Writing Skills for the GRE & GMAT (Peterson's Writing Skills for the GRE & GMAT Test) [1 ed.] 0768910943, 9780768910940

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About The Thomson Corporation and Peterson's

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CONTENTS

Introduction Get Ready for GRE and GMAT Analytical \ftfritill!J ...................................................

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Essay-Phobic? You're Not Alone! Some Testing Terminology You Should Know The Official "Pools" of GRE and GMAT Essay Questions What You'll Learn from This Book Additional Resources for GRE-and GMAT Analytical Writing Iconic Symbols Used in This Book About the Author

Part 1

All the Facts About GRE and GMAT Analytical \ftfriting ...........................

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GRE and GMAT Analytical Writing-at a Glance The Issue Writing Task The Argument Writing Task The Analytical Writing Computer Interface Essay Evaluation and Scoring Score Reporting and Use of Scores Analytical Writing-Diagnostic Test

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HOWl to Compose a High-Scoring Issue Essay....................................... 8 Steps to the Issue Writing Task Developing a Position on the Issue Supporting Your Position and Refuting Others Organizing Your Ideas (Your Essay's Structure) DO's." and DON'Ts for Your Issue Essay Reinfbrcement E.,xercises Reinforcement E.,xercises-Sampies and Comments

1 1 2 45 8 8 8

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Part 3

How to Write a High .. Scoring Argument Essay ......................... ". ...... 8 Steps to the Arl,'llment Writing Task Organizing Your Idea.. (Your Essay's Structure) Recognizing and Handling Flaws in GRE and GMAT Arguments DO's and DON'Ts for Your Argument Essay If You Have More Time Reinforcement Exercises Reinforcement ｅｸ･ｲ｣ｩｳｾ｡ｭｰｬ＠ and Comments

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71 80 84 106

Pari 6

Writing Style and Mechanics .... ......... Your o-...",rall Voice and Tone

Sample Essays for 20 Official GRE Issues ......................................................................... Sample Essays for 20 Official

'Pai"t '7 Sample Essays 'foi" 20 Official GMAT Issues .................................. "..........

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127 133 138 143

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Sample Essays"for 20 Official GMAT Arguments ... oo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ｾ＠

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Arguments .................................... ., .... ".. "' .. '" '" "' ....

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Dcvclo;;'.ng a ｐｅ［ＧＮｳｩｬｾ＠ -,' p ·,,'dt;.r." Ｇｬ｣Ｍｾ＠ Connecting Your Ideas TogethG References to Yourself and to the Statement or Argument Your Sentences Your Facility with the English Language Your Grammar DO's and DON'Ts for Writing Style and Mechanics

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"Introduction GET READY FOR GRE OR GMAT

ANALYTICAL WRITING Graduate admissions officials are increasingly relying. on GRE and GMAT essay scores to predict graduate-level academic performance and, in rum, .{Q..make admissions choices among. similarly qualified applicants. The paIn t is clear. You'd better take the essay portion of your exam seriously! Fortunately, you've come to the right place. This book; will ｧｩｖｾ＠ you the competitive edge you need to gain admission to your first-choice graduate program or B-school. All GMAT test takers and, beginning in October 2002, all GRE test takers, will need to compose two essays as part of their testing experience. The following twO essay tasks, while quite distinct from each other in terms of material, are essentially the same on the GRE as on the GMAT: Present Your Perspective on an Issue (GRE) or Analysis of an Issue (GMAT): In this type of essay, you'll adopt a position on a given issue of broad intellectual interest and support that position with reasons and/or examples (45-minute time limit on the GRE; 30-minute time limit on tbe GMAD. Analyze an Argument (GRE) or Analysis of an Argument (GMAT): In thls type of essay, you'U analyze a paragraph-length argument and point out and discuss problems with its line of reasoning, adequacy and lise of evidence, and internal logic GO-minute time limit on both exams). During your GRE or GMAT tests (both of which are now administered only by computer), the computerized testing system will randomly select your essay questions from its large database -or "pool"-of official questions. The test maker, Educational Testing Service (ETS), has revealed its complete pool of essay questions-250 altogether-for each of the tWO exams, which will help \'Oll be prepared for what YOll will see on the test.

ESSAY.PHOBIC? YOU'RE NOT ALONE! Okay, you've commillec.l yourself to taking the GRE (or C;.\1,\n. Perhaps you've already hought one of those big, thick test-prep !looks to help you get ready for your exam. flut j{ you're like most test taker" you've put olI any earnest attempt to prepare for the two essays, focusinf; insle"d on the

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exam's ｭｵｬｴｩｰ･Ｍ｣ｨｯｾ＠ sections. Why 00 so man)' test ｴ｡ｫｾｲＢ＠ neglecl Analyli· cal Writing when it comes to GRE and GMAT prep? Probably for'one or more of the following reasons:

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flO room /(}1" glleSStl'ori.!. During the exam·s multiple-choice sections, you can score ｰｯｩｮｴｾ＠

TiJe task

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intimidating because liJere's

by making lud.-,.. random guesses and by making so-called "edll' cated" guesses (by eliminating ｳｯｭｾ＠ answer choices). But it's impossible to fake your way throu!til the essa" sections.

• Scoring tbe essays is so subjective. It's difficull to know what the readers will reward you for and where you stand in relation to other test takers-or so you think. • Writing essays is sucb bard work. Organizing and composing an essay inherently reqUires far mare activiry, both mentally and physi· cally, than analyzing and answering a multiple-choice question. • There are so man)' possible essay questions but so little time to get ready for thenL Since ETS has pre-disclosed all of the questions, you might feel you're at a competitive disadvantage unless you're ready for each and every one of them. And given a pool of 250 questions, who has the time, let alone the brain power, to get ready for every single one' Not you-so you wonder why you should even bother trying. Take hean: Nearly all your peers experience similar insecurities about the GRE or GMAT writing tasks. And by picking up tq;s book, you've taken an imponant first step toward overcorp.ing your anxiety!

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TESTING TERMINOLOGY YOU SHOULD KNOW TIrroughout this book, 1 rder to various acronyms and other termS thal test make" use and you should know. TItis first one is for GRE as well as GMAT test takers: ETS TItis is the nonprofit organization that creates the GRE and GMAT tesLS, administers the exams, and repons exam scores to the graduate schools. ETS also conducLS ongoing research projects aimed at improving its tesLS.

GRE

TERMINOLOGY GRE General Test or GRE (Graduate Record Exam). Sitting for this exam is a prerequisite for admission to many college and university' graduate programs (Masters and Ph.D.). The GRE is designed to measure lAT Essay Nos. 11,65,84

')r"ooplate C Try this template to acknowledge one or more strong argwnents .again. your position but where )'ou have bener reasons and/or examples,ffi support.of your ,position: •

1st Paragraph: Chief counterargument [Next Paragraph: Another counterargwncnt] Next ParagraplJ: One reason and/or example in suppOrt of your position

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HOW TO COMPOSE A HIGH-SCORING ISSUE ESSAY (Next p(lragraph: Another reason and/or c"xample in suppOrt of your

posiCion)

The following Issue essays in P,:t.rt 5 and Part 7 are based essentially on this [emplate: III GRE Essay Nos. 25, 103. 115

.111 GMAT Essay No. 43

remplate D

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If the arguments for and against the statement's position are equally strong • (e.g.• if it:ill depends on the area lUlder consideration), try this template for a balanced essay:

1st Paragraph (or 1st and 2nd Paragraphs): Area(s) or e.xamples supporting one position 2nd Paragraph (or 3rd and 4th Paragrapbs): Area(s) or e."'Camples

supporting a contrary position The following Issue essays in Part 5 and Part 7 are based essentially on this template: III GRE Essay No. 114

.111 GMAT Essay Nos. 26, 60

Template E Try this template to address two or more reasons in :support of an opposing pOSition, each one in rum:

lst'Paragraph (or 1st and 2nd paragraphs): Counter:ugumcm rebuttal

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2nd Paragraph (or 3rd and 4tb·paragraphs): Cowlterargumem rebuttal [Next Paragraph: Counternrgum.ent

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The following Issue essays in Pan 5 and Part 7 are based essentially on (his templ:ue: • II GRE Essay No. -16 • III Gl\-1AT Essay No. 54

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DO'S AND DON'TS FOR YOUR ISSUE ESSAY from Part 2. Hen:"s a list of DO's and Now, review some of the key ｰｯｩｮｌｾ＠ DON'Ts to keep you un the right tmek when you organize and compose your Issue essay. To n::inforce the ｪ､･｡ｾ＠ i.n thb.lisl, eannark it and refer to it from time to timt" a:> you pr.lctice the issue writing task and as you read my sample essays in Pan 5 and Part --;.

