The issue essay prompt asks you to take a position on a debatable topic and support it with clear reasoning. You have a lot of flexibility: you can choose which side to defend and which points to use. This section shows you a simple, organized way to approach any issue essay.
The issue essay always asks for your opinion on a controversial claim. It doesn’t matter which side you choose; what matters is that your reasons support your position and that your writing is clear and well organized.
Before you start writing, take a moment to plan. A quick outline will save you time and help you stay focused. One reliable method is to make a table with points that support the claim and points that challenge it.
Even if you already know which side you’ll argue, it’s still worth filling out both columns. Understanding the opposing view helps you write a stronger essay, and you’ll usually want to address at least one counterargument directly.
Let’s try it with this simple prompt:
Soccer (football) is a great sport to help keep you in shape.
Write a response in which you discuss why or why not you agree with this statement.
| + Pros + | - Cons - |
| It can make exercising fun | You can get injured |
| It involves lots of running | You can only play when there are other people available |
| No gym membership required | You need special equipment (shoes, ball, goals) |
Once you’ve listed a few ideas on each side, choosing and organizing your paragraphs becomes much easier.
After you fill out the table, review both sides and choose the position you can defend most effectively.
You’ll use these three points to write the body of your essay.
Your essay should follow this five-paragraph format.
Introduction
State your opinion and briefly preview your main reasons.
Argument 1
Start with your strongest reason and explain it in detail.
Argument 2
Explain your second-strongest reason in detail.
Counterpoint with dispute
Present an opposing view, acknowledge what’s reasonable about it, and then explain why your position is still stronger.
Conclusion
Restate your opinion and tie your reasons together.
Practice making pro/con tables and outlines with a few of the practice essay prompts. You don’t need to write full essays yet - just practice building a few outlines.
On the real test, prompts are often more specific than a simple “state your opinion.” For example, a prompt might add a condition like: Imagine you have never played soccer. How might that shape your position? In that case, you could discuss why finding a group to play with or getting equipment might be especially difficult for a beginner.
Here’s an example of an issue essay that received a 6.0 score from ETS.
The surest indicator of a great nation is not the achievements of its rulers, artists, or scientists, but the general well-being of all its people.
Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the claim. In developing and supporting your position, be sure to address the most compelling reasons and/or examples that could be used to challenge your position.
The names of the greatest rulers, artists, and scientists is what is taught in most history classes. Little attention is given to the common people. Despite the fact that the most prolific and talented members of a society have a profound effect on their nations, it is the common people that truly embody the nation and it is them who keep it running. From the plumber, to the lawyer, to the homeless person; they all contribute their grain of salt to the identity and strength of the nation. The purpose of a nation is to create a just society in which every individual can enjoy the wealth and resources of the nation. A nation without a solid base will never be able to allow artists and scientists to create their most innovative and creative master pieces. Without the combined effort of all its people, there will be no Albert Einstein or Mozart, because there will be no resources to encourage these geniuses to develop their talents to their highest potential. The only way a nation can have a solid base is by guaranteeing the well-being of all its citizens. With happy citizens, nations have the solid foundation needed to produce the greatest achievements humanity can accomplish. Thus, the greatest of all nations are those in which the general well-being of its population is at its highest because happy citizens are more productive, more generous to each other, and more knowledgeable.
First, citizens living in a society that ensures their well being become much more productive than in a nation in which their well-being is not guaranteed. Dr. Friedman, in Berlin in the year 1975, conducted a controlled random experiment in which he tested the effects that well-being had in the production level of the subjects of the experiment. He created a control group and an experimental group, and assigned members to each group randomly. The experimental group was in a room that was very hot, whereas the control group was in a well ventilated room. Next, both groups were given simple tasks such as cutting squares out of circles and coloring an image. After 30 minutes had passes, Dr. Friedman evaluated who was able to complete most tasks in the 30 minute time window. He noticed that the experimental group completed only 80% of the tasks compared to the control group, which completed 100% of the tasks. As per Dr. Friedman: “the results of this experiment show how well-being has a negative effect on the productivity of individuals”. Less productive individuals are going to achieve less at work, meaning companies in general will be less productive and less competitive in the global market. In an increasingly competitive world, less productive companies will bring less resources to the nation, making it less likely to invest in the talent of its people.
Second, well-being is directly related to generosity. The more generous citizens of a nation are to each other, the more likely they are to help those in need around them. This, in turn, leads to a collective effort to lift each other up, making the nation more productive and wealthy. Thomas Frank and Imelda Seo developed a randomized experiment in which they tested the relationship between well-being and generosity. The study was conducted in Seoul in 1994 in a public university. The subjects of the test were randomly selected from different levels of the class in an effort to eliminate as many confounding variables as possible. The experimental group was told the very bad news that they had just failed their most recent test. After receiving this news, they were given a limited amount of chocolate and they were told to pick as much as they needed but to think that someone else will come after them and pick what is left from the chocolate. The person that will come later will not know how much chocolate was in the box originally. In contrast, the control group was told the same regarding taking as much chocolate as needed and to be mindful of the person coming behind them, but they were not given the initial bad news that they had failed their test. The results of the experiment show that the experimental group was 70% more likely to take all of the chocolate in the box than the control group. As per Imelda Ser: “this is indicative that when a person’s well-being is jeopardized, they are less likely to be generous.” This study shows how well-being can have a positive impact on the citizens of a nation, and this generosity can lead to citizens helping each other out more and creating a more cohesive and productive society and nation.
Third, citizens living in a nation in which their well-being is adequate are more knowledgeable. More knowledge can lead to greater discoveries. Great artists, scientists, and rulers all require proper education during their early years to achieve the success. If society as a whole is more educated, it is much more likely for a nation to be able to cultivate the talents of their next genius. For example, Amadeus Mozart was the son of a talented musical father that lived in Vienna, the classical music capital of the world at the time of this life. If Mozart would have been born in an empoverished family with no resources and no knowledge of music, who is to tell Austria would have produced such a notable musical expert. The father of Mozart lived a comfortable life that allowed him to develop his own talents, and later pass his new found knowledge to his son, who later took this knowledge to never before seen levels of musical prowess. To guarantee that the knowledge is passed on to the greatest individuals of a nation, it is necessary to ensure the general well-being of its citizens. Only then will a great nation be able to produce a Mozart, an Albert Einstein, or a Napoleon.
In conclusion, a nation can only be great if it can guarantee the well-being of all its citizenry. This is the only way a nation can ensure that the individual talents of certain prolific people can flourish. These individuals require a strong enough safety net that will allow them to pursue their dreams without having to worry about heating the house or finding the next meal. Also, citizens that are happy and living comfortable can produce more for the nation as a whole, and lift each other out of poverty, thus creating a great nation.
This essay has some significant strengths:
Yet there are still many opportunities for improvement:
Writing an essay that gets a perfect 6.0 score is challenging, but as you can see from this example, it doesn’t require you to write perfectly.
Essay writing is a skill you can practice and improve. Fortunately, you don’t need to write dozens of unique, critically acclaimed essays for the GRE. In fact, it’s almost the opposite: you mainly need one strong “template” essay, and then you swap in topic-specific examples and reasoning depending on the prompt.
That means your practice essays may start to look similar, and that’s fine. The goal is to build reliable habits so you can write in a consistent, structured way under time pressure. No matter what topic you see on test day, you’ll be able to use the same overall structure, sentence patterns, and vocabulary you’ve practiced while studying.
When you’re ready, you can write full-length essays and submit them to our AI-based essay grader for instant scoring and actionable feedback on how to improve your score.