A paragraph is coherent when the huraian explains the isi, the contoh proves the huraian, and the kesan follows from the contoh. Each part must lean on the one before it.
This lesson opens the essay development set. Read the question properly before you write, as in identifying kehendak soalan before writing.
What does each part do?
The four parts have different jobs.
| Part | Job | Test question |
|---|---|---|
| Isi | States the point | Does it answer the task? |
| Huraian | Explains how or why | Does it say more than the isi? |
| Contoh | Gives a specific case | Could I picture it? |
| Kesan | Shows what follows | Does it come from the contoh? |
A weak paragraph, repaired
Here is an original weak paragraph on keeping the river clean.
Menjaga kebersihan sungai amat penting. Ramai orang membuang sampah di sungai. Kesannya, sungai menjadi kotor.
It has a point and a result, but the huraian and contoh are missing, and the kesan only repeats the isi. Repair it one part at a time.
- Isi: Menjaga kebersihan sungai melindungi sumber air yang digunakan oleh penduduk.
- Huraian: Sampah plastik yang dibuang ke dalam sungai menyumbat aliran air dan mencemarkan air yang diambil oleh loji rawatan.
- Contoh: Sebagai contoh, apabila penduduk sebuah taman perumahan membuang bungkusan makanan ke dalam parit, sampah itu hanyut ke sungai berdekatan dan menyebabkan air berbau busuk.
- Kesan: Akibatnya, bekalan air bersih terganggu dan penduduk terpaksa menunggu air dibersihkan semula.
The repaired version is one paragraph with four different sentences, and each one depends on the last.
The mistake that keeps paragraphs thin
The common slip is a contoh that is general, or a kesan that only restates the isi. Compare the two versions of the contoh.
| Version | Contoh | Problem |
|---|---|---|
| Weak | Contohnya, ramai orang membuang sampah. | No one, no place, no action a reader can picture |
| Strong | Penduduk taman perumahan membuang bungkusan makanan ke dalam parit. | A group, a place and an action |
A strong contoh also leads to a kesan. The weak one leaves the kesan with nothing to grow from.
Check yourself
Write a four-part paragraph in Bahasa Melayu for this isi: “Sukan membantu pelajar menjadi lebih berdisiplin.” Keep the contoh specific.
Answer
A model:
Sukan membantu pelajar menjadi lebih berdisiplin. Pelajar yang menyertai latihan sukan perlu mematuhi jadual dan peraturan pasukan, sekali gus belajar menguruskan masa. Contohnya, pemain bola sepak sekolah yang hadir ke latihan pada pukul lima petang setiap Selasa terpaksa menyiapkan kerja rumah lebih awal. Akibatnya, dia terbiasa merancang harinya dan tidak mudah menangguhkan tugasan.
Check the links: the huraian explains how discipline grows, the contoh is a named case with a time, and the kesan follows from the contoh. Your wording will differ, and that is fine.
What to study next
After body paragraphs, writing an introduction without memorised filler fixes the start. Then connecting paragraphs with appropriate penanda wacana joins them.
For feedback on your own paragraphs, see online one-to-one SPM Bahasa Melayu tuition. The BM essay plan builder and the mistake log and paper-error review tool are free ways to plan and track.