ADOPTING A PERSPECTIVE OR POSITION

Do

try to break apan the statement into components or discrete areas of consideration. In fact, many GRE and GMAT Issue Statements are intentionally designed for you to do so.

DON/T

waste time -second-guessing what the reader might agree (or disagree) with. GRE and GMAT readers are trained to be objective. So don't try to anticipate what a reader would consider a "correct'" position (pOlitically or

otherwise) on an Issue.

Do Ｂｨ･､ｧｾ＠

your position by qualifying your -viewpoint-and acknowledging others. In doing so, you won't appear wishy·washy, but rather thoughtful and scholarly!

DON'T

be reluctant to take a strong SmIlce on an Issue, but avoid corning across as fanatical or extreme. Approach the Issue essay is an intellectual exer· cise, not as a forum for sharing your personal belief system.

SUPPORTING YOUR POSITION AND COUNTERING OTHERS

Do

admit and respond to the chief weakness of your position as well as to the chief merits of an opposing position. In doing so, use var:ied rhetorical techniques.

DON/T

overdo it when it comes to drawing on personal experiences to suppon your position. Try instead to demonstrate a breadth of both real·world and academic experience.

Do

explain how each example you mention illustrates your pOint. Anyone can simply list a long "String of examples and claim that the:y illustrate: a paint. But the readers :are looking for incisive ·analysis, not fast typing (or writing).

DON'T

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try to impress the reader with e:ithe:r your vast knowledge of trivia or your technical knowle:dge of the:·tOpiC at hand.

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Writing Skills jor:t.m : GRE/GMAT'J"estJ

HOW TO COMPOSE A HIGH-SCORING ISSUE ESSAY

RGANIZATION

Do DON'T

Do

oroer your body parngr:lphs in a logical and pecsu:lSive manrier. dwell toO Long on details. Try co cover as many points in your outline as you have time for, devoting no more than One parngraph to each one. save time for bookends: an introductory paragraph and a concluding or

sununary paragraph. DON'T

lry to cover everything. The readers understand your time constraints. So don't worry if you're forced to love the secondary and more tangential . - points on your scratch paper:

IF YOU HAVE MORE TIME if you have ample time before your exam, consider supplementing the Issue materials in this book with additional resources. Here ,are some suggestions.

lAKE NOTES ON THE ISSUE STATEMENTS IN YOUR OFFICIAL "POOL Generate a printout of the complete pool of Issue questions. (See (his book's introduction for how to obtain the questions via the testing service's GRE and GMAT Web sites.) Select ten or fifteen Issue statements covering diverse themes. For each one, perform the planning steps (1-3) you learned about here in Part 2. Keep your mind as well as your pencil mOving!

CONSULT

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ANALYTICAL WRITING BOOKS

Chances are, you'll have an easier time conjuring up supponing examples for some types of Issues than for others. Identify the thematic areas (from the lists on pages 13-15 in Part 1) in which you're deficient. then get up to speed for these ｡ｲｾｳ＠ b.y reading the relevant essays in one of my other two books: GRE-AnsWe-: to" ｴｨｾ＠ ReCfI Essay Questions (Published by Peterson's), The book contains my_essays for 125 Lssues in the official pool. "

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G/fIAT G-1TＭａｮｳｷ･ｾ＠ to tbe' Real Essay Questions (Published by Peterson's). 111e book's 2nd edition contains my essays for 115 Issues in the ofticiai pool.

As you re:uJ the hook's Issue essays, in addition t:xamples:

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PART 2, • Pick up t[Jcsis ideas: even reading just the flrSl and last of each ･ｳＺｴｾﾷ＠ will afford yOll m:tny u.rSo,'S.COI',

Paragra.ph 3 (Queries) • If we pay attention at all, what does this reflect about society? • Is the fact that scandals afe ptlblicizeu mOfe: reflective: of the media than or society' Thesis • In either area. scandals show we have many side:s. • Intuition tells me this is an accurate reflection. • Musing: Issue raises questions about how media influenCes our values and priorities

NRmNG INTRODUCTORY ｐａｒｇｉｾｓ＠

(5

EXERCISES)

l. Analysis The operative word in this statement is ﾷｯｮｬｹＮｾ＠ This key word opens.the door for you to discuss other rasons these ads are often effective and to provide supporting examples. Here's an introductory paragraph·that leads appropriately into this discussion. Notice that the introduction anticipates three body paragraphs (one for the area of agreement and one for each of the twO points of disagreeme!1t): ad is one that helps scll the advertised Assuming that an ﾷ･｛ｦ｣ｴｩｶｾ＠ product or service, I agree with the statement to the extent that this advertising technique can be effective. However, the statement is problematic in two respects: (1) it overlooks other reasons that these types of ads arc often effective, and (2) it wrongly assumes that consumers can accurately predict the benefits of a product before using it. --

4.

2. Analysis Any statement with the word ·shoald w invites the test taker to challenge certain normative assumptions underlying the statement. The following introductory paragraph tells the reader that the test taker recognizes those assumptions and will proceed to challenge them. Notice that the introduction anticipates th:ee body paragraphs (one for the area of agreement and one for each of two challenges):

1 do nOt dispute the legitimacy of research aimed at improving the health and well-being of societ)' and itS members. However, the speaker misunderstands why we humans. by "Way of·our very nature, are driven to advance our knowledge in the first place. The speaker. fails to appreciate that in seeking knowledge for knowledge's own sake, researchers sometimes make the most profoundly benefiei2J discoveries.

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tn-iring Skills for the GREIGMAT Tests

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HOW TO COMPOSE A HIGH-SCORING ISSUE ESSAY

Analysis The following introduction lets the fe-ader know that (he tcSt taker recognizes differing perspectives on chis issue. The rhetorical phr.uie·"[Ilt might be cempting to agree ... ｾ＠ suggests that in the fmal analYSiS, the te.c taker will, on baJance, disagree with the statement. The introduction

antiCipates a sepaI":lte parag.T'2ph fOf each of two reasons for agreement, followed by a separate paragraph for each of two sorts of benefits: ﾷ･｣ｯｮｭｩｾ＠ and ﾷｯｴｨ･ｲｳ｣ｩ｡ｬｾ＠ (four body paragraphs altogether):

The speaker's essential claim is that using public resources to support

•

the arts is unjustifiable. It might be tempting.to agree with the speaker on the basis that art is not a fundament:ll hwn:lIl need and

y

that government is not entirely irustworili ｾｨ･ｮ＠ it comes to its motives and methods. However, the speaker overlooks cert:ti.n

economic and other societal benefits that accrue when government assumes an active ,role in supporting the :lItS.

Analysis Uke many GRE and GMAT Issue statements, this one overstates [he speaker's.case.. (Notice the key. word ｾｭｵｳｴＮＢＩ＠ The statement invites the test taker to qualify the statement by carving our areas of exception and providing counterexamples. The first twO sentences below infonn the reader that the test taker is about to accomplish precisely thac. The remainder of the introduction anticipates three body paragraphs. TIlls statement amounts to an unfair generalization. The key to individual success in any activity is to strike the optimal balance between individuality and conformity-a balance that varies depend. ing ·on the particular activity and goal involved. With respect to :J.ctivities that are inherently creative. I am in full agreement with the statement. When it comes to cert::tin other activities, however, conformity is the most importam ingredient for success, while in still other :J.ctivities, success depends equally on both.

, Analysis Notice that this Statement lists three types of le:J.ders. This list serves :lS :l.I1 invHation to discuss each one in rum, in :J. separate paragraph. One way to approach this type of statement is to either ;tyee or disagree with it. then provide supporting examples from each c:ltegory. Another approach is to show (by reasons wd examples) that the statement's :tccur.lcy depends on the category. The following introduction :lOticipates :t four·pangr:lph analysis thac follows the latter approach: Although this statement has merit, it is problematic in rwo Fir.;t, serving the interests of followers is nor [Ile only ｲ｣Ｚ［ｰｯｮｳｩ｢ｬｾＧ＠ :! k:ukr. Secondly. whether this respomihility is the ｾｧｲ｣［ｊＮｴｳ＠

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depends on the type of leadership involved. \VhUe legitimate political leadership must. by my definition, serve tht: citizenr)', the same cannot be said for dther ｨｵｳｩｮ･ｾ＠ or miii(;try lcaut:rship.

RECOGNIZING AN ESSAY'S STRUCTURE

(8.

