Writing Skills for the GRE & GMAT (Peterson's Writing Skills for the GRE & GMAT Test)

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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

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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 Exercis~amples and Comments

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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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Sample Essays"for 20 Official GMAT Arguments ... oo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ .. ~ . . . . . . . . .

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Dcvclo;;'.ng a PE;'.si.l~ -,' p ·,,'dt;.r." 'l'c-'~ 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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Writ/fig Skills Jor tbc GRE/GMAT Tests

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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 giV~ 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 multiple-choic~ sections. Why 00 so man)' test tak~r" 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 point~

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by making lud.-,.. random guesses and by making so-called "edll' cated" guesses (by eliminating som~ 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 ('.

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3. limit your use of word-processing feawres to tht: ones available during the aCrll:li te!il. (GRE test L"lkers may elect to prov-ide handwritten respomes instead.)

4. \'lhen you've fU1ishcd. sCOre your essays accordi.n~ to official criteria.

NOTE: Earlier in Pan 1, indicated the criteria for top scoring essays. To help you further in evaluating and scoring your diagnostic essays, at-,· this book's Internet supplement Cwww.west.net/-ste~.art/ws).I.ve provided sample benchmark responses for the same Issue and ArgU. ment as we1Las links to the test roakcr's',officiaJ scoring criteria for'each .5core:1evel (O-6).

WRITiNG JASK

No. 1

(yOUR PERSPECTIVE ON AN ISSUE) Time limit: 45 Minutes (GRE) or 30 minutes (GMAT)

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~Leisure time is becoming an -increasingly rare commodity, .largely because technology has failed to achieve its goal of improving our efficiency in our daily pursuits. ~

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the foregoing statement. Suppon your perspective using reasons and/or examples from your experience, observation. reading, or academic studies.

W~rnNG TASK

No. 2

(yOUR ANALYSIS OF AN ARGUMENT) Time limit: 30 Minutes The following appeared in an advertisement for United Motors trucks: ~Last

year, the loca] television-news program In Focus reported in its annual car-and·truck safety survey that over the course of the last ten years, United Motors vehicles ~ere involved in at least 30 percent fewer fatal accidents to drivers than vehicles built by any other single manufaCturer. Now United is developing a one-of,a·\tind computerized crash warning system for'all its trucks. Clearly, anyone concerned with safety who is in tne market for a new truck this year should buy a United Motors truck. ~ Discuss how well.reasoned you fmd this argument. in your discussion, be .sure to analyze the .line of -reasoning.and .the use &' evidence in the argument. For example, you may need to consider what questionable assumptions underlie ,the thinking and what alternative explanations.or counterexamples might weaken the conclusion. You can also discuss-what sort of evidence would strengthen or refute the arplment, what changes in the argument would make it more logically sound, and what, if any· thing, would help you better evaluate its conclusion.

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Part 2 HOW TO COMPOSE A IDGH-SCORING, ISSUE ESSAY

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ere, in Part 2, you'lllearo. all you need to score your best on your _ GRE. or GMAT Issue essay. At the end of Part 2, you'll put inco practice ~har you've learned through a series of skill-building exercises. For a high-scoring Issue essay. you need to accomplish these three basic casks: 1. Recognize and deal with me complexities and impHc::Uions of the fssue

2. Organize, develop, and ,express your ide:l5 in a coherent and persuasive manner 3. Support your ideas with sound reasons and relevant examples

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To make sure you accomplish all three tasks within your time limit (45 minutes for the GRE, 30 minutes for GM:AD, follow this B-step approach (suggested times are parenthesized):

J STEPS TO THE ISSUE WRITING TASK Plan your essay (S min.) 1. Read the statement with an eye for its complexity and implications. (1 min.)

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Compose your essay (GRE, 30 min., GMAT, 20 min.) 4. Compose:l brief introductory parap:raph. (GIlE: 3 min., GMAT: 2 min.) 5. Compose the hody of your response. (GRE: 2.::l, min .. GMAT: 15 min.) 6. Compose a brief condudinp. or summary p:lrap.raph. (GRE: 4 min., GMAT: 3 min.)

