The 6 Step Process to Conquer GRE Analytical Writing

These 6 steps when followed in the given order, will help you conquer the AWA section on the
GRE. Tackle even the toughest of AWA Essay questions with these simple steps.

Here we discuss the step by step process you should implement, if you want to write powerful
AWA essays in under 30 minutes and get a 6.0 score. Each of these steps discusses what you
should exactly do, so as to make things easier for you on test day. All you need to do is follow
these steps during practice, and get these tips into your head without much effort. Though the
Issue and Argument Essays are quite similar when it comes to answering, we have given you
separate step by step process to ace them both.

AWA Issue Essay:

The Analysis of an Issue essay tests your ability to explore the complexities of an issue or
opinion and, if appropriate, to take a position that is informed by your understanding of those
complexities. What this means is you should properly analyze the given issue and take a strong
position: either negative or positive, and then elucidate examples as to why you have chosen that
particular side.
The specific directions for the issue essay task are given like this: In this section, you will need
to analyze the issue presented and explain your views on it. There is no correct or best
answer. Instead, you should consider various perspectives as you develop your own position on
the issue.
Before you begin writing your response, you should take a couple of minutes to think about the
issue and plan a proper response before you begin writing. This helps you organize your ideas
and develop them fully. Make sure to leave sufficient time to reread your response and make any
revisions that you think necessary.
Following are the six simple steps that you should follow in the same order, if you want to pen
down a powerful AWA Issue essay.
Step 1: Read the Essay
Obviously, this must be your first step. But you dont just read the essay. You must perform a
smart read. A smart read is where you read the prompt and figure out the central issue, and jot
down this issue on your scratch paper, including some of the important concepts from the given
topic. This is what more than 95% of students fail to do. Rather than juggling all your thoughts
inside your mind, it is a lot easier to pen down whatever you have understood from reading the
prompt in your own words.

Your work on this first step gets you grounded for the essay ahead. After reading the given issue,
and writing it down in a few concise words, you should be able to understand exactly what the
issue is and also what some of the crucial concepts related to that issue are.
Step 2: Brainstorm Reasons and Examples
This is perhaps the most crucial step of all, and this step is also where most of the heavy lifting
gets done. Once you know what points you want to prove and what examples you will use to
prove that point, writing the essay will be very easy. Half of the duty lies in brainstorming
efficient examples and supporting reasons to supplement your point of view. So, make sure you
spend adequate time on this step. Pre-planning before you start writing is of the utmost
importance, because then, you will have a continuous flow of thought while writing, and there
wont be any wastage of time. If you start writing without thinking through the issue or planning
the structure of your essay, you run the risk of wasting time on editing and re-editing your points.
Or even worse, you might reach a dead end and there is no more evidence left with you to
substantiate your point of view, but youve already spent 20 minutes on the essay that you cannot
go back and write a fresh piece. So, it is important that you take the time to brainstorm some
examples and then pick a side. After youve written down the central issue and the key concepts,
you should ideally make a pro and con list on the scratch paper. Start thinking of reasons for
both agreeing with and disagreeing with the given issue. Once you have enough reasons to pick a
side, you can move further. You should think about how your personal experiences relate to the
issue at hand. Think about things you have observed or experienced in daily life, read about in
magazines or newspapers, or even heard about from your family members and friends.
Next, you should be coming up with some examples of your own, that support or illustrate your
point of view. Good supporting examples can be the difference between a score of 4.0 and 6.0, so
it is worth spending a little time trying to generate them. Dont spend more than two or three
minutes on this part because you can still write a good essay without perfect examples.
Step 3: Pick a Thesis
After you have some reasons and examples for side that you have chosen to go with, you will
have to pick a proper thesis based on which you will write your opinion. This is because you
dont have to actually believe the position you write about; sometimes, you may disagree with
the issue at hand, but find it easier to come up with examples and reasons for the other side of the
argument. So, you need to decide which thesis you are comfortable writing about. Dont mull
over it for minutes together. Just choose whichever thesis allows you to write the strongest essay.
In most cases, you find the con side easier to argue. You can find a lot of examples that way.
And that is completely fine.
Now your thesis needs to state why you believe this position is correct. Take a moment to think
about this, and jot your thesis down on your scratch paper. Now you are ready to outline you
essay.

Step 4: Outline Your Essay

Dont start writing your essay altogether. Instead, outline your essay in the direction you want to
take. Figure out what you want to write in the introduction, how you want to start off, and how
you want to end the conclusion. Then, figure out what you want to write in the body paragraphs.
More importantly, you will have to consider how to introduce the opposing side of the argument
and how counter it with your point of view. Mentioning the other side of the coin makes the
graders think that you are mature enough to have considered the various perspectives on the
issue, without going ahead blindly based on intuition.
Step 5: Write Your Response
If you have finished all the previous steps properly and as planned, then this is by far the easiest
step of all. All you need to do is write your response in a proper order, something that looks like
this:
1.

Introduction hook the reader with an amazing intro and state your most important thesis

2.

Agreeing to the given issue

3.

Bringing up the negative side of the issue along with supporting facts and quotes

4.

Building up the negative side further with examples and support

5.

Conclusion

This is the most basic essay outline, and the most famous out there. But you can also follow an
unconventional structure and still write a great essay. Some of the other structures that you can
follow are:
1.

Introduction

2.

First argument for the side you take

3.

Refute your first take and argue for the opposite side

4.

Second argument for the side you take

5.

Refute your take again and argue for the opposite side

6.

Conclusion

This structure allows you to take a neutral step, and hence interweave the arguments for both
sides, just like in a debate.
Another structure that can be used in many situations is:

1.

Introduction

2.

Argument for your side

3.

Argument against your side

4.

Argument for your side

5.

Argument against your side

6.

