《writing skills for the GRE/GMAT tests》

Common Themes Among GRE Issues:

*Conformity and tradition versus individuality and innovation

*Practicality and utility versus creativity and personal enrichment.

*The importance of cultural identity(customs, rituals, and ideals).

*Keys to individual success and progress.

*Keys to societal success and how we define it.

*How we obtain or advance knowledge and what constitutes knowledge or advancement of knowledge.

*The objectives and methods of formal education.

*The value of studying history.

*The impact of technology on society and on individuals.

*The sorts of people society considers heroes or great leaders.

*The function and value of art and science (for individuals and for society)

*The proper role of government ,business, and individuals in ensuring the well-being of society.

Common Themes Among GMAT Issues:

*Business--organizational structure/behavior, management.

*Culture and social mores, attitudes, values

*Business productivity, efficiency, and teamwork

*Business--labor and employment issues.

*Education--its overall role and objectives.

*Government’s role in ensuring th welfare of it citizens.

*Technology and its impact on business and society.

*Keys to individual success.

*Business—its overall role and objectives in society

*Business ethics.

*Personal qualities and values.

*Government’s role in regulating business, commerce, speech

*’Global village’ issues.

*Bureaucracy and “the system”

*Business—advertising and marketing

*Learning lessons from history

*Individual power and influence.

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8 Steps to the issue writing task:

1.Read the statement with a eye for its complexity and implications.(1min)

*qualify it---if it seems convincing only to a certain extent or in certain cases;

*break it apart into two distinct claims, either of which you may or may not agree with ；and

*apply it to various areas or examples that lend varying degrees of support to the statement.

*look especially for key words such as and, only, must, all, and should.

For example:

‘Large businesses should focus on teamwork as the primary means of achieving success.

2.brainstorm for ‘pros’ and ‘cons’ (2 min)

3.decide on a tentative position, then organize your ideas.(2min)

4compose a brief introductory paragraph(gre:3min,gmat:2min)

5compose the body of your response.(gre:23min,gmat:15min)

6compose a brief concluding or summary paragraph.(gre:4min,gmat:3min)

7review and revise for coherence and balance(gre:6min,gmat:3min)

8proofread for significant mechanical problems.(gre:4min,gmat:2min)

Using rhetorical techniques to persuade the reader:

1.      turn it around

Argue that an apparent weakness (strength)is actually not a weakness, if u view it from a different perspective

2.  trivialize it(explain it away)

   Argue that an apparent weakness of your position(or strength of a different position)is trivial, minor, or insignificant.

3.      appeal to broader considerations.

Argue that any minor problems with your position seem trivia in light of the broad, and serious ,implications that the issue raises.

4.      the ‘lesser of two evils’ method

argue that an opposing position is no stronger, or perhaps even eaker, in a certain respect.

5.      the ‘greater of two virtues’ method

argue that a certain merit of the opposing position is overshadowed by one or more virtues of your position.

Your supporting example:

1.      spare the reader the technical details

2.      don’t be a “know-it-all”

3.      avoid the trite and hackneyed

many gre and gmat test takers will rely heavily on today’s headlines and on history’s most illustrious and notorious figures. Here are some names and events that currently come to mind:

*Osama Bin laden or the attack on laceName w:st="on">WorldlaceName> laceName w:st="on">TradelaceName> laceType w:st="on">CenterlaceType>

*The Enron and Arthur Anderson accounting scandals

*Recent American presidential scandals

*Adolph Hitler and the Jewish Holocaust

*Bill Gates and Microsoft’s business practices

Examples such as these are the all-too-obvious ones. Try to dig a bit deeper, showing the reader a broader, more literate perspective. Most gre and gmat readers reside in the U.S. If you reside elsewhere, cite examples from your own region of the world. You’re more likely to pique the reader’s interest, which can only operate in your favor.

4.      Draw sparingly on your personal experiences.

5.      Strive to be a generalist, not a specialist.

ARGUMENT:

8 Steps to the argument writing task:

1.read and argument, and identify its conclusions.(2min)

As you read an argument for the first time, identify its final conclusion as well as its intermediate conclusion(if any)

For example:

Intermediate conclusion:

“By emulating the locations of these two successful salons,UpperCutsis certain to attract more customers.”

Final Conclusion

“In order to boost sagging profits at UpperCuts, we should….relocate the salon from its current location in Apton’s suburban mall to downtown Apton, while retaining the salon’s decidedly upscale ambiance.”

*Argument’s final conclusion relies on its intermediate conclusions.

*Always jot down an argument’s intermediate conclusion(if any)and its final conclusion—in shorthand form like I’ve provided above.You’ll need to refer to them time and again as you develop your points of critique and compose your essay.

2.Identify and examine the argument’s evidence to determine how strongly it supports the argument’s conclusion(s) (2 min)

*firstly, Identify information or evidence that most arguments contain on your scratch paper

*then, analyze each item as to how much support it lends to the argument’s intermediate and final conclusions.

*later on:

1)look for problems with the argument’s internal ogic(self-contradictions or circular reasoning)

2)determine whether the argument relies on any vague or undefined key terms.

3.organize and prioritize your points of critique.(1min)

*the best sequence in which to organize your points of critique is the same order in which they appear in the argument.

4.compose a brief introductory paragraph.(2min)

*1)identify the argument’s final conclusion

2)describe briefly the argument’s line of reasoning and evidence

3)allude generally to the problems with the argument’s line of reasoning and use of evidence.

5.compose the body of your response.(16min)

6.compose a concluding paragraph.(2min)

*1)recapitulate the argument’s problems—a series of unproven assumptions.

2)indicate how the argument can be strengthened and indicate what additional information would be helpful in evaluating the argument.

7review and revise for coherence and balance.(3min)

*paying particular attention to the first sentence of each paragraph.

*Rearranging paragraphs so they appear in their most logical sequence.

8.proofread for significant mechanical problems.(2min)

Recognizing flaws in GRE and GMAT arguments.

1.Cause-and-effect confused with mere correlation

2.Cause-and-effect confused with temporal correlation

3.Drawing a weak analogy between two things.

4.Relying on a potentially unrepresentative statistical samples.

5.Relying on tainted results from a survey or poll

6.Assuming that a certain condition is necessary and/or sufficient for a certain outcome.

7.Assuming that Characteristics of a group apply to each group member(or vice versa)

8.Assuming that all things remain unchanged over time.

9.other reasoning problems:

1)failing to define important terms

2)relying on vague or ambiguous evidence.

3)drawing a conclusion that is too broad in degree or scope

4)Assuming that two course of action are mutually exclusive.

5)arguing simultaneously for two competing objectives.

6)engaging in circular reasoning.