People (3)

UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOL SUPPORT MATERIAL FOR CONTINUOUS WRITING SECTION OF
SPM ENGLISH LANGUAGE 1119

ESSAY TYPE

THEME:

Instructions:
1. This module is divided into 6 sections: Let’s Recall, Let’s Discover, Let’s Learn, Let’s
Replace, Let’s Expand and Let’s Create.
2. You MUST attempt each section in sequence. DO NOT skip any section.
3. READ and understand all the instructions given.

English Language Teaching Centre (ELTC)
Ministry of Education Malaysia
2018

QUESTION: Academic excellence guarantees a good future. Do you agree?
Give reasons to support your opinion.

Look at this picture. Think of any words or phrases that are related to it.
Write your words or phrases in the Circle Map below.

Image source: https://www.homeschoolersofmaine.org/events/graduation-ceremony/

Example: graduation, success

graduation

success

Academic excellence
guarantees

a good future

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Read the sample essay below.

QUESTION: Academic excellence guarantees a good future. Do you agree?
Give reasons to support your opinion.

A lot of people believe that academic excellence guarantees a good future.
However, I do not agree based on the following reasons.

First and foremost, a good future means having a job with a high salary.
However, academic qualification does not guarantee jobs for graduates. For
example, there are many companies that employ people with experience. In other
words, people with excellent academic background alone may not automatically
have a pleasant future.

Furthermore, there are people who do not possess a degree but lead a good
life. School leavers with vocational skills may be successful in life too. For instance,
the vast development of various industries has provided jobs for those with skills.
Thus, it is common to see mechanics and technicians doing well in life, even without
academic excellence.

In addition, there are also people without academic excellence who are doing
well in business. This shows that determination and hard work are essential to
ensure a good future. In fact, there are many famous personalities who are
successful in life even without academic excellence.

To conclude, having academic excellence may be a good idea. Nonetheless, it
is not enough to guarantee a good future. After all, “one swallow does not make a
summer.”

(204 words)

Adapted from: http://azlanselamat.blogspot.com/2011/10/academic-excellence-guarantees.html

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Table I:

Read the information in the table below. The information in the table is from the sample
essay in Let’s Discover.

A BC D E
No.
Meaning in Synonyms Phrases/ Examples of
Words Context Idiomatic use
Expressions
1. guarantees provides a • promises There is no
formal • warranties • guarantee guarantee
assurance, • undertakes against against the
especially that (something) possibility of
certain something
conditions will going wrong in
be fulfilled your life.
relating to a
product,
service, or
transaction.

2. salary a fixed amount • pay • earn a good He earns a
of money or • wage salary good salary
• income working in that
regular • payment company.
payment paid • earnings
on a monthly • emolument
• remuneration
basis by an
employer to an

employee.

3. qualification a pass of an • result • “optimism is You must have

examination or • accomplishment the faith that confidence in

an official leads to yourself to

completion of achievement” achieve

a course, success

especially one because

conferring “optimism is

status as a the faith that

recognized leads to

practitioner of achievement”.

a profession or

activity.

4

A BC D E
No.
Meaning in Synonyms Phrases/ Examples of use
Words Context Idiomatic
4. employ • hire Expressions The new
give work to • engage principal has
5. pleasant (someone) and • recruit • employ a employed a
6. possess pay them for • appoint steam steam engine to
7. vast it. engine to crack a nut;
crack a nut calling on four
teachers to look
into the small
matter when
actually one
teacher could
solve the
problem.

giving a sense • nice The pupils had a
of happy • pleasing wonderful time
satisfaction or • wonderful in Cameron
Highlands last
enjoyment. month.

belong • own If you have a
• have degree, then you
will be able to
get a good job
with a high
salary in future.

of very great • huge He was a
• immense graduate from
extent or • extensive university and
quantity • expansive there was a
• boundless huge difference
between his
salary and his
brother’s.

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AB C D E

No. Meaning in Synonyms Phrases/ Examples of use
Words Context
• many Idiomatic They took several
• several Expressions subjects in
college in order
8. various different • tenacity to help them get
• willpower a better job.
from one • persistence
• perseverance
another

different • determination After becoming a
kinds is the key to
success doctor, she
9. determination the ability realised that
to continue
trying to do determination is
something the key to
although it
is very success.
difficult

10. essential important • vital It is important
• crucial for children to
learn the value of
• necessary hard work.

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Table II:

Read the words and phrases in the table below. They will help you to organise your ideas
clearly.

First reason/ • To start off Next reason/ • Next
opinion • To begin with opinion • Besides
• The first reason • Another
• First and foremost • Furthermore
• One important reason • In addition
• It is also found that

To emphasise • Thus To introduce • Yet
earlier • As a result other • By contrast
reason/ • Due to this • In comparison
opinion • Therefore possible • In other words
• Consequently opinion • On the other hand
• In view of this • Another possibility is
• In other words
• To put it simply

To introduce • For example To conclude • Finally
examples • For instance • To sum up
• … mainly • To conclude
• … such as … • In conclusion
• … in particular • On the whole
• An example of this is • My final reason
• Last but not least
• It can therefore be

concluded

7

Fill in the blanks with suitable words or phrases from Column C in Table I and from Table II
of Let’s Learn.

