Liz’s World

GED Essay Tips

3rd November 2008

GED Essay Tips

posted in GED Essay, Sample GED Essay, Writing Prompts, Writing Tips |

Hi, GED studiers! I got a comment from Deedee, who’s going to take her GED test:

I am going to take the Ged test,and i really need help for my essay because im not good at writting essays.so it would be a pleasure if you guys help me out with it!

So, I thought it would be a good idea to give some suggestions for the GED essay today! The GED essay isn’t too hard, but it’s important to know what they expect.

The GED essay should be fairly short, about4-5 paragraphs. Don’t make your essay too short, because it has to be an essay. The readers want to see that you can give what you’re writing a structure, and that you can think through what you want to say, not just write something off the top of your head.

Your essay needs a beginning, a middle, and an ending, and it needs to completely answer the GED essay prompt. That’s important. Let’s look at an example. Here’s a GED essay prompt:

Often, important goals require sacrifice.
What is a time when you gave up something to get something else that was important to you? Was what you gained worth the sacrifice? Why or why not? Use your personal observations, experience, and knowledge to support your essay.

This is an easier prompt, if you ask me, because it’s about your own life. But all the GED prompts ask you to use your own personal observations, experience, and knowledge. That means, you use what you know in your essay. You’ve got to show that you can communicate what you think.

The first step, is to figure out what you want to say. That means reading the prompt carefully, and then thinking about your life… think about what you know, what you’ve seen, and what you’ve done. Think of a story in your life that can help you answer the question.

This prompt asks for a story, something you’ve sacrificed. But let’s say it asked your opinion of making sacrifices. You can still think of a story in your own life about someone who made a sacrifice, or about when you made a sacrifice.

Like, a lot of GED students sacrifice time with their children to get their GED. Or, a lot of GED students sacrificed their high school education to help out their families. Your life is full of stories, and you need to think of the stories that will help you answer the question.

Okay… then it’s time to write. You need three parts to your essay.

1) The Beginning: Start out by saying something interesting! Give an overview of what you’re going to write, but don’t just repeat the question. I might write something like this:

When I was in high school, I met the man I thought would be the love of my life. I quit school to marry him. I didn’t think of it as a sacrifice at the time. Now, my marriage is gone, and I fully understand what I sacrificed by not finishing school. Still, I don’t regret the choice I’ve made.

I give an idea about what I’m going to write… and I  talk specifically about my life. I’m talking about something that I know, so it’s easier. And, I’m answering the question: The reader knows what I sacrificed, and that I don’t regret it. I’ve left out why I don’t regret it…. I’ll save that for the middle.

2) The Middle: This is the part that should contain most details. The GED asks you to include good specifics in your essay. That’s easiest if you’re writing about stories in your life. You know the details, because you lived them! Don’t be too general. Say what you mean, and stay on topic. The middle should be about 2-4 paragraphs (3 is a good number). You can either tell a story or write about 2-4 different points you want to make. Here’s what I’d write for this essay:

One day, my son came home from high school with math homework that was giving him trouble. I didn’t understand it at all. It made me realize clearly for the first time that my children were passing me in education. I knew that, without a high school diploma, I wasn’t qualified for many jobs, and I missed high school memories of dances, classes, and graduation night. But realizing that I couldn’t help my son anymore made me feel, for the first time, the cost of quitting school.

Still, I know I’ve gained a lot from my marriage, even though it ended several years ago. I remember another day, when my son got accepted into college. He came into the kitchen waving the letter and jumping up and down. I would have sacrificed anything to give him that.

I’ve got two middle paragraphs. The first one talks about what I missed out on… and the second one talks about why I don’t regret the sacrifice. I added details by telling stories, being specific about the moment that I realized I regretted quitting school and another moment that made me happy to be a mother. Thinking of specific moments and things that have happened in your life makes your writing better.

3) The End. Try to say something new in the last paragraph of your essay, instead of repeating what you’ve already said! Comment on what the issue means to you, and expand that into a bigger picture. If you have something new to say in your conclusion, that will leave a good impression on the reader. Here’s my ending:

Part of me will always regret giving up my high school days to get married, but I gained a lot from my sacrifice. I gained two wonderful sons. Now that I’m older, I am more dedicated to learning, too. I may have gotten a late start, but I’m ready to make new sacrifices to get my education and become a success.

