CEFR MUET Writing T1 and T2 Samples

So with the new CEFR format, teachers and students will find it beneficial to see what I consider to be B4 and B5 samples. 

For Task 1 (email or letter), the key is to respond to EVERY SENTENCE. It is a fallacy to just depend on greetings, 4 notes and a closing. My strongest advixe is to teach your students to respond to every sentence as word count is not important anymore. Better to cover all bases rather thab leave out some crucial info. The difference between B4 and B5, in my humble opinion, is the quality of grammar and vocabulary where B5 will have high accuracy, fluency and uses precise vocab, idiomatic expressions and even proverbs. 

Anyway.. here are B4 and B5/5+ samples. The high band sample email is from my online tutee, based one 2022 Session 2 Writing Paper. 

[Band 4 Sample]

...

[Band 5/5+ Sample by my online tutee]

From: Lydia <lydia@cmail.com>

Subject: Setting Up An Online Business Is A Good Idea

Hi Linda

I am glad to hear from you. Yes, I am doing fine and am as fit as a fiddle again although I have just recovered from a rather mild bout of Covid-19.

Undeniably, I am indeed crestfallen having to lose out on this golden opportunity to participate in the online business talk. I agree and concur with the statement that online business is more popular than the traditional way of doing business as it is so convenient. It certainly is the new trend and we certainly have to jump on the bandwagon to cater to more customers. 

I am glad that you have the intention of setting up your online business after finishing your studies. I am of the opinion that you can sell your press-on nails online as I learned that you joined a series of press-on nail workshops during the last school holiday. Apart from that, you can try to sell baked goods given that you have just received a brand-new oven on your birthday. I am convinced that your products will sell like hotcakes online!

About joining you in setting up an online business, I am very sorry that I cannot commit as after finishing my studies, I plan to immediately backpack around Malaysia to gain priceless experience.

Buzz me again soon. Bye!

Lydia

Task 2: Academic Essay

How do we get students to score in Task 2? Well, again, in my humble opinion, the easiest way is to write an argumentative essay. That is why in my Pelangi MuetMyWay book I sidestep discursive essays because even in an argumentative style essay, you can take a partially agree stance and explore it in a discursive way. The most important part of the essay is the introduction. A good intro must have 

1. Hook (2-5 sentences using the various styles I focus on in my book: Facts/Stats, Narrative, Questions, Examples, Contrast, Imagination.. or use Proverbs/Quotes)

2. Stand (Agree/Disagree/Partially Agree)

3. Thesis statement (Agree/Disagree: Must list at least 2 very good points or safer to list 3, Partially: List the pros vs cons or just make a general statement that you will be looking into both sides of the coin)

There are many ways to expand an essay well as I explain exhaustively in my Pelangi MuetMyWay book. Here is a summary. 

A) Intro, Agree1, Agree2, Agree3, Conclusion 

B) Intro, Disagree1, Disagree2, Disagree3, conclusion

C) Intro, A1, A2, Disagree, Conclusion

D) Intro D1, D2, Agree, Conclusion

E) Intro, A1, A2, D1, D2, Conclusion

F) Intro, A1, D1, A2, D2, Conclusion

G) Intro, A1vsD1, A2vsD2, A3vsD3, Conclusion

For each body paragraph, there must be 

1. Cohesive Device + Topic Sentence (First and foremost, the main reason is ..)

2. Reasons/Elaboration (This means that.. Moreover..

3. Concrete Examples (To illustrate, mention exact people/places/things/concepts to make the examples more concrete and easily imaginable.) 

4. Mini conclusion (Thus/Hence.. tie up the topic sentence with the essay title keywords)

For a brilliant conclusion, tie up the 3 points with the topic again and end with a big bang of either 2 recommendations or 1 proverb/quote. Please refer to Pelangi MuetMyWay book for in depth discussion on this. I even have a substitution table for recommendations. 

So what are my top tips? Your grammar accuracy and fluency shown thru your choice of vocab (more low frequency words used correctly) must be on point. Go and memorise beautiful phrases to replace expired phrases like 'I think' and 'For example'. I hv a whole section in my Pelangi MuetMyWay on Grammar and Wow Factor vocab. 

