seven easy ways to improve your gre analytical writing score

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7even Easy Ways to Improve Your

GRE Essay Score

Writing a high-scoring GRE

essay is about more than just grammar and punctuation. In

this article, we’ll show you seven ways to quickly and

painlessly improve your GRE essay performance.

Barron’s Test Prep GRE Analytical Writing Guide


Avoid

Wordiness

This is perhaps the single most

important stylistic principle that you

must follow. Eliminate wordiness! If it is

not essential, take it out. Most of the

following stylistic principles flow from

this single concept. Get to the point –

the graders will reward you for not

wasting their time.

Example:

Wordy Upon entering the room used for learning, I was confronted by a large group of people who were already sitting in their chairs awaiting the beginning of the lecture.

Concise When I entered the classroom, the students were seated ready for class to begin.


Avoid

Excessive

Qualification

Take a stand, and stick to it. Don’t

worry about being perceived as too

confident or arrogant in your essays.

Your writing should have a strong

voice, and using qualifying phrases like

“in my opinion” or “I think” only serves

to weaken your point.

Example:

Excessive Qualification

The introduction of a new animal species may have an effect which might be adverse at some point in the future.

Concise The introduction of a new animal species may have negative effects in the future.


“

Use Active

Voice

When writing your GRE AWA essay, use

the active voice. It makes your argument

stronger and also makes your writing easier to

understand. While there may in fact be times

where passive voice is required, you should

strive to stick to active whenever possible.

“

” Example:

Passive

Active

Active Voice:

The subject of the

sentence does the

action.

Passive Voice

The subject of the sentence receives the action.

Occurs in weak writing.

A sign of not planning or revising.

I study for the

GRE

The GRE is studied by me.


Avoid Clichés

Clichés were once clever sayings. In fact, they were

so catchy that everyone used them until they

became meaningless and dull. So, if you find

yourself using a cliché, consider what the cliché

means and make your own inventive and clever

saying. Some of the oft used clichés: better late than

never, crushing blow, last but not least, needle in a

haystack, put it in a nutshell, rat race, sneaking

suspicion, etc. Avoid them like the plague .

Example:


Avoid Slang and

Colloquialisms

Example:

Informal speech and writing is useful and appropriate in many situations, but it should be avoided entirely on the GRE.

Avoid contractions (don't, it's, haven’t, wasn't) or colloquialisms (ya'll, gonna, wanna, LOL, really into, wicked, been doing). They are perfectly fine for Facebook or Twitter, but unacceptable in a GRE essay.


Write Strong

Openings

Weak openings are the result of not planning or not

revising. Avoid beginning sentences with There

is, There are, and It is. Again, these openings

indicate an immature and unrevised piece of writing.

A mature writer plans his or her ideas and constructs

a strong, direct sentence, or the author revises what

he or she has written to avoid these roundabout

constructions.

Example:

Weak There are several places in New York that I have not been to yet.

Strong I have not yet been to several places in New York.


Avoid Vague

Languages

The GRE essay graders have about two minutes to

read and grade your entire essay – that doesn’t give

them much time to try to figure out what you are

trying to say. Avoid using indirect or ambiguous

language; stick to words that clearly convey your

point.

Example:

Vague

In the event that Congress is unable to do something to agree upon, the president will schedule a time to do stuff with both parties so that they can agree upon the issue.

Clear If Congress can't agree on spending, the president will sit down with both parties to negotiate a deal.


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seven easy ways to improve your gre analytical writing score

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