EXERCISES)

1. GRE Essay No.4 The fIrSt three pal.lgl.tphs concern one point of view, while the final two

paragraphs tum to the opposing view. (The essay favors the laner view, on balance.) P P P P P

1: 2: 3: 4: 5:

Point Example Example Counterpoint (one example) Counterpoint (a second example)

2. GRE Essay No. 21 'The first two paragraphs discuss the essay's main point (reason in suppOrt of the essay's position), whilc thc third and fourth paragraphs each discuss another, distinct paint. P P P P

1: 2: 3: 4:

Point Point Point Point

I I (continued) 2 3

3. GRE Essay No. 39 The fIrst paragraph acknOWledge a contrary pOSition, then rebuts it, while the 'remaining paragraphs provide cX2IDples in suppOrt of the rebuttal. P 1: Point ｾ＠ counterpoint P 2: Example (in suppOrt of counterpoint) P 3: Example (in support of counterpoint) I.

GRE Essay No. 55 The first three paragraphs concern one point of View, while the frna] two paragraphs tum to the opposing vlew. (The essay favors the laner vi:-w.:. . ·on balance.) PI: P 2: P 3: P 4: P 5:

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,GMAT Essay No. 20 In the fif5[ parJgraph, the test taker agrees with the statement in one respect; in the other two paragraphs, the test taker disagrees with the statement in another respect: PI: Point P 2: Counterpoint p 3: Counterpoint (continued)

, GMAl" Essay No. 63

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TIle flrst paragrnph indicates the chief reason for the position uken in the essay; the second paragraph acknowledges a contrary a.rgument. then responds to it: PI: Point P 2: Counterpoint

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Rebuttal

GMAT Essay No. 80 The first paragraph presents one side of the issue, while the second para· . ｧｲ｡ｰｨｾｯｶｩ､･ｳ＠ another side. (The essay favors· the tatter position.) p 1: Poim P 2: Counterpoint

GMAT Essay No. 110 The flrst paragraph indicates one ¢..'Ctreme p,?sition on the issue, while the second paragraph indicates the contrary extreme position. The fmal pa.ragraph suggests a middle, more balanced position: P 1: Point P 2: Counterpoint p 3: Position (balances poim and counterpoint)

NAlYTlCAl WRITING

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EXERCISES)

Analysis The foUowing response first pays lip service to the statement (with a reason and an example), then refutes it (lglin, with a relson and :tIl example): A.s loules rake on the responsibilities of work, they might lppe:u- to

det1ne themselves less by their SOCili lffiliations and more by their occupation. For example. when two :ldults meet for the first time, beyono initial pk:lsantries. the inirill question almost invariably is M\Vhar do you do fur a ｉｩｶｮｾ＿Ｂ＠ Yet in my opinion. this focus on m:cup:LCion belies our true preferences as co how we wouhJ Jenne ourselves. Rlther, it is born of economic necessiry: we don't have the

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leisure tlOll- or financi;11 indt:pendcnCl" (0 conct:m ollrse!vt=S willl purdy social aCti\'itic!'i" After all. when older people rctire from the world of wor!':. their tnrc prcJerencl--for l(knlifying with social groups (hridgt" ｣ｬｵ｢Ｎｾ＠ investment club.... Of country c1ubs)-seems to emerge.

Z. ,-\Jlalysis The ｛ｯｕｷｩｮｾ＠ response first acknowledges thai the statement is generally correct. TIlen, rather th:m.refuting lhe irrdUlable, tlie response point!'i OUl an important exception (and an. illustrative example): Admittedly, in a democracy, citizens must question the fairness and relevance oCcurrent Jaws. It is not enough for a handful of legislators to challenge the status quo; ultimately. it is up to the electorate at large to cal! for changes in the law when they are needed to reflect evolving social values. However, when mass resisunce to governmental authority escalates to violent prOtest, the end result is often more hann than good to the society. despite the worthiness of the social or pOlitical cause. For insL,nce, alUlOugh the violent challenge to authority during the 1992 Los Angeles riotS was sparked by legitimate outra.ge against race-related police brutality, the prmest ultimately resulted in a finanCially crippled community and, marc broadly, a turning back of the clock with respect to racial tensions across America. Was the community and the SOCiety bener off in the end? Perhaps not.

'. A_Il.alysis The following response-cites·two reasons in suppOrt of the statement, then dispels them both (the first one with a reason, the second one by example); Those who agree with the statement, especially parents, "muld argue that only parents can truly know the unique needs of their children. including what educational choices are best suited for them, and that parents are more motivated than anyone else to ensure their children the best possible education. In my view, both arguments are specious_ 1.5 for the first "one, since parents lack both the objecti'-iry .and specialIzed tr.r.ining of professional educators, leaving crucial decisions about curriculum and pedagogy to parents might in many cases result in an incomplete education_ As for the second one, Iiflthough in a perfect world parents would always make their children's education one of their highest priorities, in fact many parenLfAT Tests

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HOW TO WRITE A HIGH-SCORING ARGUMENT ESSAY

ORGANIZE AND PRIORITIZE YOUR POINTS OF CRITIQUE Using your notes from step 2 as a guide, arrange your ideas inw para· graphs (probably three or four, depending on the number of problems buile into the Argument). Take a minute to consider whether any of the flaws you identified overlap and whether any can be separated into two distinct problems. In many ca.ses, the best sequence in which [Q org:utize your points of critique is the same order in which they appear in the

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Argument .

. For the Argument writing task, there's no need to create a separate (lutline. You can probably use your notcs as your outline, numbering them according to the most logical sequcJ?ce to discuss them. Here's wh:lt my _ notes for the Argument involving upperCuts look like after org;iruzing them (:uTOWS indicate where I intend to discuss a paim; (Fe] denotes "final ｣ｯｮｬｵｳｩｾＩＺ＠

Peterson's • IVn"Ung Skills for rbe GRE/GldAT Tests

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COMPOSE A BRIEF INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH Now tilal you've :o.:penl abou! fivr: mimlle:o.: planning your ess;lY, It's time [a compo:o.:t: it. Don'[ W:lSle lime n:pc;ning thl' Argunlent ;11 hand: the reader, whom you can a:;sume b already wel! familiar with the Argument.. is interested in your critique-not in your [,.lnscription sk.iIls. Here's what you should try to accomplish in your initial paragraph: 1. Identify the Argument's fma.l conclusion.

2. Describe briefly the ａｲｾｵｭ･ｮｴＧｳ＠ in suppon of its conclu:;ion. i."

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line of n:asoning and evidence

3. Allude generally ro the problems with the Argument's line of reasoning and use of evidence. You can probably accomplish all three tasks in 2-3 sentences. Here's a concise introductory paragraph for the Argument involving UpperCuts O've underlined words and phrases that you could use in the introductory par.tgraph of any Argument essay): Citing a genera.! demographic trend and certain evidence about two other hair salons, the manager of UpperCuts CUC) concludes here that UC should relOClte from suburban to downtown Apton in order to attract more: customers and, in turn, improve its profitability. How· ever, the manager's arf!ument relies on a series of unproven assumptions and is therefore unconvincing as it stands, ·NOTE: The essays in Pans 6 and 8.indude longer introductOry paragrnphs that par.aphrase the,entire· . ,: .: . ::>.i Argument-for your 'reference.· There's·no ·need ＺｩｯｾＧ［Ｂ＠ -to .include as much detail in your initial paragraph;·'.· ｾＮ＠ ,._.

Your introductory paragraph is the least important component of your essay. Thus, you might consider waiting until you've completed your critique of the Argument before composing your introduction (unless you are a GRE test taker who will submit handwritten essays). If you're . running Out of time for your introduction, begin your essay with a sentence like one of the following two, then delve right intO your Hrst point of critique-without a paragraph break: . k,I .... ,... /I'''; ·TIlis argument suffers from numerous flaws that, considered together, render umenable the conclusion that UpperCuts ｾｨｯｵＡ､＠ relocate to downtown AptOn. One such flaw involves ... I fmd the argument for moving UpperCuts salon downtOwn specious at best, because it rdies on a series of unproven, and doubtful, assumptions. One such assumption is that ..

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COMPoSE THE BODY OF YOUR RESPONSE After spending no more than 5 minute", planning your response, it's time to compose it. As in the Issue essay, during this step, your chief aim is to peck madly at your keyboard in order to get your ideas onto the screen! Here's what you need to keep in mind as you compose your body

paragraphs: • Try to devote a separate paragraph to each point of your critique.

• Be sure the fIrst sentence of each par:J.graph conveys to the· reader the essence of the problem that you imend to disCU5s in that paragraph.

•

• Try to provide at least one example (scenario) that "",:ouJd lUlder·

mine each major assumption.

