English Spm Essay Samples

Paper 1  Time:: 1 hour 45  Time 45 minutes

Section B: Continuous Writing [ 50 marks]

You Yo u are advised to spend about one hour on this section. Question 2: Write a composition of about 350 words on one of the following topics: (a Write an essa! on the topic" ##$n une%pected turn of events.&& (b 'escribe someone whom !ou loo upon as a role model. (c )ealth is better than wealth. What is !our opinion* (d $ person who scores straight $s is a ver! intelligent person. What do !ou thin* (e Write a stor! that begins with" ##+ turned over the ,uestion paper-.. Sample Answers:

Question 2 (a)

Write an essay on the topic, ``An unexpected turn of events.’’ Sample Answer: +t started off ust lie an! other afternoon after school. + had m! lunch and was watching / before starting on m! homewor. + normall! started on m! homewor at 3pm and too m! tea brea at 1.30 in the evening. /hat da!" as + was watching /" + heard the sound of breaing glass. +t sounded as if  it came from a neighbour&s house across the road. + listened attentivel!. /hen" /hen" + heard the sound of utensils falling down. /hen" m! immediate neighbour&s dog started baring. + sensed that something was wrong. + opened the front door and looed out at r Wee&s house. + thought + saw a movement in the bedroom through the window. + new that no one would be home and so + called out to the maid. ##aa" aa-. ut there was no sound. ! then" the other two neighbours had oined me. When we heard the maid screaming" m! neighbour" 4iva umped over the gate and banged on the front door. efore + new it" two men with mass rushed out of the house with a bag and were tr!ing to ump over the wall. + made a tacle and brought the man down. )e dropped the bag on me and ran awa!. ! head ached awfull! and we opened the bag. +nside was a laptop and a digital camera. /he maid phoned r Wee and he arrived shortl!. + went with 4iva and r Wee to the policestation to mae a report. ! the time the drama ended" it was alread! .30 and it was time for m! $dd aths and 6h!sics tuition till 7.30 pm. When + got bac from tuition" + had to relate the t he whole drama to m! brother and sister. +t was onl! when + was getting read! for school the ne%t da! that t hat + realised that + had not done m! aths homewor. 6uan 8essie was a real t!rant. When she waled into the class + dared not loo at her. 4he 4he

stared at me and said" ##u9afar" come here&& ;%pecting the worst" + dragged m! feet to the front of the class. /hen she said" ##
Question 2 ()

 Describe someone whom you loo upon as a role model. Sample Answer: + was at a )i>tea that m! parents had to attend. /he! didn&t want to leave me home so + had to tag along. + hated ever! moment of it until" a !oung man not much older than me waled into the room. /here was an aura of authorit! about him. ;ven the elderl! +6s stood up and waited to greet him. Young" handome" obviousl! rich and ver! friendl!. 4uddenl!" the )i>tea did not seem too bad. + was ?5 and ver! interested in maing mone! and becoming rich but + did not now how. + normall! wait unitil m! father introduces me to the guests but this time something about him beconed me. + went up to him and introduced m!self" ##)i" +&m ill!"&& ##)ello"&& he replied with a smile" ##+&m )isham.&& /he name did not ring a bell and + thin he new + did not now who he was. ##+&m )isham" )isham 4antiago.&& + felt the blood go to m! feet. /his was the 4antiago- the !oung millionaire that m! parents would often tal about. )e was onl! 20 but was a self>made internet millionaire. ##@h" m! goodness +&m sorr!. + did not recognise !ou. You loo so terribl! !oung.&& ##+&m sorr! to disappoint !ou"&& he replied and then we both burst out laughing. /he funn! thing is- for some reason" he told his personal assistant to bloc off half an hour for me +n that half an hour" from 3.30 to 1.00 pm" + became a changed person. )isham didn&t tell me the eas! wa! to become a millionaire. )e told me that + had to have passion in what + wanted to do. )e told me that passion alone was not enough" he warned me that + had to be committed. )e showed me that consistenc! and patience were two other important factors for success. )e pointed out that + had no goals" no proper vision" no plan- )isham was the ind of person + wanted to become. $nd he is helping me. $t the moment" he reminded me that m! focus was getting through m! e%ams with fl!ing colours. With his help" + am learning to concentrate and do what + have to do and learning to lie stud!ing too )e insisted that + must get a good and strong foundation in m! studies. )e has been guiding me and counselling me. + now now that wealth is not ever!thing but it is important. )isham 4antiago is someone + admire and respect. )e is humble and not arrogant lie other wealth! people. )e is ind and alwa!s treats people with great respect. )e shares his wealth with the unfortunate. )e listens attentivel! to what his fans have to sa!.

4omeda!" + hope + become a person with such admirable ,ualities. 6erhaps" someda!" someone will also write about me as his role model.