RClme your essay (GRE, 10 min., GMAT, 5 min.) 7. Review and revise for coherence and balance (GRE: 6 min., GMAT: 3 min.) 8. Proofread (or significant mechanic;li problems (GRE: 4 min., GMAT:

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DECIDE ON A TENTATIVE POSITION, THEN ORGANIZE YOUR IDEAS Using your notes from step 2, develop a tentative perspective or position on the Issue. Try co aniculate it right on your scratch paper, then earmark it. Think of it as your working ~thesis.~ You'll need to rder to it time and again throughout your writing task. Here's my tentative position (perspective) on each Issue:

Issue 1 ~

Gov'[ regulation is problematic, but only gov't can enforce and ensure (qualified agreement).

Issue 2 There are contributing means, but teamwork is pivOtal (agree on oaJance).

Using your tentative' pOSition and your notes as a starting point, organize your ideas in outline [onn. You might wish to iridicate PRO or CON next to each one of the reasons and examples you jotted down during step 2. Arrange your ideas intO 2-4 body paragraphs, then decide on a logica.! J.nd persuasive order in which to present chern. Nwnber rhe points In your outline accordingly. You can either const.ruct a separate outline (as in the ftrst outline) or use your nores as your outline, numbering: the pointS in the order you intend to discuss them (:15 in the second outline).

Outline (Issue 1)

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HOW TO COMPOSE A HIGH-SCORING ISSUE ESSAY Here's an introductol)' pangraph for each of the cwo simuJ;ued Issucsbased on my outlines from step 3. For both Issues, I've decided to adopt position in which I agree on balance with the statement (I've underlined words and phrases chat you could use in nearly any imroductory paragrnph, regardless of the specific Issue):

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Introductory Paragraph (Issue 1)

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In' asserting that govenunent regulation is the ~best~ way to ensure environmental protection, the speaker fails to acknowledge certain problems inherent with government regulation. Nevertheless, I agree with the statement to the extent that exclusive reliance on indlvidu::tl or business volunteerism would be naive and imprudent, especiaUy conSidering the stakes involved. Introductory Paragraph (Issue 2) Whether a particular business ultimately succeeds or fails depends, of course, on a variety of factors. Nevenheless, since teamwork is an essential ingredient for any large business to succeed, I conclude that in most cases, it is probably the pivotal. factor.

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COMPOSE THE BODY OF YOUR RESPONSE During step 5, your chief ambition is to peck away at your keyboard (or write) like mad, in order to get your main points-and supponing reasons and examples-onco the screen! Here's what you need to keep in mind as you compose your body paragraphs: • Be sure the tirst sentence of each p:l.1'agt:lph begins a distinct train of thought and clearly conveys to the reader the essence of the p:l.1'agr.lph. • Arrange your paragraphs so your essay flows logically and persua· sive1y from one point to the next. Try [Q stick to your outline, but be flexible. • Try to devote no more than 3 or 4 sentences to anyone point In your outline.

• Don't worry if you don't have time to include every single poim from your outline. The readers undef5tand that time constrlmcs prevent most test takers from covering every point they want to make. • Don't stI':ly from the Issue at hand or even from the points you seek to make. Be sure to stay well focused on bQ[h. If you're noc sure where to begin, cry :;taning with whichever poim is ea:;iest for you to articulate ;Ind seems most insightful or persuasive to you. LIter, in step -:, if you uetermine that [his point shouh..l apPe:J.r elsewhere in your essay, you can rearr.mge your par.lgnphs for IOgiC;ll St:n.se and COntinuity.

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. _,NOTE: If you're a GRE test taker who opts

to submit a handwritten essay. you won't have the luxury of rearranging sentences and para· graphs. You'll need to take greater care to get it right the first time.

Now, here arc the body p;J,ragraphs of my response w each of the two simulated Issues. As you read these body parJgr.lphs. note the following:

my outline whilt: at the same time n:maLning flexible as new ideas for content or organiz::ttion occurred to me. (Notice, for instance, that I repositioned cerrain points from my outlines,)

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• I haven't induded every single point from my outline. That's because

you probably won't have time to cover every poim ),ou want to make. • You might personally either agree or disagree with my positions or with my reasons for them. That's fine; when it comes to the Issue essay, it's all a maner of opinion-and not even your honest opinion at that!

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• Again, I've underlined words and phrases that you might use in almost any Issue essay to help you see how the ideas flow narurally and persuasively from one-tO the next. Four-Paragraph Body (Issue 1) E'Xperience tells us that individuals and private corporations tend to act in their own short·term economic and political interest, not on behaU of the environment or the public at large, For example, current technology makes possible the complete elimination of polluting emissions from automobiles. Nevertheless. neitller automobile manufacrurers nor consumers are willing or able to voluntarily make the shor(,.termsacri· . flces necessary to accomplish this goal. Only the government holds the regulatory and enforcement power to impose the necessary standards and to ensure that we achieve these goals.

