Muet

Sample 1 Students should be allowed to bring mobile phones to school. In this era of information technology and social media, mobile phones are becoming more of a norm than a luxury item. In fact, more and more students are able to save their money and buy mobile phones of various brands such as Samsung, HTC, Lenovo and Oppo in order to stay connected with their friends and family. In my humble opinion, I truly believe that students should be allowed to bring mobile phones to school because it is good to teach them to be responsible for their own belongings. There are a few reasons for this, namely, easier to communicate (A1), an excellent source of information (A2) and schools can control usage of phones (A3). Firstly, students should be allowed to bring their mobile phones to school because it will definitely make communication easier for everyone. This means that the mobile phone is a useful tool to make calls or send messages. Moreover, it is very convenient to inform our parents if there are any changes to the timetable. For example, if we need to let our parents know when to pick us up if the school suddenly has a program such as IM1S, co-curricular activities, marching practice and so on. Therefore, if students are allowed to bring their handphones to school it would be so much easier to keep everyone informed about our whereabouts. Secondly, mobiles phones are an excellent source of information and this is another factor why we should allow students to bring them to school. This is because students who have smartphones will have access to all the information on the internet at the tip of their fingers. In addition, it will help them do their work better and more efficiently. For instance, they can research online for information on projects given to them by teachers such as researching facts on famous people, science experiments, essays, reports and many more. Thus, allowing students to bring mobile phones to school will help them tap into the multitude of information that exists in the world wide web today. Finally, a final factor why I agree that students should be allowed to bring mobile phones to school is that the usage can still be controlled by the school authorities. The main reason for this is that the teachers have to explain the rules clearly to students that they can only use it outside the class teaching hours such as before and after lessons and during recess. Furthermore, it will teach students to be more responsible for their own things and make them better adults. Take for example the rule that if they use it during lessons the teachers can confiscate the phones, report to the discipline master, call their parents and others. Hence, it is the school’s responsibility to control the usage of the mobile phones so that it can bring more advantages to the students especially in improving their education. Conversely, there are other factors why mobile phones should not be allowed. This is because some students who do not have mobile phones will feel inferior compared to their rich friends who can afford smart phones. Additionally, handphones can be very distracting to the students because they will constantly want to look at their phones. Some examples are students become distracted when they play games, watch Youtube, make funny videos of their friends and teachers, cheat during examinations and so on. Ultimately, there are always two sides to a coin so we should realise and accept that there will be some disadvantages of allowing students to bring their phones to school. In short, students should be allowed to bring mobile phones to school because handphones ease communication, allows students unlimited access to online information and the school authorities can still control the usage so normal lessons are not disrupted even though there are some disadvantages. I still absolutely agree that students should be allowed to bring mobile phones to school because it is a useful learning tool. I hope that the government through the Ministry of Multimedia and Communication should spearhead a comprehensive strategy to provide a solution by giving smartphones and providing free Wifi connection to all students in Malaysia.

Sample 2 Money is the most important thing in modern life. In this era of modernisation, money seems to be the most important thing in life. In fact, without money, life would be quite a torture because we would not be able to buy what we want including food, clothes or even afford a safe place to stay. People would do anything for money, hence the saying ‘Money is the root of all evil’. From my perspecctive, I totally disagree that money is the most important thing in modern life because we cannot survive on money alone. There are a few reasons for this, namely, family is by far more important in life (A1) followed by religion (A2) and good health (A3). First and foremost, money is not the most important thing in modern life because family is much more important than money. This means that even though we are poor, we will still be able to survive with the support of our family members. Moreover, parents who love their children will work hard to earn money so that they can all live a better life. For example, we will always turn to and rely on our family members for support when there is a problem, accident, disaster and so on. Therefore, money is not the most important thing in modern life because family always comes first. Secondly, a strong upbringing in religion is another factor why money is not the most important thing in life. This is because in times of problems and pain, each person normally turns to religion for support because a strong belief will give people strength to face all situations. In addition, it does not cost any money to have a good religious upbringing. For instance, parents can ensure that through religion, their children can differentiate black from white, bad from good and make the right choices in life, love, career, friends and many more. Thus, the keyword is ‘most’ and money is surely not the ‘most’ important because a family with a good religious background is by far more important than having money. Last but not least, a final factor why money is not the most important thing in modern life is health is wealth and no amount of money can buy good health. The main reason for this is in comparison to money, health is definitely more important because if we do not have good health, life would be very hard to live to the fullest. Furthermore, good health is essential if we want to make money to support ourselves and our family. Take for example a person with good health can get a good job like being a pilot, teacher, doctor and others. Hence, without good health, money is meaningless and all the money earned will be spent on paying for doctor fees and medicine. On the contrary, there are other factors why money is important in this modern life even though it is not the most important. This is because modern lifestyle is not cheap and there are many bills to be paid in order to survive. Additionally, we are no longer living in the era where we can build a house out of materials from the forest or plant food and hunt or gather in order to eat. Some examples of a modern life are we need money to buy a house or pay rent, purchase food and clothes, pay for school fees and buy books and stationery, travel, eat out in fancy restaurants or fast food outlets and so on. Ultimately, it cannot be denied that money is still very important but it is not the most important thing in this modern life. In a nutshell, money is not the most important thing in our changing world today because family comes first, religion provides us a solid foundation and health is wealth even though there are some reasons why money is important for our survival in this modern world. I still absolutely think that money cannot be the most important thing in life because family, religion and health will always come first. I hope that the non-governmental organisations such as Sabah Women’s Association (SAWO) should organise an effective campaign to overcome materialism and teach the community that money is not everything by conducting ‘Family First’ talks and raising awareness on ‘Health is Wealth’.