• Try to devote no more than three or four sentences [0 anyone point in your outline. Otherwise, you risk running .out of time without discussing all of the Argument's major problems. • Arrange your paragraphs so your essay flows logically from one point of critique to the. _next .. _ __ • Don't worry if you don't have time to include every possible point of Critique. The readers understand your time constraint. Just be sure to hit the most critical problems. Try [Q stick to your outline. but be flexible. Start with whichever points of critique strike you as the most impOrtant. are clearest in your mind. and are easiest to articulate. (You can always reatT.lIlge your points later. during step 7, assuming you're using the testing system's word processor.) ,-"."

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Here's the body of my response (0 (he Argument involving UpperCuts. As you re'J.d these four par.lgrJ.phs, note the following: • Each paragraph addresses a distinct, critical 3.!isumption-a certain condition (har must he rrue to JUStify the Argument's conclusions. • Each paragr.lph describes at least one scenario that, if true, would serve to undennine an assumption. • I've underJjm:d certain (nnsitional words and phr.lses-jus( to help you see how the ideas flow from one ro the next. To bq.;in with. the :trgument assumes that ,\pton's Jemo-

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I graphic treml n:Oec(s the nation'll tn::nd. Yet. the mere fact th:lt one haiT salon has moved downtown h;lrdly suffices to infer any stich trend in Apton: Hair-DoD? ｭｩｾｨｴ＠ owe its success at its new location to factors unrelated to Aptoo's demop:i.lphics. Without beneT evidence of a demographic shift toward downrown Apron, it is juS! as likely th:n there is no such trend in Apton. For that matter, the trend ｭｩｾｨｴ＠ be in the opposite direction, in which c:vcnt the manager's recommt:nd:l[ion would amount to especially poor advice.

Even if Apron's demop:r.lphics do reflect the national trend, ｾ＠ is unfair to assume that UC will attract more cuswmers simpl)' by relocating downtown. It is entirely possible th;;a the types of people who prefer living in downtown areas tend not to patronize upscale salons. It is also possible that Hair-Dooz will continue to impede upon UC's business, just as it might have at the mall. Without ruling Out these and other reasons why UC might not benclit from the demographic trend, the manager cannot convince me that UC wouJd attract more customers, let alone increase its profits, by moving downtown. Nor can the manager justify the reconunended course of action on the basis of the Brainard salon's success. Perhaps hair salons generally fare better in downtown ｂｾ｡ｲ､＠ than downtown Apeon, due to demographic differences berween the two areas. Or perhaps the salon thrives only because it is long-established in downtown Brainard-an .advantage that UC clearly would not have in its new location. In shan, the manager cannot defend the recommended course of action on the basis of what might be a false analogy between two hair salons. Finally, even assuming that the proposed relocation would attract more customers, an increase in the number of patrons would not necessarily result in improved profits. After all, profit is a function of expenses as well as revenue. Thus, an increase in .DC's expenses-due perhaps to higher rents downtown than at the mall-might very well offset increasing revenues, thereby frustr.lting UC's dfom to improve its profitability.

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COMPOSE A CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH Unless your essay has a clear end, the reader might think you didn't finish on ｴｬｭ･ｾ＠ so be sure to make time for a final paragraph that clearly ｾｷｲ｡ｰｳ＠ ｵｰｾ＠ your essay. Your flnal paragraph is not the place to introduce any new points of critique. Instead, try to accomplish the following twO ttsks:

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1. Recapitulate the Argument'S problems-e.g., a series of

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Now, here's my fmal paragraph for the Argument involving- UppercutS. Notice that this paragraph does not introduce any new poilus of Critique (I've underlined words and phrases that you could use in the fmal pan graph of nearly any Argument essay): 4

In swn, the argument is a dubious one that relies on a series of Unproven assumptions-about Apton's and Brainard's demogr,tphics, the re-olSOns for the success of the twO other salons, and UC's furore expenses, To strengthen the argument, the manOlger should provide better evidence of a ､･ｭｾｧｲ｡ｰｨｩ｣＠ shift in Apton coward the downtown area and clear evidence chat those demogr.lphics portend success there for an upscale hair salon. Even with this additional evidence, in order to properly evaluate the argument, I would need to know why Hair·Dooz relocated, what factors have contributed to the Brainard salon's success, what factors other than location might have contributed to UC's sagging profits at the mall, and what additional, offsetting expenses UC might incur at the new location.

7.

REVIEW AND REVISE YOUR ESSAY TO ENSURE COHERENCE AND BALANCE Be sure co reserve time co re-vise and rework your essay. Check the now of your essay, paying particular :ntention to the first sentence of «?ch p:lngraph. If you have time. rearrJnge paragrJphs so they appC'Jr in their most logical sequence.

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PROOFREAD FOR SIGNIFICANT MECHANICAL PROBLEMS Your Arl!umen! essay, like your Issue essay. need not he flawless in order to C:J.nl ;1 top seure. Tht" n:;lders won'! decrease ｾＧｯｵｲ＠ ｾ｣ｯｮＺ＠ for the occasional :J.wh.-ward semencc: and minor error in punctuation, spelling, gramm::lr, or diction (word choice ::Incl usage). lise whatever time remains to fL\' tile mas! ｾ｢ｲｩｮ＠ mechanictl prohkms. Correct spdlin}! errors only when they're Iikel:' to imerfere with the reader's undersra.nding of the point at hand. Don't spend :J.ny time correcting punCtuation or minor spelling ･ｲｯｾＮ＠

ORGANIZING YOUR IDEAS (YOUR ESSAY'S STRUCTURE) Just as for the Issue essay, the testing service makes clear that there is no correct strucrure per se for an Argument essay. Nevertheless, you should adhere to ceruin guidelines or risk losing your tr.tin of thourJn on the reader.

NUMBER OF WORDS Don't worry about the word length of your essay. As long as you inCorpor.1te into your essay all the elements that I suggest here in Pan 3, your essay's word length will be appropriate. ",

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NUMBER OF PARAGRAPHS There is no ﾷ｣ｯｲ･ｴｾ＠ or Ｂ｢･ｳｴｾ＠ number of paragraphs for an Argument essay. However, any GRE or GtvlAT Argument ess.3.)' should contain at least three body paragraphs, because every official Argument contains at least three signWCUlt, and distinct, reasoning problems. In ad(lition, your essay should include a fInal ﾷｲ･｣｡ｰｾ＠ paraw-aph arid, if you have time, an introductOry paragraph,

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ARGUMENT'S l.lNE OF REASONING AND YOUR ESSAY'S STRUCTUllE The structure of your essay should reflect the Argument's line of reasoning as much as possible. Your points of critique SllOuld lead the reader, item by item, from the Argument's evidence and assumptions to the Argument's intermediate conclusion (if any), then to its fmal conclusion. Here's an

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example of a typic:tl Argument, stripped 000 face a crbis in which the size of our workforce will be inslliTIcient to replace: our current workers as they retire, in rum resuhing in widespread business failure and a reduced quality of life in our state=:.

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10. A recent issue of tbeJournal of Education observes that last year's decline in the total number of applicants to our nation's law schools was accompanied by an increase in the total nwnber of applications to our nation's medical schools. In order to be take advantage of these current trends, Claybrook Community College should repl:!.ce irs associate Iypic:li o( tile ｾｴ｡･ﾷｳ＠ employers. ,IS :t ｾｲｯｵｰＬ＠ with respect to fln:mci:d ｾｴｲ･ｮｧｨ＠ .L' lVel] :IS ave,Jge lVorker ;Ige, However. [he :trgument ｊｬｲｯｶｫｾ＠ nll

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infomlation to SUbSt..lnti:lte either assumption. Pt":rhaps non-manufacturing businesst:s that require a coHege-degreed workforce now account for an increasing majority of the state's jobs. (Tht: argument's information su/-:gests thi:; mil!ht be the C:ISt.:.) 1f 50, then the mere fact that one employer. albeit the State's largest ﾷ｢ｵｳｩｮ･ｾＬ＠ is lOSing business while its workforce nears retirement age proves almOSt nothing about the prospects for the state's overall ･｣ｯｮｭｾＧＮ＠ In a full-length (3D-minute) essay, you miRht also address the following

questions about the Argument'S reasoning: necessarily mean that • Does the tenn Mlargest private ｢ｵｳｩｮ･ｾ＠ Giant employs more workers than any other business in the state? (The smaller the workforce at Giant, the less likely that Giant is representative of the state's employers as a group.) • Doesn't the prediction's accuracy require that other future con.ditions remain unchanged? (E.g., the argument ignores a possible influx of workers from other States.) • Would a reduced workforce necessarily result in business fallure? (perhaps businesses will be more profitable by trimming their workforce.) ... \That is the definition of -quality of life"? (The argument's ultimate predictiOn depends on this missing definition.)

