models—you may even use elements of both in different parts of your essay—but it’s worth considering them if you struggle to structure your arguments.

Regardless of which approach you take, your essay should always be structured using an introduction , a body , and a conclusion .

Like other academic essays, an argumentative essay begins with an introduction . The introduction serves to capture the reader’s interest, provide background information, present your thesis statement , and (in longer essays) to summarize the structure of the body.

Hover over different parts of the example below to see how a typical introduction works.

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts is on the rise, and its role in learning is hotly debated. For many teachers who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its critical benefits for students and educators—as a uniquely comprehensive and accessible information source; a means of exposure to and engagement with different perspectives; and a highly flexible learning environment.

The body of an argumentative essay is where you develop your arguments in detail. Here you’ll present evidence, analysis, and reasoning to convince the reader that your thesis statement is true.

In the standard five-paragraph format for short essays, the body takes up three of your five paragraphs. In longer essays, it will be more paragraphs, and might be divided into sections with headings.

Each paragraph covers its own topic, introduced with a topic sentence . Each of these topics must contribute to your overall argument; don’t include irrelevant information.

This example paragraph takes a Rogerian approach: It first acknowledges the merits of the opposing position and then highlights problems with that position.

Hover over different parts of the example to see how a body paragraph is constructed.

A common frustration for teachers is students’ use of Wikipedia as a source in their writing. Its prevalence among students is not exaggerated; a survey found that the vast majority of the students surveyed used Wikipedia (Head & Eisenberg, 2010). An article in The Guardian stresses a common objection to its use: “a reliance on Wikipedia can discourage students from engaging with genuine academic writing” (Coomer, 2013). Teachers are clearly not mistaken in viewing Wikipedia usage as ubiquitous among their students; but the claim that it discourages engagement with academic sources requires further investigation. This point is treated as self-evident by many teachers, but Wikipedia itself explicitly encourages students to look into other sources. Its articles often provide references to academic publications and include warning notes where citations are missing; the site’s own guidelines for research make clear that it should be used as a starting point, emphasizing that users should always “read the references and check whether they really do support what the article says” (“Wikipedia:Researching with Wikipedia,” 2020). Indeed, for many students, Wikipedia is their first encounter with the concepts of citation and referencing. The use of Wikipedia therefore has a positive side that merits deeper consideration than it often receives.

An argumentative essay ends with a conclusion that summarizes and reflects on the arguments made in the body.

No new arguments or evidence appear here, but in longer essays you may discuss the strengths and weaknesses of your argument and suggest topics for future research. In all conclusions, you should stress the relevance and importance of your argument.

Hover over the following example to see the typical elements of a conclusion.

The internet has had a major positive impact on the world of education; occasional pitfalls aside, its value is evident in numerous applications. The future of teaching lies in the possibilities the internet opens up for communication, research, and interactivity. As the popularity of distance learning shows, students value the flexibility and accessibility offered by digital education, and educators should fully embrace these advantages. The internet’s dangers, real and imaginary, have been documented exhaustively by skeptics, but the internet is here to stay; it is time to focus seriously on its potential for good.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
• Post hoc fallacy
• Appeal to authority fallacy
• False cause fallacy
• Sunk cost fallacy

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An argumentative essay tends to be a longer essay involving independent research, and aims to make an original argument about a topic. Its thesis statement makes a contentious claim that must be supported in an objective, evidence-based way.

An expository essay also aims to be objective, but it doesn’t have to make an original argument. Rather, it aims to explain something (e.g., a process or idea) in a clear, concise way. Expository essays are often shorter assignments and rely less on research.

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

The majority of the essays written at university are some sort of argumentative essay . Unless otherwise specified, you can assume that the goal of any essay you’re asked to write is argumentative: To convince the reader of your position using evidence and reasoning.

In composition classes you might be given assignments that specifically test your ability to write an argumentative essay. Look out for prompts including instructions like “argue,” “assess,” or “discuss” to see if this is the goal.

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Caulfield, J. (2023, July 23). How to Write an Argumentative Essay | Examples & Tips. Scribbr. Retrieved June 24, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/argumentative-essay/

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• SPM SAMPLE OF ESSAYS - CONTINUOUS WRITING

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• the reasons behind the haze
• role of government and society
• steps that can be taken
• give relevant examples of:
• will help you to further your studies
• will help you to get a job
• will help you in your job
• will help you in your travels
• will help you to enjoy many interesting programmes in television
• will help you to appreciate many of the world’s most beautiful literary works
• couple – taking a walk
• two men approached them
• ordered couple to give jewellery
• a struggle – husband injured
• one neighbour – taking a dog for a walk
• heard shouts – went to investigate
• robbers saw dog – fled
• couple made police report
• insufficient table and benches
• food and drinks not covered
•  too little food counters
• dirty and clogged drains – smelly
•  food – expensive and lacks variety
• inadequate food – late comers have nothing to buy, to eat
• cold food – not fresh
• rude canteen workers
• express concern over the health of your friend’s cousin
• news about the situation
• steps taken authorities
• present situation
• use the informal letter format
• use all the points given
• expand each of the points given
• write in paragraph