MUET Writing July 2015 Question 1 A. Title 1. Survey (Results) on Tiger Population in 3 (Different) Countries in 2000, 2005 & 2010 / in 3 Years (2000, 2005 & 2010) 2. Tiger Population in 3 Countries in 2000, 2005 & 2010 and Actions Taken to Protect them (in those 3 years) 3. Tiger Population in 3 Countries and Actions Taken to Protect them in 2000, 2005 & 2010. 4. Tiger Population in Myanmar, India and Indonesia (in 2000, 2005 and 2010) and Actions Taken to Protect them (in 2000, 2005 & 2010.) B. Introduction 1. Figure 1 shows Tiger Population in Three Countries (in 2000, 2005 and 2010.) (while) Table 1 lists (the 4 actions of punishing poachers severely, protecting tiger habitat, setting up tiger reserve and educating the public taken) Actions Taken to Protect Tiger Population / them in the same 3 years / in 2000, 2005 and 2010. C. Overview 1. Actions taken to protect tiger population in the 3 years had positive impacts on Myanmar and India, but not in Indonesia. 2. Generally, except for Indonesia, actions taken to protect tigers increased their population (in Myanmar and India) 3. On the whole/Generally, the more actions a country took the more tigers it had. 4. Generally, (the) tiger population of a country increased when it took more protective actions/actions to protect tigers. 5. There were positive correlations between actions taken and tiger populations in/for Myanmar and India but not in/for Indonesia. 6. (From the data) (It may be inferred that) The action of educating the public/action taken to educate the public might/may not have had (such an) / (a positive) impact on tiger population (compared to/as the) other 3 actions (of punishing poachers severely, protecting tiger habitat and setting up tiger reserves) might/may have had. D. Key Features - Analysis / Synthesis a) Analysis 1. In 2000, Myanmar had the most/highest number of tigers (250) while Indonesia had the least/lowest number (200). 2. India came in second with 240, ten less than Myanmar (in 2000). 3. In 2005, Myanmar (again) had the highest/most number of tigers (300) while India and Indonesia had the same/equal number of 150 or half of Myanmar’s tiger population. 4. In 2010, Myanmar (once again) had the most number of tigers/highest tiger population (430) compared to/while Indonesia (which) had the least/lowest number (110). 5. (Of the 3 countries), Myanmar always had the most/highest number of tigers / Myanmar’s tiger population was always the highest in all 3 years – with 250 , 300 and 430 in 2000, 2005 and 2010 respectively / 250 in 2000, 300 in 2005 and 430 in 2010. 6. Indonesia had the lowest number of tigers in 2000 (200) and 2010 (110). 7. India had the second most / highest number of tigers in 2000 (240) and 2010 (200) but the same number (150) as Indonesia in 2005. 8. Of the 3 countries, only Myanmar’s tiger population kept increasing in the 3 years from 250 in 2000 to 300 in 2005 and 430 in 2010. (while) the number of tigers in Indonesia continuously declined/dropped/fell

