Dirección General de Aguas

„You are digging your grave with your teeth!‟ was the doctor‟s cry to his patient. It is just as true today that people damage their health by eating badly. This is because food nowadays can be obtained in different varieties.

Food can become either too much or too little of a good thing to people as well as animals. Of course it is not only the type of food eaten that affects people‟s health but also the amount and how they are cooked. Food holds a special meaning in many people‟s lives. It is not a mere substance to keep one alive, instead there is so much more to it.

Some people eat food because they are hungry. However, some may find solace in food especially when people are under constant pressure, anger or solitude. They usually vent their frustrations by eating. They will find anything from the refrigerator to fill their poor stomachs. Stuffs such as sweets, candies, chocolates and junk food become the victims.

Food is a passion for people when there is a family gathering or during festive seasons. So food, as a matter of fact, binds the ties among family members because it is during this time that laughter, joy and sorrows are shared over the dining table.

In our country, food seems to portray itself with utmost importance. We can find a variety of food among the multiracial people of Malaysia. During festive seasons, we enjoy ourselves with mouth watering food. In fact, we are able to discover the customs of people by means of food. All kinds of traditional delicacies can be savoured by the people of Malaysia.

Food can be prepared in many ways. Some of them, especially vegetables can be eaten raw. Food can be steamed, roasted, stewed or fried. Each method of cooking gives food a distinctive taste. Different people prepare food in different ways too.

Food is important not only to humans but to animals as well. No living things can survive in this world without eating food. However, food can also be harmful to us if taken too much. We should know the right amount of food to consume, as well as the type of food in order to maintain a healthy life.

PAST YEAR QUESTIONS

The following writing activities can be carried by the students under the guidance of the teachers to make them better writers.

1) Clothes (2004) 2) Music (2005) 3) Food (2006) 4) Tomorrow (2007) 5) Stars (2008) 6) Beauty (2009) 7) Home (2010)

7 TYPES OF SENTENCES FOR WRITING PURPOSES 1) SIMPLE SENTENCES

2) COMPOUND SENTENCES 3) COMPLEX SENTENCES

1) SIMPLE SENTENCES

A simple sentence contains a subject and a predicate, and it expresses a complete thought. In the following simple sentences, subjects are in RED, and predicate are in BLUE.

Examples:

A) Some pupilslike to eat chicken rice.

B) Epin and Upinplay volleyball every evening.

C) Zackgoes to the school and studies every day.

The three examples above are all simple sentences. Note that sentence B contains a compound subject (Epin and Upin), and sentence C contains a compound verb (goes to the school and studies) in the predicate. Simple sentences, therefore, contain a subject and verb and express a complete thought, but they can also contain compound subjects or verbs.

2) COMPOUND SENTENCES

We may form Compound Sentences by joining two (2) simple sentences with a punctuation mark and a linker.

1. Using a comma and a linker (For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So, etc) Examples:

a) The manager tried to help his employees, but they do not listen to him.

b) The players played well, forthey feared they might lose thegame.

c) She plans to get a scholarship to further her studies, soshe will study very hard to get an excellent result in her exam.

Subject + Predicate,joining word Subject + Predicate.

2. Using a Semicolon ( ; ) Examples:

a) The manager tried to help his employees;they do not listen to him.

b) The players played well;they feared they might loose the game.

c) She plans to get a scholarship to further her studies; she will study very hard to get an excellent result in her exam.

Subject + Predicate;Subject + Predicate.

3. Using a Semicolon (;), a linker (however, therefore, in fact, on the other hand, nonetheless, besides, instead, then, moreover, similarly, nevertheless, etc.) and a Comma(,)

Examples:

a) The car is sporty ; however, it‟s price is expensive.

b) Salina brushes her teeth ; before,she goes to sleep.

c) Mohan is hardworking ; so,he can finished all his work on time.

Subject + Predicate; transition word ,Subject + Predicate.

3) COMPLEX SENTENCES

We may form Complex Sentences by using one of the two patterns below:

Duringrecess time, I go to the canteen.

I go to the canteenduringrecess time.

Beforethe bell rings, everyone is still in class.

Everyone is still in class beforethe bell rings.

