Part IV

Penning Powerful Analytical Essays

In this part . . .

The GRE begins with the Analytical Writing section, which is comprised of two essay-writing tasks. Each essay lasts 30 minutes, which means you write for 60 minutes before even beginning the questions. The two essay assignments are Analyze an Issue and Analyze an Argument.

This part helps you prepare for the Analytical Writing section of the GRE by giving you a sneak peek at what the essay evaluators look for. You basically need to be able to read and understand an issue statement, pick apart an argument, clearly state your position in writing, and then support your position with solid information. Also, your essay must be clear, well organized, and mostly error free.

Knowing what the evaluators are looking for and having a clear idea of how to structure each essay are the keys to success. The first chapter in this part guides you in writing a solid essay in the 30-minute timeframe for each task. The second chapter presents three sample essays — good, fair, and poor — for each essay-writing task, along with evaluator comments for each essay, to better equip you to meet the essay-writing requirements.