In a GRE Issue essay candidates will be asked to read a prompt positing an opinion and then craft a written argument for or against the opinion. The purpose of a GRE Issue essay is to analyze the critical thinking ability of the candidates and their skill in expressing their ideas through writing. The candidates are required to present their ideas in the form of a well-structured and well-planned essay, expressing their arguments in a precise manner. The position a candidate takes on any particular topic doesn’t matter. What matters is the way the argument is presented. A model GRE issue essay on the topic, people who are the most deeply committed to an idea or policy are also the most critical of it, is given below.

A typical GRE issue essay is divided into 5 paragraphs. This is the standard form of the essay. Students can choose from 4-6 paragraphs also.

Introduction: In the introduction, candidates need to clearly state the issue assigned to them and the position their essay will be taking on the topic. Candidates can also state points and examples that will be expanded later in the body paragraphs.
Body Paragraph 1: The first body paragraph must state the strongest reason in favor of the position the candidate. This can be done with supporting examples and logical analysis. This paragraph must be relevant to the topic at hand and fully support the thesis in GRE AWA essay.
Body Paragraph 2: Body paragraph 2 must contain the second supporting reason supported by examples and logical analysis. The candidate can provide real life examples. This will help the reader understand the point of view.
Final Paragraph: This paragraph deals with the counterargument to the position the candidate is taking. Candidates should bring up relevant points to the counterargument and explain how the position they are taking is right. Counter Arguments provides more depth to the point of view in GRE Analyse an Issue essay.
Conclusion: Candidates should remind the readers of the topic of the issue essay and once again state the reasons why their viewpoint is correct. They should mention the important points discussed in the essay.

Based on the points mentioned about the structure, candidates can use the following strategies in writing a GRE issue essay on the topic: people who are the most deeply committed to an idea or policy are also the most critical of it.

• Avoid neutrality. Candidates should keep in mind that they are being scored on their ability to analyze an issue and argue their position. A tendency to argue on both sides of the issue will weaken the argument and negatively affect the score of the candidates like GRE Analyse an Argument essay.
• Choose a position to take on the topic and stick to it throughout the essay.
• Give proper examples and reasons, ensuring relevance and specificity to the real world. This will help the reader to understand the point of view of the candidate with relevance.
• Keep the statements strong and declarative. Use active language and cause and effect statements whenever possible.
• Conclude the essay by identifying the strong points in the opposing opinions and refuting them with two to three sentences.

Read More GRE Issue Samples

Topic: People who are the most deeply committed to an idea or policy are also the most critical of it.

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.

Model Answer

To criticize a topic, fairly and unbiasedly, a deep and thorough knowledge of the subject is required. Ideas, suggestions, or policies, may have a flipside that invites criticism. Those deeply committed to the ideas or policies are very much aware of this flipside. They not only become advocates of the policies but also unbiased critics who are aware of the negative effects. They criticize their own ideas and work on overcoming the flipside which leads to their ideas getting better over time. However, this is not always the case. People can become fanatically obsessed with the ideas or policies they support and become blind to the flaws in the ideas or policies. I do not believe in the facts provided in the above statement.

As mentioned before, any kind of genuine criticism requires the writer to be passionate and committed to the subject. When a person is truly dedicated to a cause, they understand not only the basic principles and functions. It makes them feel that they are supporting but also the harm that can arise as a result of it. Doctors, for example, prescribe painkillers to patients suffering from chronic pain because it is the only way the patients can lead a normal life. However, they are also aware of how these medicines can be misused. Unless the use is carefully monitored, their patients can become addicts to the medicines. The doctors, hence, become the greatest critics of these kinds of drugs and their side effects. Similarly, it is an irrefutable fact that nuclear weaponry has helped countries seize power and advance technology. But these countries are also aware of the destructive capability of these weapons. They also become critics of what could happen if nuclear arsenals go out of control and are misused.

However, it is also a fact that not all policies have a harmful side. Many volunteers generously give their time and efforts to the causes of NGOs and charity organizations. It is because they cannot find any harm in the cause whether it is to improve the state of the natural environment. Further to improve the welfare of the disadvantaged, or to advocate for human rights. Throughout history, people like Gandhiji and Mother Teresa have selflessly thrown themselves into helping the poor. They supported what they believed with their entire heart without being critical of it.

Also, it is true that people sometimes simply do not criticize what they support. This could be because they are just doing their job or what they are hired to do. For example, an engineer hired to construct a huge shopping complex may not be bothered about the people who had to be displaced for its construction. The engineer is simply doing their job.

Other examples are terrorists and revolutionaries. Some of them are recruited as children and conditioned to think a certain way and they do not think critically about any damage they do. It can be taking lives, damaging property, or spreading terror across the world population. Trying to reason with them almost always proves futile. This is a sharp contrast to the statement that those committed to a cause are the most critical of their actions.

In conclusion, it can be said that the statement about people who are committed to a cause are the most critical of it is only partially correct. Those truly dedicated to a policy or cause will always be critical of any harmful sides it has. Healthy criticism is an essential part of the development of any new idea. However, some people are fanatically devoted to a cause or idea and will not hear a word against it. They may think they are showing devotion but their inability to criticize is actually harming the causes they support.