On the GED test, you’ll have scratch paper to use. Use it to come up with your ideas and organize them before you write. After you write, go back and look over your essay. Ask yourself:

1. Did I answer the question completely?

2. Is my essay organized?

3. Did I use details and expand on what I mean?

4. Did I choose the best words to say what I mean?

5. Did I make any grammar and spelling errors?

Make any corrections that you can before the time is up. I recomment practicing writing timed GED essays before the test, and reviewing them by asking those five questions. Show your essay to other people, to get their opinion and see how you can improve.

That’s my best GED essay advice! Good luck on the test, everyone!

For more information about the GED test and GED test preparation, visit The GED Academy at http://www.passGED.com.

This entry was posted on Monday, November 3rd, 2008 at 12:52 pm and is filed under GED Essay, Sample GED Essay, Writing Prompts, Writing Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

There are currently 31 responses to “GED Essay Tips”

Why not let us know what you think by adding your own comment! Your opinion is as valid as anyone elses, so come on... let us know what you think.

  1. 1 On November 4th, 2008, sunflower said:

    I need help starting my essay.My mind go blank when I have to write anything let alone an essay please tell mr where to begin thanks

    posted on November 4th, 2008 at 5:04 am

  2. 2 On November 17th, 2008, ged math test : ged practice test : ged test : ged : ged study guide : ged test score : ged writing test said:

    [...] has a practice GED essay question, and her draft of an answer. She walks you through how she approached this GED practice essay prompt, with tips and advice for [...]

    posted on November 17th, 2008 at 9:17 am

  3. 3 On December 18th, 2008, Batnuni said:

    Hi Elizabeth,
    I enjoy your site immensely, and find it very helpful. I would also like to comment on another resource PassGED provides. I have recently discovered the Writers Notebook – what a wonderful resource.

    I have been searching for this type of site endlessly without any luck, and had no idea it was provided with this GED course. I hope by writing you, I will assist others in discovering the Writers Notebook exists.

    In the quest for greater knowledge, this GED course and the sites provided make learning much easier. I would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone behind PassGED.

    Have a great day!
    Sincerely,
    Batnuni

    posted on December 18th, 2008 at 1:15 pm

  4. 4 On February 7th, 2009, Ashley said:

    Hi, I’m working on getting my GED, and write now I’m working at home with the Book, and I’m about to write an essay and at the moment my mind is drawing a blank to a essay topic ” how does the climate in your region affect you and the other people who live there?” I’m not completely sure how to answer that with facts.

    posted on February 7th, 2009 at 10:15 pm

  5. 5 On February 7th, 2009, Liz said:

    Hi Ashley! The GED essay isn’t about doing research and gathering facts, since of course you can’t do that on the test. The idea is to think of things from your own life. So, how does the weather affect you? Have you had any storms that cause damage? What about droughts? People living in desert areas find ways to conserve water, like planting low-water plants in their gardens. And some governments have campaigns or laws to encourage people to save water. We’ve had a lot of severe weather, too, like tornadoes, snow storms–and in the past few years, hurricanes–that affect a lot of people’s lives. There are other ways weather affects us, too. The climate in your area will affect the kinds of outdoor activities people do. If there’s snow, there’s probably skiing. If you’ve got mild weather by the ocean, there’s probably surfing. If it’s very hot, maybe people stay inside during the summer, and go out at night instead of during the day. So, think about the everyday ways that the weather affects you and the people in your area.

    posted on February 7th, 2009 at 10:22 pm

  6. 6 On February 8th, 2009, Ashley said:

    Ok thanks for the help!

    posted on February 8th, 2009 at 3:58 pm

  7. 7 On February 8th, 2009, Ashley said:

    So now I’m writing a new essay, and it wants me to explain why people do not buckle up when they are in a car. How do I explain someone else’s choices?

    posted on February 8th, 2009 at 6:09 pm

  8. 8 On February 9th, 2009, Liz said:

    Well, do you know anyone who doesn’t buckle up, or are there times in the past that you didn’t buckle up? Can you put yourself in the place of someone who doesn’t buckle up? Seeing someone else’s point of view is actually an important skill. It helps you be a better writer, because understanding different points of view helps you address other people’s arguments and even understand what your readers might be thinking. It also helps you understand different characters when you’re reading, and why different people do what they do (for example, in social studies, you’re often learning about people in different cultures and time periods, and understanding their points of view is very helpful!) Try to think of someone who doesn’t buckle up… what would they be like? What would they be thinking about? What could cause them not to buckle up? Brainstorm as many reasons as you can think of. Which ones make the most sense? Can you see why someone might act that way? Try it, and see if it helps!