Conclusion: evaluate both sides and arrive at thesis

This structure is probably the hardest of all, but has the advantage of being new and uncommon.
Graders will definitely appreciate a new structure once in a while, and tend to reward essays that
move beyond the norm.
But, the point is, the writing part of the essay should really be the easiest part. Most people who
think they have trouble writing actually dont have difficulty with writing, but they have trouble
figuring out what exactly they are trying to say. So if youve completed the previous steps, you
should know more or less what it is that you want to say about the topic.
Step 6: Proofread
Proofreading is another step that is often neglected, mainly because test takers dont have the
time to. They think they cannot afford to waste one or two minutes proofreading the essay, while
they can use the same time to write an additional sentence or two. But as a matter of fact, a
perfect 400 word essay gets a higher score than an imperfect 450 word essay. So, you should
rather focus on improving what you have already written, and try to spend at least three to four
minutes on proofreading what you have written.
Since you dont have a spell checker on the AWA, you dont know if you misspelled any word in
a hurry. So, be sure to check every single word, and try to refine your essay as much as you can,
before the time runs out. Make sure you have all the necessary parts of your essay and the
examples you meant to use. Doing these things will clean up the overall appearance of your
essay and can only positively affect your score.

AWA Argument Essay

While the Analysis of an Issue task measures your ability to create your own argument, the
Analysis of an Argument essay measures your ability to evaluate someone elses argument. In the
words of the test writers, the argument essay tests your ability to formulate an appropriate and
constructive critique of a specific conclusion based upon a specific line of thinking.
There are two key points in these directions; evaluate the argument, and most importantly (its
so important the directions place it in italics), do not present your own views on the subject!

Some test takers end up basically writing an analysis of an issue essay when they are supposed to
be writing an analysis of an argument essay. Your job here is simply to evaluate and critique the
argument presented, not offer your own position on the subject. If you do not answer the
question appropriately, you can say goodbye to a good score.
The steps for the Analysis of an Argument essay are somewhat similar to the steps for Analysis
of an Issue:
Step 1: Evaluate the Argument
The Analysis of an Argument task presents you with a passage exactly like the passages found on
Critical Reasoning questions. Your first task is to break the argument down into its conclusion
and premises. Once you have the conclusion and the premises, the next step is to find the
assumptions underlying the argument.
Step 2: Brainstorm Assumptions
These arguments are usually full of holes, even more so than Critical Reasoning arguments. You
should be able to find two or three major assumptions necessary to make the conclusion work.
Look for the common argument patterns: causal, sampling, and analogy. Of course, there may be
a lot of assumptions spread around the entire argument, but you only need two or three good
assumptions to construct your essay. Now that you have the major assumptions, you can plan the
general format of your essay.
Step 3: Pick a Thesis
Picking a thesis on the argument section is rather easy and involves just one step. Just assume
that whatever assumptions that the author has made have no evidences, and go completely
negative on that, and prepare a thesis in your mind in that direction.
Now your thesis needs to state why you believe this position is correct. Take a moment to think
about this, and jot your thesis down on your scratch paper. Now you are ready to outline you
essay.
Step 4: Outline Your Essay
Once you have laid out the assumptions of the argument, you need to evaluate the strength of
these assumptions. Since your task is to evaluate and critique the logic of the argument, you must
consider how viable these assumptions are. Generally, the arguments on the GMAT are poorly
reasoned, so you should basically be looking for reasons the assumptions fail to lead to the
conclusion. Think about ways you could weaken and strengthen the argument. A typical essay
plan looks like this:

1.
2.

Introduction: Describe the premise and point out the flaws or state your intention
Detail first assumption; explain problems with it and how to weaken/strengthen the
argument

3.

Repeat for second assumption

4.

Repeat for third assumption

5.

Conclusion: Give final evaluation of the validity of the argument

This is the most basic format for the argument essay, but feel free to make changes as and when
you need. You may also use one of the following structures that are less commonly used.
1.

Introduction: Describe the premises, conclusion, and assumptions of the argument

2.

Weaken the argument by attacking the assumptions

3.

Strengthen the argument by bolstering the assumptions

4.

Conclusion: Present final evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the argument

Another variation goes right to the assumptions in the argument:

1.
2.

Introduction
Detail first assumption; explain problems with it and how to weaken/strengthen the
argument.

3.

Repeat the same for second assumption.

4.

Repeat the same for third assumption.

5.

Conclusion: Evaluate the strength of the argument based on the assumptions.

Step 5: Write
The writing process on the argument essay is in some ways a little easier than that of the issue
essay. Because the focus of this essay is the logic of the argument, there is no need for creative
prose. Instead, you are merely presenting the flaws of the given argument in an objective fashion.
Your delivery on the argument essay can be straightforward and simple and you can still get a
great score, provided your analysis is sound. Following is what each paragraph needs to contain.
I N T R O D U C T I O N PAR A G R A P H
Your introduction paragraph needs to lay out the basic parts of the argument and let the reader
know what the purpose of the essay is. Your introduction should have these elements:

A statement of the conclusion

A statement of the premises

A statement of the essays purpose

B O D Y PAR A G R A P H S
The body paragraphs of an argument essay should describe the assumptions necessary to the
argument and then critique them. A good critique should reveal the weaknesses of the
assumptions and also show how the argument could be strengthened. Argument essays do not
require specific examples and in many cases, specific examples would be inappropriate. Focus
instead on dissecting the logic of the given argument. A body paragraph should have the
following components:

A description of an assumption

An explanation of the weaknesses of the assumption

An evaluation of the conclusion in light of the assumption

C O N C L U S I O N PAR A G R A P H
The conclusion paragraph of an argument essay doesnt need to do much, but as with the issue
essay, you need to have one. All you have to do is make a final evaluation of the soundness of the
argument.
Step 6: Proofread
Before you leave your essay, spend one or two minutes proofreading your essay. Make sure you
have all the necessary parts of your essay and that your essay is free from grammatical and
spelling errors. Correct any typographical errors. Doing these things will clean up the overall
appearance of your essay and can only positively affect your score.
CHAPTER 5
Examples and Analyses of Perfect 6.0 AWA Essays
Knowing how a perfect AWA Essay should look like will help you write perfect sounding, high
scoring essays.

Now that you know how exactly you should structure your AWA essays, it is time to understand
what a perfect essay looks like. In this chapter, we will discuss a couple of examples for perfect
6.0 Argument and Issue essays, and we will also analyze the reasons these essays deserve a

perfect score. This will give you a basic idea of the various key aspects of the AWA essays that
you should include while writing. These essays have been taken from the ETS Essay Pool itself.

