Past Years O-Level Essay Questions (English) with Essay Outlines

In this blog post, we have compiled the past years’ O-Level English Essay Questions.  However, looking at these questions is not enough for your child’s revision.  Hence, we have included essay outlines to accompany the essay questions from year 2024 to 2018. 

These essay outlines, (almost 2100 words long), are written by the English curriculum team at Writing Samurai and Grade Solution Learning Centre.  When you download the pdf of these essay outlines, you get to learn how to…

• Breakdown and analyse a question
• Generate main points and examples
• How to formulate counter-arguments
• Come up with ideas for personal recount and reflective essays

Use it as a study resource for your child!

Here’s a video preview of our Past Year’s O-level essay outlines:

So before you go on reading… You might want to download a pdf copy of our Essay Outlines from Year 2018 – 2022! 

Click the blue download button, enter your email, and the pdf file will be delivered to your inbox! (Remember to check spam!) 

Click Here to Download

Year 2024 O-Level

1. Describe a special meal you enjoy with your friends and family. As well as describing the food, describe where and when you have the meal and why it is important to you.
2. “We should all value time spent alone.” How far would you agree with this.
3. Social media does more harm than good. Do you agree? Why or why not?
4. Write about a time when you experienced a difficult but interesting journey.

Year 2023 O-Level

1. What is your idea of a perfect afternoon? Describe what you like to do and how it makes you feel.
2. “As I looked back, I realised I had made the right decision.” Write about a time when you felt like this.
3. “Schools should teach practical skills like cooking and managing our finances.” Do you agree? Why or why not?
4. “All you need to succeed in life is a positive attitude.” How far would you agree?

Year 2022 O-Level

1. Some people enjoy being in a crowded place, while others prefer somewhere quieter with fewer people. Describe your perfect place when you want to relax.
2. “I realised that I was much stronger than I had previously thought.” Write about a time when you felt like this.
3. “Young people spend so much time thinking about the future that they forget to enjoy the present.” How far do you agree?
4. “People today are far too easily persuaded to spend money on things they don’t need.” Do you agree that advertising has made us wasteful? 

Year 2021 O-Level

1. Describe the sights and sounds of a shopping mall. Remember to describe the people too.
2. “I felt I was on top of the world.” Write about a time when you felt like this.
3. “Young people are making the world a better place.” What is your opinion.
4. “A happy person is a healthy person.” How far do you agree?

Year 2020 O-Level

1. Describe ways to relax after you have been busy. Explain why it is enjoyable for you.
2. Write about a time when you did something to impress someone and regretted it.
3. Learning how to respond to mistakes is essential for success. What is your opinion?
4. “There is no place like home.” Is it true to you?

Year 2019 O-Level

1. Which person has the most positive impact on your life? Describe the individual’s personality and in what ways he or she influenced you. 
2. “It was the proudest moment.” Write about a time when you felt like this.
3. Most young people today are obsessed with fame and imitating celebrities. What are your views?
4. “People can only be happy if they feel they are treated fairly.” Do you agree?

Year 2018 O-Level

1. Describe an event that you looked forward to which turned out to be disappointing. Explain why you were excited about it and why it didn’t live up to your expectations.
2. “I had never seen my friend laugh so much!” Write about a time when this happened.
3. Some people like to stand out from the crowd; others just want to be part of it. Which do you prefer and why?
4. Which modern invention is essential for you and your family and which one could you and your family live without? Explain your views.

Year 2017 O-Level

1. Describe a place that means a great deal to you. Why is it so important?
2. Write about a time when you caused great disappointment to a person. What did you do about the situation?
3. It is often said that people are too concerned with getting things and spending money. What is your opinion?
4. People should always tell the truth.’ Do you think there are any situations in which this might not be the best thing to do? Explain your views.

Year 2016 O-Level

1. Describe a childhood toy, or a game you played, which still means a great deal to you. Why is it so important?
2. Do you agree that we can learn from the mistakes of others or do we need to learn from our own experiences?
3. What are your ambitions for the future? Explain how you plan to achieve them, including any possible difficulties.
4. To what extent do you agree with the idea that some teenagers lead an unhealthy lifestyle? Give reasons for your views.

