For GRE and GMAT test-takers, the Analytical Writing Section may sometimes seem to be an uphill climb. With only a half an hour to brainstorm ideas, make an outline and finally type in the entire essay, it may not always be possible to transfer your thoughts to the word processor exactly as you want. The result is often essays that fall short of what the examiner expects in order to award a 4.

The links below are a part of the Online Writing Lab, a project started by Purdue University, which helps teachers and students in developing their English Language skills and rectifying the errors that they make in their essays. They provide valuable suggestions on how to structure sentences correctly and avoid minor errors in English that we as non-native speakers of the language tend to make. Visit them and start improving your Analytical Writing essays immediately.

Note: if you are taking the TOEFL exam, these links will be a big help to you too.

1. For examples on how to use transition words and phrases effectively, especially on how to move smoothly from one paragraph to another:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/574/1/

2. For tips on how to improve sentence clarity through using parallel constructions, transition phrases, clear pronoun references and other grammatical devices:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/600/1/

3. For learning when to use capital letters and when to go with small case:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/592/1/

4. For making sure we don’t confuse our a’s, an’s and the’s:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/540/01/

5. For advice on proper subject-verb agreement:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/599/1/

The rules and examples on these links are easy to follow and implement in your own writing. Use them to polish your writing and get that high Analytical Writing score.