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Admittedly, government penalties do not guarantee compliance with environmental regulations. Businesses often attempt to avoid compliance by concealing their activities, lobbying legiSlators to modify regulations, or moving operations to jurisdictions that allow their environment3l.ly lurmful activitie'S. Others calculate the cost- of -polluting,.in tenus of punishment, .then budget in advance for ", '-. 'anticipated penalties and openly violate the l~w. However, this - '. -"behavior onlY'serves [0 underscore the need for government interven· tion, because -1eit LUlknered, this type of behavior would only __ exacerbate environmental problems, One must .admit as weU that government regulation, environmental or ·-otherwise. is fraught with bureaucratic.and enforcement problems. Regulatory sy~tems inherently call for leg:is!ative conuninees, investigations,

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and enforcement agencies, all of which add to the tax burden on the citi· 'lens whom these r~gulations are designed to protect. Also, debys rypically associated with bU(e:lucratic regulation can thwart lhe purpose of

the regulations, because environmC!rlcai problems can quickly become grave indeed. However, given that unjustifiable reliance on volunteerism is the only alternative, government regulation seems necessary. More~,

such delays seem trivial when we consider that many environmental problems carry not only a real. threat to public health bue also a potential threat to the very surv:ival of the human species,

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Finally, environmental issues inherently involve public health and are far too pandemic in 03Ulre for individuals or even businesses to solve on their owo. Many of the m9st egregiouS environmental violations traverse state and sometimes national borders. Individuals and businesses have neither the power nor the resources [Q address these widespread hazards.

Three·Paragraph Body (Issue 2) First, cooperative interaction is an integral part of nearly all company jobs-including jobs performed in relative isolation and those in which technical knowledge or ability, not the ability'co work with others, would seem to be most important. For example, scientists, resetfchers, and even computer progr:uruners must coUabol.lte to esrabHsh common goals and coordinate efforts. Even in businesses where individual tenaCity and ambition of salespeople would seem to be the key for a tirm's success, sales personnel must coordinate efforts with support staff and managers. Secondly, in my t!.'ealing_ to Morality, Spirituality, or Jingoism Avoid inflammatory statements, and don't preach or proselytize. Approach the Issue Writing task as an intellectual exercise in wllich you dispassionately examine various viewpoints. Do not use it as a forum for sharing your personal belief system. It is perfectJy appropriate to criticize particular behavior, policies, or viewpoints as operating against the best interest of a business or of a SOCiety. But refrain from either condemning or extollinl; based on personal moral (!founds. Also avoid demagoguery (appeals to prejudice or emotion) or jingoism (excessive patriotism).

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HOW TO COMPOSE A HIGH-SCORING ISSUE ESSAY

SUPPORTING YOUR POSITION AND REFUTING OTI;IERS Okay, so you've developed a position that recognizes the Issue's complexity and implications. So far, so good. Now you need to pe~uadc: the reader of your position with sound rc::tSons and relevant examples-both in support of your viewpoint and in opposition to orners. In this section, you'llle:un a variety of tips and techniques for accomplishing bom.

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USING RHETORICAL TECHNIQUES TO PERSUADE THE READER ..The word ~rhetoricR refers to the art of persuasive argumentation. By now, you know that in your Issue essay, you should always acknowledge more than one position or perspective c:tIly effective, your essay must:

on the-issue at hand. Bur to be rheton-

• Never leave unchallenged any position that differs from yours

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• Never leave unchallenged a reason or example that undermines your position

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Otherwise, you've conceded me contrary point, and your essay will be . unpersuasive. Always respond.co contrary: positions, reasons, and eX amples-with counteHea50fi5 andlor counterexamples. Hopefully, as YOu take notes, ideas for responding co other viewpoints and co possible problems with your own viewpoint will occur co you naturally, without you consciously considering particular rhetorical techniques. But if you do get stuck for ide:lS, draw upon the following five techniques to get your rhecorical juices flowing. For examples of these techniques, I'll cite excerpts from the twO essays I composed ea.rtier for Issue 1 (about th~ environment) and Issue 2 (about teamwork). 4

1. Turn It Around (Look for the "Silver Lining") Argue that an apparent weakness (or strength) is acrually not a we:lkness. if you view it from a different perspective. The essay for Issue 1 provides an example of this. First, the essay offers an example [hat lends appureTlt support to the opposing: position: Admittedly, ... [bJusinesses often attempt to avoid complWlce by concealing (heir :1C(ivirks, ... or c:J.iculate the cost of polJming, in tenus of punishment. then budget in advance for :tnticip:ued penal ties and openly violate the law.