Example and Analysis of a Perfect 6.0 Issue Essay

Question:
When someone achieves greatness in any field such as the arts, science, politics, or business
that persons achievements are more important than any of his or her personal faults.
Essay:
When individuals attain greatness, their achievements are more important than their personal
faults. While historians should not whitewash the personal foibles of great individuals, the
impact that these mortals have had in their fields should tower over any personality defects. To
focus on the personal weaknesses of great individuals is to miss the importance of their
achievements.
The course of human history is decorated with individuals able to rise above their peers and
reach the zenith in their fields. These individuals are often the subject of intense scrutiny from
contemporaneous skeptics and later historians. But no one can lead an exemplary private life all
the time; no human being is able to withstand such surveillance and historical scrutiny without
personal faults coming to light. Great individuals are no exception. However, it is misguided to
focus on their personal faults rather than their achievements. To do so is to miss the importance
of their work, without which our culture would be worse off.
For example, Abraham Lincoln was arguably one of the greatest Presidents the United States has
ever had. He managed to bring the country through a substantial revolution and to end slavery
despite powerful economic and social forces working against him day and night. However,
Lincoln was not a saint. He was moody and prone to depressive funks that disrupted his family
life and slowly eroded his marriage. These personal faults did not reduce his success as a
President. While we do not have to ignore questions about whether he was a depressive, we also
should not consider them an important part of his political heritage. In contrast, many people
criticize Lincolns decision to suspend the right of habeas corpus. This (presumed) failing is not
personal in nature, but relates directly to Lincolns work in his field. Criticisms of this sort are
entirely relevant, whereas personal criticisms are not.
Another example of a great individual dogged by criticism of his personal conduct is Albert
Einstein. Einstein developed a number of the most important theories in modern physics,
including an explanation of the photoelectric effect, an explanation of Brownian motion, special
and general relativity, and Bose-Einstein quantum statistics. Each one of these theories would
have been considered a great lifes work for a scientist; for one man to contribute this much is
remarkable. However, Einstein also had life-long problems with infidelity. The fact that he

cheated on his wife is in no way relevant to his accomplishments in the field of physics, and
indeed most references to Einstein properly ignore it. To focus attention on the faults of his
personal life is to obscure the impact he made on history.
Great individuals have personal faults, as all human beings do. Yet it is incorrect to assert that
these faults detract from those individuals accomplishments. We are better able to appreciate the
gravity of great accomplishments when we are not burying our heads in the sand, in search of
personal failings.
Explanation:
The essay above deserves a perfect score, because it takes all the 7 major elements that graders
look for, as we have already discussed in chapter 3: Clarity, Structure, Sentence Variety,
Vocabulary, Grammar, Evidence, and Reasoning.
The thesis provided by the student is very clear and concise. There is no confusion about which
side the student took. The issue essay tests how well we can present a position on an issue
effectively and persuasively, and this essay passes both the tests.
The piece is also very well organized. The most popularly used structure intro-body-body-bodyconclusion really works well for this type of an issue, and the student made good use of it.
While the response included only two examples as opposed to the suggested three, the two
examples presented are extremely strong. President Lincoln is an ideal case study of a leader
whose greatness should be not be obscured by his domestic problems. The same can be said with
Einstein; his infidelities may have wounded his family emotionally, but his contribution to
modern science and technology will be remembered throughout the history of mankind. So,
obviously, two of the most historic and the most apt examples were presented by the student
here.
Additionally, the conclusion is substantial and does an excellent job of summing up the essay.
The student uses a variety of sentences in order to make the conclusion unique, and not sounding
too much like the introduction itself. He/She does a great job of restating the introduction
paragraph without sounding overly redundant. Lastly, this essay is extremely well-written, and
shows the students grasp over written English language. The grammar and syntax are almost
flawless, and it is hard to write a better essay response to this issue, in under 30 minutes.
These are the reasons why this essay deserves a straight 6.0 score.

Example and Analysis of a Perfect 6.0 Argument Essay

Question:

The following appeared in the editorial section of a national news magazine:

The rating system for electronic games is similar to the movie rating system in that it provides
consumers with a quick reference so that they can determine if the subject matter and contents
are appropriate. This electronic game rating system is not working because it is self-regulated
and the fines for violating the rating system are nominal. As a result an independent body should
oversee the game industry and companies that knowingly violate the rating system should be
prohibited from releasing a game for two years.
Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. Point out flaws in the arguments logic and
analyze the arguments underlying assumptions. In addition, evaluate how supporting evidence is
used and what evidence might counter the arguments conclusion. You may also discuss what
additional evidence could be used to strengthen the argument or what changes would make the
argument more logically sound.
Essay:
The argument claims that the electronic games rating system, although similar to the movie
rating system, is not working because it is self-regulated and violation fines are nominal; Hence,
the gaming rating system should be overseen by an independent body. Stated in this way the
argument fails to mention several key factors, on the basis of which it could be evaluated. The
conclusion relies on assumptions, for which there is no clear evidence. Therefore, the argument
is rather weak, unconvincing, and has several flaws.
First, the argument readily assumes that because the electronic game rating system is selfregulated, it is not working well. This statement is a stretch and not substantiated in any way.
There are numerous examples in other areas of business or commerce, where the entities are selfregulated and rather successful. For instance, FIA, the Formula1 racing organization is selfregulated. Yet, the sport is very popular and successful, drawing millions of spectators around the
world each year. Tickets are rather expensive, races are shown on pay-per-view, and nearly all
drivers are paid very well.
Another example is the paralleled movie rating system that the argument mentions. The author
fails to clarify whether it is working well, but it is clear that the movie rating system is pretty
well received by people, who often base their decisions to go see a movie with kids or not on the
movie rating. It has never been a case when someone would feel cheated by the movie rating and
express disappointment afterwards. Since the movie rating system is also self-regulated, it
follows that this regulatory method is working pretty well and it is not obvious how it can be the
reason for the poor electronic game rating system. The argument would have been much clearer
if it explicitly gave examples of how the self-regulatory system led to bad ratings and customer
dissatisfaction.
Second, the argument claims that any violation fees for bad electronic game ratings are nominal.
It thus suggests that this is yet another reason for the rating system not working. This is again a

