A claim is the one point a paragraph exists to make, and an example is the evidence that makes it believable. In First Language Malay writing, strong paragraphs pair them every time. This skill appears in discursive, argumentative and informative tasks.
The idea sits inside the wider route in first-language writing and organisation.
What makes a claim and example pair work?
A claim is a sentence a reader could agree or disagree with. “Membaca itu bagus” is too soft to test. “Membaca setiap malam melatih remaja menumpukan perhatian lebih lama” can be tested, so the paragraph has something to prove.
An example is a specific case. It answers who, where and when. The closer it is to real life, the faster the reader accepts the claim.
How do I build the paragraph, step by step?
- Write the claim as one sentence that answers the task.
- Ask yourself: who is a person, place or moment where this is true?
- Write that case in one or two sentences with a detail the reader can picture.
- Add one sentence saying what the example shows, so the reader sees the link.
Worked example
Task: “Remaja patut dibenarkan menggunakan telefon bimbit di sekolah. Bincangkan.” Suppose you argue in favour.
Claim: Telefon bimbit membantu remaja belajar dengan lebih berdikari.
Example (invented student, Aina): Aina, pelajar Tingkatan 4, terlupa makna perkataan “mengikis” semasa kelas Bahasa Melayu. Dia membuka kamus dalam talian dan menyemak makna itu dalam masa seminit, tanpa menunggu guru.
Link sentence: Contoh ini menunjukkan bahawa telefon bimbit memberi pelajar cara pantas untuk menyelesaikan kekeliruan sendiri.
Notice the three parts: claim, scene, link. Each one is short.
A plausible mistake
Some students write: “Telefon bimbit berguna. Ramai orang menggunakannya setiap hari. Oleh itu, telefon bimbit penting.”
The paragraph repeats the claim three times in different words. The “example” is a general fact that supports no particular point.
The fix is to replace the middle sentence with a case that has a person and a moment, as in Aina’s story above. One real scene is worth more than three broad statements.
Self-check
- Is this a claim or an example: “Pelajar yang tidur lewat sukar fokus pada waktu pagi”?
- Improve this weak example: “Ramai orang suka bersukan.”
Show answer
- It is a claim. It is a general statement that a reader could dispute, and it needs a specific case behind it.
- A stronger version: “Setiap petang, sekumpulan jiran di taman perumahan saya bermain badminton selama sejam, dan mereka bertegur sapa sambil bersukan.” It names a place, a time and an action.
Where this leads
Next, see how to keep a tone that suits the reader while you present your examples. You can test planning with the audience register and purpose planner. If you want a teacher to go through your own paragraphs, our Malay tuition page explains how the paid one-hour trial works.