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SUCCESS SUCCESS Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. U C S SUCCESS MODEL C S S E SUCCESS MODEL JC108222 SUCCESS ESSAYS Form 4 5 ESSAYS SPM MODEL • This book is designed to help pupils improve their writing SUCCESS MODEL skills. From the interpretation of the question to the planning and writing process, the reader is guided step by step in three main parts called Short Communicative Message, SUCCESS MODEL ESSAYS Guided Writing and Extended Writing. Each Model Essay ESSAYS illustrates the process of developing ideas into an essay by ESSAYS putting into practice simple yet invaluable principles of essay writing. CEFR Though aimed at SPM students, this book is also suitable for -Aligned Form • anyone who wants to write well. SPM 4 5 Christine Tan KSSM SPM Purchase Yong Fui Yin eBook here! Ch’ng Teik Peng NEW SPM Assessment Zeti Aqmar Alpikri Format 2021 • Covers 3 parts of the SPM Writing paper www.PelangiBooks.com • Online Bookstore • Online Library • • Step-by-step guide for different essay types PelangiBooks • Word Bank & Idioms for Vocab Enrichment WM:RM18.95 / EM:RM18.95 JC108222 • Tips & Techniques for each section ISBN 978-967-2720-21-8 • Wide Scope of Model Essays CONTENTS Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. Part 1: Short Communicative Part 2: Guided Writing Message Tips and Techniques 28 Tips and Techniques 2 Introduction 29 Introduction 3 Step by Step 29 Step by Step 3 17 Pros and Cons of Studying 1 Social Networking Media Platforms 6 Overseas 30 2 Learning Apps 7 18 Endangered Species 31 3 Advising a Relative 8 19 Bullying in Schools 32 4 Reviving Memories of Childhood 20 Online Games 33 Games 9 21 The Welfare of the Aged 34 5 Compliment and Encourage 22 Social Networking Sites 36 Volunteerism 10 23 Scholarship Awards: Accept or 6 Consolation and Advice 11 Decline 37 7 Invitation to Plan and Participate in 24 Buying a Car 38 Camping Trip 12 25 Importance of Movement Control 8 The Tragic Flood 14 Order (MCO) 39 9 Steps to Efficient Learning 15 26 Depression Among Teenagers 41 10 For Tastier Green 16 27 Flash Flooding 42 11 Dining Together as a Family 18 28 Trend of Online Business in 12 Reading Maketh A Man 19 Malaysia 43 13 Application for Post of 29 Computer Literacy among Malaysian Receptionist 21 Teenagers 45 14 Application for Post of Part-Time 30 Effectiveness of Online Class 46 Salesperson 22 31 Issue of Student Couples 47 15 Application for Post of Temporary 32 Problem of Peer Pressure 48 Pre-School Teacher 24 33 If You Were a Billionaire 50 16 Application for Post of Journalist 25 34 Plan to Start an Online Business 51 35 Mental Health 52 v 36 Saving Money for the Future 54 59 Herbs Native to Malaysia 96 37 Importance of Music 55 60 The Benefits of Honey and 38 Playing Video Games 56 Cinnamon 98 39 Showing Appreciation to Mothers 58 61 Encouraging Teenagers to be More Independent 100 40 Qualities of a Good Friend 59 Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. 62 How to Save Money 102 41 Importance of Having a Hobby 60 63 Important to Have Good Friends 104 42 Ambition in Life 61 64 Have a Good Read 106 43 Living in a Different Country 62 65 Soup Kitchens 108 44 Homework 63 66 A Kayaking Adventure 110 67 How to Communicate with People Part 3: Extended Writing with Disabilities 112 Tips and Techniques 66 68 The Value of Water 114 69 Hiking Safety Precautions 115  Articles Introduction 67 70 Learn English Through News 117 71 My Neighbourhood Market 119 Step by Step 67 72 The National Bird Park 121 45 My Home Work Station 68 46 Ordering Food Online 70  Reviews 47 Good Parenting 72 Introduction 124 48 Study Well and Do Well 74 Step by Step 124 49 Reading, Conference and Writing 73 A Book Review: "The Loneliest make the Man 76 Polar Bear" 125 50 The Dengue Menace 78 74 A Newspaper Article Review: "Go Win-Win – Health and Planet" 127 51 The Structure of a Newspaper Article 80 75 A Movie Review: “Mulan 2020” 129 52 The Importance of Education 82 76 A Musical Movie: “The Sound of Music 130 53 The Generation Gap 84 77 A Movie Review: “Run Wild, Run 54 The Newspaper and Us 86 Free” 132 55 Home Schooling 88 78 A Movie Review: “Matilda” 134 56 A Good Night’s Sleep 90 79 A Book Review: “Everything I 57 Air Fresheners – Commercial or Thought I Knew” 136 Home-made 92 80 A Book Review: “The Giver” 138 58 Haze – Health Hazard 94 vi 81 A Book Review: “A Patchwork 99 A Newspaper Article Review: Family” 141 “Standard-Bearer of Perseverance: 82 A Book Review: “The Ghost Bob, 30 years the Burgerman of Bride” 143 Jenaris”. 175 83 A Book Review: Spirits Abroad 145 100 A Newspaper Article Review: “A New Old World” 177 Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. 84 A Travel Journal Review: “Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert 146  Stories 85 A Graphic Novel Review: “Smile” 148 Introduction 180 86 A Junior Grammar Book Review: Step by Step 180 “The Great Grammar Book” 150 101 My Endangered Flora and Fauna: 87 A Cookbook Review: “Malaysia: Farewell! 181 Recipes from a Family Kitchen” 152 102 Nenek’s Checklist Prior to Covid-19 88 A Cookbook Review: “Our Mamas’ Vaccination 183 Recipes” 154 103 Nature’s Fury 185 89 A Novel Review: “The Rice Mother” 156 104 A First Timer's Nerves 187 105 Gosh! It Was Friday the 13th! 188 90 A Novel Review: “Crazy Rich Asians” 158 106 The Helping Hand - Keong’s Point of View 190 91 A Health Magazine Review: “InfoMed” 160 107 The Missing Diary 192 92 A Gardening Guidebook Review: 108 Was I the Only Survivor? 194 “Fine Gardening” 162 109 Twin Siblings 195 93 A Magazine Review: “Just English” 110 Madame Alley Cat 197 and “Just English Explorer” 164 111 The Myopic Teenager 198 94 A Magazine Review: “Reader’s Digest, The Asian Edition” 166 112 The Scaredy-Cat 200 113 Sam Lee’s Last Will 202 95 A Homestay Review: “The Bliss Malacca” 168 114 Woes of Plastic Kitchenware 204 96 A Beach Resort Review: “Casa 115 The Sixth Sense 206 Rasa Sayang” 169 116 The End is Near 208 97 A Book Review: “The Garden of 117 Crime Does Not Pay 210 Evening Mists” 171 118 Homesickness 212 98 A Book Review: The Dog Who Dared to Dream” 173 119 A Caring Neighbour 213 120 Blinded by Wrong First Impressions 215 vii 121 Stop Procrastinating! Do It Now! 217 138 Survey of Shoppers at Economy 122 Sibling Rivalry and Bonding 219 Supermarket 254 123 Caught in a Long Queue 221 139 Report on Improving the Conditions of the School 256 124 First Day Work Blues 223 140 Launching A Reading Campaign 257 125 Highs and Lows of an Online Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. Student 225 141 A Park in the City Centre 260 126 Chaotic Day at House 142 Alternative Therapies 262 Number 13 227 143 Money Cannot Buy Happiness 264 127 Roadblocks Here, There and 144 Staying Cool in the Heat and Everywhere 229 Haze 266 128 Mak Jah the Cat Whisperer 231 145 Ways to Improve Performance in English 268 4 Reports 146 It is Better to be Safe Than Sorry 271 Introduction 234 147 Prevention is better than Cure 273 Step by Step 234 148 Schools and the Problem of 129 A Star is Born 235 Truancy 275 130 Post-vaccination Side Effects 149 Pros and Cons of Social of a Covid-19 Vaccine 237 Networking 277 131 Report of Yearbook Editorial 150 Hillside Property Development 279 Board Meeting 239 151 Working from Home 281 132 A Live Concert 241 152 Online Games – More Good than 133 Walking on the Blind Side 243 Harm 283 134 Time Spent on Leisure Activities 245 153 Student to Novelist 285 135 The Preferences of English 154 Book Fairs 287 Language Society Members 247 155 Floods 290 136 State of Recreational Facilities in Bukit Merah Housing Estate 249 Commonly Misspelled English Words 293 137 National Service for All 251 List of Phrasal Verbs 295 viii English SPM Part 1 – Short Communicative Message Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. Part 1 Short Communicative Message (Email) 1 English SPM Part 1 – Short Communicative Message Short Communicative Message (Email) is – Thank the reader for his / her time writing an informal or formal email based and keep the context of the email on a given stimulus It is tested in Part 1 in mind. of the SPM English 1119/2 paper. It is Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. compulsory for students to answer this Use Grammatical Devices appropriately: question. The number of words should be (a) The grammar should reflect the tone about 80 words. you want to convey. Avoid using When writing informal and formal emails, contractions such as ‘don’t” or “won’t” think about: in formal emails. Use the full word like “do not” or “will not”. (a) how you begin and end emails to set the tone of the message – there are (b) Contractions are acceptable in informal two parts to begin the email : the emails when portraying a casual tone. greeting and the way you address the reader. (c) While writing about specific terms, be aware of colloquial terms and slang • Informal Emails which might be appropriate for informal – Convey a much more casual tone writing but not in formal emails. – address reader as a friend on a first name basis. (d) Regardless of the email’s style, do pay attention to using correct grammar and – More personal – relay a punctuation and follow best practices tone similar to face-to-face for formatting conversation (e) Ensure that the email is easy to read – Examples: Hey Johan / Hi / Hi, and convey a professional tone, Hani regardless whether it is formal or informal. • Formal Emails – To convey respect by politely (f) To ensure readability, divide content addressing the reader into paragraphs – Examples: Dear Professor Yanni (g) Organize information to ensure it is not Ismail / Dear Marketing Manager muddled or confusing to reader. Ideally, / To whom it may concern a paragraph should not be longer than four lines in length. (b) the same rules apply to the end of the email. – Use the same tone you started the mail, whether casual or professional. 2 A Short Communicative Message (Email) Introduction Short Communicative Message (Email) is a writing task that require students to write an email based on a given stimulus in the form of an email. The message (email) can either be informal or formal. The topic matter may be on general or specific matters. Students should study the stimulus and write an email in relation to the question asked. A good email involves inclusion of student’s own but relevant ideas. Step S tep by A. How to write an informal email 1. Start your email with ‘Hi’ followed by name of receiver, 2. Use relevant expressions appropriate to the purpose of the email • e.g. ‘Would you like to + verb ..’ when making an invitation • ‘We could ..,’ when making a suggestion • ‘Could you .. ‘ when making a request Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. 3. Give details of your invitation, suggestion or request clearly. Leave out unnecessary details. 4. End with ‘See you soon. / Hope to hear from you soon. / Hope to get a favourable reply soon. 5. End with your name. Sample of an informal email You received an email from a friend who wants to study together for an upcoming exam. Hi, The mid-year exam is around the corner. Would you like to study together in preparation for this exam? We could do it in my house as my parents will be away for the fortnight before the mid-year exam. I don’t mind if you want to bring two of your friends, as long as they are serious about their studies. Looking forward to hearing from you. Bye for now. 3 English SPM Part 1 – Short Communicative Message Now write an email to your friend in about 80 words. Write your answer below. Subject: A brief New Message phrase that tells the content of To : Zahara the email Subject : Group study Greeting: on the left side of Hi Zahara, the page. Put a comma after Thank you for the invitation to do group studying for the the name mid-year exam. Group studying is a good idea as the exam formats for three subjects have been changed. We need to put our heads Paragraphing: together to fully understand the new formats and how to answer write in blocked the questions. paragraphs. I would like to bring two friends from my neighbourhood. They are from another school and might be able to give us new ideas or approaches as taught by their teachers. Please forward the schedule soonest possible. Signing off: on the left-hand Siew Hwa side of the page. B. How to write a formal email 1. Begin with a greeting / salutation. Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. Open with a greeting such as ‘Dear Sir/Madam/Ms/Mr/Mrs/Dr/Surname’. If you do not know the name of the person, use ‘To whom it may concern’ or ‘Dear Sir / Madam’. 2. Thank the recipient. If you are replying to an inquiry, begin with a line of thanks. - for question about your company, “Thank you for contacting ABC Company”; for a reply to one of your emails, ‘Thank you for your prompt reply’ or ‘Thanks for getting back to me’. 3. State your purpose. If you are starting the email communication, begin by stating your purpose, ‘I am writing to enquire about …’ Make your purpose and the main text clear. Keep your sentences short and clear. Pay careful attention to grammar, spelling and punctuation for a professional impression. 4. Add your closing remarks. Before you end your email, it’s polite to thank your reader one more time and add some polite closing remarks like ‘Thank you for your patience and cooperation’. Follow up with ‘If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to let me know” and ‘I look forward to hearing from you’. 