McGraw-Hill Education GRE 2019

Step 4: Write Your Introduction and Conclusion (7 Minutes)

In the introduction, focus on restating the author’s main point, and briefly

summarize why you think the argument is flawed. You do not need to list the

major assumptions that you will address. Just make it obvious that there are

important assumptions and flaws in the argument. Here is an example:

Though it would appear that the company’s declining revenues would

be bolstered by the addition of customer support staff, the author does

not make a logical case for adding more customer support staff. On

its face, it might appear that the provided data lead to the author’s

conclusion, but there are several unwarranted assumptions that must

be addressed to establish the soundness of the author’s case.

Your conclusion does not need to be long, nor does it need to include a

restatement of the assumptions listed in your argument. Simply write a paragraph

showing that you understand the author’s perspective but find it lacking. Here is

an example:

When addressing a loss in revenue, a desire to revert to previous

structures and strategies is certainly reasonable and oftentimes

beneficial. However, the author’s current plan, as based on the given

data, suffers from too many flaws to be worthwhile. The existence of so

many outside variables calls into question the soundness of the author’s

reasoning. Until such variables are addressed, it cannot be established

whether the addition of customer support staff will lead to an increase

in revenue.

Step 5: Proofread (3 Minutes)

You should make sure to always leave yourself time at the end to proofread your

essay. When proofreading, you should reread the essay carefully, focusing on any

grammatical mistakes or typos you may have made. At this point, it is often too

late to dramatically alter the substance of the essay (hopefully, you would have

done so during one of the earlier steps). So worry less about the content and more

about the technical aspects of your writing—the grammar, spelling, and fluidity of

the sentences.

For 10 more practice Analytical Writing assignments and high-scoring sample

essays, go to the interactive practice tests. (See pages 2A–3A).

CHAPTER 3 ■ THE ANALYTICAL WRITING MEASURE 87

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