Technique 1 – Components in an (Argumentative, Factual & Expository)

Essay

 An essay must contain:

 introduction
 body/content
 conclusion

 An essay must have at least 5 paragraphs:

 1 for the introduction and 1 for the conclusion
 At least 3 for the content

 For the content, each paragraph must have 1 main idea and its elaboration/supporting
details.
The basic skills to elaborate the main idea are using “wh-“questions like what, why,
who, when, how and giving some examples.

Example:
Main idea: I like to eat bananas.

1) Ask yourself, why you like eating bananas?

Answer: They are tasty and their skins are easy to be peeled off.
2) Ask yourself, how much you like bananas?
Answer: Everyday, I must eat at least three bananas, that is, one after breakfast; one
after lunch; and one after dinner. (The phrases in italics are examples)

Hence, when you write in a paragraph:

I like to eat bananas. It is because they are tasty and their skins are easy to be
peeled off. Everyday, I must eat at least three bananas, that is, one after breakfast; one
after lunch; and one after dinner.

Reinforcement Exercise
Elaborate the following main ideas:
1. Smoking is hazardous to health.

2. Deforestation can cause global warming.

3. Recycling is important to save our mother earth.

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Technique 2 – Components in a Story (Narrative Writing)

A story is also composed of 3 parts:

 Beginning
 Event/Climax
 Ending

In SPM narrative writing, the questions are mostly stated in either:

1) Write a story that begins with…/Write a story beginning with…

OR

2) Write a story that ends with…/Write a story ending with…

Sometimes, the questions are given like “an embarrassing experience” and “a memorable
camping trip”.

For every paragraph including the beginning, climax, and ending, make sure that every
paragraph has only 1 focus. In other words, in one paragraph, you can only mention about
one particular event.

For example:

A ray of warm sunlight hit my face and birds started to chirp happily. My heavy eyelids
slowly opened. I woke up and got down from my bed vulnerably and lazily, stretching my
body and giving a lazy yawn. I went towards the window and opened it. Wow, what a
wonderful morning!
(The focus is that morning came. Before the sentence “wow, what a wonderful morning!” all
the sentences are used to emphasize that morning was here.)

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Technique 3 – Sentence Structures
In an essay, it must have a variety of sentence structures. Without it, the essay will become
flat in tone and dull.

Basically, there are 3 kinds of sentence structures:

1) Simple sentence
2) Compound sentence
3) Complex sentence

Simple sentence
Examples:
 I like to eat bananas.
 Water is important to humans.

Compound sentence
Examples:
 I like to eat bananas because they are tasty.
 Water is important to humans as their bodies contain 70% of water.

Complex sentence
Examples:
 I like to eat bananas, which are sold at markets rather than malls, because they are
fresher and tastier.
 Water is important to humans as their bodies contain 70% of water, so they have to
drink at least eight glasses of water everyday to maintain the amount of water in
their bodies.

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Technique 4 - Cohesiveness

The flow of an essay is very important as it will make the essay lively and sound better. This
can be done by using conjunctions, logical and sequence connectors.

Conjunctions
Conjunctions are used to join phrases or sentences together and hence to form compound
sentences.

Conjunctions Usage Example

and To show things of
also similar
as well as functional value
not only…but
also
but To show contrast
yet
still
although To show concession
though
even though
even if
or To indicate alternatives
either…or
or else
because To show reason
as
since
that To indicate purpose
so that
in order to
as To express time
when
while
since
if To indicate condition
unless
where To indicate place
wherever
so To indicate result
so that

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Logical Connectors
Logical connectors are used to link sentences which follow a logical order. Hence, use them
appropriately.

Logical Connectors Usage Example

As a result To show connection
Consequently between
Thus actions and consequences
Hence
Therefore
However To show contrasting ideas
Nevertheless
Nonetheless
On the other hand
Besides To introduce a new idea or
In addition provide extra information
Furthermore/Further
Moreover
Similarly To introduce a similar
idea

Sequence Connectors
Sequence connectors are used to link sentences which follow a sequence of events.
They are best used when you are writing essays like speeches, argumentative, factual and
expository writing, etc. They are the essays that require different points, so sequence
connectors can be used to help you arrange your points systematically and accordingly.

Sequence Connectors Example

First/Firstly, Next, Then, After, After that,
Later, Until, Before, Subsequently,
Afterwards,
Finally, Meanwhile, Eventually

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