GRE -Writing - A New Dimension

Writing in GRE play a vital role. It is an irony, that students ignore it and follow the traditional method of tackling it (They finish everything in introduction-body – and conclusion). Students never analyze the question stem, which is actually the gist for writing. It required more logical and scientific  approach to handle writing task. Despite what most students say, you should remember that the AWA only tests how well you can write an essay, and hence measures only your writing abilities. Contrary to popular opinion, the AWA does not analyze your thought process. As long as your essay sounds logical, writing ability is all it measures. The AWA section of the GRE asks you to complete two separate but complimentary writing tasks: The Issue Essay and the Argument Essay. Each task tests your analytical writing skills, including the assessment of your critical thinking skills. These essays have different time to get it completed 45 minutes required for –issue writing, and 30 min given for arguments writing- scale of 6.0. And those are the only similarities between them both. As you probably know, GRE writing, which is also known as AWA, has been divided into two parts:-

• ISSUE WRITING

• ARGUMENT WRITING

There are lots of differences between these two types of AWA essays that a majority of test takers are unfortunately unaware of. It is common to think that since both these are essay questions; there aren't many differences between them. GRE issue essay and GRE argument essay are very different in nature, and hence you need different strategies to tackle them. Remember that the GRE issue essay requires you to construct and support your opinions on a particular ‘issue’ that has been given to you, whereas the GRE argument essay requires you to validate the authenticity, or the logical correctness of an argument that someone else has constructed, without letting your opinions interfere with the task.

Your main task in GRE AWA section is to understand the differences and approach to handle each and every task of yours while writing both. First and foremost task is to change the perception to look at both types of tasks that are appeared same. This  can be done , if you fully analyzed the question stem or prompt. both tasks individually required different approach vis a vis different strategy.

Here are some tips, which can help you one way or another. 

1. Writing crisp and clear essay :

While using cliché phrases and sentences may seem like an idea choice for anyone writing an essay, it would more often than not be detrimental to someone writing the GRE. Understanding the fact that hundreds of thousands of students write the same essays every year, you should try and be a bit different, a bit unique. Using the same examples that everyone uses really won’t help you much, because it only looks like you have lifted those lines from someone else’s passage or an online journal. So, try to use your own examples, and your own sentences while writing the AWA essays.

2. Point out the name of author of quotes :

Sometimes, it would really help if you can use some “quotes” , in your AWA essays. But it is important to remember that you should cite the original author, lest there is chance that you might come off as pretentious. Whenever you are quoting someone’s lines, it is customary to give them the credit. Doing this will not only reinforce your image as a trustworthy individual, but also gives the grader an impression that you are an intellectual person.

3. Splitting needed in paragraph writing  :

If you remember what we discussed about writing and organization in the previous chapters, you should recollect the fact that you must allocate separate paragraphs for every idea or point that you are writing about. Often times, test takers tend to stuff a paragraph with two or three ideas, and end up mixing it up pretty badly. This can often cause confusion, not only to the grader, but also to you. Discussing more than one point in a single paragraph is not  recommended at all. to infuse all ideas into a single paragraph may be detrimental , and shows poor  cohesion, coordination and  organization. So, make it pretty clear  to not mix up paragraphs.

4. How to give introduction  :

The ideal approach for this is to enforce your ideas or your stand on the topic in first paragraph. The most important aspect about writing an article or an essay is to avoid giving away too much information in the very beginning it. The key to writing exceptional essays is to keep the reader intrigued until the last word. This is one of the reasons why we avoid academic reading . So, you might want to implement the same strategy when writing your essays. Do not give away too many key points, or at least your main idea, in the first paragraph itself. There are separate paragraph for that.

5. Use appropriate examples and factors involved :

Avoid using irrelevant examples as much as you can. cite the examples with proper factors affecting that example. Sometimes it is fine to make up your own examples, but do  remember that they should be very relevant to the rest of the essay. So, as much as you can, try and come up with strong and concrete examples to support your point of view. ideally if the example is logically explained then  it would be ,most appropriate to explain the given ideas.

6.  Find out logical fallacy in “argument writing” :

In argument task your main work is to find out ,that  is wrong in the given logic .then make a framework of finding out the logical  inappropriateness in the prompt and consequently the effective  remedy for the same. here your main task is to find out logic in an argument.