4 English SPM Part 1 – Short Communicative Message 5. End with a closing. The last step is to include an appropriate closing with your name. ‘Best regards’, ‘Sincerely’, and “Thank you” are all professional. Finally, review and spell check your email one more time to make sure it’s truly perfect! Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. Sample of Formal Email: A Thank You Email To: [email protected] Subject: Thank you – Assistant Account Executive Interview Subject: A brief phrase that tells the content of the email Dear Encik Johan, It was very kind of you to grant me an interview. I enjoyed learning about the Assistant Account Executive position at the JK Greeting: on the left side of Company. the page. Put The job seems to be an excellent match for my skills and a comma after interests. The creative approach to account management that you the name discussed confirmed my desire to work with you. I will bring to the position strong writing skills, assertiveness Paragraphing: and the ability to encourage others to work co-operatively with the write in blocked paragraphs. department. I appreciate the time you took to interview me. I look forward to hearing from you regarding this position. Signing off: on Thank you. the left-hand side of the Yours sincerely, page. Amar Iqbal 5 English SPM Part 1 – Short Communicative Message Model 1 Social Networking Media Platforms You received an email from your cousin who wants to know about some apps that you use on your mobile. Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. Hi Johan, I would like some information of apps that you use on your mobile. There are many popular free apps that I am confused as to the ones I should install on my mobile. Abah has finally agreed to gift me the latest Samsung Model as a birthday present. Please tell me more about the two favourite apps that you have installed on your mobile. Thank you. See you soon. Jamal Now write an email to your cousin in about 80 words. Write your answer below. Model Answer To : [email protected] Subject : Choice of Apps Hi Jamal, You must be one happy teenager! My first choice is Pinterest. It is a virtual scrapbooking social media site. Users can create themed boards and add images and products, allowing members to share and pin them. You can search for images and ideas on your hobbies like house décor or travel. My second choice is WhatsApp. My BFFs opted for WhatsApp, not Telegram or Instagram. WhatsApp is a messaging app that lets users share text messages, images, voice notes, audio files, documents and videos. Do install the apps that cater to your needs and interests. See you soon too. Johan WORD Bank Virtual scrapbooking – Online / Digital scrapbooking is the term for the creation of a new 2D artwork by re-combining various graphic elements. It is a form of scrapbooking that is done using a personal computer, digital or scanned photos and computer graphics software. It is a relatively new form of the traditional print scrapbooking. 6 English SPM Part 1 – Short Communicative Message INFO CORNER 10 top social media platforms in Malaysia (Statistics 2020): Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Tumbir, Tagged, Pinterest, Weibo, Says, Carimember.com Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. Model 2 Learning Apps You received an email from your 13-year-old niece who wants your advice on online language grammar apps to help her with her language writing activities. Hi Aunt May, How are you, Aunt May? I hope everyone is in good health. We are fine too. I wish to install an online language apps to assist me in my language writing activities. I do get confused and I waste time checking for explanations. My weakest link is grammar usage. Please suggest one language apps, preferably a free apps that I could use effectively. Thank you. Take care. April Now write an email to your niece in about 80 words. Write your answer below. Model Answer To : [email protected] Subject : Online Language Apps for Language Writing Hi April, We all are in good health. We are glad you all are doing well too. Now for your request. There are many language apps on the virtual market from free to paid to upgrades. As grammar is your Achilles heel, I suggest installing Grammarly.com. This apps is a free Grammar Checker: correcting all grammar errors, enhancing writing, eliminating grammar errors and improving text. Services cover advanced grammar rules, contextual spelling checker, vocabulary enhancement, plagiarism check and a Performance Assessment Checklist via the Free Writing Assistant, the Plagiarism Detection and the Automated Grammar Checker. Members could upgrade to Grammarly Premium. Install and use it. Revert to me after a month for an evaluation. Happy writing. May 7 English SPM Part 1 – Short Communicative Message WORD Bank Achilles heel - a weakness in spite of overall strength, which can lead to downfall. plagiarism - the representation of another author’s language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions as one’s own original work. revert - reply, respond an evaluation - assessment, appraisal, judgement Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. Model 3 Advising a Relative You receive an email from your aunt who is concerned about your cousin. Dear Alan, I’m sorry to disturb you at this time when you’re preparing for your finals. I’m worried about Ben who looks depressed most of the time. The two of you are very close so please talk to him. I’m sure he’ll tell you the reasons for his present behaviour. I suspect it is cyberbullying but he refuses to talk about it. I’m sure he will open up to you. Bye! Now write an email to your aunt in about 80 words. Write your answer below. Model Answer To : [email protected] Subject : Ben and his Problem Dear Aunt Clara, Thank you for your faith in me. I met up with Ben. He opened up in no time – a victim of cyberbullying. The fact that he talked so openly means he needs support and help especially from his family. The problem is in the early stage. So, nip it in the bud and help Ben get over it. Talk to him gently. Don’t make him feel guilty. With encouragement, he can get his life back on track. Get back to me if you need further help. Bye. Love, Alan 8 English SPM Part 1 – Short Communicative Message IDIOMS nip it in the bud – to stop something in the early stages before it becomes a serious problem opened up – talked willingly about one’s problem back on track – back to the original or normal Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. WORD Bank INFO CORNER faith – trust Cyber bullying – the use of technology to harass, victim – one who is acted on and threaten, embarrass, or target another person. Online usually adversely affected threats and mean, aggressive, or rude texts, tweets, posts Model 4 Reviving Memories of Childhood Games You received an email from a friend who wants to know about Malaysian traditional games. Hi, I have a request which you may think odd but I really need your help. I need to find information about our Malaysian traditional games for my paper. I have to present it in my class next week. I can get information from the Net but I prefer to get it from people who have or are still playing the games. I remembered you used to play batu seremban and kunda kundi. You also preferred congkak. Could you please give me the necessary details? Thanking you in advance. Now write an email to your friend in about 80 words. Write your answer below. Model Answer To : [email protected] Subject : Remembering a Childhood Game Hi Leena, Malaysian traditional games? Congkak was and still is my favourite. For your information, in the past, they dug holes in the ground and played with tamarind seeds. Nowadays, we play with marbles on a wooden board with two rows of five, seven or nine holes and two holes at both ends called home. The aim is to collect the tokens for our home. I used to shout and jump about whenever I won - to irritate my opponent, my grandmother. I would say, nenek I won fair and square! Good luck on your paper! Sara 9 English SPM Part 1 – Short Communicative Message WORD Bank IDIOMS tamarind seeds – seeds of a fruit popularly used in Indian fair and square – honestly and cuisine to add a tangy flavour. straightforwardly tokens – marks irritate – to provoke impatience or anger Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. INFO CORNER Malaysian traditional games are usually played during free time. Traditional games are very popular among people who live in rural areas. They have been played by our ancestors. Nowadays, most of traditional games are not being played anymore by the children as they are more attracted to play computer games. Malay traditional games are one of the cultural heritages that are priceless and cannot be replaced because they symbolize our customs, culture, and identity of one nation. Model 5 Compliment and Encourage Volunteerism You received an email from a friend who is going to further her studies abroad. Hi, As you know, I’ll be furthering my studies in Australia in about three months’ time. I would like to spend the time fruitfully but I’m not sure what I can do or which direction to go. I could do a short course or get involved in voluntary work in a worthwhile organisation. I would be most obliged if you could help me out so that I can put my time to good use. Waiting for your good news. Nora Now write an email to your friend in about 80 words. Write your answer below. Model Answer To : [email protected] Subject : Getting into Voluntary Work Hi Nora, Wow, that’s lot of spare time – whole three months! Let’s put the time to good use - doing voluntary work - a better option than studying. 10 English SPM Part 1 – Short Communicative Message You could do voluntary work with the Dignity for Children Foundation which helps to empower underprivileged children transform their lives positively. They learn physical skills and social responsibility through projects like helping in urban gardening. They attend tuition classes. Kill two birds with one stone – help them in the gardening and give them tuition! That’s food for thought, isn’t it? Get back to me. Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. Sharon WORD Bank IDIOMS option – choice put to good use – use something in a worthwhile manner empower – enable kill two birds with one stone – to achieve two aims at once food for thought – something that warrants serious consideration INFO CORNER Dignity for Children Foundation is a non-governmental organization that provides holistic care and education for urban poor children in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. “Breaking the Cycle of Poverty through Quality Education.” Model 6 Consolation and Advice You received a letter from your brother, Rafie, who participated in an essay writing competition. Hi Sis, I’m so sorry to disturb you as you are in the midst of preparing for your finals. I’m feeling depressed as my entry in the Daily Mirror essay competition was not chosen at all. I did my best but obviously my efforts were not sufficient to merit a placing in the top ten entries. I’ve always been told that my essays are excellent but unfortunately not good enough for pitting against others. I need your consolation and encouragement. Rafie Now write an email to your brother in about 80 words. Write your answer below. 11 English SPM Part 1 – Short Communicative Message Model Answer To : [email protected] Subject : Consolation and Encouragement Over Essay Writing Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. Hi Rafie, Sorry to hear of your disappointment. I felt your pain, too. Look at your situation with the right perspective and don’t let it overcome you. Life has ups and downs. In school, your essays are considered excellent. But, away from school in a competition, it is a different story. The way your teachers and the judges look at your essays is subjective. As one man’s meat is another man’s poison, don’t be discouraged. Show your mettle! Prove them wrong. Go for other competitions! I’m here to give moral support always. Kak Long WORD Bank perspective – a particular attitude or point of view subjective – based on personal feelings or opinions IDIOMS ups and downs – a succession of good and bad experiences one man’s meat is another man’s poison – things liked or enjoyed by one person may be distasteful to another show your mettle – show how tough one is Model Invitation to Plan and Participate in 7 Camping Trip You received an email from a friend who is in charge of organising a camping trip for a group of young teens from a children’s home. Hello Ian, Sorry to be writing to you so late at night. However, I’m sure you will forgive me after you have read my mail. I’ll be going on a camping trip with some young teens from a children’s home – my good deed for the end of year holidays! You are a natural born organiser cum leader while I’m always the follower! I’m already on pins and 12 English SPM Part 1 – Short Communicative Message needles. So, please help me out here with ideas for the camp and please join us on the trip. Please give me a favourable reply. Really need your expertise! Dexter Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. Now write an email to your friend in about 80 words. Write your answer below. Model Answer To : [email protected] Subject : Planning and Participating in Camping Trip Dear Dexter, You’re definitely in a pickle for agreeing to organise such a trip knowing your own limitations. It is a good deed and the youngsters will enjoy such a trip. I’ll help you with the planning and be on hand to iron out problems. I’d suggest a three-day-two-night trip in Templar’s Park with some activities like - camping orientation of dos and don’ts, trail walking, jungle tracking, fishing, but no swimming, hiking, scavenger hunt and of course, campfire for both nights for a singalong. Hope they do not sound mundane. Let’s meet up for a face-to-face discussion. Lan WORD Bank organiser cum leader – one who does the planning and heads the event expertise – expert skill or knowledge in a particular field orientation – the process of orienting someone or something relative to an event mundane – ordinary, uninteresting or not important IDIOMS pins and needles – in a nervous or jumpy state of anticipation in a pickle – in a difficult position or to have a problem iron out – to resolve or work out a situation 13 English SPM Part 1 – Short Communicative Message Model 8 The Tragic Flood You received a letter from a friend who heard about the flood you and your family experienced a month ago. Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. Hi, I’m sorry for not writing earlier. I was out of the country on a project and only learnt about your experience with the flood on my return last week. I was really shaken up by the information heard from our friends. My apologies for not being around to offer comfort or help in any way. Do you remember how much my family and I suffered when our house was destroyed in a fire five years ago? You helped me ride out the problem emotionally and physically. Please give me some details of your situation and how I may help out. Write to me when you feel comfortable to do so. Helena Now write an email to your friend in about 80 words. Write your answer below. Model Answer To : [email protected] Subject : Experience with the Tragic Flood Dear Helena, Thank you for your concern and offer of assistance. We’re grateful to have survived and are still picking up the pieces physically and emotionally. It rained non-stop for a week and the night before the floods was a night of horror with torrential rain. The river behind the vegetable plots rose to above the danger level. We packed and left hurriedly. From news reports, our locality had turned into swirling areas of destruction. We returned to a scene of devastation – no house, no land - only mud and slime. Your moral support is good enough. Jefri 14 English SPM Part 1 – Short Communicative Message WORD Bank torrential – heavy swirling – moving fast devastation – great destruction moral support – support or help whose effect is psychological rather than physical Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. IDIOMS shaken up – upset by a physical jolt or shock ride out the problem – succeed in surviving or getting through a bad experience picking up the pieces – restore one’s life or situation to a more normal state after a disaster Model 9 Steps to Efficient Learning You received an email from your niece, Kathleen who asks for some advice. Dear Aunt Carol, As you know, I have enrolled in a local college with the option of studying overseas. Initially, I felt proud and confident. However, a fortnight later now, the euphoria has lessened and now I’m in the grip of no confidence. Well-meaning friends have pointed out that college learning is different from school learning and I should be prepared for that. I feel the jitters as I know my limitations. I don’t do well when I have to analyse or be creative. Please advise. I don’t want to disappoint my parents. Kathleen Now write an email to your niece in about 80 words. Write your answer below. Model Answer To : [email protected] Subject : Steps to Efficient Learning Dear Kathleen, No reason to be jittery. You’re a bright student. College studies is different but all you need is efficient learning - don’t just hit the books! 15 English SPM Part 1 – Short Communicative Message Listen well in class to remember what you hear. However, we might not recollect especially when we’re unsure of the subject or the lecture is too long. So, look at the learning guide before class. Focus on the more important part of the lecture. Read over the materials after class to reinforce what you have heard. Let it stick in your memory. Highlight the important parts. Read between the lines. Have group discussions: It promotes understanding and helps acquire different Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. approaches and pertinent additional views. Aunt Carol WORD Bank jitters – a feeling of extreme nervousness recollect – remember or call to mind reinforce – strengthen an existing habit, feeling or idea IDIOMS don’t just hit the books – don’t rely on the text only read between the lines – to find meanings that are intended but that are not directly expressed in something said or written INFO CORNER • ‘Learning is not the product of teaching. Learning is the product of the activities of learners.’ - John Holt - • ‘Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere’. - Chinese proverb - Model 10 For Tastier Greens You receive an email from a friend who has heard about urban farming. Hi Masliza, Hope you aren’t too busy with your urban farming to read my mail. I keep hearing about this new development from a few quarters. Personally, I’m not keen about it. I feel it’s like new broom sweeps clean and the interest will die out soon. Let’s leave farming to the farmers. Anyway, why are you so keen about it? Please help me to understand. Jackie Now write an email to your friend in about 80 words. Write your answer below. 16 English SPM Part 1 – Short Communicative Message Model Answer To : [email protected] Subject : Tastier Greens Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. Hi Jackie, I don’t deny that I’m into urban farming. I’d like to reiterate that this interest will not die out and neither is it new broom sweeps clean. I do have green fingers! I take pride in my effort. It helps to cushion the impact of grocery bills. The greens are crunchier, tastier and free of pesticides. We control what goes into our greens. We grow whatever we want and the fruits of our labour make all the hard work worthwhile. Our friends enjoy the products of our edible garden. I’ll send some to you soon! Masliza WORD Bank cushion – to provide support or protection against impact edible – can be eaten IDIOMS new broom sweeps clean – to show interest initially and this interest may peter out die out – become less important or attractive to have green fingers – good at gardening and making plants grow fruits of our labour – produce or results of one’s hard work INFO CORNER Urban farming is growing or producing food in a city or heavily populated town or municipality. Urban agriculture is often confused with community gardening, homesteading or subsistence farming. 17 English SPM Part 1 – Short Communicative Message Model 11 Dining Together as a Family You receive an email from a friend who wants to know your opinion about families having meals together. reasons. Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. Hi, How’re you getting with the school project on eating right with balanced and nutritious meals? Talking about meals, I’d like to let you know that in my family having meals together is not a routine. We eat at our own time and do not see family members until the weekends. I feel I have to mention this because Mrs. Kang emphasised having family meals is a good routine. Does your family have meals together all the time? Is it a rule? A must? Hoping to hear from you soon. Niena Now write an email to your friend in about 80 words. Write your answer below. Model Answer To : [email protected] Subject : Dining Together as a Family Hi, I’m getting on well with my project on balanced and nutritious meals. In my family, having meals together is a routine. When it is dinner time and if we’re late, we’ll be in hot soup. Mother insists that we have dinner together every Wednesday, Friday and weekends. No excuses unless it is an emergency! Mother sets the rule because family meals strengthen familial bonds and inculcate healthy eating habits. It is quality family time when we exchange ideas and stories while having a balanced meal. We really enjoy our meals together. We do see eye to eye with mother’s Natasha 18 English SPM Part 1 – Short Communicative Message WORD Bank routine – a sequence of actions regularly followed emergency – a serious, unexpected situation often dangerous requiring immediate action strengthen familial bonds – to make family members have better relationships inculcate – to instil an idea or attitude through constant prodding Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. IDIOMS in hot soup – in trouble see eye to eye – to be in agreement INFO CORNER Eating a nutritionally balanced diet helps control weight and reduce risk for developing chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity and kidney disorders. Model 12 Reading Maketh A Man You received an email from an ex-classmate’s sister who has been selected as Secretary of the Junior Literary Society. Hi Kathleen, Surprised to receive this mail from me, Kamilla, Baiduri’s sister? I’ve been selected as Secretary of the Junior Literary Society and I have to give a talk on Reading Maketh a Man. Knowing that you are an avid reader and a specialist in linguistics, you are the best person to approach for help to prepare the talk. Just give the main points. It is a demanding request, isn’t it? Please feel free to refuse. Kamilla Now write an email to your friend’s sister in about 80 words. Write your answer below. 19 English SPM Part 1 – Short Communicative Message Model Answer To : [email protected] Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. Subject : Reading Maketh a Man Dear Kamilla, Of course, I will help you. Reading is my forte. Everyone should indulge in reading especially as a hobby. Emphasise and elaborate these points for a good presentation. Reading enables one to fill the mind with knowledge. The brain stays healthy through mental stimulation, stress-free, acquires vocabulary and boost memory skills. Ultimately, reading helps to better writing skills. Encourage them to step away from the computer for a little while, crack open a book, and replenish the mind for a little while. All the best and congratulations for your appointment. Kathleen WORD Bank emphasise – to stress stimulation – encouragement of something to make it develop or become more active boost – help or encourage to improve replenish – fill up again IDIOMS step away – literally to move or stay away crack open – to pick up a book and open up to read INFO CORNER Reading books is vital for learning new languages, as non-native speakers gain exposure to words used in context, which will ameliorate their own speaking and writing fluency. One can gain stronger analytical thinking skills e.g. determine ‘whodunnit’ by noting details and solving the mystery before finishing an amazing mystery book. 20 English SPM Part 1 – Short Communicative Message Model 13 Application for the Post of Receptionist You have passed the SPM and you are looking for a job. You come across the following advertisement in a local newspaper. Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. Star Travel Agency - requires RECEPTIONIST • Mature • Good communication skills • Able to converse in English, Bahasa Malaysia and Mandarin Interested parties please apply to our agency online. www.startravels.org.com Now write an email to the agency in about 80 words. Write your answer below. Model Answer To : [email protected] Subject : Application for the Post of Receptionist Dear Sir / Madam, Your advertisement in the Daily News is referred. I would like to apply for the post of receptionist. I have passed my SPM and I am looking for a job. I feel I should do well in your agency. I have good communication skills. As a student counsellor, I learned to communicate with students of different temperament. I am conversant in the three languages required. I hope to be called for an interview and please find attached a copy of my resume. I look forward to hearing from you. Yours sincerely, Tan Mee Teng 21 English SPM Part 1 – Short Communicative Message WORD Bank communication skills – able to relate or communicate well student counsellor – a student who helps the school counsellor in counselling students on minor issues temperament – a person’s nature or personality conversant – familiar or knowledgeable about something Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. INFO CORNER Letters / Emails to the Editor are sent to publications such as newspapers, magazines, and blogs by readers. These letters/emails are usually about issues that readers are concerned about. Comments and opinions could be critical, supportive or neutral. Model Application for the Post of Part-Time 14 Salesperson You have completed your SPM and you see the following advertisement in the newspaper and wish to apply for the job. Write a letter of application. BEST FOOD If you are looking to work as a salesperson, we look forward to having you in our company. We offer good career prospects and job security. You will be given on-the-job- training as the job only requires you to do sales in a shopping mall. Interested? Please apply to [email protected] Now write a formal email to apply for the job in about 80 words. Write your answer below. 