Writing a Topic

 Writing Thesis Statements (Lesson

 18) 12 December 2023

Writing Thesis Statements and brainstorming ideas

A thesis statement is a sentence which contains argumentative statement. It requires arguments and elaboration consolidated by examples.

e.g 1

Dieting is better than exercise.

*The statement above is too general or vague.

The better statement will be:

Dieting is better than exercise to lose body weight. (extension technique)

e.g 2

War causes destruction  ( use extension technique)

The better statement will be:

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

e.g 3

Currency fragmentation is a good strategy in economy. (use rephrasing technique)

The more accurate statement will be:

Currency fragmentation enhances positive development in foreign exchange economy.

e.g 4

Agro-tourism is a better form of tourism industry.  (use rephrasing technique)

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

e.g 5

The National Service Training Project must include firearms training.

*Brainstorm three ideas from the statement above and write an argument/elaboration for each idea.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

 

Drawing Conlusion

 Concluding Paragraphs

Lesson 17 - 28 November 2023

    Commuting to work can be a serious business. There will be too many vehicles on the road at one time or the other. During peak hours, traffic jams are unavoidable. So, a lot of time is wasted on the road. To overcome this problem, it is wise to use public transportation instead of private vehicles. Public transport could carry more passengers. Apart from that, some public transport run on their own tracks. Not only that, the number of vehicles on the road will be reduced.

    Public transport like buses, LRT and vans could carry more passengers. A bus usually shuttle 35 to 45 passengers. LRT could carry even more while a van may transport from 8 to 12 passengers at a time. So, this will enable more people to reach their respected working places. Commuting public transport is also more convenient, since it saves the trouble of driving and solves the problem of overcrowding the parking lots.

       Some public transport like commuters and LRT run on their own tracks.They move freely without having to encounter traffic lights and traffic jams. This could save a lot of time. Apart from that, with less vehicles on the road, accidents could be avoided. Using public transport is more economical since we can save on fuel and maintenance of wear and tear.

       As more people are using public transportation, there will be less vehicles on the road making it more convenient to travel. Not only that, it also saves time. As the number of vehicles on the road is reduced, there will be less accidents which cause injuries, loss of lives and damage of properties. Furthermore, there rate of air pollution will be reduced as there are less vehicles on the road. 

           ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

        

Write a short conclusion for the passage above.

Stating Points and Elaborating Them Part II

 Lesson 16 (31 October, 2023)

Writing a short essay

Title of Essay:

Commuting Public Transport Could Reduce Traffic Congestion

Points:

1. Public transport could carry more passengers

2. Some public transport run on their own tracks

3. The number of vehicles on the road will be reduced

Introduction

    Commuting to work can be a serious business. There will be too many vehicles on the road at one time or the other. During peak hours, traffic jams are unavoidable. So, a lot of time is wasted on the road. To overcome this problem, it is wise to use public transportation instead of private vehicles. Public transport could carry more passengers. Apart from that, some public transport run on their own tracks. Not only that, the number of vehicles on the road will be reduced.

1........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

2.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

3.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Stating Points and elaborating them (Lesson 15, 10 October, 2023)

 State a point, elaborate it. (Lesson 15 10 Oct 2022)

Title of essay:

Studying in local universities is better than studying abroad. 

Points:

1.      It is cheaper.

2.      Familiar culture and food.

3.      Frequent family visits.

State a point, elaborate it.

e.g.

a) Studying in local universities is cheaper. The cost to complete each degree course is mostly below RM20,000 except for medical and engineering courses. So, the cost of food and lodging could be easily covered. We have learned that the cost of studying in foreign universities may at least be RM100,000 for ordinary degree courses. For technical and medical courses, it is even much higher. Those who are not offered scholarships may have to decline the offer to study the various courses overseas. Apart from that, the cost of lodging, food and transportation may considerably affect the students’ monthly and annual budgets.

 

b) ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

 

c)

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

 

Constructing Sentences

 

Lesson 14 (25 Sept. 2023)

Construct sentences using the Subject/Predicate or SVO (Subject/Verb/Object) Structure.

Use the words listed in the table below.

Study the words in the table below and construct sentences using them.

List of subjects	List of verbs	List of objects
building hawker food rain stalls	is constructed sells is sold causes are opened	in town food court cheap flood morning

Simple sentence construction:

e.g.

a. The building is constructed in town.

b. That hawker sells food in the food court.

c. The food is sold cheap.

d. The rain causes flood.

e. Those stalls are opened in the morning.

More detailed sentences can also be constructed:

 e.g.

The huge office building is constructed in the heart of town.

Can you construct more detailed sentences in (b) until (e)?

...............................................................................................................

Expanding the Object - Lesson 13 (22 August 2023)

 The Object of a sentence makes up the 'story' for the subject.

e.g. 

1. He lives in the house.

...lives in the house (the object of the sentence)

Let's expand the object.

...lives in the house near the beach.

So, in the end the sentence becomes:

He lives in the house near the beach. 

2. The Minister launched the programme.

     ...launched the 'Go Green Environment' programme.

So, the sentence will become:

The Minister launched the 'Go Green Environment' programme.

*Now, let us exploit the above sentence putting in more details in the subject and also the object.

3. The Minister of Technology and Environment launched the 'Go Green Environment' programme in conjunction with the 'Healthy Environment Day 2023'.

Expanding the Subject - Lesson 12 (23 May 2023)

 Expanding the Subject of a sentence creatively

A sentence in English starts with a subject which consists of people, animals or places. A subject can be as simple as; Ali, Aisyah, The boy, That lady, My father, His cousin and as such.

