GRE Sample Essays to Nail the GRE Analytical Writing Section

GRE Sample Essays

A lot of students find the Quants and the Verbal sections of the GRE (Graduate Record Examination) exam fairly easy to deal with. It’s the GRE Analytical Writing section that gives almost everybody a run for the woods. To reduce your nervousness and help you prepare for the GRE Analytical Writing section, I have included in-depth details about each question type and shared tips on how to nail it. Along with that, you will also find some GRE sample essays to help you. So, what are you waiting for? Dive in!

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GRE Analytical Writing Section

Before we begin, it’s essential to understand the GRE Analytical Writing section and why it’s so important.

The GRE Analytical Writing section tests students’ critical thinking and analytical writing skills. In simpler words – universities want to ensure that their students know how to construct complex ideas, analyze them, and express their thoughts on paper.

So the Analytical Writing score helps them see if a student will perform well while giving presentations, doing projects, or writing papers and assignments for a class.

Consequently, the Analytical Writing section in the GRE consists of two tasks:

1. The “Analyze an Issue” task – 30 minutes
2. The “Analyze an Argument” task – 30 minutes

Below, we will talk about each of these tasks, what they test, and look at a few samples. But before that, let’s look at some GRE analytical writing samples and examples. 

GRE Analytical Writing Samples

Sample Issue Topic: 

“The best way for a society to prepare its young people for leadership in government, industry, or other fields is by instilling in them a sense of cooperation, not competition.”

Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the claim. In developing and supporting your position, be sure to address the most compelling reasons or examples that could be used to challenge your position. 

Score 6 Answer to the above sample: 

Whenever people argue that history is a worthless subject or that there is nothing to be gained by just “memorizing a bunch of stupid names and dates,” I simply hold my tongue and smile to myself. What I’m thinking is that, as cliche as it sounds, you do learn a great deal from history (and woe to those who fail to learn those lessons). It is remarkable to think of the number of circumstances and situations in which even the most rudimentary knowledge of history will turn out to be invaluable. Take, for example, the issue at hand here. Is it better for society to instill in future leaders a sense of competition or cooperation? Those who have not examined leaders throughout time and across a number of fields might not have the ability to provide a thorough and convincing answer to this question, in spite of the fact that it is crucial to the future functioning of our society. Looking closely at the question of leadership and how it has worked in the past, I would have to agree that the best way to prepare young people for leadership roles is to instill in them a sense of cooperation. 

Let us look first at those leaders who have defined themselves based on their competitiveness. Although, at first glance, it may appear that a leader must have a competitive edge in order to gain and then maintain a leadership position, I will make two points on this subject. First, the desire to compete is an inherent part of human nature; that is, it is not something that needs to be “instilled” in young people. Is there anyone who does not compete in some way or another every single day? You try to do better than others in your school work or at the office, or you just try to do better than yourself in some way, to push yourself. When societies instill competitiveness in their leaders, it only leads to trouble. The most blatant example in this case is Adolf Hitler, who took competition to the very extreme, trying to prove that his race and his country were superior to all. We do not, however, need to look that far to find less extreme examples (i.e., Hitler is not the extreme example that disproves the rule). The recent economic meltdown was caused in no large part by the leaders of American banks and financial institutions who were obsessed with competing for the almighty dollar. Tiger Woods, the ultimate competitor in recent golfing history and, in many way,s a leader who brought the sport of golf to an entirely new level, destroyed his personal life (and perhaps his career — still yet to be determined) by his overreaching sense that he could accomplish anything, whether winning majors or sleeping with as many women as possible. His history of competitiveness is well documented; his father pushed him from a very early age to be the ultimate competitor. It served him well in some respects, but it also proved to be detrimental and ultimately quite destructive. Leaders who value cooperation, on the other hand, have historically been less prone to these overreaching, destructive tendencies. A good case in point would be Abraham Lincoln. Now, I am sure at this point you are thinking that Lincoln, who served as President during the Civil War and who refused to compromise with the South or allow secession, could not possibly be my model of cooperation! Think, however, of the way Lincoln structured his Cabinet. He did not want a group of “yes men” who would agree with every word he said, instead, he picked people who were more likely to disagree with his ideas. And he respected their input, which allowed him to keep the government together in the North during a very tumultuous period (to say the least). 

