The GRE Analytical Writing Measure

The GRE Analytical Writing Measure (AWM) is comprised of two essays: a 45-minute
“Present Your Perspective on an Issue” and a 30-minute “Analyze an Argument.” The
first essay requires that the test taker construct his/her own argument by taking a position
on an issue (students will be able to choose one of two issues from which to write this
essay). The second essay requires the test taker to critique another person’s argument
(only one argument prompt will be provided). Each essay in the AWM will be scored
from 0 – 6, though students will only receive a single score for both essays; individual
essay scores will not be reported.

Present Your Perspective on an Issue

For the Perspective on an Issue Essay, you will be given a choice of two prompts, and
asked to give your opinion, in essay form, on one of them. The purpose of this portion of
the test is to determine how competent you are at writing clear, cohesive essays, as this is
an essential skill for most graduate coursework. Your actual opinion on the issue and the
content are not nearly as important as the organization of the essay and your writing
skills.

Your essay will be graded by two readers who will have no knowledge of your identity
on a scale of 0-6 in half-point increments.

As practice, let's now write an essay, using the Kaplan Five-Step Method for Analytical
Writing to guide us. Here's the prompt:

Directions: Present your perspective on the issue below, using relevant reasons and/or
examples to support your views.

"Because people are naturally selfish and lazy, community service should be
mandated for all citizens in the United States."

Step 1 – Take the issue apart

The first step towards writing an effective essay is breaking the issue down to its
component parts. First, identify the topic of the issue. The topic is the broad subject
matter. Second, pinpoint the scope, or what specific aspect of the topic you will be
dealing with. Next, identify what the conclusion, or main idea, of the prompt is. Then,
locate the evidence used to support the conclusion. Finally, think about what assumptions
the author of the prompt has made. An assumption is a piece of evidence that is not
explicitly stated, but that must be true in order for the argument to hold water.
Take a few minutes to break this issue apart yourself, and then compare your answers to
ours.
Topic – community service in the United States

Scope – whether it should be mandated

Conclusion – community service should be mandated

Evidence – people are naturally lazy and selfish

Assumptions – There are many assumptions that the author has made. Your list may
differ from ours a little bit, but here are the assumptions that we have identified.
• Community service is desirable.
• Most people do not perform community service now.
• Mandating community service would overcome lazy and selfish propensities.

Step 2 – Select the points you will make

Now that you have broken down the argument to make it more manageable, you can
select the points that you will make.

• What is the argument for mandating community service?

As we said before, the author feels that it must be federally mandated because people are
too lazy and selfish to perform community service voluntarily.

• What arguments could be marshaled for or against mandating community service?

At this point you should start thinking about outside knowledge. What do you know
about the issue that could be used in support of the argument? Maybe you’ve studied law
or sociology or psychology or read an article on community service and you can think of
some great reasons why this program should be implemented. On the flipside, you might
be able to conjure up some pretty good reasons why it shouldn’t.

Take a side! After a careful preponderance of the evidence, of the pros and cons of the
situation, what do you think? Are you for the plan or against it? Or maybe you believe
that the program would be acceptable with some modifications. Decide how you feel
about the issue, and from that point on, don't waver.

Step 3 – Organize
Once you’ve weighed all the evidence and taken a side, it’s time to organize the structure
of your essay. Think about what the best order for listing and supporting your pieces of
evidence is, and how you’re going to conclude. Take a couple of minutes to decide what
you want to say in:

• The opening paragraph or introduction

• The middle paragraphs (one point per paragraph)
• The final paragraph

Step 4 – Write your essay

Now that you’ve done all of the preliminary and organizational work, you’re ready to
write your essay. As you write, keep some things in mind that will make your essay a
powerful piece of prose:

• Start out and conclude with strong statements. The beginning and end of your
essay are usually what stands out in the graders’ minds, so you want them to be as
strong and clear as possible.
• Be forceful. The more forceful your essay is, the better it will be. There are
several things that you can do to make your writing compelling.
¾ Avoid the passive voice. Verbs of action carry more weight than the passive
voice does, and that is the impression that you are aiming for.
¾ Avoid needless self-reference. Phrases like “I believe”, or “It is my opinion
that” are redundant. The grader already knows that this essay is meant to be a
reflection of your views. Constantly saying “I believe” sounds like you are
qualifying your writing.
¾ Don’t be vague. The more specific you are, the more authoritative your
writing will be. On the other hand, if your writing is ambivalent, it will be
perceived as hedging.

