Writing

Introduction
How to start your essay?
a)Friends are important people in our life. We
need friends because we can share our
problems with them.
b) Friendship is one of the most precious
gifts of life. A person who has true friends in
life is lucky enough Friendship makes life
thrilling. It makes life sweet and pleasant
experience. Friendship is indeed, an asset in
life. It can lead us to success or to doom. It
all depends on how we choose our friends.
1. Use some startling
information or fact
Example:
Topic: Teenagers and their problems

A recent survey on teenagers provided

some food for thought for parents. It was
found tat about 70 percent of them smoked,
40 per cent of them watched pornographic
videos and 14 per cent took drugs. Several
factors have been identified as contributing
to these problems
2. Use an anecdote
Example:
Topic: Teenagers and their problems

Raj and his friends do not go home after

school. They hang out daily at a shopping
complex to while their time away. There,
they join students from other schools.
Sometimes, they play some video games or
just enjoy each others company. Raj and his
friends are just the tip of iceberg of the
problems among teenagers which is loafing.
3. Dialogue
Example:
Topic: An unforgettable incident.

Help! Someone just snatched my purse!

The screams shattered the still of the night.
Suddenly, light were switched on and heads
popped out of door and windows. Hey,
whats the matter?
4. Use a question
Example:
Topic: Pollution

Did you know that Malaysians throw away

1.2 million tonnes of newspapers daily? For
every ten newspapers bought, only four are
recovered for recycling. Thus, the
government has spearheaded a recycling
campaign to encourage Malaysians to
separate their waste.
Topic: Peer pressure/How to cope with stress

What choice do you have if your friends

are pressuring you to do something which
you think is wrong? Would you walk away?
Are able to say no?
5. Use a definition
Example:
Topic: The importance of Friendship/
Describe your best friend

Friendship is the divine feeling or

relationship between friends. Friendship can
be built in time and should be maintained
with care. Men cant live without friends and
real friendship could be a great support for
our life.
6. Use a quotation
Example:
Topic: The Importance of Friendship/Describe
your best friend

A friend in need is a friend indeed.

This saying means we need truefriends in
our life. A real or true friend is alwayswilling
to help us when we need them.At the same
time, it is our responsibility to remain helpful
towards our friends.
7. Use a general statement
Example:
Topic: Pollution/Ways to reduce pollution

Of late/Recently/Lately/In recent times,

there has been an increasing concern about
the impact of pollution on the environment
and our society. The public outcry over the
various environmental disasters in our own
country should be lauded. How do we resolve
these problems?
In groups, choose one of the essays below
and write the opening paragraph.

1. Describe a person that you know who is

very successful in his/her life.
2. The importance of keeping fit