very weak and unsupported claim as the argument does not demonstrate any correlation between
the monetary amount of the fines and the quality of the electronic game rating system. In fact,
the argument does not even draw a parallel with the mentioned movie rating system and its
violation fines. If any such correlation had been shown for the movie rating system, which
supposedly works well, then the author would have sounded a bit more convincing. In addition,
if the argument provided evidence that low violation fines lead to electronic game manufacturers
to ignore any regulations with respect to the game rating system, the argument could have been
strengthened even further.
Finally, the argument concludes that an independent body should oversee the game industry and
companies that violate the rating system, should be punished. From this statement again, it is not
at all clear how an independent regulatory body can do a better job than a self-regulated one.
Without supporting evidence and examples from other businesses where independent regulatory
bodies have done a great job, one is left with the impression that the claim is more of a wishful
thinking rather than substantive evidence. As a result, this conclusion has no legs to stand on.
In summary, the argument is flawed and therefore unconvincing. It could be considerably
strengthened if the author clearly mentioned all the relevant facts. In order to assess the merits of
a certain situation, it is essential to have full knowledge of all contributing factors.
Explanation:
The essay above deserves a perfect score, because it takes all the 7 major elements that graders
look for, as we have already discussed in chapter 3: Clarity, Structure, Sentence Variety,
Vocabulary, Grammar, Evidence, and Reasoning.
The thesis provided by the student is very clear and concise. There is no confusion about which
side the student took. The issue essay tests how well we can present a position on an issue
effectively and persuasively, and this essay passes both the tests.
The piece is also very well organized. The most popularly used structure intro-body-body-bodyconclusion really works well for this type of an argument, and the student made good use of it.
The response included sufficient examples that are pretty solid, and more than satisfy the
students take. The examples provided are also real-life in nature, as opposed to many
hypothetical examples that students write. This gives this essay response quite an edge.
The student uses a variety of sentences in order to make his/her point strong enough to concur
with. He/she does a great job of restating the introduction paragraph without sounding overly
redundant. All the paragraphs are very well written, and the structure, writing, and vocabulary
used by the student shows the students grasp over written English language. The grammar and
syntax are almost flawless, and it is hard to write a better essay response to this issue, in under 30
minutes.

These are the reasons why this essay deserves a straight 6.0 score.
CHAPTER 6
6 Types of False Reasoning You Should Avoid on the Argument Essay
Be wary of these 6 types of false reasoning traps on the Argument Essay, and getting a 6.0 score
will be a cakewalk.

In order to confuse test takers, the AWA essays will always contain some flawed reasoning or
illogical statements. In particular, some of the paragraphs on the AWA Argument essay will
contain flawed reasoning, which can appear in many forms. While these forms can potentially be
unlimited in number, most of them can be categorized into 6 groups. These are potentially the 6
types of false reasoning that you frequently see on the AWA Argument essays:
1.

Creating stereotypes. Assuming that characteristics of a group in general apply to each

member of that group.

2.

Assuming that a certain condition is necessary for a certain outcome

3.

Drawing a weak analogy between two things

4.
5.
6.

Confusing a cause-effect relationship with a correlation (famously known as post hoc

ergo propter hoc, i.e. correlation does not imply causation)
Relying on inappropriate or potentially unrepresentative statistics
Relying on biased or tainted data (methods for collecting data must be unbiased and the
poll responses must be credible)

Almost all of the argument essays contain more than one of the following flaws, so it is
important that you are aware of each and every possible flawed reasoning.

1. The Stereotypical Assumption

We see this happen quite often in our everyday life. People resort to creating stereotypes of a
particular person, or a group of people. However, common sense says that it is pretty unrealistic
to describe a group and then expect that every single member fulfills the very same
characteristics.
For example, saying that Girls are weaker than guys or that Asians are geniuses is just plain
wrong, because in both the cases, the statements are generalized in nature. While both the
statements can seem to be true for the most part, we all know that in the real world, some girls

are stronger than guys, and that some Asians fail their tests. Which means, one cannot simply
make a sweeping statement in either of the aforementioned cases.
Now, you can easily remember this type of false reasoning on the AWA, by relating it to
stereotypes. We generally think of stereotypes as harmful because they unfairly limit a certain
group to a predefined characteristic that often has little to no evidence. Hence, in order to avoid
falling trap to this stereotypical assumption fallacy, you should immediately consider any
sentence that generalizes a particular group as plain wrong, and attack that assumption when you
are writing your response.

2. The Necessity Assumption:

This is a very frequent type of false reasoning that hides in plain sight. Most students simply
cannot identify that this type of reasoning is wrong. The author of an argument usually assumes
that a certain condition is necessary to achieve the desired result. This sounds reasonable, but the
problem here is, the author simply says that it is necessary to do something to achieve something,
and does not provide the necessary evidence which proves that there is no other means of
achieving a similar result.
For example, the arguments says that, if students have to perform better in schools, it is
necessary that the teachers be more active in the classroom.
Now, this looks like a perfectly logical statement to anyone. But the problem is, the author has
not considered whether there are any other ways students can perform better in schools. The
author makes a simple statement that outlines only one necessity the teachers being active
and does not talk about the relevant evidences, or the possibility of other ways to achieve the
same result. Of course, there are other factors involved: maybe students can perform better if
they study every day at home, or if the school redesigns the curriculum to suit the needs of
students, etc. So, you should keep in mind to attack this necessity assumption, and also to include
the alternative factors or possibilities.

3. The Illogical Analogy:

Analogy is when someone comes to a conclusion about something on the basis of another thing.
For example, if a giant conglomerate has doubled its sales in the last one year because it had
spent over $10 million on advertising, then in order for another giant conglomerate to double its
sales, it has to spend more than $10 million on advertising.
Now, on the first glance, this might seem like a logical argument. But, if you think about it
carefully, it is an illogical analogy that the author has made in order to prove his/her point. The
argument may seem sound enough to agree to, but one simply cant analogize these two
scenarios, even though the size of the companies is similar.

First of all, we dont know if the two companies are based in the same country or not. The
demographics in their respective countries may respond to different incentives. And there are
several other factors like industry, market size, product quality, support system, target audience,
consumer trends, economic situation in the country, etc., that need to be addressed, before the
author can make such a comparison. Without this thorough background info, one simply cant
make this analogy, and test takers should hence not fall into such traps.