Step 5 – Proofread
Once you have written your essay, proofread it carefully. You don't want to lose any
points for typos, silly mistakes, misspellings, or clumsy grammar that could be easily
corrected in a second read.

As a basis of comparison, we have provided examples of essays with rankings of 6 and 4,

so you can see how you're coming along.

Benchmark 6 – Outstanding

Community service should not be mandated for all citizens of the United States. The
concept is not only unreasonable, but also unconstitutional and unenforceable. Although
in a utopian society, every member would participate in activities that promote the
welfare of others, coercion is an extreme measure that would ultimately prove
unsuccessful.

Many Americans do not have the resources requisite for the endeavor. Numerous citizens
already maintain two or more jobs, sometimes working in excess of eighty hours per
week, in addition to their familial and personal obligations. These people lack the time to
complete even minimal extraneous functions.

Requiring community service would be as unenforceable as it would be unreasonable. A

vast expansion of bureaucracy would be necessary in order to track the community
service activities of all citizens. This expansion of bureaucracy, supposing it is possible,
would be counterproductive, as it would draw resources away from, instead of into,
communities in need.

Finally, demanding citizens to participate in any activity is unconstitutional. In order to

prevent the federal government from becoming dictatorial, the architects of the United
States Constitution carefully delineated the power granted to Congress. The authority to
require any person to take part in any activity was not included in the document, and is
therefore not the prerogative of the government.

Mandating community service for all citizens would ultimately prove to be a fruitless
undertaking. Even if it were feasible to circumvent legal issues and to implement such a
requirement, the expense involved, and the toll it would demand upon the participants,
would only serve to withdraw time and monetary resources from those that the plan
intends to benefit.

Kaplan’s Grading Commentary:

This essay is well-organized and incisively argued. The author introduces and expounds
upon, in a clear, logical manner, three distinct and valid critiques of the plan to mandate
community service, and pulls the three critiques together into a coherent analysis of the
prompt. The writing is clean, concise, and error-free. Sentence structure is varied, and
diction and vocabulary are strong and expressive.

Benchmark 4 – Adequate

Mandating community service for all of the citizens of the United States is an excellent
idea, and one that has been long in coming. This plan should be implemented as soon as
possible in order to benefit the country as a whole, as well as its citizens as individuals.

There is no doubt that the United States needs more volunteer workers. Nearly every
volunteer organization complains about lack of manpower. Many of these organizations
perform vital functions for society, and therefore need all of the help that they can get. If,
as is argued, people are truly selfish and lazy, they must somehow be forced to contribute
to society, as most will not do so on their own. However, if their natural proclivities can
be overcome by legislation, their time and efforts will be well-spent helping others, and
society as a whole will benefit.

The individuals in question will also benefit from the services that they perform. The
rewards that they will reap will compensate for the fact that they do not receive monetary
payment for their work. Helping others is a satisfying feeling. An afternoon spent aiding
others is far more pleasing, in the long run, than an afternoon spent watching television or
in a shopping mall. If a program serves only to benefit both the participants and society
as a whole, there is no reason not to implement it.

Kaplan’s Grading Commentary:

The writer mentions only two valid arguments, and does not develop them fully. The
writing is not superior. While it is error-free and does conform to the conventions of
standard English, it is not complex or particularly forceful. Vocabulary is passable, but
not extraordinary. The components of the argument individually, and in tandem, earn this
essay a four.

Analyze an Argument
For the Analyze an Argument essay, you will be presented with a short argument to
evaluate. Rather than giving your particular opinion on the subject at hand, you are
simply discussing whether the argument is logically composed. The best way to approach
this undertaking is to use the Kaplan Five-Step Method for Analytical Writing. With
practice, this modus operandi will become second nature to you. Let's start practicing
now, to get you on the road to comfort with the Method. Here's the argument that you
will be analyzing:

Directions: Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument.