For adults like us, we may need to expand the subject according to our needs, for example;

a) Ali, who is our group leader

b) My new sales assistant, Aisyah

c) That lady in the pink blouse

We may need to expand the subject to include details, for example;

a) The weather forecast (basic subject)

    The weather forecast released by the National Meteorological Department

b) A pair of kangaroos

    A pair of great red kangaroos, the iconic Australian marsupials

c) The Petronas-Sauber F1 team

    The Petronas-Sauber F1 team which was  scheduled to participate in the Le Mans October       Grand Prix

Now, let's expand the subjects below;

a) My brother

b) The dry season

c) Malaysian contingent

    

Expanding the Subject and Object

 Lesson 11 - 28 February 2023

Expanding the Suject and Predicate

e.g.

a) The dog wagged its tail. (5 words)

    The huge black dog wagged its long bushy tail.        (9 words)

b) His Majesty, the King of Brunei arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport where he was welcomed by the His Majesty DYMM Sultan Abdullah and other dignitaries. (27 words)

Now, let us try to impress others!

1. My father came yesterday.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. The bridge is opened in 1984.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. We were surprised by the team.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4. Gunung Kinabalu is located in Sabah.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Getting the structure right

 Lesson 10 - The Structure Subject + Verb + Object (7 February 2023)

Fill up the table with the words showing Subject + Verb + Object

e.g.

Subject	Verb	Object
The dog	wags	its tail

News extract:

AZMARIN, Syria: A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked wide swaths of Turkey and Syria early Monday, toppling hundreds of buildings and killing more than 1,300 people . Hundreds were still believed to be trapped under rubble, and the toll was expected to rise as rescue workers searched mounds of wreckage in cities and towns across the area.

On both sides of the border, residents jolted out of sleep by the pre-dawn quake rushed outside on a cold, rainy and snowy night. Buildings were reduce to piles of pancaked floors, while major aftershocks, some nearly as strong as the first, continued.

Rescue workers and residents in multiple cities searched for survivors, working through tangles of metal and concrete. A hospital in Turkey collapsed, and patients, including newborns, were evacuated from facilities in Syria.

Fill up the table with the components from the sentences found in the news extract:

Subject	Verb	Object
e.g. A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake	rocked	wide swaths of Turkey and Syria early Monday...

Fill the table with the rest of the sentences from the news extract:

Subject	Verb	Object

DIYABAKIR, Turkey: The most powerful earthquake to strike Turkey and Syria in nearly a century killed over 2,300 people on Monday, sparked frantic rescues and was felt as far away as Greenland.

The 7.8-magnitude early morning quake, followed by dozens of aftershocks, wiped out entire sections of major Turkish cities in a region filled with millions who have fled Syria's civil war and other conflicts.

Rescuers used heavy equipment and their bare hands to peel back rubble in search of survivors, who they could in some cases hear begging for help under the debris.

"Since I live in an earthquake zone, I am used to being shaken," said Melisa Salman, a reporter in the Turkish city of Kahramanmaras.

The head of Syria's National Earthquake Centre, Raed Ahmed, called it "the biggest earthquake recorded in the history of the centre".

At least 810 people died in rebel and government-controlled parts of Syria, state media and medical sources said, while Turkish officials reported another 1,498 fatalities.

The initial quake was followed by dozens of aftershocks, including a 7.5-magnitude tremor that jolted the region in the middle of search and rescue work on Monday afternoon.

 

Fill up the table with proper components of the sentences found in the news extract

Subject	Verb	Object

 Lesson 9 (24 January , 2023)

Getting the structure right

Generally, English Language sentences are basically built up of

Subject + Verb + Object/Predicate

They are actually quite simple . One could identify this structure taken from any sentence extracts.

Example: 

KUALA LUMPUR: The Meteorological Department of Malaysia (MetMalaysia) has issued a dangerous-level continuous heavy rain warning for several districts in Johor and Sabah until Wednesday.

According to a statement issued at 7pm yesterday, the Johor districts are Kluang, Mersing, Kulai, Kota Tinggi and Johor Baru while in Sabah, the affected districts are Sandakan (Telupid, Kinabatangan, Beluran and Sandakan) and Kudat (Pitas and Kudat).

Severe-level continuous heavy rain is also expected in Johor (Segamat, Batu Pahat and Pontian); Kuching, Serian, Samarahan, Betong, Sarikei (Sarikei and Meradong), Mukah and Bintulu (Bintulu) in Sarawak and Sabah's interior (Tambunan), West Coast, Tawau (Lahad Datu) and Kudat (Kota Marudu).

Meanwhile, MetMalaysia also warned of continuous rain at alert level in Pahang (Kuantan, Pekan and Rompin); Johor (Tangkak and Muar); Sri Aman, Sarikei (Pakan and Julau), Sibu, Bintulu (Tatau and Sebauh) and Miri (Subis, Beluru, Miri and Marudi) in Sarawak and Sandakan (Tongod) in Sabah. - Bernama

Example 1 :

KUALA LUMPUR: The Meteorological Department of Malaysia (MetMalaysia) has issued a dangerous-level continuous heavy rain warning for several districts in Johor and Sabah until Wednesday.

The basic structure is:

It + has issued + warning

It - The Meteorolgical Department of Malaysia

has issued - verb

a dangerous-level continuous heavy rain warning for several districts in Johor and Sabah until Wednesday - object

Example 2:

According to a statement issued at 7pm yesterday, the Johor districts are Kluang, Mersing, Kulai, Kota Tinggi and Johor Baru while in Sabah, the affected districts are Sandakan (Telupid, Kinabatangan, Beluran and Sandakan) and Kudat (Pitas and Kudat). 

The basic structure is only:

The Johor districts are Kluang,Mersing,Kulai,Kota Tinggi and Johor Baru.

 

Subject - The Johor districts

Verb - are

Object - Kluang,Mersing,Kulai.....