AWA Writing Preparation

[Dedi]

To those that have taken the GRE: how did you prepare for the Analytical Writing Section? I know I'm supposed to give specific details, but I look at these statements and I get so overwhelmed with questions like "what if my example is not accurate?" or, worse, "what if I plagiarize by not citing?" (I've been taught that paraphrasing without citing is still plagiarizing. Obviously I'm not going to remember citations either...).

 

I know I can articulate things in my field, give examples, and cite those examples. But when I'm given an argument like, "Movie stars and sports players should be ideal role models" and I don't care about sports or what the heck movie stars are doing (thereby lacking any specific examples from not reading those specific news stories), how am I supposed to give a convincing essay supporting or arguing against the statement? By the way, I didn't make that prompt up. It was in the practice test I just took.

 

Now that my practice Quantitative and Verbal are within an acceptable range (I got 160Q/155V on the last practice test), I'm more worried about the AWA score.

[rw11]

Hi Dedi,

 

this is Ann-Sophie....

 

I am also worried about the AWA score... actually I am looking for a learning partner with whom I could go through the various issue topics in order to brainstorm together what to write ....

 

Would you be interested in being my learning partner ? We could meet via skype or viber once or twice a week for one or two hours...

 

What do you think?

 

Best

 

Ann-Sophie

from Germany