1. Analytical Writing ISSUE TASK
Analyze an Issue Task
Analyze an Argument Task
Both measure persuasive writing
and critical thinking skills
The Analytical Writing measure assesses your critical thinking and analytical writing skills.
It assesses your ability to articulate and support complex ideas, construct and evaluate arguments,
and sustain a focused and coherent discussion. It does not assess specific content knowledge.
The tasks in the Analytical writing measure relate to a broad range of subjects—from the fine arts and
humanities to the social and physical sciences. No task, however, requires specific content knowledge.
Tasks are “field tested” to ensure specific characteristics:
Test takers, regardless of academic discipline or specialty, understood the task and could easily respond to it.
The task elicited the kinds of complex thinking and persuasive writing that university faculty consider important
for success at the graduate level. The responses were varied in content and in the way writers developed their ideas.

2. Difference Between Issue and Argument Task!
What are the differences?

3. Difference Between Issue and Argument Task!
Issue Essay deals with your ability to present an argument with your views, you ability to convince the reader to agree to your point of view.

4. Difference Between Issue and Argument Task!
the Argument Essay tests your ability to pick apart an argument written by another author, you ability to effectively critique the argument by providing proof

5. Issue Task Presents an opinion on an issue Gives specific instructions
Carefully read given issue
Carefully read/follow instructions
Develop a coherent argument
The Issue Task presents an opinion on an issue of broad interest followed by specific instructions on how to respond to that issue.
You are required to evaluate the issue, considering the complexities, and develop an argument articulating reasons and examples
to support your views.
Your task is to present a compelling argument for your own position on the issue according to the specific instructions. Before beginning,
be sure to carefully read the issue and instructions carefully. It is important that you address the issue according to the specific instructions.
for any response to receive a top score, it is particularly important that you remain focused on the task and provide clearly relevant examples and/or reasons to support the point of view you are expressing.

6. Strategies You are offered two issues Take time to think
don’t spend much time choosing
choose issue if it aligns with interests
Take time to think
critical thinking exercise
position/evidence
take notes
Strategies
You will be given two topics of general interest and the clock begins the moment you see your topics.
It is important to not spend too much time selecting a topic. If you feel that one topic, more so than the
other, aligns more closely with your particular field of study or interests, then choose that one. Otherwise, it doesn’t matter much which topic you choose.
Take time to think. You might feel pressured by the clock, but you are being tested on your critical thinking skills, so take the time to do that.
Decide
what position you want to take on the issue
what compelling evidence (reasons and examples) you can use to support your position
Ask yourself
what precisely is the central issue?
what precisely are the instructions asking me to do?
do I agree with all or with any part of this claim? Why or why not?
does the claim make certain assumptions? If so, are they reasonable?
is the claim valid only under certain conditions? If so, what are they?
do I need to explain how I interpret certain terms or concepts used in the claim?
if I take a certain position on the issue, what reasons support my position?
what examples—either real or hypothetical—could I use to illustrate those reasons and advance my point of view?
Which examples are most compelling?
what reasons might someone use to refute or undermine my position?
how should I acknowledge or defend against those views?
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7. Brainstorm List 3 – 4 agreements/disagreements Use evidence/examples
Consider different perspectives
Regardless of the position you take, make a list of three or four reasons why you both agree and disagree with the claim/statement/policy.
Try to come up with examples from you field of study, area of expertise, or particular interests. It is best to argue from a position of strength.
Then consider the topic from different perspectives; for example, how is the topic relevant to the very old or very young? How does it affect
the very rich or very poor? Is the topic specific to a certain historical time? Does the issue change over time and space?
Whatever your examples are, they should each bring some new idea to your argument.
Try to take a nuanced approach to your analysis; qualify your examples
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8. Organize Write thesis around examples List your evidence/examples
Note the function of each
Once you have selected the examples you want to use, write your thesis statement that accommodates your examples.
Under your thesis, list your examples in the order you are going to use them. Next to each example, note why you are using it.
In other words, just use a few brief words to remind yourself what function this example is serving in your argument.
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9. Using Scratch Pad for Essays
Use the paper to do the thinking and organizing for you, just like with the verbal section.
One of the key things you are “graded” on is your essays’ organization.
Using scratch pad can help you organize your thoughts so you aren’t trying to do it as you write.
More information will be given about the ISSUE and ARGUMENT essays at the beginning of the exam, but you should use scratch paper for the essays just as you should use them for the verbal section. Using the scratch paper works much in the same way as it does for any other section: it allows you space to think clearly without having to jump around in your mind. For example, the scratch paper can let you organize your thoughts instead of simply writing and wondering “where is this essay going next?” Remember, one of the key things the readers of this essay will evaluate is how organized you are. So use the paper to get organized.

10. Start Simple on Issue Task
Read the ISSUE (know the difference between issue and argument!) task’s directions CAREFULLY, and then start by writing down at least 4 reasons you agree with the overall issue and 4 reasons you disagree.
You are taking a stand on this issue.
Use your scratch paper for this.
We will go over this more in the Essay Modules, but be thinking about how you organize your essays when looking at these modules.

