SAMPLE OUTLINES FOR MUET ACADEMIC ESSAY:
Smoking should be banned (A) as it is a hazard to mankind (B). Do you agree with this statement? Give relevant examples. You should write at least 350 words.
Agree
(5 + 1 paragraphs)
100 or 75:25
1) Thesis Statement:
Smoking should be banned because it is a serious
hazard to mankind in terms of health, waste of
money and causes pollution.
2) Agree 1:
Firstly, smoking should be banned because it is a
serious hazard to our health.
3) Agree 2:
Secondly, smoking should indeed be banned as it
is a blatant waste of money.
4) Agree 3:
Last but not least, it is a hazard to mankind
because it creates continuous pollution which is
bad for our environment.
5 (OPTIONAL) Counter-Argument:
However, there are some benefits including a
good source of income and the tax collected can
be used to improve the infrastructure in our
country. Nevertheless, smoking has more
disadvantages and should be banned.
6) Recommendation:
The government should streamline immediate
and effective action to ban smoking throughout
the country by banning import and sales of
cigarettes and increasing the fines and jail
sentences for tobacco smuggling and distribution.
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Disagree
(5 + 1 paragraphs)
100 or 75:25
1) Thesis Statement:
Smoking should not be banned because there are
many benefits for our country in terms of
increasing profits, stimulating the economy and
tax collected can improve infrastructure for
everyone.
2) Disagree 1:
First and foremost, smoking should not be banned
as it increases the profit for the shop owners who
sell it to the public.
3) Disagree 2:
The second reason it should not be banned is
because the collective sales of cigarettes can
stimulate our economy due to its high demand.
4) Disagree 3:
Lastly, banning smoking is not a good idea
because the tax collected can be used to improve
and upgrade infrastructure such as roads, schools
and hospitals.
5 (OPTIONAL) Counter-Argument:
On the contrary, there are some advantages of
banning smoking as it does have some hazardous
effects to smokers’ health and the environment.
Nevertheless, we should not deny a person’s
choice to smoke or not especially since it can still
bring some benefits to our country.
6) Recommendation:
The government should draw up an effective
strategy to maximise tax collection of tobacco
products in order to boost the economy and use
the funds to provide better quality basic facilities
for everyone’s mutual benefit.
Partially Agree
(6 paragraphs)
50:50
1) Thesis Statement:
There are both advantages and disadvantages of
banning smoking as it is a hazard to mankind.
2) Agree 1:
For starters, smoking should be banned because it
is a serious hazard to our health.
3) Disagree 1:
In contrast, there are many people who have
smoked and lived until old age, proving that
smoking is not necessarily a health hazard as
there may be other factors.
4) Agree 2:
Another advantage of banning smoking is it can
stop people from wasting money whereby the
money can be better used for food,
transportation, daily necessities or as savings.
5) Disagree 2:
On the other hand, although they can be said to
be wasting money on an individual level but the
money is contributed back into society and tax
collection increases as well which is used to
improve and upgrade infrastructure such as
roads, schools and hospitals.
6) Recommendation:
The government should implement a
comprehensive action plan to reduce smoking in
our country by increasing the price and taxes of
cigarettes and organising anti-smoking talks and
exhibitions in schools and hospitals.
Agree to a Certain Extent
(5 paragraphs)
50:50
1) Thesis Statement:
There are always two sides to a coin so we should
look into the pros and cons should smoking be
banned due to its hazardous nature towards
mankind.
2) Agree 1 vs Disagree 1:
At the forefront, it is clear that smoking is a health
hazard to mankind even though there are cases
where it is not a hazard and smokers have been
known to live healthily well into their old age.
3) Agree 2 vs Disagree 2:
Another significant reason it should be banned is
because it is a waste of a person’s money.
Conversely, if you look at the bigger picture, it is
not a waste of money but it in fact stimulates the
economy and increases profit due to high sales.
4) Agree 3 vs Disagree 3:
Ultimately, smoking is an individual’s choice and
he or she should be given the right to choose to
smoke or not without the government interfering.
On the contrary, the government should take
action in banning it if it affects the health and
quality of living of society as second hand smoke
is dangerous to babies and pregnant mothers and
smoking causes unnecessary pollution.
6) Recommendation:
The government through the Ministry of Health
should spearhead an effective blueprint to ban
smoking in public places by fining smokers if they
smoke in restaurants or shopping malls and
conducting more anti-smoking campaign to
increase awareness.