My point in choosing the Lincoln example is that competitiveness and conflict may play better to the masses and be more likely to be recorded in the history books, but it was his cooperative nature that allowed him to govern effectively. Imagine if the CEO of a large company were never able to compromise and insisted that every single thing be done in exactly her way. Very quickly, she would lose the very people that a company needs in order to survive, people with new ideas, people ready to make great advances. Without the ability to work constructively with those who have conflicting ideas, a leader will never be able to strike deals, reach consensus, or keep an enterprise on track. Even if you are the biggest fish in the pond, it is difficult to force your will on others forever; eventually a bigger fish comes along (or the smaller fish team up against you!). 

In the end, it seems most critical for society to instill in young people a sense of cooperation. In part, this is true because we seem to come by our competitive side more naturally, but cooperation is more often something we struggle to learn (just think of kids on the playground). Although competitive victory is more showy, more often than not, the real details of leadership come down to the ability to work with other people, to compromise and to cooperate. Getting to be President of the United States or the managing director of a corporation might require you to win some battles, but once you are there, you will need diplomacy and people skills. Those can be difficult to learn, but if you do not have them, you are likely to be a short-lived leader.

Comments on This Answer: 

This outstanding response earns a score of 6 for presenting an insightful position on the issue and supporting its analysis with compelling reasons and persuasive examples. The response takes the insightful position that competition, though necessary to some aspects of leadership, is less important for young people to learn because it is inherent in the human condition and can lead to dangerous excesses, whereas cooperation is more difficult to learn but more essential. The response follows the task directions by using counterarguments in the development of its position. For example, the discussion of Lincoln in paragraph 3 explores conflicting sides of his Presidency (the “competition” of the Civil War and the “cooperation” within his Cabinet). In fact, the response skillfully explores the nuances of both cooperation and competition, building its position of agreement with the prompt by looking closely at many sides of both concepts. Additionally, the response demonstrates superior facility with language. There are a few minor errors, mainly typos, but in general, the response demonstrates excellent sentence variety and diction. This sentence is typical of the quality of the writing throughout the response: “My point in choosing the Lincoln example is that competitiveness and conflict may play better to the masses and be more likely to be recorded in the history books, but it was his cooperative nature that allowed him to govern effectively.” In this complex sentence, the writer makes skillful use of parallel structure and subordination. Because of its fluent writing and insightful development, this response earns a score of 6. 

Sample Argument Topic: 

The argument to be analyzed is as follows: 

“The following is taken from a memo from the advertising director of the Super Screen Movie Production Company. “According to a recent report from our marketing department, during the past year, fewer people attended Super Screen-produced movies than in any other year. And yet the percentage of positive reviews by movie reviewers about specific Super Screen movies actually increased during the past year. Clearly, the contents of these reviews are not reaching enough of our prospective viewers. Thus, the problem lies not with the quality of our movies but with the public’s lack of awareness that movies of good quality are available. Super Screen should therefore allocate a greater share of its budget next year to reaching the public through advertising.”

Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the recommendation and the argument on which it is based are reasonable. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the recommendation. 

Score 6 answer should address the specific task directions in a cogent, well-articulated examination of the argument and conveys meaning skillfully. A typical response in this category exhibits the following characteristics: 

1. It clearly identifies aspects of the argument relevant to the assigned task and examines them insightfully. 
2. It develops ideas cogently, organizes them logically, and connects them with clear transitions. 
3. It provides compelling and thorough support for its main points. 
4. It conveys ideas fluently and precisely, using effective vocabulary and sentence variety. 
5. It demonstrates superior facility with the conventions of standard written English (i.e., grammar, usage, and mechanics) but may have minor errors. 

Score 6 Answer to the above sample:

The advertising director of the Super Screen Movie production company believes that increasing the amount of advertising the company does will increase the amount of people attending Super Screen produced movies. He believes this because during the past year fewer people than ever before attended Super Screen produced movies, yet the percentage of positive reviews about specific Super Screen produced movies increased over the past year. Ostensibly the extra advertising would tout the good reviews written about Super Screen movies. Before this plan is implemented, however, Super Screen needs to address some questions about its possible flaws. First of all, the company needs to ask what the actual number of people attending its movies as compared to the movies of other production companies is. The number of people going to movies may have been in universal decline. If this is the case and more people are going to see Super Screen Movies than the movies of any other production company, advertising about how fun it is to go to the movie theater may do more to boost Super Screen viewership than advertising promoting its own good reviews.  

