Tips:
1 Do not memorise whole essays and try to fit it into the given titles. You may try to memorise certain
phrases or interesting introductions but if your language does not match the directed writing, your
marks will be pulled down.
2 Write about what you know. For example, if your interest is football, then write a story about football.
If you like Korean drama, write something Korean, making use of your knowledge and vocabulary.
Originality will get you more marks.
3 If you are quite weak in narrative writing, go for the reflective or factual essays.
Topics: How can I help save the environment?
What are the changes I would like to see in my school?
Lets say we are going to write a reflective composition titled What would you do if you had a lot of
money? Use the acronym B.A.G. to help you plan your essay.
B Brainstorm for main ideas
A Add supporting details
G Get Organised.
STEP 1 BRAINSTORM for main ideas
Write any idea that you may have concerning the topic above in the box below.
STEP TWO: Add supporting details
From the main ideas, add more facts or ideas that support each main idea.
Supporting details
Main Idea 2
Supporting details
Main Idea 3
Supporting details ..
CONCLUSION
There are many ways to organise your essay depending on the types of essays.
i. Chronological order according to the order of how the events occurred
ii. Cause and effect discuss the causes (reasons) first, then give the effect.
iii. Problem to solution discuss the problems, then give the solutions
iv. Spatial order describe from one spot to the next . This is suitable for descriptive writing.
v. Climactic order starts with the least important to the most important.
Reverse climactic order starts with the most important to the least important
WRITING THE ESSAY
1. IDEAS FOR INTRODUCTIONS
The introduction should be designed to attract the reader's attention and give her an idea of the
essay's focus.
Introduce your essay with an attention grabber.
Here are some ideas:
Use some startling information or facts
A recent survey on teenagers who smoked revealed that 20% picked up smoking before they were
13.
Use an anecdote.
An anecdote is a short story that illustrates a point.
Be sure your anecdote is short and relevant to your topic.
Raj and his friends do not go home after school. They hang out daily at shopping complexes after
school. They are just the tip of the iceberg of the loafing syndrome.
Use a question
Do you know that Malaysians throw away 1.2 million tonnes worth of newspapers daily? For every ten
newspapers bought, only four are recovered for recycling.
Use a general statement and lead to your topic
Use a few sentences to explain your topic in general terms. Then, lead the reader gently to your main
point or thesis of the essay. Each sentence should become gradually more specific, until you reach
your thesis.
Example:
Of late, there has been increasing concern about the impact of pollution on the environment and our
society. How do we reduce pollution?
AVOID THESE INTRODUCTIONS:
1. Nowadays, we hear of many snatch theft cases..
2. Everyone in this world needs a friend .
3. The dictionary defines a computer as .
These are overused introductions and teachers are tired of reading these introductions.
Conclusion
The conclusion (in three or four sentences) sums up your points or provides a final perspective on
your essay.
IDEAS FOR CONCLUSION
Express your hopes about the topic
Finally, it is hoped that as people become more aware of the need to recycle, more will come forward
Other ideas:
include a brief summary of the essay's main points.
ask a provocative question.
compare with other situations
Writing a narrative essay
THE NARRATIVE COMPOSITION
A narrative is a story with a sequence of connected events. It could be about a personal experience or
an imagined event or events.
Lets look at some typical exam questions:
1. Write a story of a man who returns to his home after many years.
2. The day I lost my temper.
3. Write a story ending with, I shall never forget this day for the rest of my life.
4. Write about an occasion when you got into trouble.
5. Write a story beginning with, I could not believe my eyes.
How do I write a narrative essay for the exam?
POWER WRITING
WRITING BETTER PARAGRAPHS
What is a paragraph?
A paragraph can be divided into three different sections. The first section is the topic sentence which
is usually at the beginning of the paragraph, the body and the closing.
The Topic Sentence
This topic sentence tells you what the paragraph is going to be about, and how it relates to the subject
of the essay and the previous paragraph.
Body Sentences
Body sentences support the topic of the paragraph. There are supporting details and elaboration in
these sentences.
Closing Sentence
This sentence completes the idea expressed in the paragraph. It should also set up a connection to
the next paragraph.
1. A good paragraph has only one main idea and one or two supporting details.
Example:
First and foremost, I would buy a house for my parents, preferably a bungalow, in a quiet town. I
would equip the house with the latest technology so that it would be a smart home. My mother would
have a state-of-the-art kitchen as she loves cooking. There would also be a robot to clean and
vacuum the house. I will certainly make sure that my family is comfortably settled in this house.
The main idea of the sentence is buying a house for my parents and I go on to describe in detail
what the house would be like.
2. How to elaborate or add supporting details?
To support a topic sentence, consider some of these possible ways:
Add examples