Writing: Position, Development, and Organization
Argue a clear position with developed support
The Writing section gives you an issue and asks you to take a position and defend it. You are scored on ideas and analysis, development and support, organization, language use, and conventions. A strong essay states a precise thesis, organizes body paragraphs around reasons, supports each reason with specific examples or hypothetical scenarios, explains how the evidence connects to the claim, and acknowledges a counterargument without losing the argument. Transitions should show logical relationships, not just sequence.
Traps are predictable. Summarizing the prompt is not arguing. A vague example ('many people believe') is weaker than a concrete one. Listing reasons without explaining why they matter reads as an outline, not an essay. Ignoring the other side can make the argument seem one-sided, but a counterargument paragraph must still return to your thesis. Informal language, rhetorical questions, and absolute claims ('everyone knows') weaken tone. Budget time: plan briefly, write, and reserve a few minutes to fix sentence-boundary and agreement errors.
Worked example: Prompt: Should schools require community service? Weak thesis: 'Community service is good.' Strong thesis: 'Schools should require community service because it builds practical skills and connects students to their communities, even though schedules are already tight.' The strong version names a position, two reasons, and a concession. Rule of thumb: write each body paragraph as claim, evidence, commentary, and make the commentary explain the link rather than repeat the evidence.