JUJ SPM PAHANG 2010

Useful for those who need to see some sample essays both on Section A and Section B

JUJ ENGLISH SPM 2010

Thank you to edu.joshuatly.com for sharing this valuable material

VOCABULARY

House party

Wordwise by S.H.LOKE

HOUSEHOLD words seem so insignificant. Yet they can enrich our language if we can use them aptly to describe everyday situations and experiences which are part of life. They can add some lustre to your language. Do you know how to use these common “household” expressions? Go through this test and see how you fare. Fill in the blanks with the right word.

1. The government will put a ______on the price of beef during the coming festive season.

A wall B ceiling C door D fan

2. His fiery speech will______the people’s hatred for the ruling party.

A fan B light C dish D mat

3. She is a _______because she always tries to please everybody.

A rug B blanket C doormat D curtain

4. The ______of mystery hindered the police in their investigations.

A fence B wall C hedge D curtain

5. Everyone thought he is doing well. His problem of substance abuse has been swept under the ______.

A. doormat B mat C rug D carpet

6. Our Chief Minister has brought down the_______on corruption and Penang is even recognised by Transparency International for its anti-corruption measures.

A fence B ceiling C curtain D carpet

7. There is now a_______ban on designer drugs.

A blanket B curtain C carpet D ceiling

8. RM500mil is needed to ______ the effects of the economic downturn in this state.

A mattress B cushion C pillow D sponge

9. Patrick’s mother likes to ______him in order to provoke him to find a job.

A needle B knife C axe D pin

10. Knitting is not my ______of tea.

A mug B cup C glass D pot

11. She has to ______ all her frustration in front of her customers.

A pot B kettle C canister D bottle

12. The technicians have to sit down and ______ out their problems.

A iron B axe C brush D mat

13. The post of manager was handed to him on a ___________.

A dish B plate C tray D saucer

14. Teaching kindergarten children is a different _______ of fish.

A pot B plate C kettle D pan

15. Discipline and hard work are the ________ to success.

A locks B bolts C nuts D keys

16. Mr Tan’s painting will go under the _______ next week in Penang.

A chisel B hammer C plane D screwdriver

17. The Perak team turned the _______ on their opponents and won the match.

A tables B chairs C benches D stools

Answers

1.B ceiling 2.A Fan 3.C doormat 4.B wall 5.D carpet 6.C curtain 7.A blanket 8.B cushion 9.A needle 10.B cup 11.D bottle 12.A iron 13.B plate 14.C kettle 15.D keys 16.B hammer 17.A tables

CONNECTIVES

Connecting with connectives

Ramblings
By DR LIM CHIN LAM

A look at the ways in which words, phrases, clauses and sentences are connected.

WORDS per se do not a language make. What does is the way they are strung together. In this connection, connectives, inter alia, play an important role.

A connective has been variously defined as follows: (1) a word used to connect words, phrases, clauses, and sentences, as a conjunction – The Random House Dictionary of the English Language, 1973; (2) a word or phrase that links and relates words, phrases, clauses, or sentences (and, although, otherwise, finally, on the contrary, which, not only ... but also (my underline) – Harbrace College Handbook, 13th edition, 1998; and (3) a word or phrase linking other linguistic units – Concise Oxford English Dictionary, 2004.

Conjunctions and/or conjuncts are particularly classed as connectives, which also sometimes include copular and linking verbs (Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar, 1998).

It will have been seen that connective is a generic term – arguably, best defined as in the Harbrace College Handbook above. It includes conjunction, conjunct, and copula, which three are discussed below.

Conjunction

A conjunction is one of a class of words that connect words (sand and surf; do or die; poor but contented), phrases (out of jail and deeply in debt), and clauses (she studied hard yet she failed the examination).

Conjunctions are of two types – coordinating conjunctions, which unite two (or more) words, phrases or clauses of equal rank (dogs and cats; sheep or goats; he dined and went home); and subordinating conjunctions, which unite a subordinate (of inferior rank) clause to the main clause (he went home after he had dined).

Coordinating conjunctions. These are used in several ways, including the following: (1) copulative, e.g. and – as in joining words (short and fat), phrases (slim of build and fleet of foot), and sentences (he arrived home at midnight and immediately went to bed); (2) disjunctive, e.g. either, neither, nor, or used singly (behave yourself or go home); (3) adversative, e.g. but (she was poor but kind); (4) correlative, in connecting equal parts of a sentence, e.g. either ... or, neither ... nor, or ... both, whether ... or used in pairs (neither dead nor alive; either behave yourself or go home; she had not decided whether to go to town or to stay at home).

Subordinating conjunctions. Likewise, subordinating conjunctions are used in various ways, including the following: (1) conditional (“if I should die, think only this of me”; go away unless you wish to help me weed the garden); (2) temporal (when the cat is away, the mice will play; do not stop until you reach the village); (3) concessive (she braved a smile although she felt hurt); (4) causal (because, since), as in Chong Seng did not go to university since the family could not afford it; and (5) consecutive (he was tired so he stopped running).

Unusual use of conjunctions. In the parsing of words, I have for a long time been uneasy about the use of the coordinating conjunctions and, or, and but in an unusual construction – to begin a sentence. Example: “And most of the time, Malaysian players find it hard to handle the pressure that comes with the heavy expectations of winning.” In fact, such construction can be found in earlier writings – in, say, Walter Scott’s novel, Ivanhoe. I have tried to rationalise such usage, and, resignedly, come to deem such “and” not as a conjunction but as an adverb meaning “additionally” or “furthermore” or “moreover”. Yet no dictionary has classified “and” as an adverb. What do readers think?

The conjunction but is likewise used to begin a sentence, as in the following example: “Conjunctions and/or conjuncts are particularly classed as connectives. But copular and linking verbs are sometimes also included”. The use of but here to begin a new sentence, rather than to join up to the preceding sentence, is rather odd unless one treats the word not as a conjunction but as an adverb meaning “however”. Even then, dictionaries still classify the word “but” NOT as an adverb but as a conjunction, and join it to a preceding sentence.

Conjunct

Whether in speech or in writing, linking signals help in conveying a message by signalling how one idea leads on from another. A Communicative Grammar of English refers to such type of links as sentence adverbial, while Practical English Usage uses the term discourse marker. Other similar terms include transitional marker, cohesive divider, linker, and connector. For the purpose of this article, I prefer the term conjunct which corresponds in full or in part to the meanings encompassed by one or other of the other terms above. In other words, a conjunct is a word or phrase that connects discrete sentences – to link or relate the idea expressed in one sentence to that in an earlier sentence. Examples: (1) Kong Seng was outside washing his car. In the mean­while, his wife was in the kitchen preparing dinner; (2) Pupils may attend the concert. They must, however, first obtain their parents’ consent.

Conjuncts usually begin a sentence. The following are examples of conjuncts and of their usage in several situations: (1) to indicate a temporal or spatial relationship (at the same time, first, later, meanwhile, then); e.g. The gardener methodically planted a guava seedling. First he dug a hole. Then he put the seedling into the hole. Finally he filled up the hole with a specially prepared soil mix; (2) to introduce or add to a list (additionally, again, and, at first, firstly, furthermore, in addition, moreover, next, on top of all that); e.g. First of all, I’d like to thank my parents ...; He earned a salary of RM2,200 a month. On top of that, he had a rental income of RM1,200.; (3) to indicate similarity (likewise, similarly, on the same basis); e.g. She was delayed because of the flood. I was similarly late.; (4) to indicate dissimilarity (all the same, by comparison, however, in contrast, in spite of, nevertheless, notwithstand­ing, on the other hand, still, whereas); e.g. He was said to be miserly. Nevertheless, he has been known to give alms to beggars.; (5) to indicate a result or follow-up (accordingly, as a result, as such, consequently, therefore); e.g. He was a gambler. As such he was often short of money.; (6) to explain or reinforce, as with examples (for example, for instance, in fact, in other words); e.g. He was said to be visually impaired. In fact, he was blind.; and (7) to conclude or sum up (after all, finally, to sum up, ultimately); e.g. He tripped and fell. To make matters worse, he broke his leg.

Copula

A copula goes by other names, such as copular verb, copulative verb, and linking verb. A copula does not govern an object. It is to be set apart from a conjunction (which connects words into phrases, words and phrases into clauses, and clauses into compound or complex sentences) or a conjunct (which links and relates discrete sentences). A copula couples the subject and the complement or predicate within a sentence. Copular verbs include:

(1) the verb “to be”, which in the appropriate context is an equational verb – it links a noun (or substantive) which is the subject with a noun which is the complement. Example: (a) Anne is a seamstress – Anne and seamstress are one and the same; (b) To err is human, to forgive divine; (c) Walking is a good exercise.