The following letter to the editor was published in a Parent-Teacher Association

newsletter:

Advanced mathematics, such as geometry, trigonometry, and calculus should no

longer be required courses for high school students. Students at the high school level
need to be constantly stimulated by their studies. In order for them to be stimulated,
their studies must consist of topics that are of personal relevance to their own lives.
Furthermore, the lessons should reflect subject matter that will be of use to the
students in their adult lives. Dropping advanced mathematics courses from the
curriculum will therefore improve the quality of the education that today's high
school students are receiving.

Step 1 – Take the issue apart

In order to get a handle on what can be an intimidating writing task, it is essential to

break the argument down. This will help you to have a clearer idea of what you are
dealing with, and how to best approach it. Step One of the Kaplan Five-Step Method is a
great way to do just that. By asking yourself a few key questions, you help yourself to get
a grip on the task.

First, identify the topic and scope. The topic is the subject of discussion, and the scope is
the range of discussion on that topic. Then, locate the argument's conclusion, or the main
point that the author seeks to establish. After that, pin down what evidence the author
uses to plead his case. Finally, pinpoint any assumptions that the author has made in
constructing the argument. An assumption is a piece of evidence that is not explicitly
stated, but something that must be true for the argument to make sense. Try doing this on
your own for the argument above. Then, you can compare our answers to these questions
to your own to see how you did.

Topic – high school education

Scope – whether advanced mathematics should be required coursework for high school
students

Conclusion – advanced mathematics should not be required for high school students

Evidence
• High school students need to be stimulated.
• To be stimulated, coursework must reflect students' lives.
• Studies should reflect subjects that will be of use to students in their adult lives.

Assumptions – There are many assumptions that the author has made. Here is the list that
we have come up with, which will hopefully be similar to your own.
• Mathematics is not relevant to students' lives.
• Mathematics will not be of use to students in adulthood.
• Stimulating or useful coursework is essential to quality education.

By now, you should have a pretty tight grip on the subject at hand, so you can move on to
the second of the five steps.

Step 2 – Select the points you will make

The second step of the Kaplan Method is to select the points that you want to make in
your essay. The points that you should be considering should be strongly linked to the
author's assumptions. Are they valid? Can they stand on their own, or do they need
substantiating?

Decide which ones you find to be most worthy of consideration, and which you think you
could argue most convincingly. Think about how you would make your case in dealing
with each of the assumptions. Jot down your ideas in shorthand for easy reference.
Step 3 – Organize
How do you want to organize the essay? Which points would you like to bring up first,
and what do you want to leave until later on? Jot down quickly what you would like to
say in your:
• Introduction
• Middle paragraphs (one point per paragraph)
• Conclusion

Step 4 – Write your essay

Once you have completed organizing your thoughts, you are ready to write your essay.
Keep in mind as you are doing so that conforming to the standards of written English is
just as important as the analysis that you have conducted. You don't want to lose points
off of an incisive scrutiny because you are not giving enough attention to the writing
itself. In addition to all of the grammar rules, there are a few ways to make your essay
more effective. Try to use forceful language. Avoid any structures, such as the passive
voice, and needless self-reference that detract from the power of your writing. Also, make
sure that introductory and concluding statements, which are most notable in the graders'
minds, are particularly strong.

Step 5 – Proofread
Many people do not leave time at the end for revision, but it is absolutely essential to the
process. When you write rapidly, you risk making minor mistakes of the sort that can be
easily spotted and fixed during a final rereading. Picking up on typos and other such
faults can often make the difference between a "4" and a "5", or a "5" and a "6", so be
sure that you give yourself a few minutes at the closing stages of the task to proofread.

As a basis of comparison, we have provided examples of essays with rankings of 6 and 4,

so you can see how you’re coming along.