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ANALYSIS This Argument draws an inference about a single conununity (Claybrook) based on characteristics of a group (the nation's communities as a whole). Here's a response that handles the inference: The argument depends partly on the assumption that future employment trends in Claybrook's job market will reflect nationwide trends. However, the argument fails [Q consider that Claybrook might be atypical. Perhaps Claybrook's job market will buck the trend (for one reason or another), and the demand for legal assistants from eec's legal-asSiStant program will remain Strong compared to demand for nurses from the school's nursing program. If so, then the cited statistics would portend nothing about the future employment prospect for graduates of. either program at eec or about whether the proposed course of action would be prudent.

.

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In a full-length (3D-minute) essay, you might also address the following

questions about the Argument's reasoning: • Do statistics from only one·year constitute sufficient data for proving a clear trend? (perhaps last year was an exception to a contrary trend. or perhaps there is no trend at all.)

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• Does,a·continuation of the assumed trends depend on certain other condittons. remaining unchanged in (be future? (E.g., an une.."Xpecred national event might spark renewed interest in law among college students.)

• Even if the :lSSurned trends continue. would

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' TItis ArgUment assumes· that current circumstances will remain unchanged into the future. Here's a succinct. response that handles the problem: The argument relies on the assumption that alI other factors (besides tariffs) determining the country's balance of trade will remain unchanged in the foreseeable furure. However, conunon sense rells me that this assumption is dubious at best and that anyone of a myriad of possible future developmems-politic:t!. econorrtic, and SOCial-might render the proposed tariff unnecessary in order to reduce -the cOUntry's dependency on foreign goods. In a full-length (3O-minute) essay, you might also address the follOWing questions about the Argument's reasoning: • Do ｴｏｾｬｳ＠ from only twO years constitute sul/icient data co show a dependency on foreign goods? (perhaps one or both of the two years were unusual in tenns of the total value of exports.) • Do export totals alone suffice to show a past or current dependency on foreign goods? (E.g., a recent increase in impOrt totals or domestic sales would !leIp refute the implication that the country has been dependent on foreign goods.) • Is the argument's prediction 100 broad? (Statistics abom the value of imported or exported goods don't prove anything about a cOllf!.try's dependency on foreign seroices.) • Are tariffs necessary in order to reduce the country's dependency on foreign goods? (Other me:IOS, such as reducing sales taxes on domestic sales of goods, might be just a5 effective.)

2.

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The argument assumes that the current decline in refuse volume will continue. or:Jt least noe ft'vcrsc irsdf, in thc (on:sceable ftJ[lJre.

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However, the aq.:ument bib to ;lcCOunt for po!;sibk future developments that might prove this assumption erroneous. For exampk, the county ｭｩｾｨｴ＠ experience an influx of new ｲ･ｾｩ､ｮｴｳＬ＠ or its residents' ｷｩｬｮｾ･ｳ＠ to recycle might wane. In either case, the volume of refuse is likel), to increase, and the proposed course of action might result in a shart.'lgc of resources for handling refuse. To bolster the recommendation, the argument's proponent should provide bener evidence, perhaps in the form of population projections and COUntyresident surveys, that the volume of refuse in Blackburn County will not increase in the foreseeable future. In a full-kngth C30-minme) essay, you might also address the following questions abom the Argument's reasoning: • A tl:Jresl:Jold issue: Is there a recycling problem to begin with that the county needs to address? (The argument provides no evidence that current means are less than adequate for current as well as furure needs.) • AIe'the proposed subsidies'necessary to ensure that the county can ,handle:a continued increase in the volume of recycLables? (Perhaps businesses would not require subsidies to provide needed service, or perhaps the county itself could provide the service.)

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PcteJ GRE

Part 4 ··WRITING· STYLE AND MECHANICS

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TS instructs- its readers to place less weight on writing style and

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mechanics than on content and organization. TIlls does not mean, however, that the fmc two factors won't influence the reader or affect your Analytical Writing sCOre. lodeed, they might! If the way you . write interferes with the reader's understanding of your ideas. you will not

attain a score of 5 or 6. And, in any event, poor writing will predispose the reader to award a lower score, regardless of your ideas or how you organize them. To ensure yourself a SCore of 5 or 6 on your osays, strive for writing that is: • Persuasive in style (using rhetorical devices effectively) • Varied in sentence length and structure (to add intere:;[ and variety

as weU as to demonstrate-marunty and sophistication in writing style)

• Clear and concise (easy to follow and direct rather than wordy or verbose) • Correct in grammar, mechanics, and usage requirements of standard written English)

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All of this is easier said than done, of course. Don't worry if you're noC a natur.t1 when it comes to writing ,effective prose, You Can improve your writing significantly for your exam even if your time is shon. JUSt follow the suggestions and guidelines here in Pan 4.

YOUR OVERALL TONE AND VOICE In general, you should try to maintain a somewhat fonnal tone throughout both your essays. If your essay comes across J5 conversational, it's probably a bit too infonnal for the GRE or GMJ\T. Here's a brid list of :tddirional guidelines: I. ·n1C overaJi tone ＬｾｪＱＨｬｵｫＮ＠ be critical but not inllamm:uory or emotion;l!. Don'[ [r:' to l)Versr:.tte your pOSition by using e;,,,

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WRITING STYLE AND MECHANICS Use phrases such as these to refute, rebut, or counter a proposition.

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Use phrases such as these to point out problems with a proposition, theory, or viewpoint:

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• however, nevertheless, yet, still, despite, of course. serious dr.iwbacks, problematic, countervailing faCtors

Use phrases such as these to argue against a position or viewpoint: • works against, undermines, rbwans, defeats. runs contr.r.ry to, fails to achieve/promote/accomplish, is inconsistent With, impedes

Use phrases such as these to argue that the merits of one position outweigh those of another: • on balance, on the whole, all things considered, in the [mal :malysis

,VOID EMPTY RHETORIC Many test takers try co mask weak ideas by relying on strong rhetoric. Be careful in using words and phmses such as these for emphasis: clearly, absolutely, deftnitely, without a doube, nobody could dispute that, extremely, positively, emphatically, unquestionably, certainly, undeniably, without reservation Ie's okay to use these phrases. But keep in mind: Dy themselves, they add absolutely no substance to your ideas. So be sure that yoil have convincing rea.sons and/or examples to back up your rhetOric!

SING IRONY AS A RHETORICAL DEVICE In your Issue essay, Io?k [or the OppOnunlty to usc words in their irOniC sense or :IS misnomerS for rhetorical emphasis-in other words, to help make your ｰｯｾﾷｴＮ＠ Read [he Tssue statement dosely for key words. Here's one example ot'each: ., . ｟ＭＬｾ＠

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USING PUNCTUATION FOR RHETORICAL EMPHASIS Usc: puncw;ltion for rhetorical such as imagery and point of view. And. only imJginative works can provide meaning 10 historical ･ｶｮｴｾＭｨｲｯｵＡ＠ the ust" of devices such as symbolism and met.,phor. Several examples from Iiter:nure serve to illustrate this pOint. ｔｷ｡ｩｮﾷｾ＠ novels afford us :1 sense of how nineteenth--ct:nrury Missouri would have appeared through the ･ｹｴＺｾ＠ of lO·year--old boys. Melvillt:'s ｮｩｬｾＧ＠ Budd gives the reader certain insights into what [!"";lvel on tl1(: high seas might h:1\'e been like in earlkr centuries, through the eyes of a crewman. And the epic poems Beowulf and Sir Gawain and tbe Green Knight provide glimpses of the relationships between waniors and their kings in medieval times. Bare faeLl about these historical eras are easily forgettable, whereas creative stories and portrayals such as the ones mentioned above c.:m be quite memorabk indeed. In other words, what truly lasts are our impressions of what life must have been· like in ·certain places, at cert.1.in times, and under certain conditions. Only imaginative works can provide such lasting impressions. Examples of impon:tnt rUms underscore the point that creath'e accounts of the human experience hold more lasting Significance unn ｢｡ｲｾ＠ factual accounts. Consider four of our most memorable and influential films: Citizen Kane, Scbindler's List, The Wizard of Oz, and Star Wars. Did Welles' fictional ponrayal of publisher Willi:un Randolph Hearst or Spielberg's fictional portrayal of a Jewish sympathizer during the holocauSt provide a more "mean.in.gfuJ picture of human ·experience" than a histOrT te:Ktbook? Did these accounts help give ｾｳｨ｡Ｎｰ･＠ and focus" to reality more so than newsreels alone could? If so, will these works hold more ｾｬ｡ｳｴｩｮｧ＠ ｳｩｧｮｦ｣｡･ｾ＠ than bare factual accounts of the..same persons and events? I tJUnk anyone who has seen these ftIms would answer all wee questions affiffilative!y. Or consider TJJe W'izard of 0= and Star Wars. Both fIlms, and the novels ｦｲｾｭ＠ which they were adapted, are ·pure fantasy. Yet both teef!! with symbolism and metaphor relating to life's journey, the htunan ｳｰｩｲｾ＠ and our hopes, dreams, and ambitions-in shan, the human experienct. Therein lies ｴｨｾ＠ reason for their l.a..stirlg significance. In "Sum, without prior factual accounts, fictional works set in hisroricol periods lose much of their .meaning. Yet only through the exercise of anistic license can we convey human ･ｸＮｰｾＬｲｩｮ｣＠ in ill itS dimensions and thereby fully understarl.d and appr"eciate life'" in other times and places. And it is hwnan experience, and not bare facts.and figures, that endures in our minds and sows. w