Secondly, the company needs to ask what the actual original number of positive reviews was. If Super Screen movies recieved 1% positive reviews last year and this year they recieved 2% positive reviews, getting that message to viewers is not going to increase Super Screen attendence. Making better movies would be much more likely to increase attendence rates. Finally, Super Screen needs to ask what the relationship is between its viewers and the movie reviewers cited in the memo. Using a survey distributed to its target audience, Super Screen could determine if movie reviews have an effect on their audience’s decision to go see a movie, whether movie reviewers tended to have the same taste as the target audience and exactly whether or not movie reviews are reaching the audience. Super Screen also needs to consider how its movie choices have affected the separate movie reviewer and audience populations. If the studio has switched from making mega-blockbuster action movies to more nuanced dramas, the general public may be less willing to go see their movies even though movie critics prefer the dramas to the action movies. 

Finally the studio must ask whether the percentage of positive reviews is really a relevant way to measure the potential impact of movie reviews. There are dozens of movie reviewers but when deciding whether to not to go to a movie, the general public will usually pick from among the 10 most popular movie reviews. These are the reviews that will impress the public if they are included in advertising. If the most popular movie reviewers disliked Super Screen movies that a larger number of small time film bloggers reviewed positively, Super Screen needs to think of a new advertising strategy. In conclusion, there are many questions Super Screen needs to answer before using this advertising director’s plan. They need to look carefully at actual numbers, both of viewership and of positive reviews. They also need to identify the relationship that their target audience has with movie reviewers and determine how their target audience feels about their movies. Finally they need to take a nuanced look at the movie reviews that they use in their advertising. 

Comments on the above answer:

This response clearly identifies aspects of the argument relevant to the assigned task and provides insightful, thoroughly developed analysis. Thus, it earns a score of 6. The response is clearly on task, examining the questions that would need to be answered in order to determine if the recommendation is reasonable. In each case, the writer perceptively explores the nuances of the question, showing different ways in which the answers to those questions might have an impact on the recommendation. For example, the first body paragraph looks at the issue of overall movie attendance, exploring the possibility that Super Screen might actually be doing better than other production companies. If that is the case, perhaps Super Screen’s advertising is already effective, and the proposed plan to increase advertising would not have the intended effect. Throughout the response, the analysis is detailed and cogent, and the organization of the response is logical both within paragraphs and between paragraphs. In addition, although there are a few misspelled words, the response demonstrates facility with language, conveying ideas fluently and precisely. Sentences like this one demonstrate the superior control of the conventions of standard written English seen throughout this response: “If this is the case and more people are going to see Super Screen Movies than the movies of any other production company, advertising about how fun it is to go to the movie theater may do more to boost Super Screen viewership than advertising promoting its own good reviews.” Because of its fluent language and insightful analysis, this response earns a score of 6.  

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Issue Essay

The “Analyze an Issue” task will present an opinion to you. This opinion can be about any general topic, like technology, economics, health, etc. But don’t worry about not knowing too much about these topics. If you usually keep up with the news, it will be straightforward to come up with a response.

Now, after reading the opinion, you will go through a set of instructions on how to respond to that issue. All you have to do is evaluate the issue, come up with an opinion, and use clear arguments and examples to support your opinion.

Sample Topics

Give it a whirl and see how you’re performing:

1. A nation should require all of its students to study the same national curriculum until they enter college.
   Write a response in which you discuss your views on the policy and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider the possible consequences of implementing the policy and explain how these consequences shape your position.
2. The best way to teach is to praise positive actions and ignore negative ones.
   Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold and explain how these considerations shape your position.
3. In any field of inquiry, the beginner is more likely than the expert to make important contributions.
   Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold and explain how these considerations shape your position.

GRE Essay Samples With Analysis

Now that you have practiced writing a couple of essays, take some time to look at this GRE sample essay for the “Analyze an Issue” task.

Not only will it help you see which areas you can improve on, but it will also help you look at the same topic from a different perspective.

Question:

As people rely more and more on technology to solve problems, the ability of humans to think for themselves will surely deteriorate.

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold and explain how these considerations shape your position.

Answers – 

1. With the Highest Score

The statement linking technology negatively with free thinking plays on the recent human experience over the past century. Surely there has been no time in history when the lived lives of people have changed more dramatically. A quick reflection on a typical day reveals how technology has revolutionized the world. Most people commute to work in an automobile that runs on an internal combustion engine. During the workday, chances are high that the employee will interact with a computer that processes information on silicon bridges that are .09 microns wide. Upon leaving home, family members will reach through wireless networks that utilize satellites orbiting the earth. Each of these common occurrences could have been inconceivable at the turn of the 19th century.

