Medium GRE Writing Mistakes Practice Questions

Concept Explanation

GRE writing mistakes are specific errors in logic, organization, or grammar that prevent a test-taker from achieving a top score on the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA).

Avoiding these pitfalls requires more than just good spelling; it involves understanding the specific rhetorical expectations of the GRE Prep curriculum. Common medium-level errors often involve weak transitions, failing to address the specific prompt instructions, or providing generic examples that lack nuance. Unlike basic grammar slips, these mistakes are structural and conceptual, often occurring when a writer focuses too much on vocabulary and not enough on the logical flow of their argument. To excel, you must ensure that every paragraph serves a specific purpose in supporting your thesis while maintaining a formal, academic tone that adheres to the GRE Writing Scoring Guide.

Solved Examples

Review these examples to understand how to identify and correct common writing errors found in the GRE Issue and Analyze an Argument tasks.

1. Mistake: Vague Evidence

   • Original: "History shows that many leaders who ignored the public eventually failed because people didn't like them."

   • Correction: "Historical precedents, such as the downfall of the French monarchy in 1789, demonstrate that leaders who consistently ignore the socio-economic grievances of the populace risk total systemic collapse."

   • Reasoning: The original sentence is too colloquial and lacks a specific example. The correction uses a concrete historical event and more sophisticated vocabulary to strengthen the claim.

2. Mistake: Failing to Address the Counterargument

   • Original: "Technology is clearly beneficial for education because it allows students to access information quickly."

   • Correction: "While some critics argue that technology in the classroom serves as a distraction, its ability to provide instantaneous access to global databases far outweighs the potential for decreased focus, provided it is managed effectively."

   • Reasoning: A medium-level mistake is being one-sided. The correction acknowledges a counter-perspective before reaffirming the main thesis, which is essential for a high score.

3. Mistake: Passive Voice Overuse

   • Original: "The argument was made by the author that the city's budget should be redirected to the park system."

   • Correction: "The author argues that the city should redirect its budget to the park system."

   • Reasoning: Active voice is more direct and forceful. Excessive passive voice can make an essay feel wordy and weak.

Practice Questions

Test your ability to spot and fix GRE writing mistakes with these practice prompts and revision exercises. If you need more help, you can use the AI Question Generator to create custom drills.

1. Identify the logical fallacy: "The city of Rivendell saw a 10% increase in crime after the new mall opened; therefore, the mall caused the crime increase."

2. Rewrite for formal tone: "The author's idea about the tax hike is totally wrong and won't work for most people."

3. Identify the structural error: A writer provides three separate examples of successful businesses in one paragraph without a clear topic sentence or transition between them.

4. Fix the run-on sentence: "The survey results are unreliable because the sample size was too small, furthermore the questions were biased toward the sponsor's interests."

5. Critique this thesis statement for an Issue Task: "Some people think school uniforms are good, but others think they are bad, and both sides have points."

6. Identify the "Analyze an Argument" error: The respondent spends three paragraphs explaining why they personally dislike the policy mentioned in the prompt rather than attacking the author's logic.

7. Improve the transition: "The company's profits fell. They decided to fire many employees."

8. Correct the word choice error: "The new legislation will positively effect the environment by reducing carbon emissions."

9. Spot the assumption: "Our company should adopt the same strategy as Megacorp because Megacorp is successful."

10. Rewrite to avoid "I believe": "I believe that the government should prioritize funding for space exploration."

Answers & Explanations

1. Answer: Correlation vs. Causation (Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc). Explanation: Just because one event followed another does not mean the first caused the second. This is a classic flaw to identify in GRE Essay Analysis Questions.

2. Answer: "The author's proposal regarding the tax increase is fundamentally flawed and likely to prove untenable for the majority of the citizenry." Explanation: Using words like "totally wrong" and "won't work" is too informal for the GRE.

3. Answer: Lack of cohesion/organizational clarity. Explanation: Each paragraph should have one main idea. Grouping three examples without synthesis makes the writing feel like a list rather than an argument.

4. Answer: "...too small; furthermore, the questions..." or "...too small. Furthermore, the questions..." Explanation: "Furthermore" is a conjunctive adverb and requires a semicolon or a period to separate independent clauses.

5. Answer: Lack of a clear position. Explanation: A GRE thesis must take a definitive stand. Simply stating "both sides have points" is considered a weak response.

6. Answer: Failure to follow instructions. Explanation: In the Argument task, your personal opinion on the topic is irrelevant; you must only analyze the logical soundess of the provided text.

7. Answer: "Due to the decline in profits, the company subsequently decided to reduce its workforce." Explanation: Using "subsequently" or "consequently" establishes a clearer relationship between the two events.

8. Answer: Use "affect" instead of "effect." Explanation: "Affect" is usually a verb (to influence), while "effect" is usually a noun (a result).

9. Answer: False Analogy. Explanation: This assumes that what works for one company will work for another without accounting for differences in size, industry, or market conditions.

10. Answer: "The government should prioritize funding for space exploration because..." Explanation: Removing first-person phrases makes the statement sound more objective and authoritative.

1. Which of the following represents a common logical flaw in a GRE Argument task?

• AUsing too many complex vocabulary words
• BFailing to provide a personal anecdote
• CAssuming that a past trend will inevitably continue in the future
• DWriting more than five paragraphs

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common mistake in the GRE Issue essay?

The most frequent error is failing to take a clear, nuanced position on the prompt. Many students write a balanced "middle-of-the-road" essay that lacks the persuasive force required for a score of 5.0 or 6.0.

Can I use "I" in my GRE essays?

While using "I" is technically allowed, overusing it can make your writing seem less academic. It is generally better to focus on the evidence and logic itself rather than your personal belief system.

How long should a GRE essay be?

There is no official word count, but high-scoring essays are typically between 400 and 600 words. Depth of analysis is more important than length, but you need enough space to develop your ideas fully.

Should I memorize a template for the GRE writing section?

Templates can be helpful for structure, but relying too heavily on them can make your writing feel robotic. Graders look for a natural flow of ideas, so use templates only as a skeletal guide for your GRE Writing Strategy.

How are GRE essays graded?

Essays are graded by a combination of a human reader and an e-rater (automated software) on a scale of 0 to 6. They look for analytical writing skills, organization, and control of the English language as outlined by the ETS Analytical Writing official guidelines.

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