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SAMPLE ES$A YS FOR 20 OFFICIAL GRE ISSUES

III

ISSUE

No. 43

What Is Required to Become "Tculy Educated"? [ fund:unentaUy :Jgree with ｾｨ｣＠ proposition chat studems mUSt' cake courses outside their major field of study to become ｾｴｲｵｬｹ＠ educ:lted. '" A. COIltr:lry position would reflect :l too-narrow view of higher euuCltion and its proper abjecaves. Nevertheless; I would caution that eXtending the proposition toO far might risk ｵｮ､･ｲｭｩｬｾ＠ those: objectives. The priIIury fe:l50n why [ ｡ｧＮｲ･ｾ＠ with the proposition is that ｾｴｲｵ･､＠ educ:uion ｡ｭｯｬＧＢ｜ｾｳ＠ to far more than ｾｧ＠ the knowledge rod :lbiliry to excel in one's mzlor course of study and in one's profession31 career. True ･ｾｵ｣｡ｴｩｏｮ＠ - also ｾ＠ facilitates an understanding of oneself :lJ1d tolerance and respect fOr the Viewpoints of others. COllrSes in psychology. sociology, and anthropology ill serve these ends. Ｂｔｲｵ･ｾ＠ educ;uion usa provides insighc and perspective regarding one's place in society and in the pbysic::u and met:lphysical worlds. COllrses in ｰｯｬｩｴ｣ｾ＠ SCience. philosophy, theolOb""!, and even sciences such lS astronomy and phYSics can help a student gain this insight and perspective. Finally, no studem can be truly educ:w:d wimout having gained an aesthetic appreci:1tion of the world around us-waugh course work in litef:lture, the fme :trtS, and the pccforming arts. Becoming truly educated :Usc requires sufficient mastery of one :lCa.lkmlc area to permit a- student ro contribute: meaningfully CO society l:aer in life. Yet, mastery of ;lny specific area requires some knowledge "bout a variety of others. For example, a polltical-scicnc.lional experience :l,S the p:llh 10 becoming: rruly educ:lted comes with one impon:mt c:lve:tr. A student who

merely dabbles in :l hodgepodge bf :lc:ldemic offerings; without speCial emphasis on :l.llV one, becomes a dilctt:uue-lacking enough knowledge or expcrknce in my Single l1'eJ. co come away with :mything valuable co' offer. Thus, in the pursuit of true educJ.tion students must be careful nor to overrisk de£e:lCint; an important objective of eorar ［ｉＮｾ＠ ;1 pr;lcticll, pr.lgmatic appro;lC:h toward our ｣ｮ､ｃ［ｬｶｯｲｾ＠ em help ｵｾ＠ survive in the shon term. However. idealism ｪｾ＠ just ;15 cruci:d-ir nm more ｓＨｬｾ｛Ｑｲ＠ long-teml success in any ende;l\'or, whether it he in ［｝｣｡､･ｭｩＮｾＬ＠ business, or political and social reform. \V}len il come!'; to academic!>, students who we would consider pragmatic tend nOI to pursue an education for its own sake. lnstead, they tend 10 Cut whatever comers afe needed to optimize their f!rade average and survive the current academic term. But is this approach the onlr wa)' to succeed academically? Certainly not. Students who eamestly pursue intellecrual paths that truly interest them are more likely to come away with a meaningful and ｬ｡ｳｴＮｩｮｾ＠ education. In fact, a sense of mission about one's area of fascination is strong motivation to participate activdy in class and to stUdy earnestly, both of which conuibute to bener grades in that area. Thus, although the ide.a.list-srudent might sacrifice a high overall grade average, the depth of knowledge, acade.mic diSCipline, and sense of purpose the stucJen! Rains will serve lhat student well later in life.. In considering the ｢ｵｳｩｮ･ｾ＠ 'World, it might be more tempting to agref with thc speaker; aner all, isn't business fundamentally about pr:agmatismtil:\( is, -getting tbe job uone" and paying attention to the "bottom line'? Emph:nic.ally, no. AdmIttedly, the everyday macllinations of business are very much about meeting mundane short-term goals: deadlines for production, .. sales quous, profit margins, and so forth. Yet underpinning these activities is the vision of the company's chicf executive-a vision that might extend fOlf beyond mere profIt maximization to the ways in which the firm can make 3 lasting and meaningful contribution to the corrununity, to the broader economy, and to the SOciety as a whole. Without a dream or vision-thal is, without strong idealist ｬ｣Ｎ｡､･ｲｳｨｩｰｾ＠ fum can easiJy be cast about in the sa of commerce withoUt clear direction, threatening not onJy the fum's bonom line but also its ver}' survival. ' Flnally, when it comes to the pOlitical arena, again at first blush, it might appear that pragmatism is the best, if not the only, way to succeed Mos! politicians ·seem driven by their interest in being elected and reelected-that is, in s.urviving-rathe. than by any sense of mission or even obligation:to their constiruency or CQuntry. Diplomatic and legal maneuverini' ., , and negotiations often app,?, inteo"ded to meet the -practical needs of tht panics involved-rninimizirig costs, preserving options, and so forth. BUt, it is ｩ､･｡ｬｳｌｾｮｯ｛＠ pragmatis[$-who sway the masses, incite revolutions, and make political ideology rc.aliry. Consider idealists such as ａｉｮｾｲｩ｣｡Ｇｳ＠ founden. Mahatma Gandhi, and Manin ｌｵｴｨｾｲ＠ King. Had these idealists ｣ｯｮ･ｭｾ＠ themselves with shOrt·teml survival and immediate needs rather than with their notions of an ideal SOCiety, the United States and India might stil! bc()vcr oUr.ielvcs in tile process. And. ｭＨｽＮｾｴ＠ ()f us llnu the C:lreer path ti1:n _,uits us only through trying jobs rh:r[ don·r. This :;:Ime prineipk :dso apr lies ()n :t so(ic::t:d Je\'d. Consider. t"Uf exampk. how we ｰｲｯｧ･ＮｾＺ［＠ in our scientifiC ｉ［ＺｮＨＩｷｫ､ｾ･Ｎ＠ OUf scientillc

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method is essentially a can for progress through Trial and error. Any new theory mUST be ｴ･ｾ､＠ by empirical obsen'ation :md must withstand rigorom. scientific scrutiny. Moreover, the history of theoretical science is e!'isemial1y :1 hi!>tory of tri;ll and error. One modem cX:lmpk invoive:-i two contrary ｴｨＺｏｲｩ｣ｾ＠ of physics: w;n't' theory ;loci qU:lOtum theory. During the last quarlcr-cemury, scientist!> have been stnlggiing to disprove one or the: other-or to reconcile them. A!'i it turns Out, a nc.-w sO-trclng evidence that thc COSt savings of the proposeu course or :lction would ＨＩｕ｛ｷ･ｩｾｨ＠ :tny loss io revenue and that no

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othccr viable mt:an:- of hoosling its profits i:- ;1\':lil;Jbk to Armch;Jir. To better cv:t!u:lIe the ;JrgullH:nt, Wt· would need infortll:llioll t:ll:lhltng ｵｾ＠ to compare the /'I1:lrswn SlOrt:'S cllentdc and compt:tition with thaI of olllo Armchair ·SlOres. We would also neetl mort: information abuut Marston's profitability beforl; and after it impiemt:nted the new policies.