(continued to drop) from 200 in 2000 to 150 in 2005 and to its lowest of 110 in 2010. 9. From 250 tigers in 2000, the number of tigers in Myanmar (continuously increased/rose) (continued to increase/rise) to 300 in 2005 and 430 in 2010. 10. Out of the 3 years, the population of tigers (was the highest (240)) in India (was the highest (240)) in 2000 (and lowest) (while it had the lowest number of tigers) in 2005(150). 11. India’s tiger population was the highest in 2000 (240) and dropped drastically to 150 in 2005, rising (and rose) by a third/one-third/roughly 33% to 200 in 2010. 12. To protect the tiger population (in 2000), Myanmar took more actions (2) (punishing poachers severely and protecting tiger habitat) than India which only punished poachers severely (in 2000.) 13. In 2010, Myanmar took all the 4 actions (punishing poachers severely, protecting tiger habitat, setting up tiger reserves and educating the public) while India took only 2 (punishing poachers severely and protecting tiger habitats) and Indonesia took none/did not take any to protect its tiger population. 14. Out of the/In the 3 years, Myanmar was the only country that set up tiger reserves in 2005 to protect its tiger population. 15. Myanmar was the only country that set up tiger reserves and in 2005. b) Synthesis 1. Myanmar had the highest tiger population in 2000 (250) due to 2 of its actions to protect them/the tiger population, i.e., punishing poachers severely and protecting their habitat. 2. India had ten less tigers (240) compared to Myanmar in 2000 as it had taken only the one/one and only/single/sole action of punishing poachers severely/of severely punishing poachers. 3. As Indonesia had not taken any action to protect its tigers in 2000, (among the 3 countries) its tiger population was the lowest at 200 only. 4. In 2005, Myanmar had the highest population of tigers (300) as it had punished poachers severely, protected the habitat of tigers and educated its/the public. 5. India and Indonesia had the same number of tigers (150) in 2005 although Indonesia had educated its public/had taken the sole measure of educating its public while India had not taken any protective action at all. 6. In 2010, Myanmar had the highest tiger population (430) as it had taken all (the) 4 (protective) actions (of) (punishing poachers severely, protecting tiger habitats, setting up tiger reserves and educating the public). 7. The two actions of punishing poachers severely and protecting tiger habitat by India in 2010 led to it having the second highest number of tigers (200). 8. Despite its sole action of educating the public, Indonesia had the lowest number of tigers (110) in 2010. c) Analysis & Synthesis 1. The two actions of punishing poachers severely and protecting tigers’ habitat could explain why Myanmar had the highest population of tigers (250) in 2000 while the absence of action could be the cause for Indonesia having the least number (200) of tigers. India with the second most number of tigers (240), ten less compared to Myanmar, punished poachers severely/had taken only one action of punishing poachers severely. 2. In 2000, Myanmar with the highest number of tigers (250), had taken the two actions of punishing poachers severely and protecting tigers’ habitat compared to India which had 10 less tigers (240) as it had taken only the single/sole action of punishing poachers severely. As Indonesia had taken no protective action, its tiger population was the lowest (200) (among the 3 countries) in 2000. 3. Myanmar had the most (number of) tigers in 2000 (250) when it punished poachers severely and protected the habitat of tigers. (In 2005), This number rose/increased to 300 (in 2005) making Myanmar still the country with the highest number of tigers as it had taken the extra action of educating the public (in 2005). In addition to/Together with the earlier 3 actions, (the) setting up (of) tiger reserves in 2010 further saw a (further) rise/an increase (of tiger population) to 430 again making Myanmar the country with the highest tiger population. 4. Taking the sole action of punishing poachers severely, India had the second most number of tigers (240), ten