    posted on February 9th, 2009 at 7:50 am

  9. 9 On February 9th, 2009, Ashley said:

    Thanks! It actually helped alot!

    posted on February 9th, 2009 at 8:12 am

  10. 10 On May 2nd, 2009, cory said:

    hi, i’m taking the GED writing on monday, and wanted to know if the GED reader’s will not give me a chance, if the essay is only around 200 words?

    posted on May 2nd, 2009 at 9:43 am

  11. 11 On May 2nd, 2009, Liz said:

    Hi, Cory! There isn’t a length requirement for the essay, but it needs development. That means 4-6 paragraphs, to have a beginning, 2-4 middle paragraphs, and an ending. I wouldn’t count words if I were you, but I’d make sure I had details (like stories from my life and examples of people I know or things I’ve done.) If you’ve got details and good organization, and you stay on topic, you should do fine.

    posted on May 2nd, 2009 at 2:20 pm

  12. 12 On May 4th, 2009, cory said:

    Will they not grade my essay, if i mess up on a few sentences and scribble them out?

    posted on May 4th, 2009 at 3:51 pm

  13. 13 On May 5th, 2009, Liz said:

    Cory, if you mess up a word or sentence, you can cross it out neatly, and there should be no problem. Try to make your essay legible, but the most important thing is what you say. In other words, no, you won’t be not graded for scribbling out a few sentences.

    posted on May 5th, 2009 at 7:27 am

  14. 14 On September 22nd, 2009, Dionn said:

    !!!Thanks so much this really helped me!!!

    posted on September 22nd, 2009 at 6:58 pm

  15. 15 On January 27th, 2010, kenneth said:

    i took the pratice ged test and i passed everything but the essay my mind goes blank and i do not got no clue at all what to write can you please help me.

    posted on January 27th, 2010 at 5:49 am

  16. 16 On February 1st, 2010, Liz said:

    Kenneth, thinking of topics can be hard. It’s best to try and think of three direct answers to the question, or at the very least two things you can REALLY talk a lot about. Then you can structure your essay around those three things. In the first paragraph, you introduce what you’re gonna talk about. In the middle paragraphs, talk about how your topics relate to the question. The final paragraph, you come to a conclusion about it.

    If you’re finding it difficult to think of things to talk about in the middle paragraphs, one good thing is to ask yourself what an argument against your topic might be. So if the question was, “Do you think global warming is effecting us today?” and one of your answers is, “Yes, because the winters are getting longer each year.” What might be an opposing argument? Maybe someone could say, “Well, throughout the last century, winters have been long and short, so how do you know that the long winters lately are a direct result of global warming?” You can use that to strengthen your paragraph by bringing up the opposing argument, then explaining why it’s not a good argument against your point.

    If you can’t think of a good reason why the opposing argument is a bad one, then the point you brought up initially isn’t very strong and you might want to think of something else all together.

    posted on February 1st, 2010 at 10:04 am

  17. 17 On February 2nd, 2010, kenneth said:

    thanks for helping me.

    posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 6:51 am

  18. 18 On March 8th, 2010, kelsey said:

    heyy, im planing to take the writing test this month.Im not that good at placiing my words the right way, or how to use them. could yu tell me what i could do to improve that so i can have a great test score?!

    posted on March 8th, 2010 at 12:09 pm

  19. 19 On March 8th, 2010, Liz said:

    Kelsey,

    Unfortunately, there’s no real quick way to learn things like which words go where and when. The best thing I can suggest is to spend as much time as you can reading professional writing, such as newspaper and magazine articles, or non-fiction books (fictional novels sometimes have a “voice” in them that’s not always the proper way to write in an essay). The more you read good writing, the more your own writing will resemble it. You might actually even want to keep away from reading internet forums or comments, as those usually have a lot of slang and word shortcuts you don’t want to use.

    Also make sure to sit down and write once a day. Get someone else to look over your writing and tell you what might not sound right. It’s always difficult to tell what doesn’t fit in your own writing, so having someone else point things out will help.

    Finally, use a dictionary or dictionary.com to look up words you don’t know. If you gloss over words you don’t recognize, you’ll never learn them and be able to use them in your own writing.