4. The Correlation Causation Confusion:

As confusing and bemusing as the title is, this is one of the more frequent fallacies that appear on
the AWA argument essays. More famously known as the post hoc fallacy, this is easily one of the
most common types of false reasoning youll encounter on test day. So it is very important that
you master it.
Many arguments try to confuse test takers by arguing that correlation and causation are one and
the same. But in fact, they arent. There is actually a world of difference between them both.
While correlation just means that two events have occurred simultaneously, causation means that
one event is the result of another event. Now you understand how different these two are. To
illustrate further, let us take this as an example: In the year 2000, Company X released their new
computer called Series 5, and that same year, the US witnessed a huge economic recession.
Again in 2008, the company released its second computer called Series 6, and the US had
undergone another economic recession. So, whenever this company releases a new computer, the
economy goes down.
Do you see how illogical it sounds? That is the difference between correlation and causation. The
above example shows correlation, and not causation. So, one should be careful enough to
understand that just because one event happens after another, it doesnt mean that the first event
caused the other to occur.

5. The Statistical Irrelevance:

You will often find that the AWA arguments cite statistical evidence to support their claims. Now,
while we appreciate any kind of statistical data that further bolsters the authors point of view, we
must also be careful to analyze the relevance of the statistical data in a particular scenario.
Sometimes, the argument may cite a statistic according to a survey where a small group of
people were asked a question, and based on their views, the author generalized the opinion of the
people of the entire city/state/country. For example, if a survey of 1000 people in New York City
say that they really need a new park in the city, does it mean that the entire population of the city
feel the same? In order to draw a conclusion about anything, a larger sample is required. In order
to really identify the voice of the people, the survey should at least include a majority of people
in the city. If the population of New York City is 10 million, then the survey should try to include
the opinions of at least half that number.

Hence, test takers should keep an eye on statistics mentioned in the arguments made by the
author, and try to validate the relevance or significance of the given statistical data.

6. The Data Bias:

Sometimes, even though surveys include a large number of people or a certainly large sample
space, it is not enough to conclude that the results obtained from the survey are really true.
Biased data is another reason why data can be manipulated with, or tainted easily. For any survey
or data to be considered legitimate it has to be collected in an unbiased, fair, and scientific
manner.
For example, if a survey was conducted among children in a city, on the question What is your
favorite color? and the children were given only two options, Blue and Red, one cannot
conclude that Red is the most favorite color for the children in the city, even though 83% of the
children chose Red. The survey clearly does not ask an open ended question, and is biased
towards either Red, or Blue, or both. The survey is designed, consciously or unconsciously, to
yield certain desired responses, and this definitely manipulates responses by providing narrow
options.
Hence, test takers should question the statistical legitimacy of a survey, and question the author
whether the survey or data obtained is scientific and unbiased or not.

Checklist for Argument Essay Task:

Here is a checklist you should use when you practice writing argument essays. Ask yourself
these questions to identify the flaws in the given argument.
1.

Are the facts stated in the argument real or are they just preposterous exaggerations?
(Hint: you can always question the source of the information provided in the argument)

2.

If the argument draws conclusions from any sample statistical data, then is the connection
between the data and the conclusion strong?

3.

Is the sample data taken from the group similar to the other group for which the
conclusions were made?

4.

Is the sample data significant enough?

5.

Is the provided sample data inconclusive or invalid? Did it exclude other important
factors?

6.

Are the statements mentioned in the argument from an authority on the subject or from
individuals trying to voice their concerns/opinions?

7.

Do you have any real world examples that invalidate the conclusion? (examples from
your personal experiences, from articles you read before, from the news or from historical
incidents)

Is there anything missing in the argument? Maybe there is really something that should have
been mentioned to make the argument more concrete.
CHAPTER 7
How to Finish an Essay in 20 Minutes: 9 Effective Strategies to Save Time on the AWA Section
Sit back, relax and watch as others end up with unfinished essays. Learn these effective time
management strategies and finish off your essay in 20 minutes.

When it comes to acing any section on the GRE, it all boils down to mastering one key factor
time. Time is the only reason why 99% of the test takers cannot get a perfect score on the GRE,
let alone on the AWA. But then, just as pretty much with everything related to the GRE, we at
CrunchPrep have cracked the code in order to finish off a brilliantly written essay in under 20
minutes. Thats right, 20 minutes only.
Just as with other sections on the GRE, there are a few time saving strategies that you can adopt
on test day, if you want to finish off the AWA section quickly, and still score a perfect 6.0. Here
are the 9 most effective time saving strategies that you should implement on test day.

1. Finish off Introduction and Conclusion First

This is an amazing technique that not only saves time for you, but also relieves you of the
pressure of writing something in reply. All you have to do is, as soon as you are ready to pen
down your response, finish off writing the introduction and the conclusion paragraphs first.
Dont bother touching the other paragraphs yet.
Now you may wonder, how on earth one can write the conclusion part without ever concluding
the essay in the first place. Simple. As we have already discussed in the previous chapters, you
first outline your essay before you start writing it. So, by the time you are about to start penning
down your response, you will have already figured out what you want to write in the
introduction, how you want to start off, and how you want to end the conclusion. So, it becomes
rather easy for you to get started.
Finish these two very important paragraphs as early as you can, preferably in the first 5 minutes.
Now, if you can do this well, you only have three more paragraphs to write, and you have over
20 minutes of time left. You can easily write each paragraph in 5 minutes, and the entire essay
will be finished before you know it.

2. Always Be Negative
Even though we asked you to pick a thesis in the previous chapters, you should know that if you
want to save time, you will have to try and stay on the negative side. This applies to both the
Issue and the Argument essays. If you are wondering why, you should understand how the
human brain works when analyzing a controversy. It takes no time for us to point out mistakes in
others, while it takes a lot of thinking and courage to appreciate something that is controversial,
because our brains are evolutionarily hardwired to stay away from something foreign, in order to
protect us. And given the incredibly limited time that you have on your hands, it will be easier
for you to criticize the authors point of view, than to take his/her side.
So, let us go with some prejudice here. Before you even start reading the essay question, you
should be in a negative state of mind, and be ready to counter the given essay with lots of
criticism. You should believe that whatever the author has written is false, no matter how logical
it may seem. This sort of thinking will help you brainstorm the relevant points quickly.