III

ARGUMENT

No. 113

A Fitness-Gym Franchise Opportunity This brochure for Power-Lift Gym claims thai by investing in a Power· lift franchise, an investor will cam a quick. profit. To support this claim, the

brochure cites a variety of statistics about the current popularity of physical fitness and of Power·Lift Gyms in particular, However, careful scrutiny of this evidence reveals that it ｬｾｮ､ｳ＠ no credible support to the claim, One problem with the brochure's claim involves itS reliance on the bare fact that revenut: from last year's sales of health books and magazines totaled $50 million. This stat!stic in itself proves nothing. Health magazines do not all focus on weightlifting or even physical fitness; it is possible that very few sales were of those that do. Besides, it is entirely possible that in previous years, total sales were even higher and that sales are actually declining. Either scenario, if true, would serve to weaken the brochure's claim rather than support it. Another problem with the brochure's claim involves the fact that mar(: and more consumers arc purchasing home gyms. It is entirely possible that consumers ar(: using hom(: gyms as a sub,stitute for conunercial gyms and that the number of Power·Lift memberships will decline as a result. \l?itho\Jt ruling out this pOSSibility, the brochure cannot convince me that a ne'9.' ])ower·Uft franchise woUld be profitable. A third problem with the brochure's claim involves its reliance on the fact that 500 Power·Lift franchises are now in existence. It is entirell' possible that the market has become saturated and that additional Power·Lifi. gyms will not be as successful as current ones. Moreover, it is possible that the number of competing gyms has also increased in tandem with the general interest in health. and fitness. 'Without addressing th.is supply·and· demand issue, the brochure cannot justify itS conclusion that a ne'\',' Power·Lift franchise woUld be a sound invesunent. In conclusion, the brochure is Utipersuasive a?'it stlnds. To strengthen its claim that a new Power·Uft £rand-lise would be profitable, the brochure ·-should provide stronger evidence tlut the general interest in physical fitness. and weightlifting in pa.tticular, will continue unabated in the foreseeable future. The brochure must also provide evidence that home gyms are not se:rving as substitutes for comme:rcial gyms. Finally, to better evaluate the argument, we would need more information about the extent !O which the .fitness-gym market has become saturated, not only by Power·Lift franchises but by competing gyms as well.

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ARGUMENT

No. 122

The Benefits of a New Expressway In tltis newslener, the author concludes chat in order to promote the economic health of the city's downtown, area, voter.; should approve the construction of an expressway fulking downtown to outlying suburbs. To suppOrt this conclusioil. the author claims- that the expressway would alleviate shortages of stock and materials- among downtown businesses and m::mufacturers- and would attract workers from elsewhere in the state. However, the argument relies on' a series of unsubstantiated assumptions, which render it unconvincing. -. , The fl.rse ｰｲｯ｢Ｎｾ＠ with 'the JIgUrnent lnvoives the author's cl:tim that the expressway would' help ｰｲ･ｶｾｮｴ＠ downtown merchants and manufacrur· ers from experiencing shortages in- stock and materials. This claim depends on three assumptions. One lSsmnption is that such a problem exists in the ftrSt place. A second :l.5sumption· is that the :'!bsence of an expressway is the cause of such shortages; yet common sense tells me that the availability of these commodities is probably the primary-such factor. A third assumption is that stOck and materials would be delivered prim:J.rily.via-the expressway. Yet it is entirely possible that these commodities are delivered directly to the downtown :u-ea by other me:lIl.S, such as r::r.il or air transport. Without substantiating these assumptions, the author cannot justifiably conclude that the ･ｸｰｲｳｷｾｹ＠ would help prevent shortages of stock and materials. Another problem with the argument involves the aurbor's dual claim that because of the new expressway, worker.; from elsewhere in the state will be lured to work in this city's downtown are:!. and at the same time will choose to live in the SUburbs. The author provides no evidence that the existence of an expressway would suffice to entice people to work in this dry'S downtown area. Moreever, th'e author ignores the possibility that people who might wam to work in the city's downcown 3IeJ. would generally prefer co Jive in that area as well. In this ca.se, the e..',ry ｩｮｧｲ･､ｈｾｭ＠ or integral pan of the achievemem process itself. For instance, anists and musicians often produce their most creative works during periods of depression, addiction, or orner diStress; indeed, an artWork's greatness often lies in how it reflects and reveals the artist's own failings and foibles. And in the realms ｯｦ｢ｵｳｩｮ･ｾ＠ and politics, insensitivity to the human costs of success, which I consider to be a personal failing, has bred many grand achievemems. HistOry is replete with examples-from the use of Ｍ･ｸｰｮ､｡｢ｬｾ＠ slaves by the ancient emperors in realizing our world's greateSt monuments to the questionable labor practices of America's great late nineteenth-century industrialists. - - Even personal failings that are unconnected with certain achievements lie at the hean of other, unintended ones. ConSider, for example, twO modem American presidents: Nixon and Clinton. Nixon's paranOia, which h.ismrians generally agree was his fatal flaw, resulted in the Waterga[c scandal-a watershed event in American politics. And more recencly, Clinton's marital indiscretions and subsequent impeachment prompted .. national reexamination of the requisites for legitimate political leaderShip. Were the personal bilings of Nixon and Clinton less Ｍｩｭｰｯｮ｡ｴｾ＠ than their achievements as stuesman and ｳｾ･ｩ｡ｬ＠ refonner, respectively? Perhaps not. Adminedly, some types of ｰｾＮｳｑｮ｡ｬ＠ failings ｾ｡ｬ･＠ in imporrance to thc individual's acruevement5. for example, the people who we consider grat artiSts, actors, and musicians are often notorious for their poor fmancial and business judgment. Yet, in our heans and ffiiiids, -this son of failing onJr elevates them in grealness. Moreover, other types of personal failings are, in my view, patently more in1pOrtant than any ach.ievement. For instance, man2 a male spons hero has found his name on a newspaper's police blotter afta committing a violent crime. In my view, the imporunct: of any violent ｣ｲｩｭｾ＠ ourweighs that of any spons record.

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SAMPLE ESSA Y$ FOR 20 OFFICIAL GMAT ISSUES [0 sum, the speaker's contention :unounts to an oversutement. Ctt.rre[]c md historiC:ll events lnform us that personal fJilings, ad: often part me parcel of great achievements. And even where they are nor, persom.t shortcomings of ｾｴ＠ acruevers often make an imporunt societal impact c:

their own.

IIU

ISSUE

No. 20

The Role of Automation in Our lives In some'respects, humans serve- machines, while in other respecb, machines serve us by ･ｮｨ｡Ｎ｣ｩｯｾｵｲ＠ lives. While mechanical amomation

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1111 Peterson's

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may have diriiinished" Ｍｾｕｲ＠ quality" ｯｦｾｬｩ･Ｎ＠ on balance, digital automation ｬｾ＠ doing more 'to lmprove our lives than to undermine our autonomy. Consider first mechuUCJl automation, particularly assembly-line ffiJ.OUfacturing. w:.ith automation c:une a loss of pride in and :wenation from one's work. In this sense,. automation both di.rni.nished our quality of life md rendered us slaves [0 machines in our ｩｮｾ｢ｗｴｹ＠ to reverse ｾ＠ progress." Admittedly; mech:z.n..ical automatioIl-Spawned entire indUStries, cre3.ting jobs, stimulating economic growth. and supplying a plethor:l. of.. innovative conveniences. Nevertheless, the SOCiological and environmental price of progress may have outweighed its benefits. Without a doubt. digiUl automation has brought its own brand of alienation. Computer automation, and especially the Internet, breeds inforn1ation overload and steals our time and attention away from f:trn.ily, community, and coworkers. In these respects, digit::ll automation tends to diminish our quality of life and cre:tte its· own 'legion of human slaves. However, by relegating repetitive tasks to computers, digital technology has spawned great advances in medicine and .physics, helping us tobetter understand the world, to enhance our health, and to prolong our lives. Digital automation has also emancipated architects, utiSts, designers, and musicians by opening up creative possibilities :md by saving time. Perhaps most importantly, however, information technology makes possible W1iversal access to information. thereby proViding a democratiZing Wluence on our culture. '. In sum, while mechanical automation may have created a .mciety of slaves to modem conveniences and un.fulfilli.ng work, digital aucomation holds more promise (or improving our lives without enslaving us to the technolOgy.