Benchmark 6 – Outstanding

At first blush, it would seem, according to the logic of the author of the letter, that
shelving advanced mathematics requirements for high school students would be a
foregone conclusion. However, the reasoning behind the argument is specious. The
author of the letter makes several assumptions, which may or may not be true. In order to
substantiate the assertion, more information about the conjectures of the author is
necessary.

The first rationale the author gives for abandoning advanced mathematics requirements is
that high school students must be stimulated by their studies. There is no evidence,
however, that high school students are not enthused by math. This may have been the
experience of the author, but it is not necessarily that of the students. Being that the letter
was published in a Parent-Teacher Association newsletter, it is probable that the writer
was either a parent or an instructor, and therefore not of the same generation as the
students in question. Consequently, the attitude that the writer holds towards mathematics
may in fact be diametrically opposed to that of the students. In order to support the claim,
more information, perhaps in the form of a survey, would be needed to gauge more
accurately the interests of the students.

Another notion the author incorporates into the case against compulsory mathematics
programs is that coursework must reflect topics that will be of use to the students in their
adult lives. The author, however, has not offered any data to support the contention that
advanced mathematics will not be of use to the students in their careers. Given the
technologically advanced society into which the students will be graduating, there is no
reason to believe that advanced mathematics will not play a significant role in their adult
lives.

Finally, the author seems to be under the impression that the quality of one's education is
based solely on whether it imparts skills that could be used later in life. As such, he or she
discounts the notion that knowledge can be valuable for its own sake. Chances are that
the students will make few allusions during their professional career to any particular
novel that they read in high school, but this does not necessarily mean educators should
eliminate literature from the curriculum. If we were to extend the author's appeal to all
subjects that may not result in concrete occupational skills, secondary education would be
reduced to vocational seminars. Though the utility of the coursework would be increased,
students would lose the opportunity to receive a well-rounded, multifaceted education,
which is just as valuable as occupational skills.

The author's argument against obliging high school students to take advanced
mathematics courses is greatly weakened by the use of unsubstantiated claims. If the
author was able to unearth statistics in his or her favor regarding student interests and the
function of mathematics in various professional fields, the contentions made in the letter
would be strengthened. However, the argument would still be vulnerable as it implies that
any course that does not promote occupational development is inherently out of place in a
high school environment, which is a highly questionable proposition.

Kaplan’s Grading Commentary:

This essay typifies a "6", as it demonstrates both the author's analytical and writing skills.
The author has identified three critical flaws in the logic of the letter. Each of these points
is argued in a clear, incisive manner. The writer of this essay displays a strong command
of written English, with eloquent vocabulary, meticulous grammar, and forceful
expressiveness.

Benchmark 4 – Adequate
The claim that advanced mathematics should be dropped from the high school curriculum
cannot stand on its own two feet, as it is presented in the letter to the editor. The
argument is missing crucial evidence, which would need to be provided in order to
strengthen its logic.

The first problematic aspect of the letter's reasoning is that it says that coursework must
be interesting to students. It does not however, prove that students are not stimulated by
mathematics. They may very well be. If the author wishes to use the stimulation factor in
support of his argument he should provide some sort of data that coincides with his
reasoning.

The author also contends that coursework should prove to be useful in the adult lives of
the students, and then provides no evidence to the contrary. Many careers, such as
architecture, physics and the like are highly dependent upon mathematics. Furthermore,
the ability to think in the logical manner that mathematics requires is a skill that carries
over well into most other disciplines.

This letter's line of reasoning is fundamentally lacking. It seems to be highly biased –

based on the personal experience of the author, who was probably not stimulated by
mathematics and probably does not use mathematics in his own career. However, he has
provided no objective data that support his claims. Since he has not offered any evidence
to support the assumptions he has made, we can not follow at face value his
recommendation.

Kaplan’s Grading Commentary:

This essay is adequate. The writer's command of the conventions of writing is
unproblematic, as the essay is overall smooth, clear, and free from errors, although it is
not extraordinary. However, it is not particularly incisively argued. The writer brings up
two legitimate critiques of the logic of the letter, but fails to develop them enough to be
up to par with a typical "5" essay.