3. Attack the Assumptions

In both the Issue and the Argument essay questions, the author will have made multiple
assumptions in order to come to a particular conclusion. It is your job now to attack the very
assumption that the author makes. There is no point in attacking mere facts, because we never
know if the facts are true or false. Which means, you cannot simply claim that the facts presented
are wrong. But you can always say that the assumption is wrong. So, as soon as you start
reading the essay question, figure out where the author has made assumptions, and think about
how you can attack them.

4. Dont Be A Perfectionist
This is a big problem among students today, especially those who really want to get a perfect 6.0
score. Wanting a 6.0 score is okay, but the problem is, these students try to be perfectionists
about everything they write. They try to make sure every little thing about their essay response is
perfect. Now, while this is a good practice in normal life, you should remember that this will hit
you badly on test day. You cannot simply make sure everything you write is perfect, especially
when the clock is running after you, and when you are totally stressed out.
A better strategy is to keep writing even though you make mistakes, as once you think you are
done with the writing part, then you can start proofreading your copy for mistakes and small
errors.

5. Use the Scratch Paper

One of the biggest sins that GRE test takers commit, is that they dont use the scratch paper to its
fullest. Dont be under the impression that the scratch paper is given only to help you solve quant
problems. The scratch paper can be used effectively to score higher on the AWA section too. Use
the scratch paper to pen down your thoughts as you are reading the given topic, and also make
use of it to outline your essay, and to devise a proper answering strategy.
If you need more details, on how to use the scratch paper on the GRE, we have done a separate
post on that. Check out more scratch paper tips and strategies here.

6. Practice Typing
If there is one thing that can help you write a 500-600 word essay in under 20 minutes, it is the
ability to type fast. Considering the fact that you will take about 2-3 minutes to read and
understand the given question, another 2-3 minutes to figure out what you want to write, and
another couple of minutes to outline your essay, you will be left with roughly 20 minutes to write
a 600 word essay. Considering the fact that you should save some time to proofread your essay,
you should probably be able to type around 600 words in 15 minutes, which means, 200 words
every 5 minutes.
Yes, it is possible to type a couple hundred words in 5 minutes, if you already know what you are
going to write. Dont worry about it. 200 words in 5 minutes equals 40 words per minute, which
is exactly the global average for typing speed. But still, if you think you cant type that fast, start
practicing today. There are some fantastic free resources like Keybr andTypingWeb available
online, that help you learn fast typing.

7. Practice Keyboard Shortcuts

Learning keyboard shortcuts can be really helpful on test day. The word processor on the GRE is
quite basic in nature. Youll have basic keyboard functions, plus three other features: cut, copy,
paste, and undo. And thats all. No other shortcuts or spell checks or other advanced features like
bold and underline. Now, these functions work exactly as they do on your computer. You can cut
text from a portion of your essay and paste it in at a different point. Or you can use undo (Ctrl +
Z) to delete your previous typing. Use these features and reduce the time you spend on editing
your essay.

8. Practice! Practice! Practice!

As straightforward as it gets. Just as with the other sections on the GRE, the more you practice
writing long essays at home, the higher you score on test day. But there is a catch here: you
should practice typing essays on a computer keyboard. This is rather important, because most of
us today use laptops and tablet phones to communicate, and the keyboards we normally use
differ greatly from those of the desktop computers. You will have to type on a desktop computer

keyboard on test day, and it is recommended that you get used to the new keyboard at home
itself.

9. Read The Entire AWA Question Pool

We generally dont recommend this to every student, since most of them dont have the time to.
But if your test is months away from now, it will do you a world of good if you can go through
each and every AWA question from the ETS Essay Pool. There are separate question pools
for Issue Essays and Argument Essays, and they are not too many in number. You could probably
finish them all in a month or two.
Remember that the AWA questions you will see on test day will be from these essay pools only.
So, it wont hurt to check them all out.
Top 101 Transitional Words and Phrases You Should Use to Score a 6.0 on the
AWA Section
Turn your average essay into a phenomenal piece of literature with these top transitional words.
Use these words and phrases and your essay will read like a great story.

The difference between a normal essay and a great essay, is the way it is written. Normal essays
are lifeless, and they bore readers a few lines into the story. But on the other hand, great essays
meticulously use persuasive language, and gain the readers attention. In addition to writing
compelling reasons and connecting stories, you should also include powerful vocabulary, if you
want to get a perfect score. Since a lot of students who take the GRE are non-native speakers,
they will not be able to naturally write essays that sound truly professional.
So, here are some of the words and phrases you should be using when you write your AWA
essays. You might have seen these words countless times in books, newspapers, or magazines.
But it is time for you to include them in your writings, and make your essays sound professional.
Supporting words for instance, for example, to illustrate, to demonstrate, such as, particularly,
specifically, notably
Additional support moreover, furthermore, in addition, similarly, in the same way, with respect
to, as well as
Putting same idea in a different way in other words, to put it simply, in view of this, with this in
mind, to put it differently, that is to say

Opposing words by contrast, on the other hand, in comparison, on the contrary, instead,
though, while, despite, although
Consequential words as a result, accordingly, thereupon, thence, thus, because, for this reason,
in effect
Time indicating words immediately, formerly, currently, meanwhile, eventually, first, second,
finally, previously, henceforth, in due time, subsequently
Certainty words without doubt, most importantly, indubitably, undoubtedly, needless to say
Comparison words in comparison, however, likewise, even so, nevertheless, nonetheless, all
the same
Positive words magnificent, grandeur, magnanimous, phenomenal, marvelous, prodigious,
formidable, notable, glorious, wonderful, paramount, sublime, flamboyant
Negative words unfounded, doubtful, questionable, oversimplified, problematic, unconvincing,
unacceptable, biased, unreliable, defective, presumptuous, vague, unwarranted, weak
Against the point of view words one cannot deny that, to be fair, it could be argued that,
granted, admittedly, a stark contrast, as contrasted with, on second thoughts
Concluding words in summary, consequently, hence, in closing, in conclusion, therefore,
ultimately, to summarize, on the whole, for the aforementioned reasons
Ultimately, it is the content of the essay that really matters. If you are able to write an astounding
essay, you really dont need any advanced words or phrases. But since it is a herculean task for
many students, especially the non-native students, to write a perfectly professional essay in under
30 minutes, it would definitely help if some of these words are included.
But at the same time, students should be careful enough to not simply scatter these words across
the essay as they please. These words and phrases should really fit in the context of the essay,
and the sentences must smoothly integrate into one another. Hence, refrain from using these
words and phrases improperly, and learn when and where to use them in your AWA essay.
CHAPTER 9
27 Mistakes You Should Avoid When Writing Your AWA Essays
Better safe than sorry. Learning where you can falter will help you be aware. Avoiding these 27
mistakes will help you get a higher score on the AWA section.


