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4 muet writing samples

MUET Writing Question 2 sample answers for 350 word academic

essay
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 ecommunication. 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.