(2) verbs “to appear”, “to feel”, “to look”, “to prove”, “to remain”, “to seem”, “to smell”, “to sound”, “to stay”, and “to taste”, which link a subject to a predicate indicating a state or place. Examples: (a) This food tastes bad; (b) The village looks the same.

(3) verbs “to become”, “to get”, “to grow”, “to turn”, which link the subject to a predicate noun or adjective indicating a change of state. Examples: (a) He became a hero; (b) this food has turned bad.

(4) verbs “to call”, “to consider”, “to create”, “to make”, “to think”, used in the passive voice. Examples: (a) Mr Liew was made a Datuk; (b) One should not shun greatness. Some men are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.

When the verb “to be” or “to seem” links subject and complement in a sentence, the sentence is reversible. Example: Her face is her fortune can be recast as Her fortune is her face. However, when subject and complement are not of the same number (one is singu­lar, the other plural), the word-order determines the form of the copula to be used – the verb agrees with the subject and not with the complement. Example: One aspect that needs urgent attention is the parking facilities, when reversed, becomes Parking facilities are one aspect that needs urgent attention.

Additionally, the subject and the complement linked by a copula are both in the same grammatical case. For example, in the sentence Shirley is her mother’s favourite daughter, both subject (Shirley) and complement (daughter) are in the nominative case. A noun does not change form with case whether it is positioned on one or other side of the copula, as in the following: this man is their leader = their leader is this man. However, it is important when a pronoun, (which changes form with case) is involved. Example: He is the leader, when reversed, becomes The leader is he (NOT him). Another example: It was I (NOT me) who opened the door.

Furthermore, both subject noun/pronoun and complement noun/pronoun linked by the copula “to be” could be in the accusative case. Example: The people consider him to be a genius – the copular verb is in the infinitive, “to be”, which links him and genius, both of which are in the accusative. For nouns, the matching of case-forms (nominative with nominative, accusative with accusative), as exemplified in the previous paragraph, is of no consequence in English because there is no device (e.g. declension like in Latin) to differentiate between the nominative and the accusative. A differentiation is, however, necessary when a pronoun is involved. For example: The villagers suspect the culprit to be him – him, accusative case, NOT he, nominative case, to accord with culprit, accusative case, being the object of the verb suspect.

Closing remarks

The above outlines some features of three important types of connective, the three Cs – viz. conjunction, conjunct, and copula.

It is of interest to note that the word connective is used in still another way, in the etymology of the noun/adjective Balinese – Bali, an island in Indonesia + -n- connective + -ese suffix (The Random House Dictionary of the English Language, 1973). By the same token, Congolese could have been derived from Congo with the use of the -l- connective.

The ‘airy’ suffixes

RAMBLINGS
By DR LIM CHIN LAM

THERE is nothing airy (“spacious and well ventilated”; “light as air, delicate”, “casual, dismissive”) about suffixes. I use the word here because it nearly rhymes with the suffixes -ary, -ery, and -ory (which form the topic of this article) – and because I cannot think of a suitable alternative.

Ambling down the road of etymology, I picked up some notes about the three groups of suffixes, as elaborated below.

1. The suffix -ary and its kin

This group of suffixes includes -ary, -arium, and -aire, which are used in several ways as noun and as adjective suffixes.

1.1. -ary as noun suffix, denoting place. The suffix is the anglicised form of the original -arium from Latin. The following are examples of names of places with the suffix -ary: (1) aviary [Latin avis “bird” + -ary]; (2) bestiary; (3) granary; (4) library [Latin liber, libris “book” + -ary]; (5) sanctuary [Latin sanctus “holy” + -ary].

Oddities: There are words which look as if they have been formed with the suffix -ary –but are not.

Examples: (1) burglary [burglar + -y, not burgle + -ary]; (2) peccary; (3) quandary [Latin quando “when” + -are, infinitive suffix]; (4) vagary.

1.2. -ary as noun suffix, denoting person or thing or group thereof. The suffix is derived not from -arium but from the Latin -arius, and is used to form nouns denoting “connected with or engaged in”.

Examples: (1) beneficiary [benefice + -ary]; (2) constabulary; (3) dromedary [Greek dromas, dromados “running” + Latin -arius “-ary”]; (4) mercenary; (5) obituary [Latin obitus “death” + -ary].

Variant -aire: This word-ending, which appears in millionaire and billionaire, is sometimes considered as a variant of -ary (as in concessionnaire, legionnaire, and questionnaire, with double “n”) and sometimes as a variant of -er (as in commissionaire, with single “n”).

1.3. -ary as adjective suffix. The suffix is derived from Latin -arius, and is used to form adjectives denoting “pertaining to” or “connected with”, and is attached to Latin-derived words.

Examples: (1) ancillary [Latin ancilla “maidservant” + -ary]; (2) culinary [Latin: culinarius = culina “kitchen” + -ary]; (3) exemplary; (4) mercenary; (5) monetary [Latin moneta “mint, money” + -ary].

Note: Some of such adjectives may also function as nouns, e.g. contemporary, mercenary, revolutionary, tributary, visionary.

1.4. -ary as adjective suffix, to denote order, or time, or blocks of time. Examples: (1) anniversary; (2) centenary; (3) primary; (4) secondary; (5) tertiary; (6) quaternary.

1.5. -arium as noun suffix. The suffix is derived from the original Latin -arium, denoting a place or an instrument.

Examples: (1) aquarium [Latin aqua “water” + -arium]; (2) columbarium [Latin columba “dove, pigeon” + -arium]; (3) herbarium; (4) honorarium; (5) sanitarium, US spelling (= sanatorium, British spelling).

2. The suffix -ery (with its short form -ery) and its kin

This suffix forms nouns and adjectives.

2.1. -ery/-ry as noun suffix, to denote place or establishment. This is a Middle English noun suffix, derived from the French -erie. It is affixed to nouns or verbs to denote a place or establishment.

Examples: (1) bakery; (2) brewery; (3) eatery; (4) hatchery; (5) nursery.

Note: The variant -eria (of Italian origin) occurs in the word pizzeria; and the variant -erie (of French origin) occurs in the words menagerie and patisserie.

2.2. -ery/-ry as noun suffix, to denote a breeding colony of animals. Examples: (1) heronry; (2) rookery.

2.3. -ery/-ry as abstract-noun suffix. This suffix forms abstract nouns denoting activity, action, art, craft, occupation, vocation, trade, or business.

Examples: (1) chemistry; (2 cookery; (3) husbandry; (4) midwifery; (5) jugglery. This suffix, when added to nouns, adjectives, and verbs, also forms abstract nouns denoting quality, state or condition, and behaviour.

Examples: (1) artistry; (2 bravery; (3) demagoguery; (4) greenery; (5) thuggery.

Note: The variant -erie (of French origin) occurs in such word as camaraderie [French camarade “comrade” + -erie].

2.4. When -ery/-ry is not a suffix. There are many words containing the word-ending -ery/-ry – but their etymology indicates that their formation involves some other affix or not at all.

Examples: (1) awry [a- + wry]; (2) cemetery; (3) equerry [misleading – the word has the ending -erry, which, with a double “r”, is not a suffix]; (4) mastery [master + -y, not mast + -ery]; (5) mystery; (6) sundry.

3. The suffix -ory and its kin

This group of suffixes includes -ory, -orium, and -oire, which are used in several ways as noun and adjective suffixes.

3.1. -ory as noun suffix, denoting place. The suffix is the anglicised form of the original -orium from Latin.

The following are examples of names of places which incorporate the suffix -ory: (1) armory, US spelling (= armoury, British spelling); (2) conservatory; (3) dormitory; (4) observatory; (5) repository.

Variant -oire: Of French origin, this suffix appears in (1) conservatoire (= conservatory); (2) escritoire; (3) repertoire (= repertory).

3.2. -ory as noun suffix, denoting agent. Example: signatory.

3.3. -ory as adjective suffix. The suffix is derived from Latin -orius/-oria/-orium, meaning “having the function or effect of”.

Examples: (1) accessory [access + -ory]; (2) compulsory; (3) derogatory; (4) obligatory; (5) sensory.

Note: The adjective accessory is used also as a noun.

3.4. -orium as noun suffix, denoting place. The suffix is borrowed from Latin, denoting a place, a facility, or an instrument. Examples: (1) auditorium; (2) crematorium; (3) emporium; (4) sanatorium, British spelling (= sanitarium, US spelling); (5) scriptorium.

3.5. When -ory is not a suffix. There are many words which end with -ory. However, etymology shows that such words are made up of some other suffix or not at all.

