Below are 4 samples of good essays... Band 4 or 5...

Band 6 essays will demonstrate a

much better command of linguistic fluency and accuracy as well as show more mature
and critical thinking skills.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The world today is turning more to electronic communications such as the e-mail,
Facebook and Short Message System (SMS). What is your opinion of this growing
trend? Discuss. You should write at least 350 words. [60 marks]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SAMPLE 4) MUET WRITING 800/4 QUESTION 2

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

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

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

Secondly, it is undeniable that the rise in fuel prices leads to the widening of the gap between
the rich and the poor. This is due to the fact that people are greatly affected by the price of
basic necessities such as food and fuel in particular. Furthermore, the rich people will still be
able to afford such things but the poor will face greater challenges as the popular saying goes:
"The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer." For instance, when money is used to purchase
consumer products that are necessary for survival, then less money will be spent on health
and dental check-up, educational purposes and others. Thus, it is clear that the fuel price hike
will further stress on the differences between the rich and the poor which is such a tragedy.
Last but not least, in the long term the population trend or demographics of the society will be
greatly affected. This means that new families will consciously decide not to have too many
children in order to increase their quality of life. In addition, society is now more aware of
birth control and family planning so this will greatly reduce the population as most families
will have 1 to 5 children instead of more. Take for example, new families with less children
will surely spend less on basic necessities like food, clothes, transport and many more.
Hence, the demographics of the whole country will be affected and this in turn will reduce
our workforce which will affect our country's productivity and prosperity.

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

Consumers' choice of venues for grocery shopping in 1985 and 2010

The stimuli present a bar graph on 'Places Where Consumers Buy Their Groceries' and a table
on 'Characteristics of Shopping Venues in 2010'. Generally, majority of consumers prefer to
shop in supermarkets that have customer-friendly characteristics compared to quarter of a
century ago where people favoured wet markets.

The grocery shopping trend has evolved over the last 25 years based on the data in Figure 1.
There is a significant increase of 55% of consumers visiting supermarkets in 2010 (60%)
compared to 5% in 1985. This is attributed to the positive characteristics of supermarkets
which are more comfortable, convenient and offering big discounts and variety. Also
showing a rising trend is a 3% increase in consumers visiting 24-hour stores because of its
convenience. Meanwhile, night markets seem to show a consistent trend stabilising at 11%
both in 1985 and 2010. The most substantial decline can be seen in the deteriorating
percentage of consumers visiting wet markets from 45% to 14% (difference of 31%)
followed by 27% difference for grocery stores. The table indicates that while negotiable price
and personalised service are key characteristics of grocery stores and wet markets, these
venues seem to lose customers to venues that offer more appealing characteristics.

In conclusion, venues like supermarkets with better characteristics in terms of discounts,

variety and services are more likely to win over customers.

Question: Students should start their own blog. Do you agree? Support your answer
with examples. You should write at least 350 words.
     In recent years, the world has witnessed a significant rise in technological advancements
across all fields. We saw science improved, mathematical questions answered, and social
media flourished. The mushroom of blogs has positively correlated with the increasingly
affordable price of computers and gadgets. Majority of the bloggers are students who use it
for various purposes. Despite the ongoing debate on whether students should start their own
blog, I strongly agree that starting a blog and constantly updating it helps develop critical
thinking skills, creates a knowledgeable society and fortifies multiracial unity.
     First and foremost, starting and updating a blog helps to stimulate a critical way of
thinking. Blog acts as a platform which opens up avenues for sharing and discussing ideas.
Students are free to share their viewpoints with netizens all over the world and anyone can
propose his or her ideas in the comment section below. Consequently, a discussion will be
built up and the commenters need to analyse the arguments by considering the issue from
different aspects and backgrounds. Thus, critical thinking skills develop slowly in the
students’ mind without one realising it. For instance, the discussion on the economic issue
can only come to an ideal conclusion through critical analysis of the current situation by
viewing from different aspects, involving the countries, citizens and resources. Therefore, it
is crystal clear that blogging can develop a critical thinking mind, especially among the
students.
     In addition to this, blogging plays a key role in moulding a knowledgeable society. It is a
universal truth that most students in this era of globalisation where technology reigns adapt
better to learning via electronic media. Furthermore, most students spend more time browsing
the Internet compared to reading books and newspapers. Hence, information and knowledge
shared via blogs can reach more students than the traditional way of sharing through books.
As an exemplification, students who have created mnemonics to ease the memorisation of
difficult topics in the syllabus can share them via their blogs so that other students can learn it
and even discuss to come up with a better idea. As a result, the knowledge input of students
who access to the blogs will be escalated dramatically to eventually mould a knowledgeable
society.
     Moreover, blogging can enhance the unity among different races. When students of
different races blog about their unique cultures and traditions, students of other races who
came across the articles will be well-informed about the cultures of other races and thus open
their eyes to realise the existence of other cultures in one’s country. This can develop a better
sense of understanding and hence maintain the precious unity among races, which is crucial
to the harmony of a multiracial country such as Malaysia. For example, when a Malay
student posts about their tradition of visiting one another during the Aidilfitri, Chinese, Indian
as well as indigenous students will get to know more about the culture of Malays and the dos
and don’ts when they join the celebration. Subsequently, students will develop a better
understanding about races and unity is fortified when all sorts of misunderstandings are
avoided.
     On the other hand, one may argue that blogging is time consuming and distracting for the
students. This notion anchored its arguments on the common scenario that most students are
very likely to get carried away when they access the Internet and eventually wasted so much
time doing unbeneficial activities in the Internet. Students are also prone to the exposure
towards the underlying negative influences in the Internet such as violence, gore and sexually
explicit contents which are able to corrupt the students’ mind once and for all.

