Language Arts Extended Response
Videos: how to write a great ged extended response.
Overview of the GED Extended Response Format (1:28)
How to Pass the GED Extended Response (3:14)
How to Determine Which Position is Best Supported (2:49)
How to Write a Well-Supported Argument (4:21)
How to Make a Plan and Write an Introduction (3:25)
How to Write the Body and Conclusion (4:47)
How to Write a Fully Supported Response (3:34)
How to Check and Revise Your Response (2:58)
Understand How Your Response is Scored (3:14)
Extended Response Resources
EXTENDED RESPONSE
Answer Guidelines
Example of a perfect score.
GED Essay: Everything You Need To Know In 2024
Learn all you need to know about the GED essay, its structure sample, topics, tips, and how it is scored in this post.
January 1, 2022
The GED essay is intimidating to many people. Writing an entire essay from scratch in 45 minutes or less may seem difficult, but it does not have to be. This GED essay writing overview will help you prepare for and learn about the written section of the exam . In this post, Get-TestPrep will show everything you need to know about GED essays , including their structure, sample topics, tips, and how they are stored .
What Is The GED Essay?
The GED exam consists of four subjects : Mathematical Reasoning, Social Studies, Science, and Language Arts Reasoning (RLA ). The GED extended response , sometimes known as the GED essay, is one of the two portions of the RLA subject test. You’ll have 45 minutes to finish the essay to your best capacity. Don’t worry if you don’t finish on time! Because the essay accounts for just 20% of your ultimate RLA score, you can still pass the test even if you don’t receive a high essay score.
The GED extended response can cover a wide range of topics, but it will always be formatted in the same way. You will be assigned two articles on the same topic, which will typically be argumentative essays with a firm position. You’ll be asked to assess the two arguments and create your own argumentative essay based on which article delivered the more compelling argument. The essay should be three to five paragraphs long, with each paragraph including three to seven sentences.
GED Essay Structure
An introduction, a body, and a conclusion are included in every well-written GED essay. You have to write an argument or an argumentative essay. Keep in mind that you are not expressing your own view on the subject. You’re analyzing two of the author’s points of view and determining which one is more compelling. Keep in mind that the Extended Response (GED Essay) is graded by machine intelligence that has been designed to detect the right responses. So, instead of trying to be creative, simply be accurate. Also:
- Make sure you’re using proper grammar and sentence structure.
- Practice writing a 300-500 word essay.
Let’s take a look at the format of a GED Essay : an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.
- The introduction outlines your claim or thesis statement and explains the topic you’re writing about. Maintain your position.
- The body of the essay includes facts and arguments to back up your claim. This section of the response should be at least two paragraphs long.
- The concluding paragraph restates your claim and summarises your important points.
GED Essay Topic Examples
Here are a few GED Essay Topics to get you started:
Topic 1: An Analysis of Daylight-Saving Time
The article presents arguments from proponents and opponents of Daylight Saving Time, who disagree on the practice’s impact on energy consumption and safety.
Topic 2: Should the Penny Stay in Circulation?
Analyze the arguments offered and pick which one has the most support.
Topic 3: Is Golf a Sport?
Golf , according to proponents, satisfies the criteria of “sport.” Opponents argue that golf more closely resembles a “game” than a “sport.” Analyze both points of view to see which one has the most support.
Visit our website for more topics as well as full articles on each topic and take our free latest FREE GED practice test 2024 to get ready for your exam!
GED Essay Examples
Getting to know the GED essay sample can assist you in planning your essay and determining which elements are most vital.
When reading the essay topic, you should truly take your time to collect your views. You will be able to articulate your views better on paper if you organize your thoughts properly. Concentrate on the standards that you learned in English class before you begin writing.
Pay attention to how you use the English language (grammar); you must use proper punctuation and capitalization, and you must use appropriate word solutions.
Tips For Writing Your GED Essay
Make sure you carefully read the stimulus and prompt.
Putting this into practice is an excellent idea. Examine each question carefully and set aside some time to determine the topic and the type of response that will be requested. It is critical to read the questions thoroughly. Students frequently skip past the stimulus and prompt and get right into writing, assuming that they will save time this way.
This is, by far, the most uninteresting thing to do. Take a few moments to attempt to fully comprehend the questions so that you can reply accurately. If you like, underline the important words and phrases in the stimulus so you can go over it again later to make sure you’re on track.
