GUIDELINES FOR COMPOSITION WRITING

BEFORE YOU START

1. Before you put your thoughts into writing, have a plan. Jot down your ideas. It does not matter if they seem jumbled up. You can rearrange them later. The important thing is to jot them down before you forget them.
2. You can get ideas in a number of different ways. You can:
• use your own experience,
• use the experience of those who know more about the subject than you do, or
• use other sources, for example books, magazines, etc.
3. After getting your ideas, put them in order. Start with the more important ideas first and then work your way down to the less important ones. Have a composition outline.
4. A composition outline should consist of the following:
• an introduction
• the body of the composition consisting of several paragraphs and
• a suitable conclusion

A. INTRODUCTION

HOW TO START A COMPOSITION

An introduction is the first and most important part of a composition. Therefore, a writer has to make sure that his introduction is clear, precise and effective.

An introduction serves two purposes. Firstly, it states the theme. Secondly, it tells the reader what to expect in the rest of the composition.

Hence, it is very important to make your introduction interesting. An interesting introduction will not only arouse the reader's interest but it will help to sustain it throughout the composition.

Below are some ways of starting a composition

1. Ask a question (and provide an answer)
2. Use newspaper headlines
3. Use dialogue or direct speech
4. Give an opinion
5. Relate a story or anecdote
6. Give a quotation, proverb or idiom
7. Give a definition of the topic or state a fact about the topic

Now let us look at a few examples of starting a composition using the different ways.

Topic: FIRE

1. Question and Answer

Do you know what is the major cause of fires in Malaysia? Contrary to what most people think, the major cause of fires is neither short circuit nor lightning. The majority of fires in Malaysia is due to negligence or arson.

2. Using newspaper headlines

Kampung Permai fire leaves 80 homeless
Paper products go up in smoke
Three family members die in fire

Newspaper headlines such as these appear so frequently in our local dailies that they no longer fail to catch the attention of the readers. In fact, it would not be too far-fetched to say that there is at least one major fire in the country every month.

3. Dialogue

"Fire! Fire! Get out of this building and run for your life", someone shouted. His shouts of warning were drowned in a frenzy of panic stricken screams. Immediately, there was a patter of hurried footsteps as people rushed to the emergency exit.

4. Opinion

People, generally, do not give priority to fire prevention methods at home or at work unless and until a fire breaks out. By then, it may be too late. A few lives may have been lost by then. Valuables and property may have gone up in smoke. Then, come the realization that fires can indeed cause a lot of destruction.

5. A story or anecdote

It was on the second day of Hari Raya. The women folk of En. Azmi's household were busy clearing the dishes after dinner. The men were talking in the verandah while the children were playing with fireworks in the compound. Suddenly, there was the smell of something burning. "Fire!" someone shouted.

6. Quotation, Proverb or Idiom

"Fire is a good servant but a bad master." If only people realized the truth of this statement. It will certainly make more people careful if they knew the destructive effects of fire on lives and property. 

7. Fact

The forest fires that occurred in Kalimantan, Indonesia was an eye-opener in many ways. In the first place, the fires were a grim reminder of what the environment of the future would be like if collective efforts are not taken to tackle the problem. Secondly, the fires brought about the haze and a host of other health-related problems which made Malaysians aware of the dangers of uncontrolled fires and open-air burning.

To be continued...