Examples: (1) advisory [advisor + -y, not advise + -ory]; (2) allegory [Greek allegoria, from allos “other” + agoria “speaking”]; (3) category [Greek kategoria “statement, assertion, accusation”; from kategoros “an accuser”; from kata “down, against” + agora “marketplace, assembly” + -y]; (4) history [Greek historia]; (5) oratory [orator + -y, not orate + -ory]; (6) territory [irregular formation, from Latin terra “land” + -i- + -tory, abstracted from other words with such ending, e.g. directory, dormitory, purgatory]; (7) victory [Latin victor + -y, not vict + -ory].

4. Parting remarks

The English language has a plenitude of suffixes – as well as prefixes – and even more so of the facile ways in which these can be applied. The examples given above illustrate, in a small way, this point. One may look up many other suffixes and prefixes as well as the words or word-stems to which they are affixed.

Checking up on their etymology plus their pronunciation (note the misleading awry, or the deceptive prowess) helps towards the building up of one’s vocabulary.

I should like to take this point a little further, by considering the word vocabulary, a word with an “airy” suffix. It is derived from Latin: vocabulum “an appellation, designation, name” + -arius = -ary.

The word vocabulum itself is derived from vox, vocis “voice” and voco, vocare “to call”.

Very many other words are derived from the stem of these words – with the appropriate suffixes to form such derivatives as vocal, vocable, vocalise, vocalisation, vocalist, vocation, vocational, and vocative; and with the appropriate prefixes to form such derivatives as evoke, invoke, prevocalic, provoke, and revoke.

Dear readers, it can be enjoyable to check on etymology and at the same time to expand your vocabulary. Have fun.

Friday December 18, 2009

Modifiers awry

Ramblings:By DR LIM CHIN LAM

The generic term modifier and how adverbs, adjectives, and participles – as well as their phrases – can go awry or ‘dangle’.

IN AN earlier article, “Why we don’t say beautiful contest” (MOE, June 27, 2008), I dealt with the word modifier in the restricted sense – a noun, verb, name, or phrase that functions as an attributive adjective.

In the broadest sense, a modifier is any adjective or adverb – the former modifying a noun or substantive, and the latter modifying “the meaning of an adjective, verb, or other adverb, or of a sentence” (Concise Oxford English Dictionary, 2004).

Necessarily, present and past participles functioning as adjectives also fall into the category of modifiers, as do adjective phrases, adverb phrases, and participial phrases. [Clauses with similar function are also included in the generic term modifier.]

Adverbs and adverb phrases

The placement of adverbs can convey different meanings. Consider the following:

(1) Only he came yesterday – only one person, he, came;

(2) He only came yesterday – he merely came, he did nothing else;

(3) He came only yesterday – he came only once, viz. yesterday;

(4) He was here only yesterday – he was here as recently as yesterday.

Similarly, certain other adverbs (even, just, and merely) may also cause ambiguity when carelessly positioned in a sentence. It is, therefore, advisable to place the adverb immediately before the word it modifies.

As with one-word modifiers, care need be exercised in the placement of adverb phrases and adverb clauses in order to avoid unintended meanings.

I remember coming across, many years ago, a newspaper report of a schoolgirl just about to enter her school compound when she was waylaid by a would-be rapist but was saved by the ringing of the school bell. The headline, however, read (with my underlining): Schoolgirl saved from rape by bell – as if a bell is capable of rape!

Consider a recent example (AFP report carried in Sunday Star, Dec 6, 2009, page WB34): Thailand’s revered king has called on the politically divided nation to unite during a brief public excursion from hospital to mark his 82nd birthday. Does it mean that the king asked his people to unite only for the short duration of time when he was away from the hospital on the occasion of his 82nd birthday?

Ambiguity may be avoided by rearranging the words of the sentence and/or adding some other words so that the adverb phrase appears next to the verb it modifies and not to some other verb.

Besides having the unnecessary present perfect tense has called amended to the simple past tense called, the said report could be revised thus: During a brief public excursion from hospital to mark his 82nd birthday, Thailand’s revered king called on the politically divided nation to unite.

Adverbs usually modify an adjective, a verb, or another adverb. Then there are certain adverbs, including adverb phrases, which modify a sentence. Note the following examples:

(1) Hopefully, it will not rain tomorrow.

(2) Mercifully, he died peacefully.

(3) However, the examination was much easier than he had anticipated.

(4) In fact, the problem was due to a misunderstanding.

In the above cases, the sentence-modifying adverb or adverb phrase is placed at the beginning of the sentence and is usually separated from the rest of the sentence by a comma. If placed later in the sentence, the adverb or adverb phrase would, advisedly, be included within commas, thus:

(1) The examination was, however, much easier than he had anticipated.

(2) The problem was, in fact, due to a misunderstanding.

Adjectives and adjective phrases

In common use, adjectives are placed before nouns (she found a beautiful seashell). A reversed word-order (she found a seashell beautiful), would be unacceptable. However, an inverted (i.e. reversed) construction is acceptable in poetry (“and with thee fade away into the forest dim” – Keats, Ode to a Nightingale) or in certain expressions (battle royal, heir apparent, president elect, professor emeritus, time immemorial).

There are certain constructions where an adjective may be mistaken for an adverb. Consider the following example: She looked sad, NOT she looked sadly. Here the word sad is correct, being an adjective used in the predicative; on the other hand, the word sadly is wrong, not being an adverb modifying the verb looked.

There are many other examples of such usage of the adjective instead of the adverb – and they are usually associated with verbs of perception:

(1) The food smells bad, NOT The food smells badly;

(2) The music sounded awful, NOT The music sounded awfully;

(3) The table surface feels rough.

One must, however, note that the “ungrammatical” sit tight (instead of sit tightly) may be deemed idiomatic (note that, in English, any expression which cannot be explained rationally is deemed idiomatic), or, according to Concise Oxford English Dictionary, 2004, is informal, meaning “(1) remain firmly in one’s place. (2) refrain from taking action or changing one’s mind”.

Similarly, note another “ungrammatical” construction, sit pretty (instead of sit prettily), which is informal and means “to be in a comfortable situation” (The Random House Dictionary of the English Language, 1973).

When several adjectives are used in a sequence, there is an unwritten rule for ordering the adjectives in the sequence. For word-order of adjectives, I use the mnemonic OpSiShACOM to categorise adjectives according to types, viz. Opinion, Size, Shape, Age, Colour, Origin, Material. Thus we say clear blue sky (Opinion clear, Colour blue), NOT blue clear sky.

Similarly, it is big round wooden table (Size big, Shape round, Material wooden), NOT wooden big round table. [Readers will have great fun constructing phrases with more than two consecutive adjectives and arranging them in a conventional order.]

There are three aspects of the subject of word-order of adjectives.

Firstly, adjectives of the same type are separated by and (lean and hungry look); and more than two adjectives of the same type are separated by commas, with and for the last (cold, dark and dingy cell).

Secondly, the placement of determiners (such as a, the, every, many, three, and fifth) in a sequence of adjectives must be noted. Determiners are words which, in the old grammar books, were classified as adjectives but are now classified as a sub-class of adjectives. A determiner is “a modifying word that determines the kind of reference a noun or noun group has” – Concise Oxford English Dictionary, 2004. In arranging adjectives in a sequence, a determiner precedes the other adjectives (the descriptive adjectives). Thus it is three blind mice, NOT blind three mice.

Thirdly, consideration must be given to the actual entity modified by the descriptive adjectives. It could be fish market or health food or white wine or red wine, which each are entities unto themselves – the two words are inseparable so that they could be imagined as two words conflated into one, or as a single hyphenated word. Thus it is Japanese fish market, NOT fish Japanese market; reliable health food, NOT health reliable food; and French red wine, NOT red French wine.

Then there are the phrasal adjectives like a few, a great many, many a, and a couple of. The strange thing about them is that each of them is made up of a singular and a plural word. When in use, do they take a singular or a plural noun, and is the following verb in the singular or the plural? Here one may apply the rule of proximity attraction. The following are examples of the phrasal adjective in the plural:

(1) A few prowlers were seen in the neighbourhood, and

(2) A great many mistakes were made in the past; and in the singular:

(1) More than one mistake is one mistake too many, and

(2) There is many a slip ‘twixt cup and lip.

And now to adjective phrases. What has been said above about adverb phrases applies to adjective phrases too – that the placement of the phrase can affect the meaning (gardens with fruit trees surround the village, NOT gardens surround the village with fruit trees).

Parting note

The concluding Part 2 will deal with the quirks of participles and participial phrases.

SENTENCES

Writing sentences

SPM ENGLISH
By JUGDEEP KAUR GILL

AS promised last week, we will take a look at sentence types this week.

At the SPM level and beyond, it is crucial that you have some knowledge of the basic sentence types in English.

