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Graders of the Analysis of Issue essay expect an essay that:
- Is well developed, logical and coherent;
- Demonstrates critical thinking skills;
- Uses varied sentence structure and vocabulary;
- Uses standard written English and follows the language’s conventions;
- Is free of mechanical errors in spelling, punctuation, capitalization.
How do I write a well-balanced essay?
Acknowledge both sides of the issue to show that you understand it
fully. At the same time, you must pick a side and persuade the reader
that, despite the counter-arguments, your position is the strongest
one overall.
Show
the reader that you see both sides of the issue by occasionally using qualifiers (we discuss this later in chapter 5) when describing
each side. This will allow you to acknowledge the opposing view and
appear scholarly. (Note that overuse of qualifiers will make the essay
appear vague and dilute your argument).
Be
as politically correct as possible in your essay. You can never predict
who will be reading your essay, so it is best not to gamble with highly
charged writing. Stick to uncontroversial ideas and opinions. Doing
so assures that your reader will not be able to disagree with you
and potentially score you accordingly. An extreme or forceful essay
may also confuse the E-rater, since your essay will not resemble any
essays it has stored in its database. Nevertheless, you must take
a stand. Pick the side you feel most comfortable arguing make your
opinion clear throughout the essay.
Note: Do not write an unsubstantiated opinion. Write an argument that
consists of your thesis and logical arguments to support it.
This is a partial free sample of our prep guide. To view the remainder of this page, purchase the 800score.com Prep Course.
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