less than Myanmar in 2000. Dropping (even) this sole/only action in 2005, the number/figure fell to 150/could have led to the number (of tigers)/tiger population falling to 150. Tiger population picked up to increase/and increased to 200 in 2010/5 years later (in 2010) when India took the two actions of severely punishing poachers and protecting tigers’ habitats/tiger habitat(s). 5. India had the second highest (240) tiger population in 2000 when it punished poachers severely. The population dropped to 150 in 2005 when it took no protective action. However, its 2 actions of punishing poachers severely and protecting tiger habitats in 2010 was effective in causing a rise/an increase to 200 though not to its original 240 as in 2000/ten years ago. 6. In 2000, (the) tiger population was the lowest in Indonesia (200) as it had taken no protective action. The population dropped to 150 in 2005 despite its sole (protective) action of educating the public. Educating the public proved ineffective again (in 2010) as the population dropped further to its lowest of 110 (in 2010). 7. With only 200 tigers, Indonesia’s tiger population was the lowest (in 2000) among the 3 countries (in 2000) as it had taken no protective action. In 2005 and 2010, its sole action of educating the public was not effective as the number(s) of tigers/its tiger population continuously dropped/continued to drop to 150 and 110 respectively. (Is there a difference between continuously/continued here? Or is it better to just use ‘dropped’?) 8. In 2000, Myanmar took more (2) actions to protect tigers i.e., punishing poachers severely and protecting tiger habitats than India which only punished poachers severely while Indonesia did nothing. Therefore, Myanmar had the most number of / highest tiger population (250) with India coming in with the second highest of 240 while Indonesia had the least number of /lowest tiger population of 200. / Therefore, Myanmar had the most number of / highest tiger population (250) while Indonesia had the least number of /lowest tiger population of 200, with India coming in with the second highest tiger population/number of 240. 9. The number of tigers / Tiger population in Myanmar increased to 300 (still the highest among the 3 countries) in 2005 when it (took 3 actions) (punishing poachers severely, protecting tiger habitat and educating the public) / (added the action of educating the public) while tiger population in India and Indonesia dropped to 150 as India had not taken any action/as India had dropped its sole action of punishing poachers severely and despite Indonesia’s only action to educate its public to protect its tigers. 10. Myanmar’s tiger population increased to 300 in 2005 when it took the 3 actions of severely punishing poachers, protecting tiger habitats and educating its public while India’s and Indonesia’s tiger population dropped to 150, due to the former not taking any action(s) and despite the latter’s sole action/initiative to educate the public. 11. There was a significant increase/rise in the number of tigers / in tiger population from 300 in 2005 to 430 in 2010 (the highest among the 3 countries) when Myanmar took the extra action / added a fourth action of setting up / to set up tiger reserves. Despite continuing to educate the public (only one action) in 2010, Indonesia saw a drop in tigers to (tiger population in Indonesia dropped to) its lowest ever of 110 (the lowest among the 3 countries). In India the two actions of punishing poachers severely and protecting tiger habitats saw a 1/3 increase from 150 in 2005 to 200 in 2010. E. Conclusion 1. In conclusion, it may be said (that) (in general) (except for Indonesia) (that) actions taken to protect tiger population/tigers had an impact on tiger /their population / it. 2. In conclusion, it may be said that (in general) (except for Indonesia) actions taken to protect tiger population increased tiger population/the number pf tigers. 3. In conclusion, it may (generally) be (generally) said that of the 3 countries, actions taken to protect tiger population had a positive effect / impact on tiger population in Myanmar and India (and not in Indonesia). 4. In conclusion, it may be said that of the 3 countries, actions taken to protect tiger population increased the number of tigers in Myanmar and India but not in/that of Indonesia. 5. In a nutshell, except for Indonesia, tiger population in Myanmar and India increased when more actions were taken to protect them.

6. Generally, the more protective actions a country took the higher its tiger population. 7. Generally, tiger population increased when more actions were taken to protect them.

Muet Nov 2015 Question 2 There is a strong link between reading and academic access. Discuss. You should write at least 350 words. [60 marks] A) Agree Thesis Statement: Academic success is based on knowledge and reading provides direct access to knowledge, a variety of knowledge and transfer of knowledge. Argument 1 Topic Sentence 1: First and foremost, reading provides direct access to knowledge as it is the most convenient and the fastest way to learn something because doing hands-on experiments for every single theory is too time-consuming. Argument 2 Topic Sentence 2: Secondly, reading has a strong link to academic success because through reading we will be exposed to a huge variety of knowledge, theories and information from various different sources all around the world. Argument 3 Topic Sentence 3: Last but not least, reading leads directly to academic success because information from all sources is transferred directly to the mind which can then be used to answer examination questions well with excellent results and performance. Counter Argument: Topic Sentence 4: However, reading alone cannot guarantee success as academic success also has strong links with a person’s IQ level, hands-on practical training and experimentation as well as intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors to name just a few. Conclusion/Recommendation: Education ministry should focus more on teaching reading skills in SPM level similar to the MUET format where reading paper is given 40% weighting compared to writing (30%), listening and speaking (15% each) B)Neutral: Thesis Statement: Academic success depends on not just one but a combination of factors which include reading and other factors such as IQ level and hands-on practical. Argument 1 Topic sentence 1: Firstly, reading provides the fastest and most direct access to information from various sources which saves time because hands-on experimentation is too time consuming. Argument 2 Topic Sentence 2: In addition, reading leads directly to academic success because information from all sources is transferred directly to the mind which can then be used to answer examination questions well with excellent results and performance.