No. 22

Government'S Responsibility Regarding the Arts The $pC2ker here ;Irgues that government must support the ',Irts but :It mc S2tnc= lime imJlflSe no control over what lrt is produced. TIIC implicit r:woruJc: for p»Vcmmcnc intervention in' [he ;t11S is [hac without it, (ulrur.tl decline lad crnsinn of otir sod:.!1 fabriC will result. However, I tlnd no

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empirical evidence: to !iuppon this art:umenl. which in any event ｩｾ＠ ｵｮ｣ｯ｜Ｇｩｾ＠ in li)!ht of more: persuasive argumems that government should pi:!)' no part in either supporting or n:strictin).: the arts. First, ｳｵｨｾｩ､ｺｮＩＮＺ＠ tilt' ＺｬｲｴＮｾ＠ ｩｾ＠ neither ;t proper nor ｮｴＺ｣･ｾｳ｡ｲｹ＠ joh for f!ovcmmem. Although public: he:alth is generally vIewed a:-. critical 10 a ｳｯ｣ｩ･ｾＢ＠ very sun'ival and therdore an apprupriate concern of government, this concern should not extend tenuously to our cultural Ｂｨ･｡ｬｴｾ＠ or ｷ･ｬＡＭ｢ｩｮｾＮ＠ A lack of priYOlte: funding might JUStify an exception; in my observation, however, philanthropy is a[jve and well today, especial1y among the new ttchnulogy and media mOf:uls. Secondl)" ｧｯｶｾｭ･Ｎｮｴ＠ cannot possibly play an evenhanded role as ami patron, Inadequate resources caU for restrictions, priorities, and choices. It is unconscionable to relegate normative decisions as to which an has Ｂｶ｡ｬｵ･ｾ＠ to a few legislators ·and" jurists, ",:ho may be unenlightened in their notions about an. Also, legislatOrs' are all too likely to make choices in favor of the cultural agendas of those· lobbyists with the most money and influence. Thirdly, restricting anistic expression may in some cases encroach upon the constitutional right of free o::pre.ssion. In any case, governmental restriction may chill creativity, thereby defeating the very purpose of subsidiz.ing the aIlS. In the final analysiS, government cannOt philosophically or economically justify its involvement in the arts, either by subsidy or sanction, Responsibility [jes with individuals to determine what an has value and to support that art.

1111

ISSUE

No. 26

Location: Still the Key to Business Success

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In retail, or 'storefront," bUSiness, location is -still a key ｩｮｾｲ･､ｴ＠ of business success. The eXtent to which this will continue to be true, given the inexorable growth of Internet commerce, will vary among industries. In more traditional retail sectors, such as clothing, cosmetics, and home 'improvement, ap in-person visit to a retail store is often necessary-to tryon clothes for fit, compare fragrances, or browse among a full selection of textures, colors, and styles. Also, activities such as shopping and dining out are for many consumers" enjoyable: experiences in themselves as well as excuses to get Out of the house and mingle with others in .their community. Finally, Shipping costs· for large items such as appliances and homeimprovement items render home sheppIng impractipble. Thus, burgeoning technologies 'po'se no serio;us threat to Main Sueet, and location will continue to playa pivotal role in the fatt of many retail businesses. Nevertheless, technology-related industries are sure to move away from physical storefronts to vinual. ones. ProduCts that can be reduced to digital -bits and bites: such as books and magazines, recordmgs, and software applications, are more efficiently distributed elecuorucally. Computer hardware will not disappear from Main Street quite so quickly, though, since

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0 :tn' nce.:c:;sary to curh price ｕＱ｣ｲ･ＺＮｴｳｾ＠ the.: :lul!1or ｬＡ［ｮｏｦＨＺｾ＠ other po!>sibk nH:an:-, !>uch ＺｴＮｾ＠ farm subsidies. of :tchieving tbe same objecth'e. Until the auehor ruk:; out all otlH:r options, J simply cannot accept that striCt pricinJ.,: regulation:; an: necessary. In a nUlshdl, tht: editorial i5 wholly uncon"incing as it st:..tnds. To bolster tilt: argument for strict pricing n:gulatiom on growers, the author must supply better proof of an upward trend in all citrus·fn.lit prices. of tht: growers' accounubiliry for th:n trend, and of a truly excessive profit [or the growers as a result of that trend. A proper assessment of the author's recommendation would reqUire a reliable statistical study comparing citrus growers' costs with the prices they have charged over the last decade and comparing those statistics-. with citrus·fruit pricing by retailers as a group. Only then could I determine whether widespread price inflation exists and, if so, which group is responsible for it-and thereby detemtine whether or not the proposed regulations make sense.

IIII

ARGUMENT

No. 93

Reversing a Decline in Advertising Applications to IUtlTV The author of this editOrial concludes that local television channel KMTV should shift its programming focus to farming issues in ordcr to stimulate KMTV advenising applications, which declined in number last

year. The author bases this conclusion on,a report by .:J. nearby town's televiSion station, KOOP. Jhat advertising applications to KOOP increased in number when KOOP took similar action. Assuming that KOOP's repon is true and accurate, 1 nevenheless fmd the author's argument unconvincing in several respec[!;, To begin With, the surge in applications to KOOP was not necessarily due to KOOP's - programming change. Perhaps KOOP also lowered its advertising fees around the same time; or perhaps a competing television station increased theirs or went out of bU;;lness. Anyone of a host of possible events such as these might explain the surge in applications. Thus, the author should not assu·f!le that KMTV Can atuin its objective by Simply emulating XOOP's progi'amming. .. "." ｾ＠ Aside from. whether" KOOP's .programming change was in fact responSible for the increase'in number of applications to KOOP, the editOrial's author assumes without justification that KMTV \iewers would be interested in programs about fanning issues. If it turns out that, as a group, they are less interested in farming than in KMTV's current programming, IO.ITV·s viewership might diminish in size and, as a result, the number of applications to KMTV might actually decrease. Yet another problem with tbe argument is i[!; implication that the proposed change is the- only way KMTV can stimulate advenising

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applications. Common sense: relis me that there :lre: othe, such ways reducing advertising rates, improving progr.muning: quality, or extendt broadcast r.mge, ro' list a. few. The autho, must explain either why nonethese options :lre available or why they would f:lil to stimulate appliCltior Otherwise, I cannot accept that the proposed change is necessary. Finally, the al..!rhor seems to assume mat the proposed progr.unmil change would suffice" to bring: about the desired increase. However, if rums out' ｩＧＮｨＱｬｾ＠ last year's decline was due to a combination of ncror.;, :;on of which ,em:Un unchanged in the future, a mc:re progra.rruni.ng shift migl have no stimulating impact on applications: In essence, then, the editorial relies on a ｳ｣ｲｩｾ＠ of poor assumptions :uJ is there[ore.unpersu:l.Sive. In order to convince me that the recommenJe change would serve to increase advertising applications to Kh-t1Y'. U: editorial's author mllst at the very least rule out all possible ｣ｸｰｬ｡ｮｾｪＰ［ＭＡ＠ other than progr.unrning focus, for the incrc.z.se at KOOP and decEr.e IC!"lTV. To fully persuade me, the author must also explain why K!'.tnr j):; no other viable means of bringing about the desired increase.

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ARGUMENT

No. 98

Boosting Sales by Brewing Low-Calorie Beer The author of this :u-cicle indicates that, according [0 a Magic Ha Brewery (MHB) survey, the majority of MHB's tasting·room visitors last yea asked to taste MHO's low-calorie beer. The author then concludes that il order to boost beer sales, other small breweries should alsO brew low-calonc beer. This :lrguInent relies on a number of quesnonable :t5sumptions :lnJ L therefore unpersuasive. One such assumption is that the survey respondents reported ｾＺＭ･Ｎ＠ requests accurately. TItis mayor may not be the case. Many ＵｵＮｾ［ｃ＾＠ respondents might have forgotten what they had requested e:uiler In Lh.eu viSit, ･ｳｰ｣ｩｾｹ＠ if they had consumed a signlficafl[ amount of alcoho1. If cht survey results rum Out CO be unreliable as a result, then any conclusion bJ..$ec on [hose results must be deemed unreliable as well. Another such assumption is that, as a group, the MHB visicors who asked to taste MHO's low-calorie beer would acrually prefer to purchase low-calorie beer over other beers. However, for all we know, visitors em ask to t:l.Ste more th::m one beer, and an even greater majoricy of visitors requested other beers. For char matter, low-calorie beer might be the only type MHB offered fOr free. or offered :It all, at its tasting room last ye:lr, :l.f1d visitors were informed of (ilis befOre making their requests. [n :lny evenr, perhaps visitors who tried ,\lHD's low-calorie beer generally disliked it. [f one: or more of these scenarios rum UUt to be: [rue:, then rhe survey results would :.ImounL(C)_ SQnf e",'itknce :.It be:st that :llly hrewery, induding MHO. would acruaJly sell ･Ｚｮｯｵｾｨ＠ low·ctiorie beer co justify brewing it.

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