A supported claim has three parts: the claim, a short quotation and a sentence that links them. The link is the part students skip, and it is the part that earns the marks.
This lesson is part of the SPM subjects and learning resources section. The extract is original, written for practice, and is not from a set text. For the set text your paper uses, confirm the current list with your teacher.
What is the claim, quotation, link pattern?
- Claim: your point about a character, feeling or idea.
- Quotation: the shortest phrase from the text that supports it.
- Link: one sentence explaining how the phrase proves the claim.
Worked example: an original poem extract
Lampu di jendela masih menyala, walau malam sudah jauh dan sunyi.
Question. What does the poem suggest about the person who keeps the lamp lit?
Weak paragraph. “The person is waiting. The poem says lampu di jendela masih menyala. The night is quiet.”
The quotation floats. The reader is not shown how the lamp proves waiting.
Strong paragraph. “The person is waiting for someone to return. The phrase masih menyala suggests the lamp is kept alight on purpose, because the word masih shows it is still burning after the night has grown jauh dan sunyi. Keeping a lamp lit so late shows hope that someone will come home.”
The strong version quotes two short phrases and explains what each one shows.
The mistake that costs marks
The common slip is the floating quotation: a claim, then a quotation, then a new point with no link between them.
| Part | Floating version | Linked version |
|---|---|---|
| Claim | The person is waiting | The person is waiting for someone to return |
| Quotation | lampu di jendela masih menyala | masih menyala |
| Link | None | masih shows it is still burning late on purpose |
Check yourself
Read this original extract and write a three-sentence paragraph with a claim, a short quotation and a link.
Dia membayar harga buku itu dengan wang simpanannya, lalu tersenyum sambil memeluknya.
Answer
Claim: the character values the book very much.
Model paragraph: “The character treasures the book. She pays dengan wang simpanannya, which shows she is willing to use her savings for it. Smiling and hugging the book afterwards shows the purchase is a joy and not only a transaction.”
The paragraph gives a claim, a quoted phrase and a link for each detail. Your wording may differ if the links are clear.
What to study next
Language choices often carry the link, so continue with explain the effect of a language choice. Then test yourself on the Malay Literature original practice set.
The structured answer self-review shows whether every quotation has a link. A teacher can check your own paragraphs in online one-to-one Malay Literature tuition.