ETS Revised GRE Analytical Writing Section Analyse an Issue Task 1 - "As people rely more and more on technology to solve problems, the ability of humans to think for themselves will surely deteriorate."

Submitted by ErKrPr on Sun, 2011-09-25 17:15

There has been number of changes in revised GRE which ETS claims to make the test better, testing cognition skill more than out of context words in Verbal section and more real life problems in Quantitative section.

Analytical writing section of revised GRE is almost same as before. Only two major changes are lesser time (now 30 min for each essay) and topic specific prompts. However all the prompts almost means the same. Here is the list of instruction for Issue topic.

  • 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 true and explain how these considerations shape your position.
  • Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the recommendation and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, describe specific circumstances in which adopting the recommendation would or would not be advantageous and explain how these examples shape your position.
  • 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 and/or examples that could be used to challenge our position.
  • Write a response in which you discuss which view more closely aligns with your own position and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should address both of the views presented.
  • Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the claim and the reason on which that claim is based.
  • 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.

In short all the topic asks you to do same thing, understand the issue topic, consider both sides of the issue, don't forget to give proper reasons and examples etc. What I meant to say is you don't have to worry much about individual topic instruction, the only major difference between all the topics is whether you should take only one side or you can support both sides.

While my GRE date approached rapidly, I searched for sample essays but Google merely helps when we are in dire need. Then I started writing my own points to write essays corresponding to each topics since I merely have much time left to write whole essay. Now I am starting to post those points I wrote so that you can write your own essay on the go. Remember reading points is far better than reading whole essay for two reasons: first you can structure the essay in your own style and thus there is no risk of plagiarism that ETS doesn't like and second you won't need to spent much time to cover up all the essay topics.

So here are few points for the first issue topic of revised GRE issue pool. I would like to remind you that ETS have published the sample essays for the same issue topic, but the points I have wrote below is my original points that I wrote before reading those samples. So enjoy the points.

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

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 true and explain how these considerations shape your position.

  1. Technology let us solver large and complex mathematical solution at no time but we need to think, plan and develop technology.
  2. Technology doesn't decrease the ability of human to think for themselves but changes the subject matter on which human should think.
  3. Instead of thinking about how to solve particular problem, human will start thinking about how to develop something to solve such problems in no time.
  4. Technology obviates the necessity to think about particular problems.
  5. Our range of thinking has got more complex though might not be wider.
  6. Previously people might think how to transport a big rock from road but now people think how to drive trucks that can transport those rocks from there

Remember guys while those points I have posted can help you secure more points that is not all you need. You have to write it in your own words, own style, varying sentence structure and use obscure GRE words here and there. So if you have time then you should practice writing few essays under timed test environment.

I expect to post one blog post per week for each issue topics. So stay tuned for more!