Make a rough outline for the GED language arts essay
In general, planning your essay will only take a few minutes, but it is critical that you spend that time. Make an outline of the essay and follow it as soon as you have a complete understanding of the questions and have scribbled down some early ideas.
Make an outline for your introduction, body, and conclusion. Following this procedure will save you a lot of time and aid in the development of a logical thought process.
Keep your focus on the topic
To describe your evidence, each paragraph in the body of your response should explain why a piece of evidence supports your claim or disputes the opposing claim. You have the option of describing or restarting it. This demonstrates that you know exactly what it means and how it applies to your claim. Refer to the specifics or facts of a certain issue that you’ve discussed and tie them to your claim.
Include evidence from both passages in your response, and explain why strong evidence supports one thesis and why flawed evidence undermines the other.
Revision and proofreading
By the time you’ve finished writing your essay, you should go back to the beginning and reread it attentively, since you may easily have missed a comma or misspelled a term while doing so.
Pay great attention when rereading your essay to see if it has well-targeted arguments, is arranged properly, contains particular information and facts, has good sentence construction, and has no grammatical or spelling mistakes.
Learn more about how to practice GED essays as well as the whole Language Arts section in GED Language Arts Study Guide
How To Write a GED Essay?
When writing the GED essay, you should allocate the time as follows:
- 3 minutes to read the directions and the topic
- 5 minutes of prewriting (freewriting, brainstorming , grouping, mapping, etc.)
- 3 minutes to organize (create a thesis statement or controlling idea, and summarize important points)
- 20 minutes to draft (write the essay)
- 8 minutes to revise (go over the essay and make adjustments to concepts)
- 6 minutes to edit (check for grammatical and spelling errors).
How Your GED Essay Is Scored?
Smart machines that are designed to detect the right answers score your GED essay. So don’t try to be creative; just be accurate.
They will evaluate your essay based on five factors.
- Organization : did you give a well-thought-out approach to writing your essay and were you clear on the main idea?
- Clear and swift response: Did you deal with the matter appropriately, without straying from one emphasis point to another, with a clear and quick response?
- Progress and specifics: instead of utilizing lists or repeating the same material, did you use relevant instances and particular details to expound on your initial notions or arguments?
- Grammar Rules of English: Did you apply proper writing strategies such as sentence structure, spelling, punctuation, syntax, and grammar, and did you shape and revise your essay after you finished the initial draft?
- Word choice : How well did you pick and use appropriate phrases to express your points of view?
Your 45 minutes will fly by, so focus on these key elements to get the best score possible. What is more important is to state unequivocally which side is more popular. Check that your phrases are clear and that your paragraphs are organized logically.
Each of the four modules (independent subtests) in Mathematical Reasoning (Math), Reasoning via Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies can be taken independently. To pass the subtest(s) for which you registered, you must study thoroughly and be efficient on test day. Consider taking our GED Language Arts Practice Test for the Language Arts section.
GED essay writing can be difficult, but you can keep a list of everything you need to know and switch to proper essay writing approaches before the exam. Simply practice a lot and you’ll notice that it gets better over time. So you’ve learned everything there is to know about writing the GED Essay .
How to write an essay for the GED?
- Read through all of the instructions.
- Create an outline.
- Make a list of all the evidence.
- Last, write your introduction.
- Write first, then edit.
- Make use of formal language.
- Don’t look at the time.
Is there an essay portion on the GED test?
How is the ged essay graded.
The essay is graded on a four-point scale by two certified GED essay readers. The scores of the two GED readers are averaged. If the essay achieves a score of 2 or above, it is merged with the language arts multiple-choice score to generate a composite result.
Final Words
In conclusion, this guide on the GED essay provides valuable insights and strategies to help you excel in the GED essay section. By understanding the structure of the GED essay , practicing effective writing techniques, and familiarizing yourself with the scoring rubric, you can approach the GED essay with confidence and achieve a successful outcome. Remember to plan your essay, organize your thoughts, and support your ideas with relevant examples and evidence. Additionally, refining your grammar and punctuation skills will enhance the overall quality of your writing. With consistent practice and a thorough understanding of the expectations for the GED essay, you can showcase your writing abilities and earn a strong score on the GED essay.
Eligibility Requirements For GED In District of Columbia
November 25, 2022
Eligibility Requirements For GED In New York
Eligibility Requirements For GED In Wyoming
You may learn more about how to obtain a GED in Wyoming by reading the answers to the questions related to GED requirements in Wyoming we receive below.