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Then. (he essay indicates how this point actually undermines {hat position: · .. However. tllis behavior only serveS (0 UlH.krSClJn: rile need for government intervention. becl.Use kft unfettered. [his r.-.pt: of behavior would only e:-.:acerb;m: environment:!] problem::;.

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2. Trivialize It ("Explain It Away") Argue that an apparcni weaknes:- of your position (or strength of a different position) is trivial. minor. or insignificant. The t:SS;JY for Issue 2 provides an example. First the essay offers tWO examples that lend

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the opposing position:

Others might cite the heavy manufacturing and natural·resource industries. wht:rc the \'alue of tangible aSSCts-ra'w materials and

capital equipment-axe often the most si!;1lificam determinant of business success. Then. the essay e:tplaills away these examples:

· However. such industries afe diminishing in Significance as we move from an industrial society to an infonnatiOo age.

3. Appeal-to Broader Considerations Argue that any minor problems with your position seem trivial in light of the broad, and serious, implications that the ISSue raises. The essay for Issue I provides an example. First, the essay aCknowledges a certain problem with its position: · {D)eJays typically associated with bureaucratic regulation can thwart the purpose: of the: regulations, because environmental problems can quickly become grave indeed. Then, the essay points OUt the broad societal consideration that puts this minor drawback in its proper perspective: .. [S]uch delays seem trivial when we consider that many environment.1.1 problems' carry not only a real threat to public health but also a potential threat to the very survival of the human species.

4. The "Lesser of Two Evils" Method Argue that an opposing pOSition is no stronger, or perhaps even weaker, in a certain respect. The essay "for Issue 1 provides an example. First "the essay acknowledges a certain weakness in its position: [DJelays typically associated with bureaucratic regulation can thwart the purpose of the regulations, because environmental problems can quickly become grave .iodeed. ,:.J:

'Then, .the essay.pomts out an even greater wc:akness io the opposing position: · However, given that unjustifiable reliance on vo!unteerism is the only alternative, govemmem n.~~ation seems necessary.

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.i- The "Greater of Two Virtues" Method

Argue that a certain merit of the opposing position is overshadowed by one or more virrues of your position. The essay for Issue 2 provides an example. First, the essay admits that the opposing position is not without merit: Some might argue that the leadership and vision of a company's key executives is of paramount importance. citing specific cases.

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Then, the essay asserts that the contrary position has even greater merit: ... Yet chief executives of our most successful corporntions would no doubt admit ... that without the cooperative efforts o(their, subordinates, their personal vision would never become reality.

YOUR SUPPORTING EXAMPLES As noted earlier in Part 2. on both the GRE md GiYlAT. the official directions indicate th:lt you should support: your perspective with reasons and/or examples from your academic or other reading, your experience.

_.or. your observations. But should. you try to include all of the listed example types? And what specific kinds of examples will leave the most positive impression On the reader? To answer these questions for yourself, keep in mind the following pointS of advice.

Spare the Reader the Technical Details Don't try to impress the reader with your technical knowledge of any panicular subject. Resi~t the temptation to use the Issue essay :lS a forum to recapitulate your senior-year thesis. This is not the. place to convince the reader of your fmn grasp of the finest points of foreign policy, macroeconOmic,ibeory, or nuclear physiCS. That's what your GPA and undergraduate tranSCripts are for.

Don't Be a "Know-It-All" The Issue essay is not like a game of jeopardy! or Trivial Pursuit. You will not score points by recounting statistics or by conjuring up the names of little-known historical tigures. Dy all means, d~w on barh current and historical events to bolster your position. But try to u~e examples with which the reader· i~ likely to be somewhat familiar. (Consider this paine of :tdvice, however, in light of the next one.)