QUESTION: Academic excellence guarantees a good future. Do you agree?
Give reasons to support your opinion.

A lot of people believe that academic excellence __________________ a good
future. __________________, I do not agree based on the following reasons.

__________________, a good future means having a job with a high
__________________. __________________, academic __________________ does
not guarantee jobs for graduates. __________________, there are many companies
that __________________ people with experience. __________________, people
with excellent academic background alone may not automatically have a
__________________ future.

__________________, there are people who do not __________________ a
degree but lead a good life. School leavers with vocational skills may be successful
in life too. __________________, the __________________ development of
__________________ industries has provided jobs for those with skills.
__________________, it is common to see mechanics and technicians doing well in
life, even without academic excellence.

__________________, there are also people without academic excellence who
are doing well in business. This shows that __________________ and hard work are
__________________ to ensure a good future. In fact, there are many famous
personalities who are successful in life even without academic excellence.

__________________, having academic excellence may be a good idea.
___________________, it is not enough to guarantee a good future. After all, “one
swallow does not make a summer.”

Adapted from: http://azlanselamat.blogspot.com/2011/10/academic-excellence-guarantees.html

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Notes:

Image source: https://achildinmind.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/what-why-how2.jpg

You can use the WH-Questions to brainstorm for ideas to expand your essay. It is a way to
get deeper into your topic and add more information or ideas.

D’s - Describe, Details
E’s - Explain, Examples

Details – Provide exact names, time and do not be too brief.
Describe – Use adjectives (size, colour, shape and others), and

Explain adverbs (how the action is done) to make the idea more vivid.
Examples – Give reasons and explain by providing relevant facts or details.
– Mention things, people, places or anything that are related or represent the

idea/opinion.

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Read the essay you have completed in Let’s Replace. Expand the essay in Column 2 by
answering the questions in Column 1.

Parts Column 1 Column 2
Practice
Questions/Notes
for Expansion

Introduction 1. What is academic A lot of people believe that academic excellence
excellence? guarantees a good future. (1) ______________________
________________________________________________
2. Where do you go to (2) _____________________________________________
study? (3) _____________________________________________
(4) _____________________________________________
3. When do you further your (5) _____________________________________________
studies? _______________________________________________.
However, I do not agree based on the following reasons.
4. Give details of the
degree.

5. How do you feel if you do
not have excellent
academic result?

Body 1 1. What kind of jobs give a First and foremost, a good future means having a
good salary? job with a high salary. (1) __________________________
________________________________________________
2. Who earns high salaries? (2) _____________________________________________
3. How much is a high (3) _____________________________________________
(4) _____________________________________________
income? However, academic qualification does not guarantee
4. Give examples of jobs jobs for graduates. For example, there are many
companies that employ people with experience.
without high (5) _____________________________________________
qualification but with ________________________________________________
experience. (6) _____________________________________________
5. Give example of a ________________________________________________
successful person In other words, people with excellent academic
without high background alone may not automatically have a pleasant
qualification. future.
6. Describe that person.

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Parts Column 1 Column 2
Practice
Questions/Notes
for Expansion

1. What kind of industries? Furthermore, there are people who do not possess

2. Give examples of the a degree but lead a good life. School leavers with

vocational jobs and vocational skills may be successful in life too. For

industries. instance, the vast development of various industries has

Body 2 3. How do you feel when provided jobs for those with skills. (1) _______________

you see this? ________________________________________________

(2) ____________________________________________

Thus, it is common to see mechanics and technicians

doing well in life, even without academic excellence.

(3) _____________________________________________

________________________________________________

Body 3 1. Explain why it is In addition, there are also people without
important to have a good academic excellence who are doing well in business. This
future. shows that determination and hard work are essential to
ensure a good future. (1) __________________________
2. Give example of one ________________________________________________
successful personality In fact, there are many famous personalities who are
without academic successful in life even without academic excellence.
excellence. (2) _____________________________________________
(3) _____________________________________________
3. Describe how he/she ________________________________________________
became successful. (4) _____________________________________________
________________________________________________
4. Describe how hard
he/she worked.

Conclusion 1. What are the hopes for To conclude, having academic excellence may be
those who do not have a good idea. Nonetheless, it is not enough to guarantee
academic excellence? a good future. (1) ________________________________
________________________________________________
2. Describe your hopes for (2) _____________________________________________
the future. ________________________________________________
After all, “one swallow does not make a summer.”

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Now you are ready to write an essay. Do your best!

Instructions: Write a composition of about 350 words on the following topic. You are
advised to spend about one hour to complete this task.
Determination is the key to success. Do you agree? Give reasons to support your
opinion.

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