This is because your choice of sentence types reflects on your ability and maturity as a writer.

For example, if you use only simple sentences in your writing, your writing will not only sound monotonous but also choppy and immature.

Generally, English sentences can be categorised into four types - simple, compound, complex and compound-complex.

A simple sentence, which is also called an independent clause, contains one complete idea.

This sentence can be short or long, depending on the idea that is being conveyed.

Examples:

Vincent walks to school.
Vincent and Edward walk to school.

(This sentence is not a compound sentence as it expresses only one idea i.e. Vincent and Edward walk to school although it contains the conjunction ‘and’)

Edward met me at the train station.
Edward met me at the dilapidated train station near his house at 2 p.m.

(As you can see the second sentence is longer than the first sentence but they are both simple sentences as they express only one idea)

A compound sentence contains two independent clauses that are joined by a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so).

You may use the mnemonic FANBOYS to remember these as each letter represents the initial letter of these conjunctions.

Both the ideas in a compound sentence are related and of equal importance.

Examples:

I watched a movie and my sister did the crossword puzzle.
Kenny wanted to play football but it started raining.
Mary was very happy with the tour guide, so she gave him a big tip.

A complex sentence contains:

one independent clause and
one or more subordinate clauses.

These clauses are connected by subordinating conjunctions or subordinators such as because, although, since, after, when, despite etc. or a relative pronoun such as that, who or which

Let’s take a look at some examples.

Example 1:
I enjoyed the cake that you baked.

In the sentence above, I enjoyed the cake is an independent clause.

An independent clause is a clause that can stand on its own. In other words, it is a complete sentence by itself.

that you baked is a subordinate clause or a dependent clause. A subordinate clause cannot stand alone on its own. It is like an incomplete sentence.

Example 2:
Tunku Abdul Rahman, who was our first Prime Minister, was born in Kedah.

In the sentence above two ideas are combined together. They are:

Tuanku Abdul Rahman was born in Kedah.
He was our first Prime Minister.
Tunku Abdul Rahman was born in Kedah
is an independent clause.
who was our first Prime Minister is a
subordinate clause.

Like a simple sentence, a complex sentence can be short or long as shown in the examples below.

He felt that he was not ready for marriage.
I agreed with her that the blue dress was pretty although I personally felt that it was hideous, to say the least.

A compound - complex sentence contains at least:

two independent clauses and
one or more dependent clauses. These clauses are connected by both coordinating conjunctions and subordinators.

Example 1:
I felt guilty about lying to him, so I
apologised when I finally had the chance.

The sentence above consists of the following clauses:

I felt guilty about lying to him. (independent clause)
I apologised to him. (independent clause)
when I finally had the chance. (dependent clause)

They have been combined using a coordinating conjunction ‘and’ and a subordinator ‘when’

Example 2:
Despite our mutual dislike for each other, we had to put aside our differences and make sure the project was a success because both our careers depended on it.

In the above sentence, several ideas have been combined together. They are:

We disliked each other.
We had to put aside our differences.
We had to make sure the project was a success
Both our careers depended on it.

The ideas have been combined using the following clauses:

Despite our mutual dislike for each other (dependent clause)
we had to put aside our differences (independent clause)
(and) make sure the project was a success (independent clause)
(because) both our careers depended on it. (independent clause)

Other examples:

My sister, who looks like a film star, has won numerous beauty competitions and appeared in several television advertisements.
The proposal, which Mandy had improved on over the weekend, was presented to the directors, but it was rejected because it was too costly.

Sentence Structures

Another important aspect of writing that you should pay attention to is how to write a variety of sentence structures. To be able to do this, you need to know that there are numerous ways of organising words to form a sentence. You also need to understand some basic structures in the English Language and how to use these structures to achieve the effect you want. However, this is something which cannot be learnt overnight but you can learn this to a large extent through extensive reading.

Look at the following structures. All three convey the same idea.

My grandfather is 78 years old and he is an active man.
Although my grandfather is 78 years old, he is an active man.
Despite being 78 years old, my grandfather is an active man.

Here’s another example.

Liza was the eldest and she had to shoulder a lot of responsibilities.
Being the eldest, Liza had to shoulder a lot of responsibilities.
Liza had to shoulder a lot of responsibilities as she was the eldest.

Try to express the following ideas in as many ways as you can.

1. It had rained non-stop for three days and Amir’s village was flooded.

2. The sudden storm caused terrible destruction as many trees were uprooted and roofs of houses blown off.

3. Nazmi refused to admit that he was wrong and this only made his parents angrier.

4. Myra is a gifted child as she can solve Year Six Mathematics problems easily.

5. The movie, Terrible Teens, did very well although it projected teens negatively.

You can check your answers with your teachers or your friends.

FORMAL LETTER SPM

Writing a formal letter

SPM ENGLISH
By JUGDEEP KAUR GILL

WRITING a formal letter can be difficult for some students but with the right guidance and some practice it can be made easy.

When writing a formal letter, you must pay attention to the format/layout of the letter. Besides, you must also keep it short and to the point.

Also, make sure your points or ideas are well-presented. Most importantly, pay attention to the tone and language. A formal letter must be polite.

There is no need to be rude even if you are expressing your unhappiness or dissatisfaction. Remember, you should not use informal language or contractions in a letter of this nature.

These days there are several formats available for writing formal letters but we will only look at the format which is used in Malaysian government departments and taught in the Malaysian school system.

Guidelines for Writing a Formal Letter

1. Your address

• Your address should appear on the
• left-hand corner.

2. A horizontal line across the page sepa rates your address from the recipient’s address.

3. Address of the person to whom you are writing

• The recipient’s address should be
• below your address.
• The postcode and name of the town should be underlined.

4. Date

• The date is written on the right along the same line as the last line of the recipient’s address.
• The month should be spelt out (i.e. it should be in words, not numbers). It must be written in full (do not use abbreviations such as Sept) and in capital letters.

5. Salutation/Greeting

• If you know the name of the recipient, then do use his surname (Dear Mr Tan)
• If you do not know the name of the person to whom you are writing, then use Dear Sir or Madam

6. Subject heading

• The subject heading gives the reader an idea what the letter is about.
• Write the subject heading directly below the salutation and it should be underlined

7. The body of the letter

• The body of the letter refers to the contents of your letter.
• It should be divided into short and clear paragraphs.
• All paragraphs should be numbered except for the first and last paragraphs.

a. In the first paragraph, you should state the reason for writing (whether it is to inform, to complain, to invite etc).

b. From the second paragraph onwards, you should include information that is deemed necessary, depending on what you are writing about.

The number of paragraphs depends on what you are writing.

c. In the last paragraph, state what you expect from the recipient. This is usually in the form of an action or response. It is a common practice to end a formal letter with phrases such as I look forward to hearing from you or I hope prompt action will be taken to solve this problem.

A note of thanks is usually included

• Remember to organise the information in a clear and logical manner.
• Also, do not write lengthy paragraphs.

8. Ending

• You can end the letter by writing “Yours faithfully”.
• In practice, we usually use “Yours
• sincerely”, if we know the recipient but for exam purposes I would advise you to use only “Yours faithfully”.

9. Signature

Do not forget to sign the letter and write your name below it in capital letters with in brackets.

Above is a letter of job application. The numbers refer to the notes above.

Read the sample question below

You are the Secretary of the Residents’ Association in your housing estate. Write a letter to the director of the local municipal council to complain about the problems you and the other residents are facing.

In your letter, include the details below:

■ rubbish not collected

• causes terrible stench


• stray cats and dogs scatter rubbish

■ clogged drains

• breeding ground for mosquitoes


• increase in cases of dengue fever

■ street lights not working

• cause accidents at night


• increase in crime

■ playground not well- maintained

• overgrown grass


• playground equipment damaged

When writing your letter, you should remember to:

• set it out in the correct format


• include all the points given


• address the letter to the director of the local municipal council

---

Rajvind Gill,
10, Jalan Jujur,
Taman Jayadiri,
68000 Ampang,
Selangor

The Director,
Ampang Jaya Municipal Council,
Bangunan Mentari,
Ampang Jaya,
68000
SELANGOR.

15 SEPTEMBER 2009

Dear Sir,

Poor Maintenance of Taman Jayadiri

I am writing this letter on behalf of the residents of Taman Jayadiri to complain about the dismal conditions we have been putting up with for the past three months.

2. One of the main grouses of the residents concerns uncollected rubbish (point 1). Initially, rubbish was collected three times a week. However, since June this year the garbage collectors have only been coming once a week. Our litter bins are always filled to the brim and we have no choice but to leave our bags of rubbish next to the bins. The rotting waste causes a terrible stench (point 2). Worse still, stray cats and dogs scatter the rubbish (point 3) while looking for food. This is not only unpleasant but also unhealthy.

