How to start your essay? I am sure many of you have a problem in starting your essay. Many of my students take a long time to start their introduction or worse, they use the overused intro.:Everyone in this world has a friend......Everyone in this world love to watch television..

Your introduction must be something that grabs peoples attention. Use the following ideas:

1 Use some startling information or factStart with a pertinent fact that explicitly illustrates the point you wish to make. Then, elaborate with a sentence or two.Example:Topic: Teenagers and their problemso A recent survey on teenagers provided some food for thought for parents. It was found that about 70 per cent of them smoked, 40 per cent watched pornographic videos and 14 per cent took drugs.Several factors have been identified as contributing to these problems.

2 Use an anecdoteAn anecdote is a short story that illustrates a point.Example: Topic: The loafing syndrome among teenagersRaj and his friends do not go home after school. They hang out daily at a shopping complex to while their time away. There, they join many other students from other schools. Sometimes, they play some video games or just enjoy each others company. Raj and his friends are just the tip of the iceberg of the loafing syndrome among teenagers.

3 DialogueUse an appropriate dialogue to start your story or convey a point. Use only two or three exchanges between speakers to make your point.Topic: An unforgettable incidentHelp! Someone just snatched my purse! The screams shattered the still of the night. Suddenly, lights were switched on and heads popped out of doors and windows. Hey, whats the matter?

4 Use a questionYou can also use a rhetorical question which jolts people into attention.Topic: Reduce, reuse and recycleDid you know that Malaysians throw away 1.2 million tonnes worth of newspapers daily? For every ten newspapers bought, only four are recovered for recycling. Thus, the government spearheaded a recycling campaign to encourage Malaysians to separate their waste.Topic: Coping with peer pressureWhat choice do you have if your friends are pressuring you to do something which you think is wrong? Would you walk away? Are you able to say no?

5 Use a definitionDefine your topic.Example:Topic: Gawai Dayak FestivalIn Sarawak, the word Gawai is the equivalent to a Festival. Numerous Gawais are celebrated throughout the year by the States indigenous people but Gawai Dayak marks the end of the harvest season and heralds a new year.

6 Use a quotationTopic: How to save waterIt is better to be safe than to be sorry. That is the message of the environmentalists to those who take water for granted. For one day, we may be faced with the situation whereby there is not enough water for everyone. Thus, we should take steps to save water.

7 Use a general statementUse a general statement about your topic, then narrow it to a specific point of view.Topic: Ways to reduce pollutionOf late, there has been increasing concern with the impact of pollution on the environment and our society. The public outcry over the various environmental disasters in our own country should be lauded. How do we resolve these problems?Using idiomatic expressions

50 IDIOMATIC EXPRESSSIONS YOU MUST KNOW The correct use of idiomatic expressions will earn you merit points when you write your essays.

1 ace Get an "A" on a test, homework assignment, project, etc. I heard that Susie aced the test yesterday2 As easy as a pie very easy The test was as easy as a pie.3 at the eleventh hour at the last minute; almost too late.He finished the project at the eleventh hour and he nearly lost his job.

4 all ears eager to hear what someone has to say. Tell me about your latest trip overseas. Im all ears.

5 be broke be without money. I need to borrow some money. I am broke.

6 be on the go be very busy (going from one thing or project to another). I am very tired. I've been on the go since 5 in the morning.

7 beat exhausted; very tired I need a break after this. I'm beat!"

8 beat around the bush evade an issue; avoid giving a direct answer. Stop beating around the bush! Just tell me what happened to my car.

9 bite off more than one can chew take responsibility for more than one can manage. Mrs Lee finds it difficult to finish all her work. She has bitten off more than she could chew!"

10 blow one's top become extremely angry. My father blew his top when he found out I had taken his car without his permission.

11 burn the midnight oil study/work all night or until very late at night. Johan is not ready for the test. He will have to burn the midnight oil."

12 call it a day stop work for the day. The labourers call it a day after working for five hours on the field.

13 can't make heads or tails of something can't understand something at all;find something confusing and illogical. I cannot make heads or tails of your notes. Were you sleepy during the class?

14 catch one's eye attract one's attention/interest. This colourful advertisement caught my eye when I was in the bus.

15 change one's minddecide to do something different from what had been decided earlier. David did not go to Australia. He changed his mind when he heard that his mother is ill.

16 cost (someone) an arm and a leg cost a lot; be very expensive. This car costs him an arm and a leg. He has to get another job to help pay for it.

17 couch potato someone who spends too much time watching TV. You are becoming a couch potato. You need to get out and do some exercise.

18 Don't count your chickens until (before) they hatch (they've hatched) Don't assume that something will happen until it has happened. I think you should not count your chickens until theyve hatched. Wait till the boys win the competition this Sunday.19 drop someone a line write to someone Do drop me a line when you have time.20 drag one's feet delay; take longer than necessary to do something. Why are you dragging your feet? You should have finished your homework by now.

