MUET WRITING

800/4
Two sections:
QUESTION 1:
REPORT WRITING (40 MARKS)

QUESTION 2
ACADEMIC WRITING (60 MARKS)

Duration : 90 mins
QUESTION 1
Task:
Visuals:
-To interpret visuals
by analysing and Types of visuals that may be
synthesising given
information or data
used in the test are line
- To transfer
graphs, bar graphs, tables, pie
information using charts and/or newspaper
good grammar clippings.
Line graphs
Used in Mid-year 2009, Mid-year 2014 , July 2016
Samples of line graphs
TYPES OF VISUALS
BAR GRAPHS

Used in Mid-year 2010, November 2011, Mid-year 2013,

March 2014
PIE CHARTS
Used in November 2015
Tables of data
Used in March 2012, November 2012,
March 2015-
Samples of tables of data
How to write the report
• Introduction :
• Include - all information on the given visuals – answer
‘what’, ‘where’ and ‘when’
• Overview – information found in the visuals
• Key Features – Important details- subject, time, data &
trends.
• Changes in key features (rise, increase, drop, no
change)
• Conclusion – similar to Overview but written from a
different angle
FORMAT FOR QUESTION 1
Title
Introduction of all the visuals
An overview to link information in the visuals
(without data)
 Key Features - Analyses and Syntheses
A logical conclusion
Actual question March 2016
Writing the INTRODUCTION
Figure 1 shows the number of heart at attack cases
among men and women (2011-2015) while figure 2
illustrates Activities Performed by Men and Women
(2011-2015 )
(March 2016)

Figure 1 shows the Tiger Population In three countries

(2000, 2005 and 2010) and Table 1 Illustrates the action
taken to protect Tiger Population in the same years
.(July 2015)
Writing the Overview
July 2015
Generally, the actions taken to protect the tiger
population has influenced the tiger population in
three countries in 2000, 2005 and 2010.

March 2016
In general, the number of Heart Attack cases among
men and women (2011-2015) were influenced by the
activities performed by men and women (2011-2015)
Interpreting information from visuals
Read and understand what information can be found
in the visuals –the number of visitors to the museum,
time, gender
Know what the axes tell you – study the numbers- are
they in tens/thousands, (time)- year(s), decades, era
Look at the lines/bars/figures – what do they
represent? Highest data/lowest data/comparison of
data/changes?
KEY FEATURES
ANALYSES AND SYNTHESES
4 IMPORTANT ITEMS IN AN ANALYSIS
Time, Data, Subject and Trend word
Time – 2017, 2019
Data – 30 tigers, 255 visitors to a radio station
Subject : heart attack cases, sale of books in Bookshop
A
Trend word- rose (rapidly), dropped (quickly) ,
(substantial) rise/increase

The highest number of heart attack cases among men

was in 2014 (600) while the highest number of heart
Samples of Analyses
The number of dengue cases in Taman Melur rose
from 12 in 2015 to 30 in 2016, the highest that year.

Taman Melur and Taman Kantan had a decline in the

number of dengue cases from 41 and 23 respectively
(2016) to 35 and 20 respectively ( 2017).

Wrong Analysis-
Taman Melur rose from 12 in 2015 to 30 in 2016 …
(wrong subject)- it was the number of dengue cases
that rose and not the residential area.
Task:Study the actual question paper (March2016). Write as many
analyses as you can from both the visuals.

 Remember each analysis must consist of

 A subject
 Data
 Time
 Trend word

 Analyses:
 1
 2
 3
 4
 5
 6
 7
Samples of Syntheses
• Synthesis – ‘MARRY’ the information
From two visuals - the LINK
• EG : The highest percentage of online purchase in 2015

was for clothes (25 %)because consumers rated

“more choices “ as number 1 for reasons for shopping
online.

• Postgraduate enrolment in University MA was the second

highest (65%) possibly because it had helpful lecturers,
good infrastructures and scholarships for postgraduates
Now try to write 2 syntheses from the visuals

Syntheses

1.
2.
Inaccurate analyses
Taman Melur had 25 dengue disease in 2015.
(wrong data)
Taman Melur rose the dengue cases in 2015.
(it was the number of dengue cases that rose and
Taman Melur did not contribute to the rise in the
cases)
Taman Melur did rise the number of dengue cases in
2015.
(the same as #2)
 The number of dengue cases in Taman Melur was 25
in 2015 (mere mention, no comparison done)
Tips :use the past tense

Trend words
Rise (dramatically)
To describe increase
Jump (significantly)
Grow (quickly)
Climb (slowly)

To describe Fall (sharply)

decrease Drop (gradually)
Plunge (rapidly)
Decline (swifly)
More tips :
Adjective and noun
forms
Increase A drastic increase
A steady growth
A substantial increase

Decrease A gradual decrease

A swift decline
A rapid fall
Other forms of change
Rose and fell
Fluctuated
Plateaud (remained
stagnant)

Remained unchanged
Remained steady
Maintained at the same
figure
The Conclusion
1 sentence will suffice

In conclusion …../ Overall…../ It is evident…

Eg:
In conclusion, the denggue prevention activities in
2015, 2016 and 2017 had influenced the number of
dengue cases in the said years.
Question 1 -Word count

Names of places, items – 1 word

20% - 1 word
20 percent – 2 words
10 000 visitors – 2 words
Ten thousand visitors – 3 words

NOTE: The title is not counted in the word count

QUESTION 2 – ESSAY –
Academic writing (60 Marks)
At least 350 words
Identify the task
Understand the task
Look at key words
ACTUAL QUESTION –
Muet July 2016

“The traditional male role has changed with

modernisation”. Discuss. You should write at least 350
words

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR:

Key words:
Traditional male role
changed
modernisation
Definitions of key words
Traditional – consist of beliefs, customs or norms of
doing something in a country, society or even in a
community
Following ideas that have been followed in the past
Role
The purpose or position of someone in a society or
relationship
Assumed part played by a person in a certain situation
Modernisation
A change in an idea or a move from a traditional idea
to a modern one.
ANGLES OF DISCUSSION
AGREE DISAGREE
No longer the bread winner Role has not changed
of the family Still the protector
Become caretakers at home Still the leader
No longer the dominant
figure at home/ at work
Agree to a certain extent
A combination of ideas
2 points to agree
1 point to disagree
Task:
What you have to do
State opinion/stand : I strongly agree/disagree ….
I agree to a certain extent…
Discuss opinion(s) - state your points in your thesis
statement
- to summarise your main ideas
Arrange your content points
Proceed to give reasons for opinion/discussion
Elaborate and give examples to support your points
Basically : Content point + elaboration+ example(s)
Write the conclusion
Writing the essay
Introduction
Stand (Agree/Disagree/Partial Agreement)
Thesis statement
Content point #1
-explanation, elaboration, examples
Content point #2
- explanation , elaboration, examples
Content point #3
-explanation , elaboration & examples
Conclusion
Elements in Academic writing
 Grammar
 Tenses
 Vocabulary
 Eg – to participate – to partake in/to collaborate/to associate/to comply
with
 Eg – to respect – to have high regard for/to admire/to think highly
of/to value/to look up to
 Current/logical examples- examples have to be relevant to your points
 Depth of discussion
 Thank you
All the best to you