Additionally, focus on the keywords in the question. Keep using the keywords to tie in the 3 points you have to either prove or disprove the statement. Use the keywords and their synonyms (Young people - youths/teens/young adultd/younger generation/students/pupils, Gen X/Z etc)  If you just give definitions or explain factors without linking to the keywords in the topic, up will be considered off tangent and will have a hard time getting even Band 3. Conversely, I strongly advise you to NOT BE A SMART ALEC and use too much critical thinking in discussing your OBSCURE points as it is MUCH SAFER to stick to very OBVIOUS, MAINSTREAM IDEAS so that you cannot be considered out of topic. This last piece of advice is crucial. Also.. if you run out of time, stop at 2 points and immediately write the conclusion as 4 paragraph essays that with well explore ideas are accepted based on the 250 wordcount a d time constraint. 

Okie, happy teaching. If you need personal tutoring as a student or teacher, write to me. muetmyway@gmail.com. I also run live/online seminars/workshops for schools and institutions. 

[Band 4 Sample]

...

[Band 5/5+ Sample by my online tutee]

Being enthusiastic towards our culture is often regarded as a top priority in Malaysia. Our government’s decision in making history a “must-pass” subject in SPM is a testimony to the belief that being insensitive towards our own culture can obliterate our own identity. Be that as it may, such a decision seems to have failed in producing Malaysians who show strong affection for the culture we have been practicing over the years. With regard to this narrative, I totally agree with the statement that the lack of appreciation for our culture has caused Malaysians to lose their true identity because most Malaysians no longer listen to traditional songs, find traditional clothing unattractive and many may not appreciate the celebration of traditional rituals.

First and foremost, Malaysians seem to evince little respect for traditional songs. This is evident with the decreasing number of traditional song listeners as most traditional songs are often associated with slow tempos, archaic melodies and boring lyrics. All these elements are out of step with the kinds of songs enjoyed by Malaysians today because modern songs are more energetic and natural. For instance, Chinese folk rhyme no longer appeals to most listeners as opposed to Korean pop songs that illustrate the hardships gone through by the current generation. The lyrics of the songs often portray outdated information such as the misperception surrounding riding pillion in our society, which used to be a romantic thing to do for couples in the past, but is no longer relevant in an era where cars are everywhere. Today, it is quite embarrassing if you do not own a car and everyone will look down on you, including girls. Eventually, traditional songs will disappear into the annals of time if Malaysians refuse to accord them with the recognition they deserve. 

Secondly, most Malaysians choose not to dress in traditional attire out in public places. The demand for traditional clothes has been shrinking over the years. Many Malaysians will choose western clothing in preference to traditional attire because they can get the best bang for the buck for the former. For instance, men and women are in favour of casual attire such as T-shirts and pants on the grounds that these clothes are not bound by the kind of occasions they take part in. On the other hand, traditional clothes are only suitable for formal occasions and they cannot wear them arbitrarily as such behaviour may draw flak from their respective community. As the prices of traditional clothes are beyond reach for most buyers, most Malaysians choose to turn away from them. As a result, traditional clothes are losing their allure and it is just a matter of time before they are eventually extirpated from our lives.

Thirdly, Malaysians no longer show strong affection for traditional rituals. Many Malaysians are slowly picking up a behaviour where most traditional rituals are the products of superstitious individuals who only had a passing knowledge of the world they were living in. For instance, On Chinese New Year’s Eve, the Chinese will set off fireworks at 12.00 midnight to usher in the New Year. Unfortunately, this tradition is slowly disappearing today because, to most people, it is no longer a big deal. Most of them will go to bed prior to that, rather than staying up late at night to witness fireworks booming over their city at 12.00 midnight. One thing is for sure, many grand traditional rituals have been scaled down to modest affairs and the problem will probably deteriorate if we fail to galvanise Malaysians to make a real change to the way they treat traditional rituals.

To conclude, the lackadaisical attitude among Malaysians towards traditional songs, clothing and rituals shows that we are no longer in awe of our own culture. The lack of appreciation for culture can obliterate our identity as Malaysians. It is crucial to acknowledge to ourselves that the diverse culture is often dubbed a major attraction in our country and we are at a disadvantage if we choose to give up on something which we have already had.