Question 2 (c)

!ealth is better than wealth. What is your opinion" Sample Answer: (!"is kin# o$ %uestion re%uires a personal response& But' $or eac" point ou make' ou must ack it up wit" reasonale eplanations&)

$ll the wealth in the world is useless if !ou don&t have the health to eno! it. Aor me health +4 wealth. +t&s as simple as that. +f one is in good health" he can find wealth but show me an!one who can bu! good health. Bood health is a gift mone! cannot bu! not even with all out latest technolog!. + am one of those who believe in being happ!. + now + will be happ! ust to be able to ump out of bed ever! da! and go for a run in the par or even tre up the mountain path. + would be terribl! unhapp! if + had to have help even to get to the bathroom. 4o what if + have the latest motorised wheel chair to get me to the bathroom* Cothing can beat the o! of getting around on our own two feet +sn&t independence wealth* What price can !ou put on that* $nother of m! passions is food. + love to eat good food. + want to be able to eat what + want and when + want. + don&t want to have to swallow pills before + can tuc into a plate of fried rice + cannot e%plain the sheer satisfaction of a good meal. @f course" + need mone! to bu! the food" so wealth is important but again" there is no use if !ou can afford to bu! wine and caviar but can onl! stare at it longingl!. $ person with good health can earn enough to afford that ind of food and relish it as well + lie to do social service. + feel good when + can actuall! serve a ph!sicall! disabled person to achieve a tas. + have done it before and + now how happ! the! are when together we finish a proect. +f + have given them mone!" the! would not now the satisfaction of nowing their own capabilities. +f + had ust bought them an album" it would have been easier but because + am health!" + could run around" get the stuff needed" rush bac and forth without being tired and being there for them until the ob was done. /hese are ust a few reasons wh! + would choose to be health! rather than be wealth!. +f + didn&t have to mae a choice" + will want both. Who doesn&t want to be health! and wealth!

Question 2 (#)

 A person who scores strai#ht As is a very intelli#ent person. What do you thin" Sample Answer: + disagree wholeheartedl! with the statement. + do not get straight $s but + lie to thin of m!self as a ver! intelligent person. + would also lie to state that more than half m! class will agree with me on this. Airstl!" + thin we should tr! to understand the meaning of the word #intelligent&. $ccording to the Dambridge dictionar!" the meaning of the word #intelligent& is the abilit! to understand and learn well" and to form udgments and opinions based on reason. )ow does scoring $s reflect these outcomes* +t does not in an! wa! show an!thing that + feel is close to intelligence. We all now that there are man! t!pes of intelligence. $ccording to ps!chologist )oward Bardner" there are nine t!pes of intelligence. We all fall into different categories. + ma! have two t!pes of intelligence or even more. 4ome ma! have onl! but but we are all intelligent in our our wa!s. /hat&s the point + am tr!ing to mae. 6olic! maers should tae these intelligences into consideration before maing it seem that onl! those who are academicall! smart are intelligent people. + am upset because + am a odil!>Einesthetic +ntelligent person. /his is because + have the capacit! to manipulate obects and use a variet! of ph!sical sills. /his intelligence also involves a sense of timing and the perfection of sills through mindFbod! union. $thletes" dancers" surgeons" and craftspeople e%hibit welldeveloped bodil! inesthetic intelligence. ! ,uestion is this" ##'id the athlete" dancer or craftspeople get $s in school* Co /he! were sidelined as #slow&. Wh! was their intellgence ignored*&& )ow often have people who were fascinated with ma9es or igsaw pu99les" or spent their free time drawing or da!dreaming been branded #stupid& and #onl! clever to build castles in the air&* Cow" thans to )oward Bardner" we now that these people are 4patial +ntelligence (G6icture 4martH. /he! have the remarable abilit! to thin in three dimensions. Dore capacities include mental imager!" spatial reasoning" image manipulation" graphic and artistic sills" and an active imagination. 4ailors" pilots" sculptors" painters" and architects all e%hibit spatial intelligence. + doubt these people scored $s in school. /here are seven other intelligences which + would lie to tal about but these e%amples should be sufficient to strengthen m! case that onl! a person who scores straight $s is intelligent.

Question 2 (e)

Write a story that be#ins with, ``$ turned over the %uestion paper&.. Sample Answer: + turned over the ,uestion paper and ,uicl! through the titles. + almost fainted with fear. +t ust wasn&t happening. $ll the titles seemed alien to m e. ! mind went totall! blan. + had written so man! essa!s when + was revising but now" + could not even start on an! of the topics 4uddenl!" + started shivering. + couldn&t control m!self. + put m! head down on the des and tried to control m! breathing. + was going t o cr!. + had written two essa!s the night before. + had gone through all the ,uestions that our teacher had given us. Wh! couldn&t + remember an!thing* ##$re !ou all right*&& +t was the invigilator. )e was ver! concerned. ##Yes" !es. + am fine.&& /he invigilator didn&t seem convinced. )e stood n ear m! table. /hat made me even more nervous. + started shivering again. )e stared at me as if + had done something wrong. + looed around me. ;ver!one had their heads down and were busil! writing awa!. 4uddenl!" + felt a strange sense of calmness falling over me. + piced up m! pen and started writing. What + wrote + d on&t now but + managed to fill two foolscap papers. + was numb with shoc and fear. What was happening to me. 6rett! soon" the bell rang and we passed up our papers. $s soon as we got out of the e%amination hall" we began to discuss our answers. + shut m!self off. What did it matter* + would fail an!wa!. +t was over. When + returned home" m! mother ased me how the paper was. ##Aine&& + mumbled and went to m! room. /here" on the table were the essa!s + had written. + had taen the trouble to find suitable vocabular! and thrown in suitable proverbs and famous ,uotations. + too another deep breath. Cever mind. + could not turn the cloc bac. + told m!self firml! not to worr!. What&s done is done- as the sa!ing goes.