sample essays and exercises on writing essays on proverbs or sayings or quotes for SPM

1. Zulaikha_Anis
smkap 2018
“No. It shouldn’t be this way!” cried my father while my mother was weeping over her
disappointment. Covering his mouth with one hand while opening the door with another, he
dashed out of the labour room. I could never imagine making him feeling nauseous looking at me
for the very first time. The fact that his first newborn was very much different than other babies
made him vomit and his wife was in dire misery. She even refused to look at me when the nurse
held me to her. I was an awfully disgusting being.
When I was born, I was nothing except a mass of body without limbs; no arms, no legs. In
fact, that is how I look up to this day except for some noticeable changes in height and size. My
head seemed to be the only part that made me similar to other babies, which I am always grateful
of. At least in class when the teacher was counting heads, I would be counted in as a person too.
Having two tiny toes attached to my chicken wing sized foot enabled me to write. I was eventually
sent to a mainstream school where I experienced terrible emotional breakdown being a
laughingstock; a bully target who could just sit still in his wheelchair waiting for the next bully to
act with countless nasty words.
I remember trying to commit suicide when I was eight. If I managed to drown myself that
day, I would be all free from the agony of having to live without limbs. Life at that moment was of
no use, I pathetically thought. Hopeless. Cold. Completely empty. Until then, I was not sure of
where did it all started. What I did remember was my thought that life should not be all that bad.
Things started to change so much when I accepted the way my life was. Despite my disabilities,
I finished school and even successfully graduated from the university. I tried and discovered I
could do things that normal people are capable of doing. I learned to swim,surfand I did skydiving.
I conquered the high sky!
Above all, nothing beat the feeling of being able to speak in front of people without having
to mind and be fearful of what they were seeing. They saw my physical imperfections while I saw
my life being displayed as a lesson to them. I was no way perfect and I would never be so but
getting thousands and even millions pairs of eyes looking at me made me appreciate life better
than before. My speechwas about how my thought changed the way I viewed my life and reacted
on its circumstances. Up to this day, I had travelled to many parts of the world delivering
motivational speech to people.
“My doctors never thought that I’d be able to walk but today I’m walking”, I said. So it is
not about how we fall, it is indeed about how we get up every time we fall. Life was pointless back
then but today, as I own two companies that managed to employ dozen of people, I always believe
that everycloud has a silver lining. We just have to step out and try to do things for we never
know who we may inspire along the way. It is not life without limbs. It is life without limits!
‘Every cloud has a silver lining’
Write your experience facing difficult time before you succeeded in something.

2. Zulaikha_Anis
smkap 2018
Every cloud has a silver lining means difficult time will not last forever. Good time will
come later. I experienced a hard time in life too. I was born as a disabled. My mother did not want
to see my face while my father was leaving the ward because he disliked my physical condition.
I have no arms and no legs. I did not look like other babies. I only have a head, a body,
foot and two tiny toes. I was very sad. My friends bullied me at school because I was disabled. I
sat in a wheelchair. When I was eight, I tried to kill myself because I was depressed. I gave up on
life.
Suddenly, I thought I could not be sad all the time. I should be thankful to God that I was
still alive. Thus, I changed my way of thinking and way of life. I became a positive person. I studied
hard, finished school and graduated from the university successfully. Besides, I learned to swim,
surf and skydiving!
Days passed by as I became good at public speaking. I shared my story with others when
I gave motivational talks. That made me travel to many places. Thus, was not afraid to face the
public anymore. As a speaker, I speak to motivate people.
“My doctor said I could never walk but today, I am walking,” I said to the audience. I am
very happy with my life now because I have my own companies and workers. Because of my
disabilities, I experienced hard time in the past. Today, I am still disabled but I love my life.