22 English SPM Part 1 – Short Communicative Message Model Answer To : [email protected] Subject : Application for the Post of Salesperson Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. Dear Sir / Madam, Your advertisement New Star is referred. I am interested in working as a salesperson in your company. I have completed my SPM and am waiting for the results. I am sure that I will be able to do the work as a salesperson as I am mature and friendly. As the job involves working at a mall, it will suit me fine. I am able to converse in the three major languages and two dialects. So, I should not have problem with the sales work. I look forward to an interview at any time convenient to you. Yours sincerely, Cecilia Liu WORD Bank mature – fully developed and grown physically and mentally dialects – a particular form of a language which is peculiar to a specific region or social group. INFO CORNER Remember etiquette when emailing with admissions counsellors, scholarship sponsors and financial aid officers. Use formal language and a professional format. Don’t use a “cute” email address for important emails. Use business-like address. Make your email clear. A clear and concise format. 23 English SPM Part 1 – Short Communicative Message Model Application for the Post of Temporary 15 Pre-school Teacher You have just received your SPM results and intend to take up a diploma course in teaching. You come across an advertisement for a temporary pre-school teacher in a Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. kindergarten. My Play School We are a leading kindergarten that specialises in educating and taking care of young children before they enter formal education. We are looking for a reasponsible and caring preschool teacher on a temporary basis for six months. If you think you have the right aptitude and can fit into our curriculum, you are welcome to apply. Now write a formal email to apply for the post in about 80 words. Write your answer below Model Answer To : [email protected] Subject : Application for the Post of Pre-School Teacher (temporary) Dear Sir/Madam Your advertisement in the Daily News is referred. I feel I have the right aptitude and will be able to fit into your school curriculum as a pre-school teacher. I have completed the SPM results and am waiting to go for a diploma course in teaching in six months’ time. I will be comfortable to be a part of your staff as I have some experience teaching young children. I have helped out at a kindergarten during the long school holidays. I will be glad to introduce myself at an interview. Please find attached a copy of my resume. I look forward to hearing from you. Yours sincerely, Vivian Lee 24 English SPM Part 1 – Short Communicative Message WORD Bank right aptitude – correct attitude or capacity to learning school curriculum – lessons and academic content taught in a school resume – a document created and used by a person to present their background, skills, and accomplishments Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. INFO CORNER What is the difference between preschool and nursery school? Both preschools and nursery schools accept children between the ages of three and five, while nursery schools typically accept children both younger and older. Preschools tend to have a formal curriculum and trained teachers, though this increases their costs. Model 16 Application for the Post of Journalist You come across the following advertisement and would like to apply for the position of journalist. GREATPEACE Greatpeace South East Berhad, Kuala Lumpur www.greatpeace.org/seasia GREATPEACE NEEDS YOU Join our team if you: • like to talk with people • like adventure, local and foreign countries • want to be a journalist Applicants should be 21 years and above Young school leavers, college or university graduates are welcomed to apply. Interested candidates, kindly apply to www.greatpeace.org/seasia 25 English SPM Part 1 – Short Communicative Message Model Answer To : [email protected] Subject : Application for the Post of Journalist Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. Dear Sir/Madam, The advertisement above is referred. I would like to apply for the post of journalist. I obtained a Diploma in Journalism from the International College, Kuala Lumpur. Currently I am attached to a scuba diving company, Diver’s Den as a swimming and scuba diving instructor cum writer/editor for the company newsletter. I believe my skills and experience are in line with the requirements for the position advertised. I am confident I will do well as a journalist for Greatpeace based on my interest and achievements. I will be glad to introduce myself at an interview that will allow you to better evaluate my possible recruitment. Please find attached a copy of my resume. I look forward to hearing from you. Yours sincerely, Amelia Salleh WORD Bank journalist – a person who works in journalism to report the news currently – at the present time scuba diving – a mode of underwater diving where the diver uses a self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (scuba) instructor cum writer – combined with evaluate – form an idea, assess IDIOMS in line – in agreement with, suitable for INFO CORNER Top 10 Rules of Email Etiquette • Choose your subject wisely. • Don’t be sloppy in an attempt to be friendly. • Keep your emails organised. • Watch your grammar, spelling and • Reply to emails promptly. punctuation. • Delivery requests and sending receipts. • Avoid talking aimlessly in emails. • Send smaller files, compress them. 26 English SPM Part 3 – Story 3 Story Introduction Narrative essays are imaginative stories or accounts of experiences, it is easier to write about incidents one has experienced. Narratives that are written well will catch the interest of readers. In Part 3 SPM English, writing a review is one of the choices for the extended writing. Marks allocated is 20 and the number of words should be between 200 and 250 words. Step by S tep 1. A title stating the gist of the narrative • describe the setting or title of the narrative is provided. • use direct speech Sometimes, a series of words to start • use drama (words provided in the or end a story may be provided. question) • use a proverb or saying 2. Identify the type of incident you have to narrate based on the notes given. 8. Introduce the setting, time of incident and characters of the story as mentioned 3. A narrative composition has a format in the notes provided. with certain features: • Beginning/Opening 9. Add details to enhance the description – introduction of plot, setting and of the setting or background of the 6. Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. characters story. • Development of story – Rising action : events leading to 10. Make sure the story has a logical climax conclusion as it here the reader it told – Climax : important and exciting part how everything works out. – Falling action : events after the climax 11. The point of view in narrative essays • Conclusion – Resolution : brings story is usually in the first person. Read the to a close notes carefully to be sure of the point of view. 4. Study the notes provided. Understand the theme of the story and plan your 12. Most narratives are about past story. experiences and so should be in the past tense. 5. The notes should give you the chronology of events. Expand on the 13. Use direct speech wherever possible to notes by mind-mapping. make the account interesting but do not overdo it. Punctuate correctly. Organise the details to link the points for a smooth flow of the story. 14. Be original and imaginative in your narrative. 7. Have a good introduction for the story. There are different ways to open a story 180 English SPM Part 3 – Story Model 101 My Endangered Flora and Fauna: Farewell! Write your answer in 200 – 250 words in an appropriate style. Your teacher has asked you to write a story for the school magazine. The story must be Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. on the theme of endangered local flora and fauna. My Endangered Flora and Fauna: Farewell! Your story should include: • how and where you saw flora and fauna • description of sight and sounds Write your story. • Firefly spotting mission: • Rafflesia Flower and • A Wildlife and Fireflies on a bush – torchlight Pitcher Plant Sunset Cruise, Kawa and leaf to entice • Bonding with Nature: Kawa River fireflies Farewell • Upstream in motorboat • 3 Kota Kinabalu • Endangered Animals / National Park Trails Plants Model Answer Endangered Flora and Fauna : Farewell! My parents, brother and I signed up with Amazing Borneo Tours to sample a Wildlife and Fireflies Sunset cruise on the Kawa Kawa River, the Little Kinabatangan. Introduction From the jetty, we headed upriver in a small motorboat. • A Wildlife and We stood, open-mouthed as we spied a family of “big- Fireflies Sunset nosed” proboscis monkeys hanging out in a tree close to Cruise, Kawa Kawa River – upstream – the river with a large male sitting with its legs crossed proboscis monkeys and pot-belly hanging out. Nicknamed in Indonesian as “Orang Belanda” (Dutchman) the monkeys resembling the Dutch colonists with their pot-bellies and big noses, are really frighteningly human in their mannerisms. 181 English SPM Part 3 – Story After dinner, we embarked on our firefly-spotting mission. Upstream, we saw a bush completely alight with Body • firefly spotting fireflies. The boat guide cleverly used a flashlight and a • torchlight and leaf leaf to entice a few fireflies to leave their bush and fly to entice fireflies into our boat. When the glowing fireflies landed on our hands, faces and life jackets, we were thrilled, speechless. Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. The next day, we hiked up the trails to the Botanical Gardens, looking out for butterflies and birds, exploring • Kota Kinabalu the rugged trails and staring up into the massive towering National Park Trails trees at Kinabalu National Park, Malaysia’s first World UNESCO heritage site. We set off for the Poring Hot Springs famous for its 40-metre high Canopy Walkway. After lunch, we went off in search of the famous endangered Rafflesia flower and the pitcher plant. We • Rafflesia Flower found specially tended plants. The Rafflesia is the world’s and Pitcher Plant largest rarest flower, with a distinctive odour, lasting only two to three days. The “periuk kera” has a pitcher able to hold up to 3.5 litres of liquid. • Bonding with We had a wonderful holiday, bonding with nature. Nature: Farewell Goodbye, my animal and plant friends! WORD Bank to sample – to experience mannerisms – traits to entice – to lure, to attract rugged – rough distinctive – particular, characteristic, clear Model Nenek’s Checklist Prior to Covid-19 102 Vaccination Write your answer in 200 – 250 words in an appropriate style. Your teacher has asked you to write a story for a Health Club Newsletter. The story must be linked to the nationwide Covid-19 vaccination drive. 182 English SPM Part 3 – Story Nenek’s Checklist Prior to Covid-19 Vaccination Your story should include: • Notification on MySejahtera – preparations • Basic SOP / MCO / CMCO / RMCO / EMCO – Basic practices – Different SOPs Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. Write your story. • A notification on MySejahtera: Confirmed Appointment Date • Basic SOP / MCO / CMCO / RMCO / EMCO – Basic practices – Different SOPs • Preparation prior to Vaccination • Samples of Medications • Listing medicines, dosage and medical problems • Information for medical personnel • Day Before: Sleep early • Appointment Day: Breakfast well • Wear mask, comfortable attire and foot wear Mobile • Bring along a flask of warm water and snacks • Stay calm Model Answer Nenek’s Checklist Prior to Covid-19 Vaccination Granddaughter: Nek, I notice a notification on Introduction your MySejahtera. The date for your first vaccination • MySejahtera notify dose is updated. It’s good you are free on that date. Shall confirmed jab appointment date I respond by clicking and confirming the date? Nek, it’s all confirmed. Nek, there are basic SOPs for the public during MCO, CMCO, RMCO and EMCO. Each type has its specific rules. In general, though, there are basic Body practices when in public or even at home: Wear a • Basic SOP / MCO / CMCO / RMCO / mask, Safe Distancing, Register manually or Scan with EMCO MySejahtera at any outlet, Scan to measure temperature, • Basic practices Sanitize hands. On returning home, wash hands and face • Different SOPs with soap. Take a bath too, Under Conditional, Recovery or Enhanced MCO, SOPs differ slightly or are similar for all social and economic activities. 183 English SPM Part 3 – Story • Preparation prior to Vaccination Grandmother: What about my medicines? Samples of Granddaughter: I shall set aside the meds after Medications labelling the medications then pack the meds separately. • Listing medicines, I shall list the medications and dosage under the medical dosage and medical problems ailment, adding additional information, where necessary. Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. • Information for The list and the meds will be in a bag which Nek brings medical personnel to the Vaccination Centre to show the doctor. • Day Before: Sleep The night before, please free your mind and sleep early • Appointment Day: as usual, On the morning of the appointment, please Breakfast well breakfast well. Bring the bag with the meds and list, • Wear mask, a flask of hot water and some snacks. At the Centre, comfortable attire and foot wear scan MySejahtera and register. Use a medical mask, Mobile scannng comfortable clothes and footwear. Don’t forget your • Bring along a flask mobile for checking-in, registering, confirming and taking of warm water and snapshots. Be calm. snacks Stay calm WORD Bank MySejahtera – an application developed by the Government of Malaysia to assist in managing the COVID-19 outbreaks in the country. It allows users to perform health self-assessment on themselves and their family members, monitor their health progress throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. MySejahtera also enables the Ministry of Health, Malaysia (MOH) to monitor users’ health conditions and to facilitate contact tracing for Covid-19 so they can take immediate action in providing the treatment required. MySejahtera is also the official channel that supports the National COVID-19 Immunization Programme by the Government of Malaysia that offers vaccination registration, appointment, and issuance of COVID-19 Immunization Digital Certificate. SOPs – Standard Operating Procedures MCO – Movement Control Order CMCO – Conditional Movement Control Order RMCO – Recovery Movement Control Order EMCO – Extended Movement Control order dosage – the size and frequency of medications to be taken 184 English SPM Part 3 – Story Model 103 Nature’s Fury Write your answer in 200 – 250 words in an appropriate style. Your teacher asked you to write a story for your form newsletter. The story must have Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. the title: Nature’s Fury. Your story should include: • a description of Nature’s Fury • the catastrophes : the action and solutions Write your story. • Setting / Plot • Survival course – a • Cold gloomy night seaside resort • Wind, thunder, lightning • Tree struck lightning, No lives lost • Waves trapped teenager - rescue • Missing child Model Answer Nature’s Fury It was a cold, gloomy night with the howling wind, Introduction • The weather the rumbling thunder, the flashes of lightning and the incessant pounding of the waves. Ten of us were at a survival course holed up at Body • Setting an isolated seaside resort. We were all set for our next • Plot activity: A Treasure Hunt but the inclement weather paid woe to our plan. Incident 1 Suddenly, a commotion came from the kitchen, • Lightning followed by cries of help. The distraught-looking chef • Tree came running into the lounge. It seemed lightning had • Kitchen • Trapped Victim struck a tree causing it to collapse through the kitchen • Rescue roof and landing on his son. The unfortunate son was 185 English SPM Part 3 – Story trapped under the tree and the debris. We sprang into action to rescue the victim of nature’s fury. The kitchen was a mess with broken tiles, twigs, leaves and branches. The teenager’s legs were pinned down by the trunk. He was bleeding profusely from a forehead gash. We Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. extricated the crying boy from under the tree. He was given first-aid treatment on being freed. Before we could heave a sigh of relief that one catastrophe had been solved, another loomed when an ashen-faced housemaid said her ten-year brother had Incident 2 gone missing. The manager suggested a search party. • Missing child We combed the beach in the rain. We spied the curly • Search party • Found black-haired head of a frightened boy taking shelter in a marooned boat. The two siblings hugged each other tightly, one glad to be saved and the other relieved he was safe. The thunderstorm had not abated though it seemed Conclusion to be easing off. But we were all relieved that despite • Easing of thunderstorm the two unexpected incidents, no lives were lost. Nature • No lives lost played havoc with destiny. WORD Bank IDIOMS incessant – non stop paid woe to our plans – upset the plans distraught-looking – worried looking ashen- faced – face which is pale or white INFO CORNER Global Warming and Climate Change With widespread environmental issues, temperatures have been falling with ice melting at the Poles, with unexplained unexpected weather changes. 186 English SPM Part 3 – Story Model 104 A First Timer’s Nerves Write your answer in 200 – 250 words in an appropriate style. Your teacher has asked you to write a story about a friend’s first stage appearance. The Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. story must have the title: A First Timer’s Nerves Your story should include: • the performance • feelings and emotions before, during and after event Write your story. Model Answer A First Timer’s Nerves Introduction My aunt secretly entered me for a Talent Contest. • Event She wanted me to prove I was a born nightingale. She • Talent Contest had even enrolled me in vocal music classes. It was the momentous day of the Songbird Contest. Backstage, while waiting for my name to be Body announced, I had rushed for the fifth time to the ladies • Pre-stage • Nervousness because of the butterflies in the stomach, cold feet and • Explanation hands. My heart was beating very fast. Fortunately, my • Examples best friend was in the audience and so were my siblings. They were rooting for me. I heard the MC calling out my name “Mandy Song”. Somehow, despite my shaking knees and trembling feet, I walked confidently onto the centre of the stage. I • On stage emotions gasped inwardly as I saw a sea of strange faces. I was an and feelings unseen bundle of nerves. As I recalled my best friend’s • Explanation • Performance encouraging words, a calming inner voice removed my nervousness. Magically, a surge of confidence filled me as I sang the first line. Effortlessly I sailed through the lyrics without missing a beat or dropping a word, keeping 187 English SPM Part 3 – Story excellently with the tempo and rhythm. It was my first public stage performance. I made it! I had debuted non- professionally. A thunderous applause reverberated in the hall. I • Exiting stage was shocked at the response. I smiled broadly as I bowed Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. • Applause to the audience and exited the stage. Conclusion What a relief! I had overcome a first timer’s nerves. • Relief I felt a sense of pride and joy as I knew I had surpassed • Pride/Joy • Sense of my own expectations. I gave myself a pat on the back. achievement WORD Bank IDIOMS momentous – important butterflies in the stomach – feeling extremely nervous reverberated – sounded bundle of nerves – thoroughly afraid surpassed – exceeded INFO CORNER A debut is the first stage performance of a person usually in a professional capacity as an artiste. Model 105 Gosh! It was Friday The 13th! Write your answer in 200 – 250 words in an appropriate style. Your teacher has asked you to write a story for a school magazine. The story must have the title: Gosh! It was Friday The 13th! Your story should include: • recalling the date and the catastrophic events • realisation after looking at calendar in kitchen Write your story. 188 English SPM Part 3 – Story Model Answer Gosh! It was Friday the 13th! Angel’s Point of View Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. If only I had remembered that it was Friday the Introduction • Practical - Nature 13th. I was not superstitious, believing that Friday the vs Superstitious 13th was rubbish. But I would never forget Friday the Beliefs 13th of November 2020. I woke up to my cell phone’s ringing. It was from Body my brother in Singapore. I had couriered him his stamp Mishap 1 albums. “There’s no need to thank me …..” Instead I • Phone call from brother in received an ear-splitting blast. “Are you trying to sabotage Singapore - Sent me? I asked for the albums ‘I’ for International, instead him wrong stamp albums you sent ‘In” for India. I can’t complete my project due • Brother angry - Had tomorrow. Do it now and this time, get it right!” The to courier correct albums mobile went dead. I ran to his room, retrieved the correct albums, triple-checking and ran to the courier office. Meantime, while anxiously waiting for the SMS from Singapore, I decided to help Mum with the laundry. Mishap 2 I gathered all the soiled clothes and dumped them into • Did Laundry • Clothes not the washing machine. Belatedly, I realized I did not separated separate the whites from the coloured. I saw the clothes • All were coloured Had to salvage in various hues of the rainbow in the machine. I unloaded the wash, separated the clothes and salvaged them with special detergent. Didn’t disasters come in threes? Exhausted by the • Stepped on skates manual sorting of the clothes, I stood up and stepped on • Lost balance my skates. I lost my balance, went sliding forward and • Twisted ankle landed flat on my face, twisting my ankle. I saw the date. Mum had circled it red! Friday the Conclusion • Date circled in red 13th. Was that the reason for all the mishaps? I had to • Caution be extra careful. The day had not ended yet! 189 English SPM Part 3 – Story INFO CORNER The fear of Friday the 13th is known as paraskevidekatriaphobia. The definition of superstitious is believing in beliefs that do not have grounds in logic and reason in the physical world. An example of a superstitious person is someone who believes that black cats and the number 13 are unlucky. Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. Ten Common Superstitions Those bringing Good Luck : Itchy palm (Money), Finding a horse shoe, Tossing spilled salt over your shoulder, Saying “Bless you” when you sneeze. Those bring Bad Luck : Friday the 13th, walking under a ladder, Opening an umbrella indoors, Reversing Bad Luck : Knock twice on wood. Model 106 The Helping Hand - Keong’s Point of View Write your answer in 200 – 250 words in an appropriate style. Your teacher has asked you to write a story for a school magazine. The story must have the title: The Helping Hand - Keong’s Point of View Your story should include: • two strangers first meeting • teaching young friend how to play chess: challenging situation Write your story. Model Answer The Helping Hand - Keong’s Point of View Introduction My father decided to pack me off to the backwoods • Holidaying in a rubber estate to taste country life during the holidays. In the bus to Uncle Kim’s rubber estate, I sat beside a quiet Indian boy who introduced himself as Body Ramesh Siva. As I played solitaire chess, I explained • In the bus the pieces and the moves to Ramesh. The bus stopped • Keong and Ramesh at a T- junction. To my surprise, Ramesh alighted too. I • Same destination heard Ramesh crying out ‘Patin’. Uncle Kim introduced me to his elderly housekeeper, Patin Usha, Ramesh’s grandmother. 190 English SPM Part 3 – Story After lunch, Ramesh and I trailed behind Uncle Kim, Manager Ahmad and Supervisor Bala as we toured the estate. Uncle Kim told me I was to accompany them at the crack of dawn to pick up some know-how of • At rubber estate estate work. Ramesh could tag along. After dinner, I Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. • Tour and Plans • Keong taught took out my chess set and Ramesh stood expectantly Ramesh how to beside me. “Do you want to learn how to play chess?” play chess • Patin grateful He nodded. I started with the King and before I could continue, Ramesh rattled off the names of the other pieces and their moves. Patin thanked me for treating Ramesh like an ordinary teenager, unlike a mentally challenged autistic person. Days passed into weeks as Ramesh and I did estates chores on weekdays while weekends were free • Estate chores days to either work or play. In the evenings, I tutored • Chess lessons • Interesting and Ramesh in chess. He was a quick learner. He picked up challenging strategies. Many-a-time he outwitted me and won. It • Ramesh quick learner became a challenge coaching him: an autistic child. He was a skilful analytical player, constantly checking and checkmating me. Conclusion In coaching Ramesh and mentoring him into a • Keong’s potential chess champion, I too went beyond my limits. experience WORD Bank backwoods – rural or countryside IDIOMS solitaire chess – playing chess against oneself Patin – Grandmother (Indian title) the crack of dawn – early in the trailed – followed morning, usually before sunrise potential – future INFO CORNER In a standard game of chess played on a chess board, each of the two players begins a game with the following 16 pieces: 1 King, I Queen, 2 Rooks, 2 Bishops, 2 Knights and 8 Pawns. Each chess piece moves, captures and checkmates differently. 191 SUCCESS SUCCESS Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved. U C S SUCCESS MODEL S S C E SUCCESS MODEL JC108222 SUCCESS MODEL ESSAYS Form 4 5 ESSAYS SPM • This book is designed to help pupils improve their writing SUCCESS MODEL skills. From the interpretation of the question to the planning and writing process, the reader is guided step by step in three main parts called Short Communicative Message, SUCCESS MODEL ESSAYS Guided Writing and Extended Writing. Each Model Essay ESSAYS illustrates the process of developing ideas into an essay by ESSAYS putting into practice simple yet invaluable principles of essay writing. CEFR Though aimed at SPM students, this book is also suitable for -Aligned Form • anyone who wants to write well. SPM 4 5 Christine Tan KSSM SPM Purchase Yong Fui Yin eBook here! Ch’ng Teik Peng NEW SPM Assessment Zeti Aqmar Alpikri Format 2021 • Covers 3 parts of the SPM Writing paper www.PelangiBooks.com • Online Bookstore • Online Library • • Step-by-step guide for different essay types PelangiBooks • Word Bank & Idioms for Vocab Enrichment WM:RM18.95 / EM:RM18.95 JC108222 • Tips & Techniques for each section ISBN 978-967-2720-21-8 • Wide Scope of Model Essays

