Malaysian University English Test

MUET

800/4
WRITING PAPER
 Overview of Writing Module

Time : 4 hour-slot

 Hour 1 : Writing Task 1

 Hour 2 : Workshop (Writing Task 1)
 Hour 3 : Writing Task 2
 Hour 4 : Workshop (Writing Task 2)
 REFLECTION GRID
WRITING TASK 1
Practice/Comment Skills What I learnt from this What I plan to do in my Notes
session MUET class

WRITING TASK 1

Overview

Task 1 GET IT •Drawing conclusions

RIGHT!

Task 2 CHECK IT •Drawing conclusions

OUT!
 GET IT RIGHT!

Task 1 – An Overview

• Work individually or in pairs.

• Look at the test specifications for MUET
800/4.
• Put a tick next to the correct answer in the
worksheet provided.
• If you work individually, compare your
answers with a friend.
1. How many parts does MUET 800/4 Writing
have?
A. One
B. Two √
C. Three

2. Candidates must write

A. One long response
B. Two short responses
C. One long and one short response √
3.How much time do candidates have for Question 1?
A 40 minutes √
B 60 minutes
C 90 minutes

4. How much time do candidates have for Question 2?

A 20 minutes
B 40 minutes
C 50 minutes √

5. Which of the following is true?

A Question 1 carries more marks than Question 2.
B Question 2 carries more marks than Question 1. √
C The two questions are scored equally.
 CHECK IT OUT!
• Task 2
To establish knowledge about the format
of MUET 800/4 Writing
 Task 2 : Answers
• A A pie chart Question 1
• B An opinion Question 1, 2
• C A current issue Question 1, 2
• D A point of view Question 1, 2
• E A graph Question 1
• F A table Question 1
• G A significant event Question 1, 2
• H A news clip Question 1, 2
• I A global phenomenon Question 1, 2
• J An illustration Question 1
Task 3: DOs and DON’Ts

• Work individually or in pairs.

• Read through the notes provided before
attempting Question 1 and Question 2 of the
MUET 800/4 Writing paper.
• Look through the list and decide where each
of the statements should be.
 LINES GALORE

Task 4
Understanding Information in Tables, Charts and Graphs

• Work in pairs or in groups

• Look at graph 4.1 in task sheet 4 and fill in the
numbers in the spaces box provided.
• Use the display sheets provided and draw simple
graphs to represent each of the verbs given in
practice
• 4.2. Display completed work for group discussion
and comments.
• Write the correct adverbs next to the matching
adjectives in task sheet 4.3
(9) trough
(5, 1) erratic movements
(2) a gradual rise
(12) level off
(8) a dramatic fall Task sheet 4 :
(1, 5) fluctuations Answers
(15) reach a peak
(4) a sharp recovery
(3) a gradual fall
(13) a plateau
(6) plunge
(14) a steady increase
(7) leap upwards
(10) a decline
(11) slump
 Test Format

Two Writing Tasks :

Question 1
Question 2

Time:
1 ½ hours
 Question 1:
Analyze and interpret graphs, charts
and texts

Time :
40 minutes

Weighting
Marks :
( 40 marks )
 So, What’s New?

Question 1

- No longer the focused

summary
The change?

Now……
An interpretation of
information presented
graphically.

(Please refer to page 77 of

the test format.)
 So, What’s New?

Question 1

- No longer the focused

summary
 Format of Writing Task 1
• Question 1: (40 minutes )
Interpret a diagram, table, charts and graphs and
present the information in your own words.
• Organise, present and possibly compare
– e.g. Money people spend on different forms of
entertainment.

• Describe stages of a procedure or process

- e.g. the stages of human evolution.

– Describe on object or event or series of events

– e.g. How the water cycle works.
• General Points
You must respond appropriately in terms of:

• Register – formality and politeness; e.g. no

short forms

• Organization – clear and logical

• Style – academic; e.g. no rhetorical

questions, no exclamations, no extreme
opinions, use tentative expressions such as ‘
this appears to be…’ ‘ this is probably due
to…’

• Content – relevant and complete

 Considerations for Task 1 include:

• Task Fulfillment – answering the question

completely
• Coherence – e.g. Firstly, Secondly, Finally
• Cohesion – e.g. ‘this’, ‘it’, ‘he’, ‘and’, ‘but’
and synonyms
• Vocabulary – good range, appropriate
• Sentence Structure – concise but not
simplistic; e.g. correct use of relative
clauses.
LET US BEGIN
 How to Prepare for Task 1
• Become familiar with graph types.
• Do practise exercises describing
graphs.
• Become familiar with ways to:
– express percentages.
– express numbers & statistical data.
– express trends.
– make comparisons between data.
 WHAT’S IN TREND?