    Good luck with your test! Let me know how it turns out!

    posted on March 8th, 2010 at 12:23 pm

  20. 20 On March 30th, 2010, kenneth said:

    hey liz Its kenneth agin i take the ged test on the 5th and the 6th and i need some real good advice you think you can help me out.

    posted on March 30th, 2010 at 4:49 am

  21. 21 On March 30th, 2010, Liz said:

    Hey Kenneth,

    You can read through my blog for some more advice about the GED essay. There isn’t much I can just say if you don’t have a specific question. The only thing I noticed that I can suggest is that from now until your test, practice writing with proper grammar and spelling, even just in forums like this. If you don’t practice the little stuff, it’ll slip by and you’ll forget to do it on the test. So, for instance, your post shoulda looked like this:

    “Hey Liz, it’s Kenneth again. I’m taking the GED test on the 5th and the 6th, and I need some real good advice. Do you think you can help me out?”

    If you don’t understand why I made the corrections I did, you need to study some more. If you did understand, you just need to exercise applying those rules, so you don’t forget the little stuff enough that you’ll end up getting a bad score on the test.

    Good Luck!

    posted on March 30th, 2010 at 7:56 am

  22. 22 On April 1st, 2010, mark said:

    Well i took the ged test n feb of 2010 i passed everything but da writing. its jus the topic they gave i didnt understand. how do i understand a topic better. Can you plz help me i retake da test may 12

    posted on April 1st, 2010 at 6:53 am

  23. 23 On April 5th, 2010, kenneth said:

    Thanks Liz, you have helped me alot.

    posted on April 5th, 2010 at 4:31 am

  24. 24 On April 5th, 2010, Liz said:

    Mark,

    I’m not sure how to tell you how to understand topics in general. If you could tell me what your topic was for the test, we can look at that specifically and see what sorts of questions you could ask to understand it better.

    posted on April 5th, 2010 at 7:09 am

  25. 25 On June 15th, 2010, sharon said:

    i need help wih an essay;the topic is ;how important is g.e.d?

    posted on June 15th, 2010 at 8:18 pm

  26. 26 On February 2nd, 2011, hish said:

    hi liz, i red most of you answers and i learned a lot from it. i have a real proplem staying focused on the topic. once i start a sentence i don’t know where to stop. i don’t know how much details to include in one sentence. sometimes, because i make a sentence too long, i end up making a gramatic error in it. i would appreciate any help. thank you for you time.

    posted on February 2nd, 2011 at 3:33 pm

  27. 27 On February 2nd, 2011, Liz said:

    Hish,

    If you feel like your sentences are too long, there’s nothing wrong with keeping them small. Most every sentence should have a verb and a subject. Like, “The DOG RAN to the park.” If you’ve got more than one subject, “The DOG RAN to the park, and the CAT SAW him and HID,” then your sentence might be getting a little too long. If you have any example sentences that you’re not sure about you can always post them, and I’ll let you know if they’re all right or could use some help.

    posted on February 2nd, 2011 at 5:32 pm

  28. 28 On February 23rd, 2011, Glenn Dogg said:

    Hey Liz, was wondering if u could give me a little advice on the GED essay writing. I’m having trouble with the introduction and conclusion paragraphs. The middle (body) is not so much a problem. But how do i come in and end without saying the same thing over and over again for the begging, middle, and end?

    posted on February 23rd, 2011 at 5:12 pm

  29. 29 On February 23rd, 2011, Liz said:

    Hi there, Glenn. If you think about an essay, it’s kind of like a journey. In the introduction paragraph, you’re exploring the answer, and introducing what you’ll be talking about. I think of it as sort of the obvious answer to the question. After you write your three paragraphs though, you’ve gone on your journey, and you should have learned something new. That’s what you put in your conclusion. What is the more meaningful answer? The deeper answer? An answer you wouldn’t have thought of when you first started.

    Does that make any sense?

    posted on February 23rd, 2011 at 11:28 pm

  30. 30 On February 25th, 2011, Glenn Dogg said:

    Yes, that helps out a lot. Thank you for taking the time to reply back. I can tell by exploring through your site that you have helped a lot of people out. Just wanted to say thanks again and everyone appreciates someone like you for doing this. You and your site is awesome.

    posted on February 25th, 2011 at 7:40 pm

  31. 31 On February 26th, 2011, Liz said:

    I’m glad that helped you out! Just let me know if you have any other questions about the essay!

    posted on February 26th, 2011 at 3:50 am

Leave a Reply