The Analytical Writing section of the GRE consists of two writing tasks – the Issue Task and the Argument Task. Each of these tasks will present you with a prompt to guide your writing. Understanding the types of prompts you may see and how to approach each prompt is crucial for achieving a high score on your GRE Analytical Writing section.
Issue Task Prompts
The Issue Task presents you with a particular issue and instructs you to consider multiple perspectives on that issue before developing your own perspective on the topic in a well-reasoned essay. In your essay, you will need to state your perspective clearly, explain the reasons and evidence that support your perspective, and address any objections or alternative perspectives. Here are some examples of the types of Issue Task prompts you may see:
Claim: Computers have fundamentally changed the way people work and communicate. Discuss the impact, both positive and negative, that computers and digital technologies have had on work and communication. Consider such issues as how computers have affected employment, education, privacy, and how people interact with each other.
Claim: Scientific research that uses animals risks inflicting cruelty. Discuss the extent to which you either agree or disagree with this statement. In developing your argument, consider ways in which animal research may be beneficial as well as harmful.
Claim: Public high school curriculums should require students to complete at least one community service project in order to graduate. Discuss the potential benefits and drawbacks of this requirement. In your response, you may want to consider such issues as how community service influences students’ character and education.
As you can see, Issue prompts present complex topics about which reasonable people can disagree. Your task is to weigh the pros and cons of the issue from multiple perspectives before taking a clear stance and supporting it with sound reasoning and evidence.
Argument Task Prompts
The Argument Task presents you with a short argument on an issue of interest and then asks you to evaluate the reasoning and evidentiary support of the argument. Your response must both identify the strengths and weaknesses of the presented argument as well as suggest how the argument could be strengthened by adding or refuting particular evidence or reasoning. Some examples of Argument Task prompts include:
Argument: A developing country should use its limited funds for education rather than for space exploration. Education is clearly more vital and has immediate, practical benefits, while the technology from space exploration is often not applicable or useful for solving pressing problems on Earth. The government of this developing country should therefore decrease its spending on space programs and increase funding for education.
Argument: A local newspaper has reported that occupancy of guest houses and hotels in the area has decreased significantly this year. The economic downturn has led many people to cut back on leisure travel. Therefore, the city council should eliminate its funding for the upcoming annual arts festival in order to save money during these tough economic times.
Argument: Many school Districts contend that class sizes should be no larger than 20 students. Lowering class sizes across the board would be too costly for most school districts to implement. Because funds are limited, money for reducing class size is better spent where it is needed most – in the early elementary grades where students are just beginning to learn to read and do basic math.
For each prompt, your task is to dissect the reasoning and evidence used in the argument to determine its strengths and weaknesses before suggesting how the argument could be strengthened. Strong responses analyze both what works and what doesn’t work in the presented line of reasoning.
General Tips for Approaching GRE Writing Prompts
Here are some tips for effectively approaching both the Issue and Argument writing tasks:
Carefully read and analyze the given prompt to fully understand the argument or issue being presented before developing your own perspective.
Consider multiple viewpoints on the issue rather than approaching it with bias toward a particular stance. Weigh reasonable perspectives objectively.
Organize your response with a clear introduction, body paragraphs developing your position with evidence/examples, and conclusion.
Employ a formal, academic writing style using precise language and varying sentence structure. Avoid slang, contractions, and informal language.
Stay focused on the specific argument or issue – do not drift to unrelated topics. Address the prompt directly.
Develop your position with well-reasoned logical arguments supported by relevant examples or data rather than just opinions.
Anticipate counterarguments and address them – this shows your critical thinking skills.
Use transitions to link evidence, examples, and reasoning both within and between paragraphs.
Stay within the 30 minute time limit per essay to allow sufficient time for multiple drafts and revisions.
Reread, refine, and edit your response before ending to catch any errors or weaknesses in logic.
Following these general guidelines will help you craft clear, persuasive, well-supported essays that effectively address the specific prompts you receive on the GRE Analytical Writing section. Understanding the prompts you may see and how to dissect and respond to them is an important first step to success.
Andrew Stroud