3. Most of the drains in Taman Jayadiri are clogged (point 4) with rubbish resulting in the water becoming stagnant. It is not uncommon to see plastic bags, bottles and dry leaves in these drains. There is an urgent need to clear these drains as the stagnant water is an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes (point 5). The residents are worried as there has been a sharp increase in dengue cases (point 6) in the last two months.

4. The street lights along several roads are also not working (point 7). This has caused several accidents at night (point 8), mostly involving motorcyclists as they are unable to see in the dark. Unfortunately, the dark streets have also led to another problem – an increase in crime (point 9). Several residents, especially women, have fallen victim to snatch thieves.

5. The one and only playground in our area is also not well-maintained (point 10). The grass is overgrown (point 11) as it has not been cut for almost three months. Besides, the playground equipment is damaged (point 12). Many of the see-saws and swings have been spoiled by vandals.

I hope the council will look into our complaints and take prompt action to solve our problems.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

RajvindGill
(RAJVIND GILL)

LETTER WRITING

Writing letters the right way

SPM English
By JUGDEEP KAUR GILL

This week we will take a look at letter writing. Generally, students are taught to write two types of letters – formal letters and informal letters. Informal letters are easier to write in terms of format, language and tone. These letters are sometimes called social or friendly letters. Examples of informal letters include letters to family members and friends.

When writing an informal letter, remember to use the right format. There are several formats for informal letters, but some of these are not accepted in the Malaysian exam system and I will not discuss them here.

In the Malaysian school system, students are taught to:

> include the writer’s address and date in the upper right hand corner. The date can be written in different forms. (7th September 2009, 7 SEPTEMBER 2009 or 7.9.2009)

> use the most common salutation. (Dear John)

> indent paragraphs.

> include a suitable complimentary close. (Your loving daughter)

Do not use ‘Regards’ as it is considered slightly more formal and distant.

Also, do not use ‘Best Wishes’ as this is considered inappropriate.

> use proper punctuation.

For example, a comma should be used after the salutation and complimentary close.

> use capitalisation where necessary.

For example, the month of the date (10 January 2009), the salutation (Dear Maria)

Under normal circumstances, it is perfectly acceptable to use informal language (e.g. stuff, jam-packed) and contractions (I’ll, won’t) in an informal letter, but this is usually not acceptable in the local examination system.

Let’s look at some important aspects of an informal letter.

1. Organisation

Paragraph 1 – include formalities; give reason for writing the letter.

Paragraph 2 onwards – depends on the reason for writing the letter. If your reason is to tell the recipient about your holiday, then you will include details of the holiday.

The last paragraph – you can give a reason why you have to stop

writing such as:

I am sorry I have to stop here because it is getting late.

I am sorry I have to stop here because …

I have to stop now because …

Or you can simply end the letter in a number of appropriate ways as shown in #3 below.

2. Some useful expressions on how to begin an informal letter

> I was pleasantly surprised to hear from you.

> Thank you for your letter. I was pleased to hear that you are in good health.

> It was really nice hearing from you. I am glad that you like your new school.

> I hope this letter finds you in the pink (of health).

> Thank you for the lovely birthday card.

3. Some useful expressions on how to end an informal letter

> I promise to write to you soon.

> I hope you will reply soon.

> Give my best wishes to your parents.

> I am looking forward to seeing you.

> I look forward to hearing from you.

> Do write and tell me how you are progressing.

Sample Question

Your younger sister, who is studying in a boarding school, has written to complain that she finds the compulsory co-curricular activities very tiring. Write a letter to her to explain the benefits of co-curricular activities.

Use the notes given below to write your letter.

> help you become a better person

> instil discipline

> learn good values - cooperation

> respect for others

> develop leadership skills

> learn to organize activities

> provide opportunities - to develop social skills

> to take part in competitions

> keep you healthy

> get a good testimonial

When writing your letter, remember to include the following:

> your address

> a proper salutation/greeting

> a complimentary close

> all the notes given above

Sample answer 1

10, Jalan Mega Minang, Taman Minang Sari,
68000 Ampang, Selangor.
7th September 2009

Dear Lina,

It was lovely to hear from you. All of us miss you very much. Mum and Dad are glad that you are slowly adjusting to life in a boarding school.

In your letter you complained about the compulsory co-curricular activities. Well, let me tell you that you can reap many benefits through active participation in these activities. Firstly, the various co-curricular activities help you become a better person (point 1). Participation in uniformed units, clubs and societies, sports and games will help you discover your talents and develop your character. You will become a more confident and well-rounded person. The strict rules and good behaviour expected of you as a member of a uniformed unit will instil discipline (point 2) in you. This is important if you are to become a law-abiding citizen.

Besides, you will learn good values (point 3) through the various co-curricular activities. You will learn about the importance of cooperation (point 4) and respect for others (point 5). These values are very important in a multi-racial society like ours.

You have always said that you admire great leaders like Nelson Mandela and Abraham Lincoln. Well, co-curricular activities will certainly help you to develop leadership skills (point 6). There will be ample opportunities to enable you to become a good leader. Besides learning how to plan events, you will learn to organise activities (point 7). Sometimes, you might even have to handle a challenging situation and this will teach you how to make on-the-spot decisions.

More importantly, co-curricular activities provide you with many opportunities (point 8) to help you develop social skills (point 9). As you know, a person with good social skills has an edge these days. Extra-curricular activities will also provide you with opportunities to take part in competitions (point 10) at various levels. Schools usually select their representatives for competitions at zone, state or national level by looking at their students’ performance in school-level competitions.

These activities also keep you healthy (point 11). Who knows, you might finally shed your baby fat! Most importantly, you will get a good testimonial (point 12) if you are active in co-curricular activities. This will definitely boost your chances when applying for a scholarship or a job.

There is no need for you to worry that participation in these activities will affect your grades. On the contrary, it has been proven that students who are actively involved usually do well academically.

I hope you will take the opportunities co-curricular activities provide to experience new things and discover your strengths.

I have to stop here. I have to study for my trial examination, which is in two weeks’ time. Till I hear from you, take care.

Your loving sister, Shuhada

Sample answer 2

10, Jalan Mega Minang,
Taman Minang Sari, 68000 Ampang,
Selangor.
7th September 2009

Dear Wani,

Thank you for your last letter. All of us miss you very much. Mum and Dad are happy that you will be coming home next month.

In your letter you complained that co-curricular activities are very tiring. Well, let me tell you that these activities have many benefits. Firstly, they will help you become a better person (point 1). They will instil discipline (point 2) in you. This is important if you want to become a good citizen.

Besides, you will learn good values (point 3) such as cooperation (point 4) and respect for others (point 5). Co-curricular activities will help you to develop leadership skills (point 6). You will also learn to organise activities (point 7).

Moreover, co-curricular activities provide you with opportunities (point 8). They help you develop social skills (point 9). Extra-curricular activities also give you opportunities to take part in competitions (point 10). Co-curricular activities can keep you healthy (point 11). Most importantly, you will get a good testimonial (point 12).

I hope you will take co-curricular activities seriously.

I have to stop here. Till I hear from you, take care.

Your elder brother, Izzan

The sample above is meant to show weak students how they can get marks for format and content.

Most of the sentences are simple sentences and the points are not elaborated. If you are a weak student, try to insert some sentences to elaborate on the points given.

Remember when you write an informal letter:

> Do not use slang words.

> Do not use words which are in a language other than English. This means you cannot write ‘Dear Abah’, or ‘Dear Amma’ even if that is how you address your parents.

·Do not sign off with ‘Love and Kisses’. Keep that for your personal letters.

Tips on writing skills

SPM English
By JUGDEEP KAUR GILL

THE focus of the SPM 1119 paper, which is the English Language paper, is mainly on the reading and writing skills. Paper 1 tests candidates on their writing skills while Paper 2 deals, for the most part, with the reading skills.

We’ll begin this series with the more difficult writing skill as it carries a significant portion of the marks for the whole paper. This paper consists of two compulsory questions: Directed Writing and Continuous Writing.

The Directed Writing question carries a total of 35 marks – 15 marks for content and 20 marks for language.

The marks for format, which can vary between one to three marks depending on the text type, are included in the 15 marks allocated for content.

In this section, candidates are given only one question. This means that candidates do not have the luxury of choice which they are given in the Continuous Writing section.

Most candidates find this question quite manageable. In fact, even weak candidates can be taught to cope with this question to a certain extent.

Several factors make this question quite doable. Firstly, candidates are given help with content.

This means candidates do not have to worry about what to write as content points are provided.