Task 5
• Work individually.
• Look at the line graphs on Worksheet 5.1 and
read the corresponding sentences.
• Match the sentence that best describes the
trend shown in the graph.
• Circle the correct answer on the worksheet.
• Complete exercises 5.2 – 5.4
• Compare your answers with your friends.
Task 5 – Answers

Ex 5.1:
A – ii, iv
B – i, iv
C – ii, iv
D – iii
E – ii,iii
F – ii, iv
G – i, ii, iii
H – iii
I – iii
Ex 5.2
1.C 2.A 3.A 4. B 5.A
 How to Prepare for Task 1
Practise language that:
• describes how something works
• makes reference to graphs / figures
• explains sequencing in a process
 DATA MATTER
Task 6

• Work in pairs or in groups of three.

• Look at the graphs on Worksheet 6.1 and
answer the questions that follow.
• Combine the sentences to form sentences and
later combine these sentences to form a
coherent text.
• Use appropriate connectors to link the ideas
well.
• Discuss responses.
Possible Responses:

1 reasons for learning languages

2 2000 students
3 a university in Australia
4 non - native speakers
5 improves job prospects
6 52%
7 90%
8 improves job prospects
9 learning languages is enjoyable.
 WORDS, WORDS and MORE WORDS

Task 7
• Work individually.
• Look at the graphs on Worksheet 7.1 and
read the corresponding essay.
• Rearrange the jumbled parts of the essay
so that it reads coherently.
• Write the rearranged phrases in the blanks
provided.
• Complete exercise 7.2 by providing a
suitable synonym.
Answers:
1. people in different age groups
2. amount of available leisure time varies
3. different age levels have very different ways
4. Teenagers and people in their twenties spend
500 hours per year on socialising
5. People of all ages spend a good part of their
leisure time
6. Cinema accounts for 100 hours of the
teenagers’ leisure time
7. significant trend towards solitary and smaller
group activities
shows - exhibits depicts displays
Considerably – substantially
According - Based on
Fairly – moderately reasonably
Dramatically - severely
Similar – related same
Cases – occurrences – incidents
Ranges – varies
An average - A mean
In conclusion – Finally Lastly
Tips on How to Do Task 1
 Spend 5 minutes reading the graphs/charts etc.
 Make sure you understand axes.
 Make sure you follow lines on graph.
 Focus on the key information.
 If two graphs – compare.
 Think about the time period – tenses.
 Vary your vocabulary.
 Organize information clearly.
 Write neatly.
 Example of Task 1
You spend about 40 minutes on
this task.

The graph shows the

different modes of
transport used to travel to
and from work in one
European city in 1950,
1970 and 1990.

Write a report for a university

lecturer describing the
information shown.
 Example of Task 1
With a partner :

1. Identify the main trends for each

mode.

2. Identify any large increases or

decreases.

3. Are there any clear or consistent

directions?

4. Does anything seem surprising?

5. Are there any clear relationships

between modes and
percentages ?
 Possible Answer for Task 1 - Introduction

Instructions:

The graph below shows

the different modes of
transport used to travel
to and from work in one
European city in 1950,
1970 and 1990.

Answer:
The graph shows the
percentage of travellers
in a European city who
used bus, car, bike and
foot to commute to and
from work in the years
1950, 1970 and 1990.
 Possible Answer for Task 1 - Cars

Answer:
The amount of
people using cars
grew considerably,
rising from just over
5% in 1950 to 25% in
1970, and then
climbing to almost
40% by 1990.
 Possible Answer for Task 1 – Bikes and Walkers

Answer:
However, the amount of
people using bikes
decreased.
Over 25% of commuters
cycled in 1950, but this
had fallen to less than
10% by 1990. Similarly,
the amount of people
who walked to work fell
from more than a third in
1950 to about 10% in
1990.
 Possible Answer for Task 1 - Conclusion
Answer:

The graph indicates

the growing use of
cars for commuting
and the
corresponding fall in
the popularity of other
modes of transport
since 1950.
 Possible Answer for Task 1 - Buses

Answer:

The amount of
people using
buses initially
rose in 1970 to
about 30%, but
had dropped to
about 17% by
1990.
 Possible Answer for Task 1
Full Answer
The graph shows the percentage of travellers in a European city who
used bus, car, bike and foot to commute to and from work in the years 1950, 1970
and 1990.

The amount of people using cars grew considerably, rising from just over 5% in
1950 to 25% in 1970, and then climbing to almost 40% by 1990.

However, the amount of people using bikes decreased. Over 25% of commuters
cycled in 1950, but this had fallen to less than 10% by 1990. Similarly, the amount
of people who walked to work fell from more than a third in 1950 to about 10% in
1990.

The amount of people using buses initially rose in 1970 to about 30%, but had
dropped to about 17% by 1990.

The graph indicates the growing use of cars for commuting and the
corresponding fall in the popularity of other modes of transport since 1950.