The statement attempts to bridge these dramatic changes to a reduction in the ability of humans to think for themselves. The assumption is that increased reliance on technology negates the need for people to think creatively to solve previous quandaries. Looking back at the introduction, one could argue that without a car, computer, or mobile phone, the hypothetical worker would need to find alternate methods of transport, information processing, and communication. Technology short circuits this thinking by making the problems obsolete.

However, this reliance on technology does not necessarily preclude the creativity that marks the human species. The prior examples reveal that technology allows for convenience. The car, computer, and phone all release additional time for people to live more efficiently. This efficiency does not preclude the need for humans to think for themselves. In fact, technology frees humanity not only to tackle new problems but may itself create new issues that did not exist without technology. For example, the proliferation of automobiles has introduced a need for fuel conservation on a global scale. With increasing energy demands from emerging markets, global warming becomes a concern inconceivable to the horse-and-buggy generation. Likewise, dependence on oil has created nation-states that are not dependent on taxation, allowing ruling parties to oppress minority groups such as women. Solutions to these complex problems require the unfettered imaginations of maverick scientists and politicians.

In contrast to the statement, we can even see how technology frees the human imagination. Consider how the digital revolution and the advent of the internet have allowed for an unprecedented exchange of ideas. WebMD, a popular internet portal for medical information, permits patients to self-research symptoms for a more informed doctor visit. With increased interdisciplinary interactions, inspiration can arrive from the most surprising corners. Jeffrey Sachs, one of the architects of the UN Millennium Development Goals, based his ideas on emergency care triage techniques. The unlikely marriage of economics and medicine has healed tense, hyperinflation environments from South America to Eastern Europe.

This last example provides the most hope in how technology actually provides hope for the future of humanity. By increasing our reliance on technology, we can now achieve impossible goals. Consider how the late 20th century witnessed the complete elimination of smallpox. This disease had ravaged the human race since prehistorical days, and yet with the technology of vaccines, free-thinking humans dared to imagine a world free of smallpox. Using technology, battle plans were drawn out, and smallpox was systematically targeted and eradicated.

Technology will always mark the human experience, from the discovery of fire to the implementation of nanotechnology. Given the history of the human race, there will be no limit to the number of problems, both new and old, for us to tackle. There is no need to retreat to a Luddite attitude to new things but rather embrace a hopeful posture to the possibilities that technology provides for new avenues of human imagination.

1. With a Medium Score

There is no current proof that advancing technology will deteriorate the ability of humans to think. On the contrary, advancements in technology have advanced our vast knowledge in many fields, opening opportunities for further understanding and achievement. For example, the problem of debilitating illnesses and diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease is slowly being solved by technological advancements in stem cell research. The future ability to grow new brain cells and the possibility of reversing the onset of Alzheimer’s is now becoming a reality. This shows our initiative as humans to better our health and demonstrates the greater ability of humans to think.

One aspect where the ability of humans may initially be seen as an example of deteriorating minds is the use of the internet and cell phones. In the past, humans had to seek out information in many different environments and aspects of life. Now humans can sit in a chair, type anything into a computer, and get an answer.

Our reliance on this type of technology can be detrimental if not regulated and regularly substituted for other information sources, such as human interactions and hands-on learning. I think if humans understand that we should not have such a reliance on computer technology, we as a species will advance further by utilizing the opportunity of computer technology as well as other sources of information outside of a computer. Supplementing our knowledge with internet access is surely a way for technology to solve problems while continually advancing the human race.

Read more: GRE Sample Test | Everything you need to know

Argument Essay

The “Analyze an Argument” task, on the other hand, will ask you to analyze both sides of an argument about an issue according to specific instructions. So rather than agreeing or disagreeing with a given issue, you will have to consider the logical strength of an argument.

Again, the argument can be on any general topic of interest, like technology, economics, health, etc. But if you usually keep up with the news, it will be effortless to come up with a response.

Sample Topics

Now that you know what this task expects of you, you can get to writing:

1. “To reverse a decline in listener numbers, our owners have decided that WWAC must change from its current rock-music format. The decline has occurred despite population growth in our listening area, but that growth has resulted mainly from people moving here after their retirement. We must make listeners of these new residents. We could switch to a music format tailored to their tastes, but a continuing decline in local sales of recorded music suggests limited interest in music. Instead, we should change to a news and talk format, a form of radio that is increasingly popular in our area.”

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the argument.