It is not difficult to score full marks for content. In fact, candidates can score full marks for content if they are able to use the information given in grammatically sound sentences, irrespective of the sentence type or length.

It is also easy to get marks for format if they have been exposed to the formats of different text types. Secondly, this question does not demand much linguistically unlike the continuous writing question. Most candidates are able to cope with this question, even if they are linguistically limited. Thirdly, the question is usually set around the experiences of students. Hence, there is no reason for candidates not to attempt this question.

Over the years, teachers and students have become quite adept at predicting the type of question that might appear. Still, I would suggest that you familiarise yourself with the different text types. Below is an analysis of the questions which have appeared over the past few years:

General Guidelines for Directed Writing

Read the question carefully. Identify your task, your role and your audience.

Use the 45 minutes allocated for this question wisely.

Plan your essay and organise your thoughts (this includes what to write and how to elaborate on points)

Include an introduction and a conclusion and make sure your paragraphs are well organised.

Use all content points given. It is advisable to cross out the points you have used, so that no point is left out.

Include points of your own only if you are asked to. Otherwise, do not waste precious time doing so because you will not get any extra marks.

Elaborate on the points given. Write two to three sentences to elaborate on each point. Remember a crucial aspect of this paper is language and your ability to write can only be tested if you provide sufficient language for the examiner to gauge your linguistic ability.

Use a variety of sentence structures so that your essay is not dull and monotonous.

Always read through what you have written. Correct grammatical, spelling and punctuation errors.

Common pitfalls

Poor time management. Do not spend more than the allocated 45 minutes on this question. Otherwise you will not have enough time for the second question.

Lengthy essays. Do not write too much. As mentioned earlier, this question does not make many demands on a candidate. Directed writing is a succinct piece of writing. All you have to do is use the given points and provide a sentence or two (maybe three) to elaborate on them. A response of one-half to two pages is more than sufficient. After all, the more you write the more mistakes you might make. Some candidates make the mistake of writing one paragraph for each point. If you do this, your essay is going to be very lengthy. Save the time and energy for Continuous Writing.

Usage of informal language. This paper tests your written English. Do not use spoken language. Avoid using slang words (such as guys), contractions, and informal language (such as informal idiomatic expressions or informal phrasal verbs).

Poor punctuation. Some candidates do not punctuate their sentences correctly. Make sure you end your sentence with a full stop and not a comma. Also, make sure that the pronoun “I” is written in upper case and not lower case (i) as is the practice among some candidates.

Let’s look at a sample question.

Many students in your school complain that they are stressed. As the president of the Health Club in your school, you have been asked to give a speech during assembly. You have made a list of the reasons given by these students and you would like to give them some suggestions on how to cope with their problem.

Use the following notes to write your speech.

Causes

- long hours spent at school

- too much homework

- too many projects

- frequent exams

- tuition classes

- high expectations from parents

- lack of sleep

When writing out your speech, you should remember to:

address your audience

state the purpose of the speech

use all the points given

end your speech appropriately

Before you start writing, ask yourself these questions:

what am I required to do?

what is my role?

who is my audience?

how many points have been provided? Do I need to give any point of my own?

This task requires you to write a speech in your capacity as the president of the Health Club. You have been asked to address the students during assembly. This means that your audience includes teachers and students. As such, make sure your tone is formal and polite. A total of twelve points have been provided which means that twelve marks are for content and three marks for format. The marks for format are allocated as follows: One mark for addressing the audience, one for stating the purpose of your talk and another for ending the speech appropriately.

SPM ESSAY

A sample essay entitled ‘A difficult life’

SPM ENGLISH
By JUGDEEP KAUR GILL

“BEING illiterate is like a curse. It closes all doors to your life even before they can be opened!”

My mother’s words rang loud and clear in my mind.

She had literally been plucked from a remote village in India and brought to the then Malaya by my father, a man she had obediently married some sixty years ago.

Being the only daughter of a well-heeled man, she had believed that her aunt had got her a good match. My mother was fair, tall and willowy. Everyone had remarked on her big eyes and thick lashes when she entered her husband’s house as his bride.

The marriage celebrations had gone on for three days and she had yet to see what her groom looked like. As custom dictated, she had kept her head bowed and eyes downcast throughout the numerous ceremonies that went on during the three days.

The fact that her head scarf had been drawn low to cover her face did not make things any easier.

When she was finally introduced to her spouse, she was shocked. He was stocky and quite dark while she was as white as snow, by North Indian standards.

The fate that awaited her shattered all the dreams that her aunt had spun for her, the very aunt who had made the match.

Being the typical Indian bride, she became a dutiful daughter-in-law to her husband’s childless aunt and uncle who had cared for him ever since he had been orphaned at the age of seven.

Life was difficult as there was nothing of the luxury that she had been used to in her father’s house but she did not complain.

When her in-laws, asked her to pawn her jewellery to release their land from mortgage, she did so without question.

When her husband’s aunt insisted that she wove blankets for them, she did so submissively. After all, she was illiterate and her only skills included cooking, sewing and embroidery.

Six months later, her husband announced that they would be leaving India to seek their fortunes in Malaya. She cried for days but remembered her father’s parting words,

“Your husband decides your life for now. Go with God’s blessings.”

The trip to Malaya took almost a week by ship. All sorts of fears tortured her but she did not dare utter a single word for fear of displeasing her husband.

Upon arrival in Penang, they travelled to a little town in Perak where they lived with another uncle until her husband secured a job.

Life in Slim River was not easy. Her husband often left her alone, unaccompanied for days at times as he eked out a living as a lorry driver at a tin mine.

The kind Malay ladies, sensing her loneliness, tried to make small talk with her, despite knowing that she did not understand a word of the local language.

Undeterred, they slowly taught her simple words which she would need in her daily life. This life went on for three years.

There was no electricity or water supply. She did her washing and bathing by the river.

Despite her frail form, she could carry two pails of water all the way home for cooking and drinking. Every night, she cried herself to sleep.

A few months later, she gave birth to a daughter. Her husband had not been pleased and he had refused to see the new child.

He had expected his first born to be a son. His ego had taken a slight dent, but he did not know that there was a worse fate awaiting him – the tin mine ceased operations and he lost his job.

They had no money and no savings. Not about to give up, he decided to take her and their little daughter to the capital.

For the next few years, they lived with his second uncle and his wife who were also childless.

Life for the young couple was no bed of roses. Jobs did not come easily those days and after failing to secure a job, her husband gave in to the demands of his uncle and aunt.

For two meals a day, he had to wash the drains on the five-acre piece of land and cut the grass while she had to do all the tedious household chores.

Without fail, the old woman would insist that she scrub all the brassware (even though it had not been used) with ash every day before beginning the day’s chores.

She had to wash second uncle’s white trousers and white shirts by boiling them in caustic soda over a charcoal fire and then scrubbing then clean before ironing them using a hot coal iron.

Her daily chores kept her busy and she barely had time for her first-born.

The poor child was often hungry as second aunt did not provide them with breakfast. Deprived of essential nutrients, the poor little girl was thin, almost skeletal.

The young couple endured this terrible life for several years. Even when her husband got a job as a watchman she still had to submit to the will of second aunt.

The couple had a second child, a boy, but he died when he was ten months old. Three years later they had me, another girl. This time my father was not so disappointed. I suppose the hard life had made him more accepting.

“Why did you allow these things to happen, ma?” I asked furiously as she related her painful past.

I held her battered hands in mine; the cuticles were swollen and the nails had turned yellow due to all the washing with caustic soda.

“... because I was illiterate and I had no one.”

That was her simple answer. She had no options as she was financially dependent on others for every single need. She could not go out to work as her husband’s uncle and aunt had a reputation to maintain. They were the cream of the town. No one knew or even suspected that she and her husband were being ill-treated. Worse still, she had to tolerate all forms of verbal abuse.

“My father had never raised his voice. He showered me with love after the death of my mother when I was five.”

My father, who himself had lost his mother when he was twenty-six days old and his father when he was seven, could not do much.

I am now thirteen. I know mother is telling me these stories so that I will be resilient. I also know she wants me to study hard so that I will not have to have a difficult life.

As much as I admire my mother and her perseverance in the face of adversity, I will not allow a similar fate to befall me.

DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY SPM

Details to ‘liven up’ essay

SPM ENGLISH
By JUGDEEP KAUR GILL

Writing a descriptive essay is more challenging than writing a narrative essay. This is because it makes more demands on your ability to use language effectively. When writing a descriptive essay you should be able to portray people, places, things, moments or experiences vividly so that the reader can create a mental picture of what is being described.