Counter Argument 1: Topic Sentence 3: On the contrary, a person’s intrinsic character is a stronger link to academic success as our own IQ, abilities and interests as well as motivation will contribute heavily to our academic success. Counter Argument 2: Topic Sentence 4: Furthermore, reading is quite a weak link because it only provides theories whereas hands-on practical experiences will increase understanding and performance as a person’s ability to recall or apply the information just by reading cannot be guaranteed. Conclusion/Recommendation: Academic success is a synergy of factors involving the student himself, his IQ and his ability to master not just reading but writing, listening, speaking and all other softskills that when combined, determines his academic success. C) Disagree Thesis Statement: Academic success is determined not mainly by reading, in fact, it is a weak link because reading refers to only the theories, reading does not determine ability to recall theories and the ability to apply the theories you have read to real life cannot be guaranteed. Argument 1 Topic Sentence 1: First and foremost, reading is a weak link because it is a two dimensional activity where a person reads the words but may not be able to fully understand what is being read because this is determined by a person’s IQ level. Argument 2 Topic Sentence 2: Secondly, reading does not mean a person will be able to remember all the information and theories read as again, this depends on a person’s own mental ability. Argument 3 Topic Sentence 3: Lastly, the act of reading alone is not a guarantee of a person being able to apply the information successfully in real life similar to the fact that reading a flying manual does not make one qualified to fly a plane. Counter Argument: Topic Sentence 4: Conversely, there is still a strong link between reading and academic success as reading is necessary to access to information from all sources in the most cost effective, time-saving and convenient way. Conclusion/Recommendation Reading is an important core of achieving academic success but the ability to read well is determined by each individual’s inner character and their IQ as well as how they handle stressful conditions like examinations in order to achieve excellence in academia.

Spicing up MUET Writing/Speaking Tips Introduction: It is often said that... Many people claim that.. In this day and age of (topic).. We live in an age where many of us... (Topic) is a hotly-debated topic that often divides opinion. (Topic) is often discussed yet rarely understood. It goes without saying that (topic) is one of the most important issues facing us today. The following essay examines both sides of the coin, its advantages as well as disadvantages. In this essay, I will focus on ____________, ________________ and ____________. There are many facets to this issue, namely ___________, ________________ and _____________. Expressing Opinion: In my opinion,../From my point of view,../From my perspective,../Personally speaking,../In my humble opinion,../If I may be so bold as to state that../ As far as I am concerned, I truly/totally/absolutely/completely/wholly agree/disagree/think/believe/feel/consider that... I agree that../I am in agreement with this issue../I concur that... I disagree that../I am in disagreement with this issue because../I beg to differ that.. I can consider that../consider both sides of the coin../I partially agree../ I agree to a certain extent../I somewhat agree but have obvious misgivings about.. Introducing Points: Firstly, let us take a look at... To start with... First of all, it is worth considering that.. Secondly,.. Thirdly,.. Next... Another point is... Another contributing factor is.. In addition/Additionally/Moreover/Furthermore / What is more../On top of that Another point worth noting is../Another factor to consider is... Lastly,..Finally,.. Last but not least,... Presenting Ideas & Giving Examples According to experts/the website/the author of the article/book/journal etc... Based on the research/survey/study/case study by (who) in (year) on (what)... he/she/it/they found/discovered that... Research has found that... The study concluded that... There are those who argue that.. When it comes to this issues.../In terms of this issue../With respect to this issue../ With regard to this issue.. For example,../For instance,../As an example,../To illustrate,../As an illustration,../ ..such as.. /..namely../..which are../..in terms of it is.. ..and so on./..and so forth./..and many more./..and others. Contrasting: However,../In contrast,../On the contrary,../Conversely,../Even though... To counter that argument.../Despite../In spite of that../On the other hand,..

..but../..although../..while.. Expressing Reason & Result: As a result,../ As a result of this study/research/finding.. This theory/result/finding/study/case study has led to.../has resulted in... This means that.../This is because../This could be due to../This can be attributed to../This could result in../This proves that../This is concrete evidence that.. In lieu of this../Consequently,../Subsequently,../Therefore,../Thus,../Hence,.. Concluding: In conclusion,../To conclude,../Conclusively,../In a nutshell,../To sum up,../ In short,../In other words,../In summary,../All things considered,.. Taking everything into consideration,.. After weighing up both sides of the argument,.. The benefits of (topic) far outweighs the drawbacks of.. The advantages of (topic) far outweighs the disadvantages of.. The pros and cons are quite balanced and it is up you to decide which side of the fence to lean on.