Linkers/joining words (subordinating conjunctions): As, As if, Because, Since, Although, Even though, When, While, Until, Unless, Where, etc.

Pattern 1 Linkers,Subject + Predicate, Subject + Predicate.

Pattern 2 Subject + Predicate , Linkers, Subject + Predicate.

It is important to know that sentences containing adjective clauses are also complex:

The man whom my dad talked tois my uncle.

The birdthat Ali foundwas alive.

The citywhere I grew upis in Malaysia.

Subject +Adjective Clause+ Predicate

8 TIPS FOR SPM CONTINUOUS WRITING

1. Write a story because your errors (grammar, spelling, sentence structures and so on) will not be so glaring in a story compared to a factual/argumentative essay.

2. Always write about something real and close to you. It is easier than writing about something fictional, which you have to create and imagine.

3. Combinedescription with narration and you will get a wonderful story (see the sample of a narrative story ending with "We had never laughed so much in our lives").

4. Prepare a story in advance. Write a story about two pages length; do not write too long because it will make the examiner spend longer time to read and mark your essay, which is quite annoying. Ask your teacher to check the grammar and the sentence structure. Then, memorize everything. Make sure that when you enter the exam hall, you have a story in your mind.Do not go there empty-headed; you will waste a lot of your precious timethinking ofwhat to write on the spot. When you get the question paper, what you have to do is to adjust andadapt the story in your head to the question. Usually the question will ask you to write "a story beginning with..." or "a story ending with...". So, be smart and creative.

5. Be positive (think positively) about yourself because self- confidence is important in writing a creative & interesting story.

6. Be bold to create a story based on personal experience or extensive reading (story books, etc) as it allows your brain to flow freely as ideas can pop up now&

then (feel free to express yourself or your thought). Jot it down quickly as the ideas pop up because our minds can play tricks on us.

7. Be smart to evaluate the ideas that pop up in your brain & only choose those are relevant to your story.

8. Be cautious about your sentences (simple, compound & complex) & to be safe, always use simple sentence (weak), simple & compound (average), compound &

complex(good).

9. Be adventurous in creating your story either a real life story based on your personal experience or a fictional story with some adjustments based on your extensive reading.

10. A good writerkeeps the examiner guessing whether the story is real or just fiction.

9 SAMPLE EXERCISES FOR THE AVERAGE & WEAK STUDENTS DESCRIPTIVE WRITING/ESSAY

My Ideal School (2004)

Though I have spent eleven years of my life in schools, I have my own dream of an ideal school. I would want my __(1)__ school to be built __(2)__humanistic values. Since I __(3)__ a naturalist and an __(4)__ ; I would like my __(5)__ to be built surrounded __(6)__ trees, plants and animals. __(7)__ may sound weird, but __(8)__ is definitely better than __(9)__ a school in the __(10)__ jungle. Schools currently are __(11)__ in the middle of __(12)__ , cities and houses. Students __(13)__ to rush everyday through __(14)__ traffic jam, which tires __(15)__ distracts them. These cause __(16)__ stress which in turn __(17)__ them to concentrate on __(18)__ studies.

The ideal school __(19)__ I propose is a __(20)__ school with green plants, __(21)__

and petting animals. Students __(22)__ adopt every tree in __(23)__ vicinity and care for __(24)__. They should monitor the __(25)__ of the tree . Since __(26)__ tree is taken as __(27)__ case study, they should __(28)__ their reports periodically. With __(29)__

results they have, they __(30)__ compare and analyze in __(31)__ to improve the __(32)__ of the trees and __(33)__. By doing this, they __(34)__ know it is not __(35)__

for a tree to __(36)__ and how other elements __(37)__ pollution can destroy the __(38)__.

In a residential school __(39)__ students take responsibilities in __(40)__ the school and their __(41)__ areas. Living skills like __(42)__, housekeeping, gardening, laundry and __(43)__ daily chores carried out __(44)__ the students. These may __(45)__ sound academic but they __(46)__ part and parcel of __(47)__ and help you to __(48)__ your time and chores.

At the end of __(49)__ day when they finish __(50)__ ,

the students are not __(51)__ academically inclined but also __(52)__ developed.