In other words, you should be able to paint pictures using words. For instance, if you are describing a person, the reader should be able to visualise in his mind’s eye the person you are describing. If you are describing a place, then the reader should be able to see the place with his very eyes. Not everyone can handle a descriptive essay. You need to be competent in the language and you need an eye for detail. Besides, you should be able to appeal to the reader’s senses and evoke his emotions.

Techniques in Descriptive Writing

• Use details to make your descriptions come alive.
• Focus on evoking the senses. (sight, sound, smell, taste and touch)
• Nouns, adjectives and verbs help the reader see and feel things.
• A descriptive essay need not be boring and monotonous. Make use of a lively tone – show your own feelings, responses and reactions and let the reader feel them too.
• Describe different aspects. If you are describing a person, do not limit your description to the person’s physical appearance. Include a detailed description of the person’s character and personality and how other people react to him/her. Include a detailed paragraph of an incident which highlights one of these aspects.

Before you begin writing a descriptive essay, you need to identify what you want to describe.
Consider the following topic:
My favourite teacher

If you are going to write about a favourite teacher, you might want to include his/her physical appearance. When describing his/her physical appearance, you can provide a general description of him/her or focus on important certain aspects which define his/her character. An essay of this nature would not be complete without a description of his/her qualities and how he/she interacts with his/her students.

Look at the two extracts below.

Extract 1

Mr L was my English Literature lecturer. He was thin and of average height. He was boyish looking. He spoke with an unusual accent. He was also quite sarcastic and some of the students did not like this. He did not like students coming in late to class. Some of us loved him but others hated him.

Extract 1 is a simple description of the teacher. Although there are several adjectives, the description is somewhat dull as the structures used are simple and repetitive.

Extract 2

The first time I entered his class, I, like many of the other students, was charmed by his boyish looks. A quick calculation told us that he was in his twenties. His straight black hair fell across his forehead when it was slightly long and his clear complexion enhanced his looks. For a Chinese, he had unusually big eyes and quite a sharp nose. He was always welldressed in a rugged sort of way. He was not outrageously handsome but there was something in him which definitely made him attractive His unusual accent mesmerised some of us but his sarcasm did not go down too well with others. You see, he did not approve of tardiness or sloppy work. The fact that many of us were working adults was not an excuse for lack of punctuality or delay in handing in assignments. Some of us grew to love him but some hated him.

Extract 2, on the other hand, is a vivid and interesting description which brings the character to life.

We can almost see him in our mind’s eye and this effect is achieved through the description of the person’s features that are prominent and striking.

Note the details about his overall physical description (boyish looks, in his twenties, not outrageously handsome, attractive, straight black hair, unusual accent), his facial features (unusually big eyes, quite a sharp nose), and his manner of dressing (well-dressed in a rugged sort of way).

Note his qualities (he did not approve of tardiness or sloppy work) and the feelings the students had for him ( His unusual accent mesmerised some of us but his sarcasm did not go down too well with others. Some of us grew to love him but some hated him).

The description of his physical appearance supports and reinforces the fact that he is likeable character but his values made him unpopular with some.

Some writers like to merge descriptive writing with narrative writing.

There is nothing wrong with this, as the description enriches the narration.

ENGLISH SPM TRIALS 2009

ENGLISH JUJ PAHANG 2009

ENGLISH SPM TRIAL _KEDAH 2009

ENGLISH SPM TRIAL Q'S_JOHOR 2009

ENGLISH SPM TRIAL A'S_JOHOR 2009

ENGLISH SPM TRIAL_PERLIS 2009

ENGLISH SPM TRIAL_SABAH 2009

ENGLISH SPM TRIAL MARA 2009

ENGLISH SPM TRIAL MELAKA 2009

Fun with synonyms

By OH TEIK THEAM

EACH sentence below contains a synonym of the italicised word(s), spelt out in consecutive letters. Can you spot it?

Example: The couple continued their walk along the path in silence after he commented that she was not as slim as she used to be.

1. The wood of the shepherd’s hut has swollen, and the door won’t close.

2. “I hope Ning Baizura will let me be the introductory act at her concert.”

3. “Ladies and gentlemen, we are now nearing the mansion of a beautiful lady who won overnight fame with her first novel.”

4. She decided to follow her doctor’s advice to lose a few pounds before Christmas.

5. The cunning fox was lying when he reported to his friends that the chicken coop was empty.

6. The donations of tens of thousands of people helped to alleviate the misery of the flood victims.

7. “Mum, shall I shoo the turkeys off the porch or fire my popgun to frighten them?”

8. The little boy found a bag of greyish rubber bands near the bush.

9. Requesting me to repair a thermometer that he had carelessly dropped, the eccentric man said, “It’s somewhat easy if you concentrate hard on the task.”

10. Her obvious lack of enthusiasm for her work was underscored when the boss hauled her over the coals for being behindhand and negligent in the discharge of her duties.

11. After they had eaten a light meal, the couple had a tiff in the presence of their friends.

12. The big increase in the salary of my supervisor is effectively the result of favouritism.

13. When she entered the salon, the other customers couldn’t help but notice the beautiful shininess of her hair.

14. He was absolutely frank with her when he said to her, “Your only hope now is to accept the offer.”

15. With a supercilious air, the driver boasted that he would win the race, but his dream was shattered when his car smashed into a wall of tyres and sandbags.

Answers

1. shut 2. opening 3. renown 4. shed 5. sly 6. soften 7. shoot 8. shrub 9. rather 10. slack 11. tiffin 12. rise 13. sheen 14. open 15. lofty

TEACHER'S TALK

Proud to be Malaysian

TEACHER TALK
By NITHYA SIDHHU

Being thankful and appreciative of the peace and freedom we enjoy in this country each day, is also a form of patriotism.

Patriots are you, me, and thousands of others like us standing firm for our country — William McGinnis

ASK kids at school what patriotism means and they will give you varied answers. The young ones in primary schools will immediately tell you about how much they love the country – they will even draw you a picture that has the Twin Towers or a kampong in it with a group of children in diverse costumes smiling in front of it.

You’ll see the inevitable. Ali with his songkok and samping while Muthu will be coloured in dark-skinned tones. Mei Lee will be the girl in pigtails wearing a mandarin-collared blouse and Aminah will be next to her wearing the familiar baju kurung. You might see Mala in a sari too. To the primary school-goers, this is Malaysia — a melting pot of races, lots of good food to eat, kampong scenery or towering architectural buildings.

With colours bright and attractive (the red, blue, yellow and white of the flag will be unfailing choices!), Malaysia will be represented either in this manner or with the green of the rainforest and huge rafflesia in the background.

Young patriots

Sweet will be the picture and vibrant will be the tone.

The young keep their love for their country simple – their message is clear – they love this country – along with its food, culture, races, progress and tourist spots.

Ask an older school-going teenager and he’ll probably spout the usual model answer too. But, he will also be more questioning – “Why didn’t my brother get the PSD scholarship? He scored all A’s, didn’t he? Why do I have to go for the national service programme? Why do we have to study History?

Some Malay boys will be all of fifteen years old but their Islamic Studies teacher is bound to complain that they barely know their basics. There may be some amongst them who might be wasting precious time smoking and fooling around without having time for their daily prayers.

Some Chinese boys will claim that they are Buddhists until you find out they hardly know the tenets of Buddhism.

While you see some Indian boys coming to school with ash-smeared foreheads, there are others who don’t even go to temple on Fridays, or know that Lord Ganesh is the ‘remover of obstacles’.

Talk about patriotism and some students are confused. Is religion in Malaysia an identifiable part of patriotism?

If you’re a Malay school girl or teacher, the head scarf is such a given that some students think it is a Malaysian thing.

But many do realise that the religion you practise has nothing to do with patriotism – yet, when they talk about patriotism, they throw religion in for good measure.

So, what is patriotism?

They talk about the broad matters, about revolutionary heroes, about Merdeka Day parades, about soldiers, about politics – but they don’t talk about what’s going on inside them – the feeling they have for this country, the loyalty they ascribe to, the pride they take in being Malaysians, or, what they would be willing to do for their country.

A patriotic act is “any selfless act that directly benefits the nation”, according to Word.IQ.com.

It states that displaying the national flag, singing the national anthem, participating in a mass rally, placing a patriotic bumper sticker on one’s vehicle, or publicly proclaiming one’s allegiance to the nation in any appropriate way, are all acts of patriotism.

In Malaysia, the symbolic display of patriotism is particularly felt in August in schools with Merdeka Day competitions, speeches, songs, ceremonies and other events.

What these festivities aim to do and often achieve, is to make students realise how proud they can be of the fact that they are Malaysians living in a peaceful nation; a nation that values educational progress and which counts on its young to become the leaders of change tomorrow.

All they need to do to keep this country’s flag flying high, is to be the best they can be, and foster the true Malaysian spirit for now and the future.