2. “A jazz music club in Monroe would be a tremendously profitable enterprise. Currently, the nearest jazz club is 65 miles away; thus, the proposed new jazz club in Monroe, the C-Note, would have the local market all to itself. Plus, jazz is extremely popular in Monroe: over 100,000 people attended Monroe’s annual jazz festival last summer; several well-known jazz musicians live in Monroe; and the highest-rated radio program in Monroe is ‘Jazz Nightly,’ which airs every weeknight at 7 P.M. Finally, a nationwide study indicates that the typical jazz fan spends close to $1,000 per year on jazz entertainment.”

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence can evaluate the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the argument.

3. “In an effort to improve our employees’ productivity, we should implement electronic monitoring of employees’ Internet use from their workstations. Employees who use the internet from their workstations need to be identified and punished if we are to reduce the number of work hours spent on personal or recreational activities, such as shopping or playing games. By installing software to detect employees’ Internet use on company computers, we can prevent employees from wasting time, foster a better work ethic at Climpson, and improve our overall profits.”

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

What do Graders Look For?

While both the Issue and the Argument essays seem similar, graders look at both these tasks differently.

When it comes to the “Analyze an Issue” task, they see if a student-

1. 1. Forms a clear and thoughtful opinion on the issue
   2. Comes up with cogent arguments and examples to support the opinion
   3. Is able to sustain a well-focused, well-organized analysis, connecting ideas coherently

• Conveys ideas using effective vocabulary and sentence variety

For the “Analyze an Argument” task, they see if a student:

1. 1. Forms a clear understanding of the argument
   2. Develops ideas cogently, organizes them logically, and connects them well
   3. Comes up with coherent arguments and examples to support the opinion

• Conveys ideas using effective vocabulary and sentence variety

However, as you can see, the main idea stands out clearly – the graders are looking for students with good vocabulary, clear decision-making ability, cogent (you might want to Google that :P) thought processes and coherent expression.

How is the GRE Analytical Writing Section Scored?

• Although the GRE Analytical Writing section consists of two essays, they are not scored separately.
• You will be scored anywhere between 0 and 6, in 5-point increments, for both the essays you write.
• Almost nobody gets a score below 2-2.5 because most students are able to write down something sensible.
• However, a score of 4 or greater is considered to be a good score for this section (go through the GRE sample essays on the ETS website and read graders’ comments on essays that have been scored 4 and above).
• Moreover, your GRE Analytical Writing Score will be separate from your GRE overall score, which comprises the Quantitative and Verbal section reports.

How to Practice For The GRE Analytical Writing Section?

Here’s a step-by-step process (with tips) on how to prepare for the GRE Analytical Writing section:

1. Pick up a random essay question and write about it
2. Read the GRE sample essays for that question and gauge what your score might be
3. Go through graders’ comments on these GRE sample essays and find out where you went wrong
4. Take up another essay and write

Keep on doing this on a loop until you feel you have reached the score you are aiming for.

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Key Takeaways

1. Keep a standard essay structure in mind – Introduction, Problem Statement, Solution, Benefits of the Solution, Drawbacks of the solution, and Conclusion.
2. Dedicate each para to one heading, and understand that they do not necessarily have to be in this order.
3. Make sure you use examples to support your argument – you can either use an extended example or multiple ones. But without them, your argument will seem flimsy.
4. Write the entire essay first. Don’t listen to the critical side of your brain just now. Once you’ve finished your first draft, you can always come back and edit.
5. If there is one writing tip one could never give enough of, it’s this – practice, practice, practice!

There you have it! Everything you need to know about the GRE Analytical Writing section is here – pattern, scoring, GRE sample essays, sample answers, and GRE Analytical Writing question tips.

If you feel like we missed out on something or have any doubts, feel free to drop a comment or reach out to us! We’d be very happy to help.

Like this blog? Then read the blog on GRE sample test | Everything you need to know about this exam!

FAQs

Ques 1: What is a good GRE Writing score?

Answer 1: Anything about 4.5 is considered a good score. 

Ques 2: How do I start my introduction?

Answer 2: Provide your reader with a clear understanding of what your topic is about and what direction you will take it in. 

Ques 3: Do essays matter for GRE?

Answer 3: Yes, the GRE essays are scored on a separate scale; they are not part of your total GRE score.

WRITTEN BY

Aastha

Sr. Content Writer

Aastha Arya is a Senior Content Writer at iSchoolConnect who writes about topics covering study abroad trends, exclusive news updates and prolific college courses. She has a 4-year of experience in this field and also likes to keep tabs on recent events, visa policy changes, and many other concerns that affect international students.

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