  Exponential decay estimates of a general linear weakly damped wave equation
are studied with decay rate lying in a range. Based on the $C^0$-conforming
finite element method to discretize spatial variables keeping temporal variable
continuous, a semidiscrete system is analysed, and uniform decay estimates are
derived with precisely the same decay rate as in the continuous case. Optimal
error estimates with minimal smoothness assumptions on the initial data are
established, which preserve exponential decay rate, and for a 2D problem, the
maximum error bound is also proved. The present analysis is then generalized to
include the problems with non-homogeneous forcing function, space-dependent
damping, and problems with compensator. It is observed that decay rates are
improved with large viscous damping and compensator. Finally, some numerical
experiments are performed to validate the theoretical results established in
this paper.