My only concern is for students who are driven by materialism and are cold inside. Since they have neither felt the ravages of war nor have been called upon to fight for their country, since they were born in a free nation and taken its freedom for granted; since the life they lead has little to do with servitude to the nation; since their minds are caught up mostly with studying with an eye on making good money in the future; since their parents highlight the negative instead of the positive, since they too have got into the habit of griping rather than appreciating – they therefore give little thought to what it means to be a patriotic Malaysian. They take but they do not give.

Writer William McGinnis says this of patriotism – that it should be “alive in our hearts and active in our lives every day.” For our young Malaysians, is it? For us teachers, is it?

My country, my home

I may not give much thought to patriotism myself, but I do know that I feel grateful that I am working in this country and not in a neighbouring country where more than 300 teachers are said to have been killed or injured by Muslim insurgents since 2004.

I do know that I like being a Malaysian – that I identify myself as one with pride and simple dignity – that I’d rather be here than anywhere else. That this country is my true home. That when I take my teaching job seriously and make every effort to teach well, I am helping his nation. I may not ascribe much patriotic significance, but I do know this – it matters!

If we could all do our jobs well, take them seriously and be civil, non-prejudicial and good citizens, I think we are in a way publicly proclaiming our allegiance to the nation in the most appropriate way. Selamat Hari Merdeka, folks.

PERLIS SPM TRIAL 2009

BAHASA INGGERIS PAPER 1 & 2

Wordwise

By S.H. LOKE

Think of a fourth word related to all the three words listed below. Example: Cakes, heart, sixteen

The answer is “sweet”. Cakes are sweet; sweet is part of the word “sweetheart”’ and part of the phrase “sweet sixteen”. Now try these words:

1. Surprise, line, birthday

2. Foot, snow, dance

3. Mouse, blue, cottage

4. Nap, bird, call

5. Golf, foot, country

6. Tiger, news, plate

7. Maple, beet, loaf

8. Show, oak, plan

9. Lawn, village, golf

10. Hand, shiver, milk

11. Elephant, lie, Christmas

12. Atop, sell, procession

13. Length, back, stick

14. Blanket, land, nurse

15. Darkness, sadness, hopelessness

16. Focus, see, opener

17. Order, out, abiding

18. Light, blue, shine

19. Cat, on, girl

20. Wolf, blower, stop

Answers

1. Party 2. Ball 3. Cheese 4. Cat 5. Club 6. Paper 7. Sugar 8. Floor 9. Green 10. Shake 11. White 12. Float 13. Yard 14. Wet 15. Gloom 16. Eye 17. Law 18. Moon 19. Call 20. Whistle

■ Adapted from ‘New Family Quiz’ book by Reader’s Digest

Eating corn on the cob

Idiomania
By OH TEIK THEAM

LISA and Joanne are enjoying some delicious ais kacang at a food stall. Looking at the generous helpings of maize grains in their bowls, Lisa asks her bosom friend, “Jo, how do you eat your corn on the cob?”

Recovering quickly from the little surprise, Joanne replies, her spoon arrested in her hand, “Well, I go round the ear in a circle. Is there a better way?”

“The interesting thing about eating corn on the cob is that everyone thinks that her way is the right one,” says Lisa with an impish grin. “I, too, go round the ear in a circle, but my better half and I don’t see eye to eye on this trivial matter – he eats his corn on the cob in a different way.”

“How does he eat it?” Joanne asks.

“He nibbles from side to side like a typewriter, eating the grains from left to right and repeating the process until they all disappear into his mouth,” Lisa says. With an exaggerated sigh, she adds, “He finds fault with my way of eating this food and boasts that his way is inarguably the proper one.”

“How does your daughter eat it?” Joanne asks.

“Well, she follows her father’s style, but with a remarkable difference – she has a bidirectional approach.”

“What do you mean?” Joanne says. “I’m ‘corn-fused’.”

“Well,” explains Lisa, “her bites are from left to right and then from right to left, and she repeats this methodical attack until all the golden grains are orally stripped from the cob.”

Tickled pink, Joanne says as a cheerful smile overspreads her rubicund face, “Well, I never! I think this is an unusual way of eating corn on the cob!”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Lisa says, spooning some of the ais kacang into her mouth. And then with a twinkle in her eye, she asks, “Have you seen small children eating corn on the cob?”

“No.”

“They like to eat the soft spots first, resulting in messy corn ears.”

Joanne exclaims shrilly, “A-maize-ing kids!”

Bosom friend: A very close friend.

Someone’s better half: Someone’s husband or wife.

See eye to eye: To agree.

Find fault with: To criticise.

Tickled pink: Extremely amused or delighted.

Well, I never!: I’ve never heard or seen anything like this before.

Couldn’t agree more: Agree completely.

Under the weather

Mind Our English by LYDIA TEH

EH Poh Nim was waiting with her sister to see the doctor at the neighbourhood clinic. Poh Lun leaned her back against the wall and rubbed her running nose with a bunch of tissues.

“You should’ve listened to us. Ma asked you to bring your thick sweater up to Genting and I said you might catch your death going out without enough clothes. But you wouldn’t listen. Now you’ve caught a bad cold. Serves you right,” Eh Poh Nim said.

“Whatever,” Poh Lun muttered.

“Aunty, what is catch your death?” a young boy of about eight or nine addressed Eh Poh Nim. “Can you catch dead people?”

Eh Poh Nim smiled. “Of course you can’t. This phrase is sometimes called catch your death of cold. Now can you guess what that means?”

The boy thought for a while, then he said, “Catch a cold?”

“Very clever. Since you’re so smart, you should know that I’m not an aunty. Call me Chieh Chieh, okay? I’m not married or old enough, you know,” Eh Poh Nim said.

Poh Lun sniggered.

“Shut up or I’ll knock your leg out of joint,” Eh Poh Nim said.

“Bye, Aunty!” the boy said, following his mother out of the clinic.

“Why don’t you dislocate the boy’s bones… A-tishoo!” Poh Lun wiped her nose again.

The Indian man who was seated beside her on the couch moved further away.

“I hope you don’t have the swine flu,” he said.

“It’s called the A(H1N1) flu,” Eh Poh Nim said. “My sister didn’t go overseas and she didn’t come into contact with anyone who has the flu, so I doubt it. I think it’s just a common cold. What about you? You look like death warmed up.”

“What? Do you mean I’m close to death? Eh! You watch your mouth!” the man said angrily.

“Sorry,” Eh Poh Nim grimaced. “I don’t mean that. It’s just an expression for looking very ill.”

“Oh ...” the man’s anger dissipated as quickly as it had appeared. “I feel really ill.”

“With all this hot weather, it’s not unusual for people to feel under the weather. People don’t fall sick because they don’t wear enough clothes,” Poh Lun said.

“Did you know that in the olden days, when a sailor was unwell, he was sent under the deck and away from the weather so that he could ...” Before she could finish the sentence, Eh Poh Nim sneezed.

“Uh-oh, you’re looking a bit off-colour, sis. Maybe you’ve caught the flu bug, too.” Poh Lun stared at her sister.

“I don’t look ill. I have the constitution of an ox,” Eh Poh Nim boasted.

“Yeah, right. You were sick only two months ago when you had a bad sore throat, remember? Strong and healthy my foot!” Poh Lun retorted.

“I didn’t have a sore throat. I merely had a frog in the throat, that’s all?” Eh Poh Nim shot back.

The Indian man turned to stare at Eh Poh Nim with a questioning look.

“That means I’ve got phlegm in my throat,” Eh Poh Nim explained.

A middle-aged woman and a teenage girl walked into the clinic.

“I’ll wait for you outside,” Eh Poh Nim told her sister. “It’s getting too crowded in here. I need a breath of fresh air.”

When Eh Poh Nim vacated her seat, the girl moved in to take her place. Suddenly the girl threw up. The vomit landed on the floor and a few drops splashed onto Eh Poh Nim’s shoes.

“You’d better go and clean up, Ah Mei,” the woman told the girl. To Eh Poh Nim, she said: “So sorry. My girl’s in a bad way. I think she’s got food poisoning.”

Eh Poh Nim flashed a tight smile at the woman. Quick as a flash, the dispensary nurse hurried over with a pail of water and a mop.

“Let me do it.” The woman took the mop from the nurse. “Sorry to make such a mess.”

Eh Poh Nim felt her tension loosening. The little mishap wasn’t anyone’s fault. The girl was in a poor condition after all. She made her way to the toilet to wash the vomit off her shoes. It was a good thing she wasn’t wearing sandals. When the girl passed her on the way out of the toilet, Eh Poh Nim smiled sympathetically at her.

IDIOMS

Idioms

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PHRASAL VERBS