September 19, 2022
GED Essay-Topics, Samples, And Tips
This language Arts lesson is part of this website’s free online GED classes a nd practice tests.
Our free support is a great way to start with your GED prep. If online learning is right for you, we suggest you continue with Onsego GED Prep, a full-scope, accredited online course to earn your GED fast!
Onsego GED Prep
Online ged classes, lessons simply explained | practice tests | add-ons, preview onsego now.
Get Started
One part of the GED Reasoning through Language Arts (RLA) test is writing a GED Essay, also known as the Extended Response. You have 45 minutes to create your essay. The GED essay is an argumentative essay.
A common method for writing this type of essay is the five-paragraph approach.
Writing your GED Essay is not about writing an opinion on the topic at hand. Your opinion is irrelevant. You are asked to determine and explain which of the arguments is better.
Click here for Language Arts Practice Tests
A simple and easy way of getting your GED diploma.
Video transcription.
After reading the stimulus with two different arguments about a subject, your task is to explain why one of these arguments is better.
Remember, when writing your GED Essay, you are NOT writing your opinion on the topic. That’s irrelevant. You must write about why one argument is better than the other.
You are writing an analysis of the author’s two positions and explaining which argument is stronger. These two arguments are presented in the stimulus, so you don’t need to create any own examples.
So again, you only need to decide what argument is stronger and claim it and prove it. It is NOT about your opinion.
Since in your essay, you need to determine which argument is best supported, your claim should clearly state which of the two positions is stronger.
You will be provided with the stimulus material and a prompt.
The stimulus is a text that provides 2 opposing opinions about a certain subject. The prompt provides instructions and tells you what you need to do.
I’ll say it again because so many students make mistakes here, it’s NOT about your opinion on the topic but the subject that matters!
You need to analyze the arguments and determine which opinion is best supported throughout the text.
You are NOT asked which argument you agree with more, and you should NEVER respond with a personal opinion.
So, don’t use the word “I” such as “I think that…” “I agree because…” “In my opinion…”.
The GED essay is graded on a machine that uses algorithms to figure out your score.
So, no teacher will decide about the score in any way.
It’s very important that you remember this!
Let’s take a look at the structure, topics, and format of the GED Essay.
GED Essay Structure
Ged essay topics.
- GED Essay Sample
- GED Essay Scoring
- GED Essay Writing Tips
Remember: you need to analyze which of the presented arguments is better and explain why it’s better.
Likewise, make sure your reasons come from the text – you aren’t making up your examples; you’re talking about the ones in the passages.
How should you prove that one argument is stronger? – Look at the evidence in the text.
Did the author use a relevant statistic from a reliable source, or did he/she assume something with a hypothetical anecdote?
Once you know which is better supported, you’re on your way.
Keep in mind: Don’t Summarize!
It’s easy to substitute a simpler task (summarize each side) for the more complex task of evaluating arguments. But if all you do is summarize, your response will be considered off-topic and likely will not receive any points.
The GED Essay should contain:
- 4-7 paragraphs of 3 to 7 sentences each and 300-500 words in total.
- An essay (or response) that is significantly shorter could put you in danger of scoring a 0 just for not showing enough of your writing skills.
- As you read the stimulus material (text), think carefully about the argumentation presented in the passage(s). “Argumentation” refers to the assumptions, claims, support, reasoning, and credibility on which a position is based.
- Pay close attention to how the author(s) use these strategies to convey his or her position.
Every well-written GED essay has an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.
Your response will be an argument or an argumentative essay. Remember that you are NOT writing your opinion on the topic.
You are writing an analysis of two of the author’s positions and explaining which argument is stronger.
Things to keep in mind: the Extended Response (GED Essay) is scored by smart machines that are programmed to recognize correct answers. So, don’t try to be creative; just be correct. Also:
- Use proper grammar and sentence structure.
- Practice writing a 300 to 500-word essay.
Let’s look at the GED Essay structure: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.
- The Introduction introduces the topic you are writing about and states your claim or thesis statement. Stand your position.
- The Body of the essay presents reasoning and evidence to support your claim. This is the longest part of the response and should be at least two paragraphs.
- The concluding paragraph sums up your main points and restates your claim.
Here are a few examples of GED Essay Topics. Click on the title to read a full stimulus and a prompt.