Until now, we have discussed numerous techniques and strategies to score a perfect 6.0 on the
AWA section. But, we think it would be beneficial if you have all the probable mistakes at one
place, so you can safely avoid them all at once. Here are the 27 mistakes that you should strictly
avoid while writing your AWA essays. Now, some of these points may sound repetitive since we
have already discussed a lot up until now, but think of this as a checklist that can help you figure
out the danger zones and possible pitfalls.
1. Writing a clich ridden essay
While using clich 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 wont help
you much, because it only looks like you have lifted those lines from someone elses passage or
an online journal. So, try to use your own examples, and your own sentences while writing the
AWA essays.
2. Not citing the original author
Sometimes, it would really help if you can use a killer essay quote or two, 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 someones 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. After all, only ubersmart people can remember great quotes along with their authors names.
3. Writing mixed-up paragraphs
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 at all recommended.
Dumping all ideas into a single paragraph is a very bad idea, and shows poor organization. So,
make it a point to not mix up paragraphs.
4. Giving away too much in the intro
The most important aspect about writing an article or an essay is to avoid giving away too much
information in the very beginning itself. Dont believe us? Ask any content marketer. The key to

writing exceptional essays is to keep the reader intrigued until the last word. This is one of the
reasons why we hate our textbooks but love fiction novels: the latter simply keep you interested
until the end. 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. Using irrelevant examples
Just as we already discussed multiple times throughout this guide, avoid using irrelevant
examples as much as you can. Sometimes it is fine to make up your own examples, but
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.
6. Not summarizing effectively
One of the more overlooked mistakes in writing is that many test takers tend to not summarize
their essays properly. A perfect conclusion paragraph not only includes the main idea or point of
view that you chose to side with, but also has a neat summary of all the points that have already
been discussed in the previous paragraphs. Now, this doesnt mean you need to write them all
over again, but a quick conclusive line about each paragraph would do you a world of good.
7. Introducing new points in the conclusion
Yes, this happens quite often, and is one of the major reasons why many are not getting close to
that perfect AWA score. Sometimes, you finish off writing the entire body of the essay, and move
on to the conclusion paragraph. As you are writing it, you are struck with a new point or an idea
that you think should be on the essay at all costs. So, what do you do? You somehow try to fit
that point somewhere in the conclusion paragraph, and you think it will add to your existing
robust set of points. But guess what? You havent backed it up properly anywhere in the essay,
and hence the entire point sounds irrelevant or insufficient at that point of time. So, avoid
introducing new ideas or points in the last paragraph. Be content with what you have already
written.
8. Writing immediately
If you have read the previous chapters thoroughly, you would understand that there is a step by
step process that you need to follow in order to get closer to the 6.0 score. But, a majority of the
students give in to the temporal pressure, and start off writing as soon as they read the question.
This will only lead to chaos in the next few minutes, as you will find your head clogged with
ideas. So, give it a minute or two, and think about what you are going to write, before you start
typing.

9. Not ideating correctly

A poorly presented idea is as good as an idea not presented at all. Whatever point it is that you
are trying to make, you should make it correctly. An improper presentation, or a poorly organized
idea will only make your essay sound more amateur that anything else.
10. Taking too much time for ideation
As straightforward as it can it, time is the most valuable resource on the GRE. Taking too much
time just to gather ideas is not at all good for your score. Almost all the essays you will see on
the GRE are quite simple to criticize, and anyone with decent practice can crack the code easily.
So, in order to avoid wasting too much time trying to ideate, you should do a bit of practice at
home.
11. Not sticking to one side
Weve already said it out: Go negative! There is no way an average GRE test taker can write a
perfectly balanced essay response in under 30 minutes, which is why most of them tend to sway
towards a particular side. You should follow suit, if you want to score higher on the AWA section.
Not sticking to any one of the sides shows that you are too afraid to stand your ground, or that
you are too confused to pick a side. Neither of this is a good image for you, so always pick a side
no matter what.
12. Not using templates/structure
There are a few basic structures for writing the AWA, and adopting them would be a good idea,
since you dont have to reinvent the wheel all over again. We have already done most of the hard
work for you, and provided some basic structures and templates that you can easily follow. If you
cant make good use of them, at least try to create your own organization or structure. Otherwise,
your essay response ends up being too clumsy to understand.
13. Not being specific enough
Whichever side you choose to take, or whatever point you are trying to make, be specific. Never
try to beat around the bush and expect to get away with. You are not a politician. Never use
vague statements that only lead the grader to more confusion. Be very specific about your
opinions, and have a clear idea of what exactly you are going to write, even if it might sound a
bit negative, or a bit harsh on the author.
14. Using complex words just for the sake of using

