ETS Revised GRE Analytical Writing Section Analyse an Argument Task 1 "1. Woven baskets characterized by a particular distinctive pattern have previously been found only in the immediate vicinity of the prehistoric village of Palea and therefore........."

Woven baskets characterized by a particular distinctive pattern have previously been found only in the immediate vicinity of the prehistoric village of Palea and therefore were believed to have been made only by the Palean people. Recently, however, archaeologists discovered such a "Palean" basket in Lithos, an ancient village across the Brim River from Palea. The Brim River is very deep and broad, and so the ancient Paleans could have crossed it only by boat, and no Palean boats have been found. Thus it follows that the so-called Palean baskets were not uniquely Palean.

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the argument.

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 what specific evidence is needed to evaluate the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the argument.
• Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions, and what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.
• Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the recommendation and the argument on which it is based are reasonable. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the recommendation.
• Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the advice and the argument on which it is based are reasonable. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the advice.
• Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the recommendation is likely to have the predicted result. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the recommendation.
• Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the prediction and the argument on which it is based are reasonable. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the prediction.
• Write a response in which you discuss one or more alternative explanations that could rival the proposed explanation and explain how your explanation(s) can plausibly account for the facts presented in the argument.
• Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be addressed in order to decide whether the conclusion and the argument on which it is based are reasonable. Be sure to explain how the answers to the questions would help to evaluate the conclusion.

In short all the topic asks you to do same thing, understand the argument topic, find out the assumptions that the argument makes in order for the conclusion to be valid, what is the effect on the conclusion based on the assumptions, don't forget to give proper reasons and examples in depth etc. What I meant to say is you don't have to worry much about individual topic instruction.

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 argument topic of revised GRE argument pool. The points written below are my original points, you can suggest more points to help rest of the readers.

River is deep and broad so it can’t be crossed without boat but:
1. The basket might have been brought across by floatation or by air or by some animal in which it get attached.
2. River may get dry in some season of a year or at least once some time in between.
3. Morphology of flow of river might have changed and the Lithos might have been small area of Paleas village once upon a time.
4. No Plean boat have been found doesn’t necessarily means no boat ever existed.

Strengthen if:
1. The morphological and hydrological study of the river is done, if morphology unchanged and river flow remains almost constant throughout the year as well as during the decades of time.
2. Topological detail of the place as well as location of the bag found, if Palea is at height and Lithos at low altitude then wind can be possible cause that transported the bag to Lithos, chances decreases if bag was found on high altitude but even then the bag might have went across at low altitude but then by people of Lithos at higher altitude.

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 argument topics. So stay tuned for more!