An Analysis of Daylight-Saving Time
The article presents arguments from both supporters and critics of Daylight-Saving Time who disagree about the practice’s impact on energy consumption and safety. Check here to read the full article.
Should the Penny Stay in Circulation?
Analyze the presented arguments and decide which one is better supported. Check here to read the full article.
Is Golf a Sport?
Proponents say that golf meets the definition of “sport.” Opponents say that golf better meets the definition of “game” than “sport. Analyze both opinions and determine which one is better supported. Check here to read the full article.
GED Essay Samples
Click here to access a sample of a GED essay with an explanation of the structure. Getting familiar with GED essay samples will help you plan your essay and understand what elements are important.
When reading the essay subject, you really should take the time to pull together your thoughts. By arranging your ideas rationally, you will be able to express your thoughts far better on paper. When you start writing, concentrate on the guidelines that you came to understand in English class.
Pay attention to English language usage (grammar); you must use the right punctuation and capitalization and decide on suitable word solutions.
Check here to read a GED Essay Sample with our comments.
Tips for Writing your GED Essay
1. Make sure you read the stimulus and prompt cautiously
It’s good to practice this carefully. Check out each question carefully and take a little time to figure out the topic and what kind of answer will be expected.
It is important to read the questions meticulously.
Usually, students simply run over stimulus and prompt and begin to write immediately, believing that they will save time this way.
Well, this actually the most undesirable thing to do. Take a short while and try to understand the questions completely in order to respond to them appropriately. If you wish, highlight the essential words and phrases in the stimulus to be able to look at it from time to time to be certain you stick to the topic.
2. Sketch an outline for the essay
In general, you will only need a few minutes to plan your essay, and it is imperative to take that time. As soon as you grasp the questions entirely, and once you have scribbled down some initial ideas, make an outline of the essay and follow that.
Plan an introduction, body, and conclusion. Following this process is going to save you a lot of time and it helps establish a rational development of thoughts.
3. Stick to the subject
Each paragraph in the body of your response should explain why a piece of evidence supports your claim or disputes the opposing claim to explain your evidence.
You can describe or restate it. This shows that you understand precisely what it means and how it relates to your claim.
Cite the mentioned details or facts of a specific point and relate them to your claim.
Your response should include evidence from both passages and explain what strong evidence supports one argument and why faulty evidence weakens the other argument.
4. Proofreading and Revision
By the time you completed writing your essay, you should go back to the beginning and read your essay carefully again, as you quite easily could have forgotten a comma or have misspelled a word while writing your essay. See also this post -> Is the GED Language Arts Test Hard?
While rereading your essay, pay close attention to whether your essay provides well-targeted points, is organized clearly, presents specific information and facts, comes with proper sentence construction, and has no grammar or spelling mistakes.
How your GED Essay is Scored
Your GED essay is scored by smart machines that are programmed to recognize correct answers. So don’t try to be creative; just be correct.
They will be using five criteria to assess your essay.
- Organization: were you clear about the essential idea, and did you present a well-thought strategy for composing your essay?
- Clear and swift response: did you deal with the subject adequately, without shifting from one focal point to another?
- Progress and details: did you apply relevant examples and specific details to elaborate on your original concepts or arguments, as opposed to using lists or repeating identical information?
- Grammar Rules of English: did you use decent writing techniques like sentence structure, spelling, punctuation, syntax, and grammar, and did you shape and edit your essay after you penned the first draft?
- Word choice: how far did you choose and employ suitable words to indicate your points of view?
Your 45 minutes will go quickly, so focus on these important points to get the best score.
What’s important is to make a clear statement about which position is better supported. Write clear sentences and arrange paragraphs in a logical order.
GED testing includes four modules (independent subtests) in Mathematical Reasoning (Math), Reasoning through Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies that can be taken separately. You should study very well, be effective on test day, and pass the subtest(s) you registered for.
GED writing for essays may be a bit tricky, but you can store all this information for proper learning on a list and change to proper write essay techniques before test day has arrived. Just practice a lot, and you’ll see that it’ll be getting better and better. So now you know all about writing the GED Essay.
Last Updated on September 12, 2024.
Table of Contents
- 0.1 Video Transcription
- 1 GED Essay Structure
- 2 GED Essay Topics
- 3 GED Essay Samples
- 4 Tips for Writing your GED Essay
- 5 How your GED Essay is Scored