An Essay

[spiritquest]

I'm wrote this following essay while practicing for the GRE General test. I was surprised to find out there's an essay component. Yikes! It took me a little too long to write - a bit more than 90 minutes, when there's only 45 minutes alotted. But I am feeling quite pleased with myself! I don't like being rushed when I write.... so coming up

Comments

[redcub]

When I returned to finish my BA I was shocked to learn that I had to take the "Regents" essay exam. At my best guess this is an attempt to pick out the kids who skimmed through English class without an ability to write in complete sentances. Since I was for all intents and purposes an English Major, imagine my shock when I failed the test

[spiritquest]

Was that while you were in SC? Or still in Rochester? If its SC, you might chalk your "failure" up to grader incompetence or test-definer incompetence. Were you satisfied with your work when you submitted it?

I'm somewhat comforted by this text from a GRE publication:
Many college textbooks on composition offer advice on persuasive writing that you might find useful, but even this advice might be more technical and specialized than you need for the Issue task. You will not be expected to know specific critical thinking or writing terms or strategies; instead, you should be able to use reasons, evidence, and examples to support your position on an issue.

And they present samples of essays with various scores. There's a 6 that does not summarize in the intro the main points to be made later. I remember being taught that in 7th grade too, and I don't think ETS is quite so narrow-minded, but South Carolina certainly could be!