11. Brainstorm!
Start by making a “T” and putting “I agree” and “I disagree” on either side of the boundary.
List at least 4 reasons for both.
Good answers look at both sides of the issue.
Think about who the issue applies to (to Americans? Old people? Young people? Italians?) and who it doesn’t apply to. Use that information in your argument.
Brainstorm! Come up with at least four things you agree about the topic and four things you disagree about the issue. Try to get as many reasons for each side. In your agree disagree section, think about whether the issue applies to young and old people, or whether it is culturally specific or only applies to Europeans, etc. The key is to find the nuances. You could agree that it is important to drive on the right side of the road, but that may not apply in England. Write down, in simple terms, who or what the agreement and disagreement might pertain to

12. Organize! Using the same chart, start organizing your response.
Develop your thesis statement out of the arguments that you are forming.
These positions need to form a function in your essay, so be sure to make the first argument make the most obvious reason you are taking a side on an issue. Then the next one the next most compelling, and so on.
Use each of the arguments as a paragraph theme. Then use the support you wrote down as the body of the paragraph. Don’t forget to mention opposing arguments.
Organize!
A lot of focus on your essay is going to be your thesis statement. However, the support for your thesis statement will be in the body of the text. You don’t want to have your arguments deviate from your thesis statement. The best way to avoid that is to develop your arguments FIRST. Keeping a close eye on the instructions, craft you three best arguments for your position. Make sure your examples perform a function in your essay and support your argument clearly. Write these down and then devise a thesis statement that takes these three examples into account. That way, you don’t have to worry that the arguments disagree with your thesis statement.

13. Write
Your outline
Start with the arguments that will support your thesis. That way you can’t be off of your argument…the arguments are the legs for your thesis.
Thesis (Intro).
Evidence.
Supporting material.
…you just need to write a conclusion
Now you have an outline for your essay. Most of your introduction is done (thesis statement), and you have most of the material
for your supporting paragraphs (your examples and their function). Now all you need is a conclusion, and you are finished.
For conclusion, restate the thesis in a new way, but hit all the main points, in your concluding paragraph. This way, you restate
your points and give the thesis as a capstone to the essay.
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14. Must have: Topic sentences Transitions announce subjects
link evidence/examples
Transitions
provide flow
indicate changes
Must have:
1. Topic Sentences
The topic sentence announces the subject and/or point of each supporting paragraph. Use your topic sentence to link each example to your thesis and to indicate the point you would like each example to make.
2. Transitions
Transitions give your essay flow. They indicate changes in scale, direction, or perspective, and help the reader get from one paragraph to the next.
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15. Might have: Specifics Quotes Big Words Analogies Rhetorical questions
Commands
Might have:
1. Specifics
Use names dates, places, statistics, and any other relevant details. Details bring your argument to life and make you sound like an expert.
2. Quotes (if appropriate and you feel comfortable that you’re using it correctly)
3. Big words (used and spelled correctly)
4. Analogies
5. Rhetorical questions
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16. Practice Use issues from pool No time limit Scoring guide
Essay response/Reader commentary

17. Find Sites With Practice Questions
ScoreItNow!™ Online Writing Practice Service allows you to use web based essay practice.
ETS Introduction to the Issue Task (see links in module 5).
Offers a pool of writing tasks and sample essays.

18. Scores 6 and 5.5
Sustains insightful, in-depth analysis of complex ideas; develops and supports main points with logically compelling reasons and/or highly persuasive examples; is well focused and well organized;.

19. Scores 6 and 5.5
skillfully uses sentence variety and precise vocabulary to convey meaning effectively; demonstrates superior facility with sentence structure and language usage, but may have minor errors that do not interfere with meaning.

20. Sample Issue
As people rely more and more on technology to solve problems, the ability of humans to think for themselves will surely deteriorate.
Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position.

21. Sample Issue
As people rely more and more on technology to solve problems, the ability of humans to think for themselves will surely deteriorate.
Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position.
In this task, you are asked to discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement. Thus, responses may range from strong agreement or strong disagreement to qualified agreement or qualified disagreement. You are also instructed to explain your reasoning and consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true. A successful response need not include comment on all or any one of the points listed below and may well discuss other reasons or examples not mentioned here in support of the position taken.
This topic could elicit a wide variety of approaches, especially considering the different possible interpretations of the phrase "the ability of humans to think for themselves." Although most respondents may take it to mean problem solving, others could interpret it as emotional and social intelligence; i.e., the ability to communicate/connect with others. With any approach, it is possible to discuss examples such as calculators, word processing tools such as spell/grammar check, tax preparation software, Internet research and a variety of other common household and business technologies.
You may agree with the topic and argue that:
reliance on technology leads to dependency; we come to rely on problem-solving technologies to such a degree that when they fail we are in worse shape than if we didn't have them everyday technologies such as calculators and cash registers have decreased our ability to perform simple calculations, a "use it or lose it" approach to thinking ability
Or you may take issue with the topic and argue that technology facilitates and improves our thinking skills, arguing that:
developing, implementing and using technology requires problem solving technology frees us from mundane problem solving (e.g., calculations) and allows us to engage in more complex thinking
technology provides access to information otherwise unavailable
technology connects people at a distance and allows them to share ideas
technology is dependent on the human ability to think and make choices (every implementation of and advance in technology is driven by human intelligence and decision making)
On the other hand, you could decide to explore the middle ground in the debate and point out that while technology may diminish some mental skill sets, it enables other (perhaps more important) types of thinking to thrive. Such a response might distinguish between complex problem solving and simple "data maintenance" (i.e., performing calculations and organizing information).
Other approaches could involve taking a historical, philosophical or sociological stance or, with equal effectiveness, using personal experience to illustrate a position. One could argue that the value or detriment of relying on technology is determined by the individual (or society) using it or that only those who develop technology (i.e., technical specialists) are maintaining their problem-solving skills, while the rest of us are losing them.
Again, it is important for you to avoid overly general examples or lists of examples without expansion. It is also essential to do more than paraphrase the prompt. Please keep in mind that what counts is the ability to clearly express a particular point of view in relation to the issue and specific task instructions and to support that position with relevant reasons and/or examples.