     In a nutshell, I still totally believe that students should start their own blog as this brings
magnificent advantages to the students, society as well as our beloved country. Blogging
stimulates a critical way of thinking, produces an enlightened society and strengthen the unity
among races. The minor drawbacks can be prevented by careful measures such as parental
control. The government through the Ministry of Education should spearhead a foolproof
blueprint to instill the habit of blogging among students by providing special training and
increasing incentives for the usage of technology in schools.
MUETmyway Cloned Question:
Smoking should be banned (A) as it is a hazard to mankind (B). Do you agree with this statement? Give
relevant examples. You should write at least 350 words.

Agree
(5 + 1 paragraphs)
100     or    75:25
1) Thesis Statement:
Smoking should be banned because it is a serious hazard to mankind in terms of health, waste of money and
causes pollution.
2) Agree 1:
Firstly, smoking should be banned because it is a serious hazard to our health.
3) Agree 2:
Secondly, smoking should indeed be banned as it is a blatant waste of money.
4) Agree 3:
Last but not least, it is a hazard to mankind because it creates continuous pollution which is bad for our
environment.
5 (OPTIONAL) Counter-Argument:
However, there are some benefits including a good source of income and the tax collected can be used to
improve the infrastructure in our country. Nevertheless, smoking has more disadvantages and should be banned.
6) Recommendation:
The government should streamline immediate and effective action to ban smoking throughout the country by
banning import and sales of cigarettes and increasing the fines and jail sentences for tobacco smuggling and
distribution.

Disagree
(5 + 1 paragraphs)
100     or     75:25
1) Thesis Statement:
Smoking should not be banned because there are many benefits for our country in terms of increasing profits,
stimulating the economy and tax collected can improve infrastructure for everyone.
2) Disagree 1:
First and foremost, smoking should not be banned as it increases the profit for the shop owners who sell it to the
public.
3) Disagree 2:
The second reason it should not be banned is because the collective sales of cigarettes can stimulate our
economy due to its high demand.
4) Disagree 3:
Lastly, banning smoking is not a good idea because the tax collected can be used to improve and upgrade
infrastructure such as roads, schools and hospitals.
5 (OPTIONAL) Counter-Argument:
On the contrary, there are some advantages of banning smoking as it does have some hazardous effects to
smokers’ health and the environment. Nevertheless, we should not deny a person’s choice to smoke or not
especially since it can still bring some benefits to our country.
6) Recommendation:
The government should draw up an effective strategy to maximise tax collection of tobacco products in order to
boost the economy and use the funds to provide better quality basic facilities for everyone’s mutual benefit.

Partially Agree 
(6 paragraphs)
50:50
1) Thesis Statement: 
There are both advantages and disadvantages of banning smoking as it is a hazard to mankind. 
2) Agree 1: 
For starters, smoking should be banned because it is a serious hazard to our health.
3) Disagree 1: 
In contrast, there are many people who have smoked and lived until old age, proving that smoking is not
necessarily a health hazard as there may be other factors.
4) Agree 2: 
Another advantage of banning smoking is it can stop people from wasting money whereby the money can be
better used for food, transportation, daily necessities or as savings.
5) Disagree 2: 
On the other hand, although they can be said to be wasting money on an individual level but the money is
contributed back into society and tax collection increases as well which is used to improve and upgrade
infrastructure such as roads, schools and hospitals. 
6) Recommendation:
The government should implement a comprehensive action plan to reduce smoking in our country by increasing
the price and taxes of cigarettes and organising anti-smoking talks and exhibitions in schools and hospitals. 

Agree to a Certain Extent 

(5 paragraphs)
50:50
1) Thesis Statement: 
There are always two sides to a coin so we should look into the pros and cons should smoking be banned due to
its hazardous nature towards mankind. 
2) Agree 1 vs Disagree 1:
At the forefront, it is clear that smoking is a health hazard to mankind even though there are cases where it is not
a hazard and smokers have been known to live healthily well into their old age. 
3) Agree 2 vs Disagree 2: 
Another significant reason it should be banned is because it is a waste of a person’s money. Conversely, if you
look at the bigger picture, it is not a waste of money but it in fact stimulates the economy and increases profit
due to high sales. 
4) Agree 3 vs Disagree 3: 
Ultimately, smoking is an individual’s choice and he or she should be given the right to choose to smoke or not
without the government interfering. On the contrary, the government should take action in banning it if it affects
the health and quality of living of society as second hand smoke is dangerous to babies and pregnant mothers
and smoking causes unnecessary pollution.  
6) Recommendation: 
The government through the Ministry of Health should  spearhead an effective blueprint to ban smoking in
public places by fining smokers if they smoke in restaurants or shopping malls and conducting more  anti-
smoking campaign to increase awareness.