Top 20 Essay Introduction Examples

Introduction

The top 20 essay introduction examples are the best and most popular introductions to use when writing essays. These examples are easy to read and clearly understand what the author is trying to say in their opening paragraph. These essay introduction examples can be used as templates for future essays.

As students, we must learn how to create our own memorable hooks so that we may stand out from other writers in our class. The more creative and original your hook is, the better chance you have of being remembered by your professor because they will notice something about you that they haven’t seen before. What’s more?

1) Your hook should grab your reader’s attention and make them want to read the rest of your paper.

2) Your hook should also reveal something about the topic at hand, perhaps even hinting at what will be discussed in more detail later on.

3) Your hook should be clear, concise, and to the point such that no one could think that your opening sentence is boring or unclear.

The first paragraph of a personal essay is crucial because it draws readers in and lets them know what will follow. That’s why the most important part of an introduction is to tell the reader what kind of essay you are writing and to give them a hint about the main idea.

For instance, let’s assume that you are writing a personal essay about how your friend lost his legs in an unfortunate accident and that you are trying to express the theme of hope. To start this kind of essay, you would do well using sentences like “Some people have hopeless causes for their lives, but I feel that my friend has things to hope for.”

Let’s go over a few tips before reaching the examples, but you can scroll to the examples section if you’re in a hurry. Also, in case you wish to skip this guide altogether due to reasons such as a busy schedule, our top writers are ready to cover you by ensuring that your essay is written to the highest standards. All you need to do is place an order with us!

The Importance of the Introductory Paragraph

An introduction paragraph not only introduces the topic but also gives some insight into what will be discussed. A successful introductory paragraph must accomplish the following:

1) It should tell the reader what kind of paper they are about to read (e.g., memo, argumentative essay , narrative).

2) It should briefly state in one sentence the purpose of writing this paper.

3) It should tell the reader what kind of information they will get, and that is related to their purpose.

4) It should give a brief overview of the main points discussed in the rest of your paper.

5) It should give the reader an idea of your position regarding the topic.

6) If it’s a narrative essay , it should tell the main character and why they are important.

7) It should point out some startling or interesting information about your subject (e.g., quote them on something).

The purpose of your introductory paragraph is to grab the reader’s attention and get them interested in what you have to say.

How to Write a Good Introductory Paragraph

First, write your subject in a simple declarative sentence—the simpler, the better. In this sentence, tell what you will talk about (your topic) and your main idea. The more specific your claim is, the easier it will be for you to develop your argument later on.

The next step would be to create your topic sentence. This sentence focuses on the main idea and includes the supporting ideas or subtopics that will be discussed later.

The last step is to start with your thesis statement that summarizes what you will discuss in this paper. It summarizes and answers the questions of what you want to prove and shows what you want your reader to believe in. This statement is the most important sentence of your entire writing because if this is not convincing, nothing else in your paper will be convincing either. So, make sure that it reflects all of these characteristics listed above.

Top 20 Examples of Good Essay Introductions

Different types of essays require different ways to start the essay, but some general rules will apply to any kind of writing . The best way to get a sense of how you should structure your introduction is to look at model essays written by professionals and see how they approach it.

Here are 20 great essay introductions that can serve as a starting point for your essay. Read them to get some ideas on how to write your introduction:

Use of humor

A humorous introduction can sometimes grab the attention of your reader even better than an interesting fact.

Here are some examples of funny essay introductions:

1) “Most people, when asked for help, do their best to avoid doing anything that will make them feel uncomfortable or inconvenient. However, one particular person named Barbara McFadden is entirely different from all other people. She is one of those people who will go out of their way to make you feel special, even if that means calling the police and making a big scene.”

2) “Although, as funny as it is, I could see myself being an extra in that movie. I mean, there are times when my family and I go shopping, and we make so much noise that people stare at us and shake their heads with disgust.”

3) “Before I start telling you about our amazing vacation, I would like to tell you a little bit about myself. My name is Jana, and I am from Chicago; however, my family spent most of our weekends in Wisconsin. We enjoy going over there because we love the cold, crisp weather and the extremely friendly people.”

4) “There was a point when I lost my sanity. Every day that went by, I would miss her even more. It didn’t matter where I was or what I was doing, she still crossed my mind every few minutes. Whether it be day or night, awake or asleep, smiling or crying, my heart was filled with the pain of having her right there in front of me and not being able to hold her or take away the pain she must be feeling.”

Using statistics

Statistics can help make your essay attractive to the reader and show them some of the positive characteristics of your topic.

Here is an example of a good introduction with statistics:

5) “More than 50 million people will get married in the US by 2015, which is a 4.7% increase from 2008.”

6) “Although some people consider colleges to be similar, there is one thing that can make an enormous difference between them, and that is the tuition fees. The cost of public universities has doubled in the last ten years while the private ones have increased 7.5 times.”

7) “In the last decade, those people under 40 years of age have increased by about 6%. Many factors can be attributed to this increase in population. One of the main reasons for this is immigration; however, scientists believe that the other reason lies within our genes.”

Using anecdotes

Anecdotes are very interesting because they generally contain a lot of information about your topic, and they can show the reader exactly why your essay’s subject is important to you.

This is an example that uses anecdotes:

8) “It was my 11th grade when I planned on attending college. At the same time, my dad was planning to retire near our family home in Georgia. He had planned to stay there until he could fix up the old house of our relatives. To him, retirement meant time for him to do all the things that he had ever wanted. My dad has always had a passion for woodwork and animals. Therefore, my plan was simple: fixing up my new home with my father in Georgia.”

9) “After loving each other for so long, my boyfriend and I were finally getting married. We had made all the plans to have a wonderful wedding and honeymoon in France; however, there was one problem. One week before our wedding, my husband-to-be got in a car accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down. For me, it was like my world had shattered to pieces. He was the only thing that kept me going. I knew that as long as I stayed strong, he would make it through anything and everything.”

10) “The teachers at my college were always very helpful; however, there was one teacher in particular who stood out from all the rest. Her name was Mrs. Middleton. She was always late to class and extremely messy; however, she would make up for it by being the most interesting teacher I had ever had. Whenever her class came, there was never a dull moment.”

Using quotes

Quotes are a great way of starting an essay because they show your audience how credible you are as a writer. Through them, you can also show your audience that you want to use credible sources.

Here is an example of a good quote introduction:

11)” “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” John F. Kennedy – a famous American president, 17th of November, 1960″ It’s hard to imagine that freedom and democracy first started centuries ago in ancient Greece. We’re free to say what we want, do what we want, buy whatever we want, and even start a business of our own.

12)” “Those born into poverty die without ever knowing anything else” taken from The Women Who Would Be Queen by Linda Grant.” The subject of this book is the American society. It tells us a story about women born to low-income families but still decided to do something with their lives. They weren’t afraid of taking risks and worked very hard to achieve what they deserved.

13)” “Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don’t know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!” – Mother Teresa” Human beings are often underestimated. This is because the media makes us believe that everyone around us has it better than we do. However, this is not true. People out there have a third of what they need and are willing to share with others.

You may also be interested in SAT examples

Use of vivid imagery

Your essay is much easier to read when you use vivid imagery. It not only makes your content better, but it also helps the reader to understand what you are trying to say. Not to mention that they add color and depth to your writing style.

14) “He was sitting in his wheelchair staring out of the window with a slight smile on his face. His body looked so frail that it made me want to cry. It reminded me of a small tree that had been uprooted from its roots and was now exposed to the rage of mother nature.”

15) “The smell was like a combination of alcohol, vomit, and sweat all mixed into one. Everyone in the room knew that they didn’t need to be there, but it was the only place where no one judged them. This is why everyone kept coming back.”

16) “I remember that day like it was yesterday. The sun had just come up, and the rays were shining through my bedroom window. The smell of fresh air filled the room with the warmth of a summer’s day, and I could hear the birds chirping in a nearby tree…”

Use of compare and contrast technique

Using compare and contrast technique can be very effective in an introduction. It gives you the chance to set a standard for what will be written about later in your essay.

Here are some good examples:

17)” America has always been much more liberal than Britain when it comes to sexuality. Compared to America, Britain is much more conservative. Homosexuality is still illegal in Britain, while it has been legal since 2003 in America. Women are expected not to be sexually promiscuous in Britain, while in America, it’s completely fine to sleep around.”

18) “Facebook and LinkedIn are both social media sites. However, there are many major differences. For example, LinkedIn is mostly used for professional communication, while Facebook is used for personal communication. Facebook being so big has the advantage of having more people to communicate with, but LinkedIn is easier to use and a lot more personal.”

19) “I prefer to live in a city than in the countryside. This is because cities give you a chance to meet lots of new people and learn about their cultural background. The only thing that makes me feel uncomfortable is the lack of nature.”

Using shocking facts

This is something that can be very beneficial to your writing style, especially if you have passionate feelings about a specific subject. It can take the introduction in an unexpected way and present information and facts that readers might not know exist.

20) “It is estimated that over 30 million people suffer from eating disorders in the US alone. This number has grown exponentially over the past 40 years. Some of those suffering have turned to social media for help and support. However, the focus in these online communities has moved away from recovery to self-promotion and vanity.”

21) “In England, abortion is legal up until 24 weeks. After that period, a pregnancy can be terminated if there are serious fetal abnormalities or risks to the woman’s mental health. Each year over 190,000 women have abortions in Britain, which is equivalent to about one-third of all pregnancies.”

22) “It is estimated that around three percent of boys and two percent of girls have an Autism Spectrum Disorder. These numbers may not seem much, but they are a lot higher than previously believed. What makes these disorders even more worrying is the fact that there are a growing number of children being diagnosed with Autism.”

Use of questions

Questions are a very good introduction technique. Usually, they can help engage and hook your reader’s interest. For example:

23) “What is the best age to get married? Marriage is a very important thing. Not many people are aware of this, but the right age to get married can greatly impact your life. It is one decision that can change your life forever, so it should be well thought out.”

24) “What makes you happy? Happiness is something that everyone wants to achieve. We all want to feel and experience it in our lives. What makes us happy differs from person to person. They are a lot of different things: love, success, knowledge, the list goes on.”

25) “What can I do to be successful? Success is what everyone strives for. Some people want it in a short amount of time, others gradually over a much longer period of time. In this essay, we’re going to look at how you can achieve success in your life.”

Emotional sentence

This sort of introduction is usually very effective because it can open up a line of thought that will make your reader feel sympathy for the writer. It has also been proven that emotional sentences are more likely to keep your readers interest in what they’re reading. Here are examples:

25) “My grandmother never taught me how to cook. She said that men were supposed to take care of women, and society expects women to be able to do these things themselves.”

26) “I want an education so that I can get a good job and earn enough money for my family, but my parents disagree with me. They say that it is unnecessary for the woman in the family to have an education. It is also not a priority for them.”

27) “I don’t like my brother’s girlfriend. I guess she just seems too controlling for her own good.”

Use of adjectives and adverbs

An effective way to keep your reader engaged in your writing is by using adjectives and adverbs effectively. For example:

28) “I’ve always hated school. It’s just a never-ending cycle of meaningless assignments that I do not care about.”