3. Zulaikha_Anis
smkap 2018
Exercise 1: Rearrange the words to get the correct proverbs.
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Exercise 2: match the meaning provided with the proverbs in Exercise A by writing the letters in
the brackets.
1. What you do is more important than what you say ( )
2. If you are determined enough, you can find a way to achieve what you
want ( )
3. It is better to do something late than to not/never do it at all ( )
4. Great thing requires more time ( )
5. It is better to do something carefully in advance than to sufferlater ( )
6. Family relations and bonds are closer than other relationships ( )
7. A friend who helps at difficult time is a true friend ( )
8. Being honest is always good and fruitful ( )
A. policy the is best honesty : ___________________________________
B. is will a there way a when is the : ___________________________________
C. need is indeed in a friend a : ___________________________________
D. built day in a not was Rome : ___________________________________
E. late never better than : ___________________________________
F. sorry than safebetter be : ______________________________________
G. is than water thicker blood : _____________________________________
H. speak louder words than actions : ____________________________________

4. Zulaikha_Anis
smkap 2018
Exercise 3: Fill in the blanks with suitable proverbs that we have discussed.
1. Every time Hani has a problem, she always gets advice and support from her best friend,
Sara. Sara said that she will always be by Hani’s side no matter how bad the problem is
because ______________________________________________________
2. Maria’s mother never agreed to let her study abroad. After four years, Maria finally called
her to come to her graduation day. Her mother was very happy that she accepted Maria
again. In the end, ________________________________________________________
3. Although Johan came from a poor family, he never begged for food or money from others.
He worked hard doing many jobs like washing dishes at the restaurant, lawn mowing and
washing cars to help his family. He said _______________________________________
4. We should not keep our problems to ourselves. Share the problems with someone we can
trust to ease the burden because ____________________________________________
5. Jeffry is a quiet boy but he always finishes his homework successfullyon time. Ourteacher
said that his ________________________________________________
6. Zack trained hard the whole weekdays for two years before he was selected to be in the
national football team. This really reflects the saying _____________________________
7. I did not want to continue my studies at the college anymore because it was too late. My
friends graduated when I was on my medical leaves but my mother said
_______________________________. At least, I would have a degree too although it
would take time.

5. Zulaikha_Anis
smkap 2018
Exercise 4: Fill in the table below with words from or related to the video. The video will be played
twice.
Past Tense
Verb
Present Tense
Verb
Adjective

6. Zulaikha_Anis
smkap 2018
Exercise 5: Fill in the blanks with suitable nouns, adjectives, verbs or adverbs.
1. Write the proverb AS INTRODUCTION
Every cloud has a silver lining. It means _________________ time will not last forever.
Good time will come later. I ________________ a hard time in life too. I was born as a
_______________. My mother ________________ not want to see my face while my father was
________________ the ward because he ________________ my physical condition.
2. BODY PARAGRAPH I
I have no ________________ and no legs. I did not look like other ________________. I only
have a head, a body, foot and two ________________ toes. I was very ________________. My
friends ________________ me at school because I was disabled. I sat in a wheelchair. When I
was eight, I tried to ________________ myself because I was depressed. I gave up on life.
3. BODY PARAGRAPH II
Suddenly, I ________________ I could not be sad all the time. I should be
________________ to God that I was still alive. Thus, I ________________ my way of thinking
and way of life. I became a ____________ person. I studied hard, finished school and
________________ from the university _________________. Besides, I learned to
________________, surf and skydiving!
4. BODY PARAGRAPH III
Days passed by as I became ________________ at public speaking. I shared my story with
others when I gave ________________ talks. That made me ________________ to many
places. Thus, I was not ________________ to face the public anymore. As a speaker, I speak to
________________ people.
5. LEAVING LONG LASTING IMPRESSION in closure
“My doctor said I could never ________________ but today, I am walking,” I said to the
audience. I am very ________________ with my life now because I have my own companies
and workers. Because of my disabilities, I experienced hard time in the ________________.
Today, I am still disabled but I ________________ my life.

7. Zulaikha_Anis
smkap 2018