21 an eager beaver a person who is always willing to volunteer or do extra work. Rahim is an eager beaver. He is the first to volunteer for any job to be done.

22 feel blue feel sad and depressed. Rita is feeling blue because she has not heard from her boyfriend for a long time.

23 fire someone dismiss someone from a job because of poor performance. Lokman might be fired if he continues to be late for work.

24 get it understand something (often negative). I dont get it. Could you please explain it to me again?

25 get on one's nerves irritate someone; make someone upset. His constant chatter is getting on my nerves. Please tell him to keep quiet.

26 get out of hand: become out of control; become badly managed. The situation is getting out of hand. The relief centre can only hold forty people but we have one hundred people to care for.

27 give someone a hand i. help someone.

ii. applaud someone Please give a hand to the poor old lady. She is trying to cross the road.The gardener has done a wonderful landscaping job. Lets give him a hand.

28 Hard-headedhave one's hands full stubborn; inflexible; unwilling to change.

Its pretty difficult to get Simon to change his mind. He is hard-headed.29 have one's hands full extremely busyPeggy usually has her hands full in the beginning of a new school term.

30 in the black: profitable; not showing a financial loss. The company is back in the black after suffering from great losses the last two months.

31 in the red: unprofitable; showing a financial loss. The company is in the red. We have to stop some of the workers if the situation continues.

32 keep an eye oncheck something regularly. Please keep an eye on the children while I go to the bank.

33 keep one's fingers crossed hope for the best. He is keeping his fingers crossed while waiting for the results of his interview.

34 lend someone a hand help someone. Can you please lend a hand at the relief centre for the flood victims?

35 live from hand to mouth survive on very little money; have only enough moneyto pay for basic needs. Ros and the children live from hand to mouth after the fire destroyed their house.36 make a mountain out of a molehill make something seem much more important than it really is. Susila is making a mountain out of a molehill. I am sure the boys are perfectly capable of looking after themselves.

37 make up one's mind decide what to do Moses has to make up his mind whether to continue his studies or take up a job.

38 on the dot exactly at a given time. If you do not come on the dot, we will leave without you.

39 (on the) cutting edge using the most recent technology This car boasts of having a cutting edge technology. It has a computer and tracking system.

40 pull someone's leg tease someone by trying to make her/him believe something that's untrue. She pulled my leg when he said that he had quit his job to get married.

41 Rain or shine no matter what the weather"We're leaving for Cameron Highlands, rain or shine."

42 rain cats and dogs Rain heavily Its raining cats and dogs now. You better leave later.

43 read someone's mind: know what someone is thinking. I can read your mind. I know you are very hungry and I have ordered pizza.

44 rub someone the wrong wayirritate someone I cannot stand Robert. He seems to rub me the wrong way every time we discuss something.

45 sleep on it take some time to think about something before making a decision.You should sleep on it first and we will discuss again tomorrow.

46 To make his own bed; now let him lie in it. Someone has caused his/her own problems; he/she will have to solve them himself/herself. He insisted that he should take up the project alone. So, he has made his own bed, let him lie in it.

47 under the weather ill; unwell. Susan was feeling under the weather yesterday, so she decided not to go to work."

48 until you're blue in the face forever You can advise him until you're blue in the face, but he wont change his ways.

49 wet behind the ears inexperienced and naive. I do not think Suresh is suitable for this project. He is still wet behind the ears, having only joined us last month.

50 wishy-washy: without an opinion of one's own. You better check with the other members. John can be wishy-washy at times.

TIPS FOR SUCCESS ESSAY WRITING TIPS FOR SUCCESSThere are no shortcuts to writing good essays. 1 - Answer the question Do not try to memorise an essay and use it as an answer.2 - Be original Try not to use the usual boring plot that you have read before. I always tell my students to relate real life experiences or write it from the heart.

3 - Don't thesaurize your composition Some students like to use bombastic words all over their essays. It can make the essay very awkward if the vocabulary used is inapt.4 - Spend some time on your introduction Plan your introduction carefully so that it grabs the attention of the reader. Stay away from the "Everyone in this world......" introduction.5 - Body paragraphs must relate to your introduction Make sure that your introduction leads to the paragraphs and all your paragraphs are cohesive. Plan for only one main idea for each paragraph.

6 - Use transition Use transition markers to begin each paragraph as well as within the paragraph to ensure the smooth flow of the essays.

7 - Remember to write a good conclusionRemember to end your essay with an appropriate conclusion. You can summarise your points, state the implication of a certain issue or state your hope for the future.8 - Time managementSpare some time to check your work. Watch out for spelling errors, grammatical errors esp tenses.