29) “After the big earthquake, people came together to help each other in any way they could. They banded together and helped those affected in every single way imaginable. They were always on the lookout for dangerous aftershocks and were always listening out for any news about people trapped under rubble.”

30) “Stress is a very serious topic. It can destroy your life if you’re not careful. I’m going to talk about what stress is, how it affects us, and what we can do about it.”

Getting personal

Sometimes, it can be a very good idea to make your introduction personal. For example:

31) “I agreed with my aunt and cousin that we should all go to the beach together. At first, I thought it was a great idea because I really enjoyed spending time with them, but then they started talking about what swimsuit they were going to wear, and I wanted to run away.”

32) “I have always been a big fan of Harry Potter. In my teenage years, I’d read all of the books many times over!”

33) “When my friends and I would talk about school, we were not usually happy with what we had to say. For one thing, the teachers were often no help at all. They never seemed to want to help us figure out what we needed, and they were always telling us how bad our grades were.”

Use of metaphors and similes

Using metaphors may be a good idea if you want your reader to understand what you’re writing. Similes are also great because they can help you make comparisons that the reader can relate to. For example:

34) “Sometimes I feel like I’m in a huge war all on my own. It’s like I’m under constant attack. My enemy isn’t really clear, except that it seems to be coming from every single side at the same time.”

35) “I can’t understand why some people stay in jobs they don’t like. Sometimes you have to do something that you’re not comfortable with if you want to get ahead. You have to take risks.”

36) “Baseball is like a religion in America. People worship players as if they were gods and millions of fans come out every year to watch them play. It’s something that you have to respect, even though it may seem a little overboard.”

Using surprising information

A rather unique way to start an essay is by using information that most people wouldn’t expect. It could detail about yourself, or it could be something very specific about the topic of your essay. For example:

37) “I used to love playing ice hockey. There was just something so satisfying about being able to hit the puck with your hockey stick and then get into position to watch it sail right past the goalie.”

38) “When I was born, my parents were really young. They weren’t even twenty-one years old yet when they had me!”

39) “After reading a book recently about World War II, I’ve realized that these events can potentially have an impact on each and every one of us for decades to come. They can leave scars that remain in our society for many years after they are over.”

Using special words and phrases

Sometimes, the most effective way to get your reader interested in what you have to say is by using special words or phrases that many people wouldn’t usually use. For example:

40) “I’ve always wanted to be a writer. I think it would be fascinating to write novels that can help influence others.”

41) “I think that gardening is a great hobby for children to have. It’s interesting to see them learn about plants and how to take care of them.”

42) “Whenever it gets really cold outside, people in my neighborhood all get together at the local library and form groups around their favorite activity. We’re like little families!”

Common Mistakes People Make when Writing Introductions:

• Not making a clear statement about your subject (e.g., not giving the reader an idea of what kind of essay they are going to read).

• It’s long and boring, so it doesn’t grab people’s attention and make them want to read the rest of your paper.

• Your opening sentence is unclear or confusing.

• It has no point to it, or it’s not connected with the rest of your writing.

• Your thesis statement does not reflect what you are going to discuss in this essay, or it doesn’t give an idea about what you want your reader to believe in.

You may also check how to begin a “Why this College” essay

How to Write a Good Essay

Good essay writing takes a lot of time and effort. Personally, I have always been satisfied with the results of my work. But it’s not enough just to write an essay, you need to know how to get feedback on it and improve your skills even further.

Good essays start with choosing a great topic . It’s not easy to find a fresh idea. You may use a couple of resources. They will help you discover some new and exciting ideas. When you’ve found something that sparks your interest, read as much material on the subject as possible. It is always better to write about something familiar.

After you’ve got some information on the subject of your essay:

• Write down all the things that you want to include in your work.
• As soon as possible, structure these points into paragraphs .
• Check if there are any necessary additions or corrections.

A general outline of an essay

Outlining your essay is the next important step. It will help you to see if your points are coherent and not related to each other. You can use various structures for outlining your work: thesis-support, compare-contrast, problem-solution, chain of events (storyline), definition of a term, and so on.

Thesis-support outline

This is one of the most popular structures for writing an essay. It’s based on the construction of a thesis statement and supporting evidence. Examples of such statements are “the weather is fine” or “technology has changed human life.” The main method for creating a thesis statement is to create a compound sentence that will include two different viewpoints :

a) the negative;

b) the positive.

The following statement is an example of a thesis-support outline: “The media has negative and positive effects on young people.” In this case, you can use different examples to support your viewpoint, like violence in movies or the pros of social networks. That’s why it’s important to choose an appropriate topic for your work.

The compare-contrast outline

This structure is based on comparing and contrasting two different things or three similar ones. It can be used to describe different aspects of the same thing: for example, people in the world, fashion styles. The best examples are “American and British English” or “the cat and the mouse.”

The problem-solution outline

This structure is most often applied in scientific papers. The main idea of such kinds of essays is to state the main problem and offer a solution for it. By this means, you can focus on your writing skills and clarify your point of view, if any. For example, a statement like “homeless people don’t have enough money” may be followed by “the government should make more public shelters.”

A chain of events outline

This structure is based on creating a story, which will include one or several steps. The beginning and the end can illustrate some final idea or thesis statement. It’s an effective way to tell your reader about something and make them feel involved in your story.

General format of an outline

The basic format of an outline is:

The introduction

Body paragraphs

conclusion.

The introduction is the first paragraph of your essay. It’s a good idea to make it an attention-grabber so that readers don’t hesitate to continue reading your work. You must present your topic clearly and as easily as possible. The last sentence should be about the main idea of the work or thesis statement.

The main part of an essay is the body. Its purpose is to describe different aspects and dimensions of your topic. Use the following things to create your paragraphs:

· Introductory sentence- It should contain the topic of your paragraph, a thesis statement, and a transition.

· Body sentences – These are the supporting sentences. They should prove your thesis or describe a specific aspect of the topic. Each sentence must have its significance in the overall context.

· Concluding sentence – It’s important to make it an appropriate conclusion of your paragraph. It should be similar to the introductory one.

The last paragraph of an essay is named “conclusion.” Its main purpose is to state your opinion or recommendation on a particular issue. You must be careful with it and make sure that you don’t contradict yourself in any way. Here are some things you can use for creating a conclusion:

· Restatement of your thesis – You can repeat your main idea differently or use it for the main sentence of a concluding paragraph.

· Summarizing statement – If you think that there is no need to restate your thesis again, you can make a summary instead, which will be a brief retelling of your main idea.

· The future tense – Sometimes, you can use the future tense to imply what needs to be done in this or that sphere. For example, “Technology will develop further; researchers will find a cure for cancer.”

These are the basic elements of an outline. In general, it’s important to follow a structure and use the right words.

Essay Writing Tips

The most important thing when writing an essay is to follow a structure and make sure that all your paragraphs are coherent with each other. Other tips are:

· Planning – It makes your work much easier to write and finalize. You should be able to control the general idea, so planning will help you start right away.

· Grammar – It’s important to know its basics and check all your content for any mistakes . After all, you will be able to deliver the message clearly and accurately.

· Thesis statement – This statement should reflect the main idea of an essay and make a clear point about the subject at hand. It’s good to develop it further in the body paragraphs.

· Word choice – Choose your words wisely and always check if they sound clear and easy to understand. Avoid using complicated sentences or phrases, but be concise and ensure you don’t waste any words.

· Accuracy – Don’t forget that essays are quite different from creative writing. They should be as accurate as possible, so make sure that you have all the necessary facts and ideas before you begin to write.

You may also want to check various speech topics, such as demonstration speech topic

Getting help with writing essays

The best way to make sure your essay introduction is done the right way, the first time, is to find somebody who can help you with this sort of task. There are two things you should always keep in mind when looking for a good essay helper:

1) They need to have experience writing and editing term papers. This means that they have to be professionals in their field.

2) They have to know what your teacher wants you to write and how they want the introduction written. Therefore, they will have absolutely no problem fully understanding an assignment and doing everything exactly according to your preferences and instructions.

Our writers have all these qualities, and you may try our services by click here.

How to pick a good custom essay writer

When you’re picking a custom essay writer, there are some things that you have to keep in mind. For example:

Budget-friendly options

You have to know about essay writers who will not overcharge you for their services. Of course, everybody wants quality writing and affordable prices at the same time! Be it a high school essay or an MBA application essay, the price shouldn’t be too high. Thus, you should pick custom writing services that won’t make you feel ripped off after paying for their services.

Deadlines and quality of writing

Another important aspect to consider is the deadlines these essay writing services give their customers. Some places may promise you a deadline but won’t deliver on time, while others will not even bother giving you an exact date. Let them know that your essay has to be in by a certain date (or if it already is, let them know so they can stop working on it). If something goes wrong with the writing process, contact your writer and let them know about it. You should always get what you have paid for.

Writing styles and quality of service .

You should also find a custom writing service with many authors who can do their job in different ways. For example, some writers provide in-depth research papers, while others like to focus on a specific area (e.g., literature). Just browse through their samples and make sure that you can see the kind of writing they do.

Customer services support

When you are getting a paper from a professional writer, there should always be someone who will help you with your essay. For example, it’s okay to ask where you can find more information about how much an essay will cost. It’s also okay to ask if your teacher will accept the essay you have ordered on a certain topic. The best custom writing services will always offer their clients some support. You should always get answers from your customer service representative when you call or email them with questions or remarks about an order.

Recommendations

Finally, make sure you read reviews about the custom writing service you’re going to use: that way, you’ll know whether or not it’s worth paying for their services.

When it comes to choosing a professional essay writer, there are many things you need to be aware of and take into consideration. Do your homework before committing to any particular website, and avoid dealing with unreliable custom writing services.

You can find some reviews about essay writers on the web: just check out their testimonials and see whether or not they seem legitimate. You’ll also have to make sure your writer understands what you need. We also have a list of top writers !

The introduction paragraph is the most important part of your essay. It should not be underestimated, as it is necessary to hook readers on what will come next in a convincing way that makes them want to read more.

Therefore, it is very important to avoid common mistakes, or misinterpretations students often make when writing their introduction. The purpose of this post was to help you understand the paragraph and use it in such a way that it makes a good first impression on readers so that they are motivated to read more.

If you can do all of these things, you will be able to write a proper introduction for your essay that will lead to more positive results. If you still do not know where to start, click the green button below and leave it to our writers!

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