To paraphrase Maya Angelous epic quote, You should use a word only if you know what it
exactly means. Keep this in mind at all times. Do not use a word just for the sake of using, and
end up sounding like a novice writer who is trying to impress people he doesnt know. Instead,
use nice little words that sound simple and professional enough to get you a good score.
15. Not using transitional words
Your essay should read like a story. Every paragraph that you write should have a smooth
beginning and a smooth ending, thus making the entire essay readable. This can only happen
when you use transitional words and phrases that are like bridges linking one paragraph with
another. Not using transitional words can make your prompt sound abrupt and hence, not perfect.
16. Not sounding confident enough
Whether it is an Issue essay or an Argument essay, you are asked to give your opinion. Which
means, you are entitled to write whatever it is that you have in mind. Nobody is going to argue,
or disagree with you, so there is no need to get defensive at all. Using words such as I think, in
my opinion, perhaps, Maybe, etc., will give the reader the impression that you are not
confident enough to put your ideas forth. So, be more confident, and more authoritative when
you are writing your opinions. Write like an expert editor of a newspaper, not like a newly
recruited intern.
17. Using the word I very often
While it is perfectly alright to sound like an expert, it is not alright to sound narcissistic and
repetitive. A lot of students use the word I way too often that it puts the reader off. Yes,
everybody already knows that it is you who wrote the essay and that all the ideas presented in the
essay are yours. There is no point in saying I think this, or I would do that etc. A few times is
fine, but too many times isnt welcome at all.
18. Using the same sentence structure over and over again
If you remember what we said earlier, sentence variety is as important as anything else. Using
monotonous sentence structures or repetitive phrases throughout the essay is a pretty bad idea,
since it tells the reader that you, as a writer, lack variety, or creativity. So, try to rephrase the
same sentences and write something else that means the same. Like many other things in life,
this comes with a lot of practice.
19. Not including a counter argument
Agreeing with the author to some extent will give the grader a great impression about you as a
writer, but if you keep on agreeing with the authors points of view, without including any new

information from your side, you will surely come off as someone without any knowledge about
the given subject. Given the fact that almost all essays come from a wide range of topics, and
that they dont need any special prior knowledge, it would be bad if you cannot counter the
authors deliberately wrong point of view along with your two cents.
20. Contradicting yourself
With so many arguments and counter arguments clogged inside your mind, and with the speeding
clock on the screen, it is possible that you somehow contradict your own argument. Sometimes,
when writing the third or the fourth paragraphs, test takers contradict their own opinions or
points of view that they put forward in the first one or two paragraphs. This clearly shows that
you get confused easily. So, dont contradict your own statements, and always read what you
have written.
21. Letting writers block take over your AWA
Writers block is when an author loses the ability to write something new. This has happened to
the greatest of writers, and will probably happen to you too, if you dont practice well enough
before the test. If you are someone who is not used to writing a lot, then should start practicing
for the AWA, unless you want to end up staring at the screen pondering how to begin the essay.
22. Affecting other sections due to mistakes in AWA
Also you already know, you will face the AWA section first. Dont let the AWA section set the
tone for the rest of the test. Sometimes AWA goes great, and youll feel extremely confident (or
overconfident) about the remaining sections. Sometimes, you may not do well on the AWA and
feel gusted about yourself, which affects the other sections. So, try to stay unaffected by the
result. Remember; you are the one who sets the tone, not a couple of essay questions.
23. Focusing a lot on grammar and vocabulary
Even though grammar and vocabulary are really important when it comes to scoring higher on
the AWA, you should not overstress their importance. Write whatever you can and as much as
you can. Do not bother about silly grammatical errors or workaday vocabulary. Once you think
you are done with writing, then go back and read everything, correct those grammatical
mistakes, or replace those boring words with good vocabulary. But, do it only once you are done
with the essay.
24. Writing unnecessarily long sentences
Mark Twain once said If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter. That shows how
difficult it is to write short and concise sentences. Anybody can write long gibberish in a short

time, but it takes lots of practice, time and talent to keep it simple. Now, even though you are not
blessed with a lot of time during the GRE test, you should try to minimize your sentences to
make them sound smarter. Dont try to use filler words or phrases so you could increase the word
count. Quality trumps quantity any day.
25. Using slang language.
Writing as if you are chatting with a friend is something that happens quite often during exams.
Using chat language and shortened forms of words like u, hw, y, etc. is bound to happen,
especially if you are not very adept at writing often. If however, you find yourself using these
sort of words in your essay, your chances of getting a good AWA score will rapidly decrease. So,
it wouldnt hurt to do a bit of practice at home before test day.
26. Attacking the issue task as if its an argument
Or vice versa. It is possible to get confused between an issue essay and an argument and test
takers often mistake one for the other. This could be the gravest mistake you will ever make on
the AWA section, because if you cannot understand whether the given question is an Issue or an
Argument task, then you cannot write a proper response at all. So, make sure you dont get
confused between the two essay formats or structures, and that you have a clear understanding of
both the question types.
27. Not leaving time for proofreading
Proofreading is often neglected because test takers simply dont have the time. They think they
cannot afford to waste one or two minutes proofreading the essay, while they can use the same
time to write an additional sentence or two. But as a matter of fact, a perfect 400 word essay gets
a higher score than an imperfect 450 word essay. So, you should rather focus on improving what
you have already written, and try to spend at least three to four minutes on proofreading what
you have written.
So, this is the most comprehensive list of mistakes that you can avoid on the AWA section of the
GRE. With this, we come to the end of this ultimate guide. And if this were any other guide, we
would have finished it here. But since this is an advanced guide for the AWA, we would like to
give you something special. Something that is exclusive to only you. In our bonus chapter, we
would like to give you a bonus: A couple of super-secret templates that you can use, if you want
to speed up your AWA preparation.
CHAPTER 10
Bonus Chapter Mind-Blowing Templates to Score a 6.0 on the AWA Section

The advanced AWA Essay templates you will ever find on the internet. These AWA templates are
designed to give you an unfair advantage on test day.

This bonus chapter includes mindboggling AWA Essay templates that will get you a sure shot 6.0
score. We have created these templates after examining several hundreds of AWA essays and
responses from students across the world. This chapter contains both AWA Issue Essay Template
and AWA Argument Essay Template separately. Using these templates will get you guaranteed
results, and you will see a perfect 6.0 score on your own essays, guaranteed.
NOTE: But wait! Just because we have given you a couple of templates, it doesnt mean that you
just copy the same content during your actual GRE test. Remember, this website gets thousands
of visitors every day, and if every single one of you use the same template, very soon, all your
AWA scores will be cancelled and your essay response will be held for plagiarism. We definitely
dont want that to happen, do we? So, better be careful.
We strongly advise you to use these templates as frameworks, and use them to create your own
templates for both the essay questions. The templates provided here are just for reference, and it
will only help you if you create similar templates for yourself, rather than using the ones given
here.