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 todays 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
societys way of life on an individual level, the countrys 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 countrys 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 countrys 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 countrys economy there. Thus, while a societys spending
habits helps our economy to grow, overspending due to materialism will have an
adverse effect to the countrys 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 countrys economy and their

morality. In my opinion, I still firmly believe that materialism has a strong hold on
todays 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 individuals 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 persons 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.