Question 1Multiple choice
Which sentence from Text A states the writer's main claim?
The GED essay
The essay is part of the Language Arts test. You get 45 minutes to read two texts that disagree and explain which argument is better supported.
| Time | 45 minutes, inside the 150-minute Language Arts test |
|---|---|
| Task | Analyze two arguments and explain which is better supported |
| Evidence | Quote and explain evidence from both texts |
| Not scored | Your own opinion on the issue |
A plan for 45 minutes
- 5 minutes: read both texts and mark each claim and its evidence.
- Introduction: name the better-supported argument and preview your reasons.
- Body 1: that writer's strongest evidence, quoted and explained.
- Body 2: the other writer's weak spots, such as missing evidence or claims based on feeling.
- Conclusion and 5 minutes to check spelling and punctuation.
The most common mistake
Arguing your own side of the issue. The question is which writer supports their claim better. You can agree with the weaker writer and still write a strong essay about why the other one argues better.
Try 3 questions
Two Views on Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers
Text A: from a letter to the city council
Gas-powered leaf blowers should be banned in our city. A typical gas blower is as loud as a jackhammer at close range, and its noise carries for blocks. Workers who use them all day are exposed to that noise for hours. Many blowers also have small two-stroke engines, which burn oil mixed with fuel and release more pollution per hour than many cars. Battery blowers are quieter and produce no exhaust where they are used. Several cities in California have already banned gas blowers, and their parks are still clean. It is time for us to follow.
Text B: from a statement by a landscaping business owner
A ban on gas leaf blowers would hurt small businesses like mine. A full set of commercial battery blowers and spare batteries costs my crew about $6,000, and the batteries do not last a full working day. That means more equipment, more charging and higher prices for customers. I agree that noise is a problem, which is why my crew already avoids working before 8 a.m. Instead of a ban, the city should limit the hours when blowers can be used and offer rebates to help businesses switch over time.
Question 2Multiple choice
Which detail from Text B is offered as evidence that a ban would hurt small businesses?
Question 3Multiple choice
Text A says other cities banned gas blowers "and their parks are still clean." What is the weakness of this evidence?
Next step
Questions people ask
How long should the GED essay be?
There is no word count. A clear essay of four or five paragraphs that quotes and explains evidence from both texts fits well in 45 minutes.
Do I give my opinion in the GED essay?
Not on the issue itself. You give your judgment about which argument is better supported, and you back it up with evidence from the texts.