GRE Sample Essay 12

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GRE General and Subject Tests

GRE Sample Essay 12: A Comprehensive Guide to Crafting High-Scoring Essays

 

 

Preparing for the GRE Analytical Writing section is essential for achieving a competitive graduate school application. Reviewing high-quality sample essays such as GRE Sample Essay 12 can provide valuable insights into effective essay structure, argument development, and language use.

This article offers a detailed analysis of GRE Sample Essay 12, highlighting key writing techniques and strategies to help you excel on test day.

Overview of the GRE Analytical Writing Section

The GRE Analytical Writing section consists of two tasks:

  • Issue Task: You are asked to present your perspective on a given issue, supporting your views with reasoning and examples.
  • Argument Task: You evaluate an argument, critiquing its logic and evidence without presenting your own opinion on the topic.

To understand the structure and expectations of these tasks, visit GRE Analytical Writing Tips.

Breakdown of GRE Sample Essay 12

GRE Sample Essay 12 serves as an excellent example of a well-organized Issue Task essay. The essay typically includes:

  • A clear and concise introduction stating the author’s position.
  • Body paragraphs that provide specific, relevant examples to support the thesis.
  • Logical progression of ideas with effective transitions.
  • A strong conclusion that reinforces the argument.

Analyzing such essays helps you grasp how to communicate ideas effectively under time constraints.

Explore more sample essays at GRE Essay Samples Collection.

Characteristics of a High-Scoring GRE Essay

Drawing from GRE Sample Essay 12 and other top essays, important qualities include:

  • Clear Thesis: A precise statement of your position early in the essay.
  • Coherent Organization: Logical flow with well-structured paragraphs.
  • Concrete Evidence: Use of relevant examples and explanations.
  • Varied Language: Effective use of vocabulary and sentence structures.
  • Addressing Counterpoints: Acknowledging opposing views to strengthen your argument.

Improve your essay quality by visiting How to Improve GRE Writing.

Step-by-Step Approach to Writing Your GRE Essay

  1. Understand the Prompt: Carefully read and interpret the essay question.
  2. Plan Your Ideas: Outline your main points and supporting examples.
  3. Craft a Strong Introduction: Clearly express your thesis statement.
  4. Develop Body Paragraphs: Each paragraph should focus on a single supporting idea.
  5. Conclude Effectively: Summarize your argument and emphasize its significance.
  6. Review Your Work: If time allows, edit for clarity, grammar, and coherence.

For detailed writing strategies, check out GRE Essay Writing Guide.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Misinterpreting the prompt or going off-topic.
  • Using vague or unrelated examples.
  • Poor organization or lack of clear transitions.
  • Repetitive language and grammar errors.

Avoid these by practicing with samples like GRE Sample Essay 12.

Additional GRE Study Resources

Complement your essay writing practice with these resources:

 

Using GRE Sample Essay 12 as a model can greatly enhance your ability to write clear, persuasive, and well-structured essays. By applying the techniques demonstrated in this sample, you can improve your performance on the GRE Analytical Writing section.

For more sample essays and expert tips, visit the StudentArrive GRE Resources.

If you need personalized feedback or additional GRE writing samples, feel free to explore StudentArrive’s extensive GRE preparation materials.

 

 

GRE Sample Essay 12

The following appeared as part of an article in a Dillton newspaper.

“In an effort to bring new jobs to Dillton and stimulate the city’s flagging economy, Dillton’s city council voted last year to lower the city’s corporate tax rate by 15 percent; at the same time, the city began offering generous relocation grants to any company that would move to Dillton. Since these changes went into effect, two new factories have opened in Dillton. Although the two factories employ more than 1,000 people, the unemployment rate in Dillton remains unchanged. The only clear explanation for this is that the new factories are staffed with out-of-town workers rather than Dillton residents.”

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.

Response for GRE Sample Essay 12

The article explains the steps taken by Dillton council to bring jobs and stimulate Dillton’s flagging economy by lowering the corporate tax by 15%. The author did not give any information on the amount of tax reduction given to companies. The tax relief might not be much when compared to the tax reduction given by other regions to attract businesses and companies. There might be a case where the corporate tax reduction of 15% was not reasonable for many companies which led them not to consider Dillton as a good place to do business in. Therefore very few companies managed to go there and begin their operations.

There is mention of relocation grants given to companies that would move to Dillton. Even after giving tax reduction and relocation grants, only two companies wanted to begin their operations in that region. Getting only two companies who want to do business in the region shows that the economic situation in the region was not that good for companies to open their units there. Also, the grants did not lure them enough to relocate to the region which can even mean that the efforts made by the council were not enough to attract investments in the area.

It is claimed by the author that there was no change in the unemployment rate in the region even after the two companies started functioning and gave employment to more than 1,000 people. In fact, the author’s claim is flawed because there is no clear information given in the article about the number of job seekers before and after the companies employed people. The unemployment rate is defined as the ratio of the number of people who are given jobs to the number of unemployed people seeking jobs. If there was no change in the unemployment rate, it could mean that there was an increase in job seekers or an increase in unemployment due to other companies laying off their employees. It means the change in the unemployment rate does not just depend on one factor but it also depends on various factors. In Dillton, there might be some factors which led the unemployment rate not to change like some people who actually not seeking jobs earlier were also looking for jobs due to some unavoidable or unplanned situations (including emergencies or sudden need of money). The existing employees of other factories might have joined the two companies so it could also become a factor that led the unemployment rate not to change.

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The explanation given for this unchanged employment rate in Dillton is that those companies staffed workers from other towns rather than Dillton residents. This claim is biased and blames the two companies for not employing the local residents but it lacks sufficient reasons why it happened. There could be many reasons for hiring out-of-town workers which might include local residents who were not fit for jobs, they lack the required and important skills needed for jobs, etc. Staffing or hiring might be done purely on the basis of skills required for performing certain duties on jobs. So if the local people who were seeking jobs were not skilled enough to be employed by the two companies, it was not the fault of the companies but the onus was on the individuals seeking employment to develop their skills. Moreover, to a certain extent, the local administration also could have helped the local job seekers to get employed by providing them with sufficient training and development opportunities.

GRE Essay Score

This article scores a 4.5 because:

The article presents a thoughtful analysis of the given argument with cogent reasons. The analysis is supported with relevant examples wherever needed, thus conveying the central idea effectively. The article does a satisfactory job of explaining the crux of the analysis. The article points out the bias in terms of employment, showing an in-depth understanding of the argument and issue at hand. GRE Essay Topics with Answers

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