Year 2015 O-Level

1. Describe the possession that matters most to you and explain why you would never be prepared to part with it.
2. The world would be a very dull place without music’ What are your views?
3. Shoppers have too much choice, from chocolate bars to jeans’ What, in your opinion, are the advantages and disadvantages of having many things to choose from?
4. Do electronic devices, such as tablets or smart phones, help or hinder students in their studies?

Year 2014 O-Level

1. Describe how you celebrated an important family occasion. Why will this event always remain in your memory?
2. Which features of Singapore and its citizens make it a major tourist attraction for people from all over the world?
3. Which person has the greatest influence on your life at the present time, and why?
4. The best things in life are free’ Write about some of the occasions when you have found this to be true.

Year 2013 O-Level

1. Parents often believe that it is better to be safe than sorry. Do you consider young people to be too protected?
2. Describe some of your experiences in food courts and hawker centers. How important are these places in your life as a teenager in Singapore?
3. The way we dress reveals who we are’ What are your views?
4. What do you consider to be your greatest achievement? Why does it mean so much to you?

Year 2012 O-Level

1. Write about an incident you still remember from your early childhood. Why do you think it has remained in your mind so clearly?
2. People all over the world are living longer. What are the advantages and disadvantages of their increased life expectancy?
3. Describe an annual event which you enjoy and explain why it is so important to you.
4. The use of motorcars is the greatest threat to the environment’ Do you agree?
5. Fame

Year 2011 O-Level

1. “It is better never to borrow or lend money” What are your views on this advice?
2. Write about an amusing incident on a day out with your family, which still makes you laugh whenever you remember it.
3. Should boys and girls be given exactly the same type of education?
4. Describe how a religious or national event is celebrated in your country.
5. Freedom

Year 2010 O-Level

1. What important lessons in life are learned away from school?
2. Write about an occasion when it was necessary to tell the truth whatever the consequences.
3. Some people say that the internet does more harm than good. What is your view?
4. Describe the location and the main features of your ideal home and explain why you think it would be an ideal place to live.
5. Leadership

Year 2009 O-Level

1. In the 21st century, how important is it to be able to read, write and speak English in Singapore?
2. I’m bored’ is so often the cry of teenagers today. What could be done about this?
3. Write about an occasion when an attempt to help led to unexpected consequences for the helper.
4. Power
5. Write about some of your worries and hopes for the future.

Year 2008 O-Level

1. The delights and frustrations of being a teenager
2. Greed
3. Write about an occasion when you just could not stop laughing at an inappropriate moment.
4. Television, newspapers and the Internet – which of these do young people prefer as a source of information, and why?
5. In your opinion, what kind of voluntary work is worth doing, and why?

Year 2007 O-Level

1. If you were drawing up a set of school rules for a new school, what would they be? Explain which of these you think are the most important
2. Nowadays, people live longer than ever before. What problems does this present and how can these problems be dealt with?
3. Write about someone who failed to live up to his or her reputation.
4. Write about some of the things in your country you value the most and would miss greatly, if you had to live in another country
5. Heroes

Year 2006 O-Level

1. Write about a time when your late arrival for a particular meeting or event led to serious trouble.
2. Dreams
3. What do you think secondary schools can do to ensure the health, well-being and safety of their students?
4. Given the limited land available in Singapore, is it wise to set aside some areas as nature reserves?
5. Do you feel that you need the long school vacation? How do you occupy your time during the December break, when schools are closed?

Practising past questions is a great start, pair it with our Expository & Argumentative Essay Writing Crash Course to sharpen technique.

Before you leave this page… You might want to download a pdf copy of our Essay Outlines from Year 2018 – 2022! 

Click the blue download button, enter your email, and the pdf file will be delivered to your inbox! (Remember to check spam!) 

Click Here to Download