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the attack on the \'I;'orld Tr;lde Center

• The Enron and Arthur Anderson accounting scandals

• Recent American presidential scandah ,. Adolph Hitler and the Jewish Holocaust

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')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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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

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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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DO'S AND DON'TS FOR YOUR ISSUE ESSAY Now, review some of the key poinL~ from Part 2. Hen:"s a list of DO's and DON'Ts to keep you un the right tmek when you organize and compose your Issue essay. To n::inforce the jdea~ 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 "hedge~

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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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!

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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 ar~s b.y reading the relevant essays in one of my other two books: GRE-AnsWe-: to" th~ ReCfI Essay Questions (Published by Peterson's), The book contains my_essays for 125 Lssues in the official pool. "

"

G/fIAT G-1T-Answe~ 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 ess:t~· will afford yOll m:tny u.1AT):

• Inc.: business ethics, management, leadership, entrepreneurship • Forbes: same themes as those in 11K • U.S. News & lV'orId Report: notable current events

• TIle Economist: political and economic ideology • Reason: ideolOgy and culrure Ooads.of "cross-discipline" anicles) • TJ)e New Yorker: ans, humanities, sociology, popular culture • The Futurist: cultural and technological trends With this list in hand, head to your local library or the magazine's Web'sit and rifle through some back issues or archived articles. You'll come away brimming over with ideas for Issue essays.

)(),oolts ,Oleck out books that survey key _people, eVents, and developments in ..various areas oCf human endeavor. Here are TWO useful ones to start with:

•

A History o!Knowledgc:Past, Present, and Future, by Charles·van Doren (Dirch Lane. Press, 1991) The World's Greatest Ideas: An Encydopcdia of Social inventions, ed. by Nicholas Alberly, ct ai. (New Societ)· Publications, 2001)

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ur Notes from College Course Work Try dusting off your notes from coUege survey courses in art, science, history, pOlicics, ami sociology. You might surprise yourself with what you'll flIld that you can recycle" inw a GRE or GMAT Issue essay.

eWeb Take advantage of the World Wide Web to brush up on common Issue themes. At the Analytical Writing areas of my GRE Web site (www.west.net/-stewart/grewa) and GMAT Web site (f.>w"w.wesc.net/-scewart/awa). I've provided links to some Web sites that :lIe useful for this purpose.

devision and Video If you're a couch pm:no, nme in to the History Channel or to your local PBS station for Issue-essay ideas. Also consider purchasing (or renting from a library) KHistory of the M~ennium, ~ a 3·hour A&E (Arts & Enreruinment) channel production. which surveys the 100 most inJIuenti:tl people of the most recent millennium (1000-1999). Zero in on a few of the featured artists, scientists, politicalleaders-~ and "philosophers, and you'll be ready with good Issue examples, especially for the GRE.

lEEP YOUR PERSPECTIVE The strategies listed above Gl.Il be time+consuming. If you have ample time before exam day, then go the extra mile (or kilometer). But what if you don't have time for additional reading and brainstorming? Take hean: The specific reasons and supporting examples you cite are only one of sever:tl scoring criteria and by OCt means the most important. Your should primary be concerned with: o Developing a pOSition that accounts for the statement's complexiry and impliC:ltions and that acknowledges other viewpoints • Expressing that position clearly, in a balanced, well-organized essay

lElNFORCEMENT EXERCISES Now, let's reinforce what you've learned in P.at! 2. The following series of exercises is designed to engage you more .actively in planning, outlining, and composing effective Issue essays. Here are the five rypes of exercises you'll find here, :1long with the number of exercises [Jer type: • Outlining (3 exercises) • Writing introductory par.lgr:lphs (5 eXercises) • Recognizing an essay's structure (8 eXercises)

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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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. 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 conclusion~):

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

4.

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 Ar~ument's line of n:asoning and evidence in suppon of its conclu:;ion. i."

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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 :io~:~'~'~;" -to .include as much detail in your initial paragraph;·'.· .~. ,._.

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 ~hou!d 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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5.

.

-

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-

Peterson's • Writing Skills for tbe GRE/GMAT Tens

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? mi~ht 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 mi~ht 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, ~ 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~ard 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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HOW TO WRITE A HIGH-SCORING ARGUMENT ESSAY

6.

COMPOSE A CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH Unless your essay has a clear end, the reader might think you didn't finish on tlme~ so be sure to make time for a final paragraph that clearly ~wraps up~ your essay. Your flnal paragraph is not the place to introduce any new points of critique. Instead, try to accomplish the following twO ttsks:

"

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

W1proven assumptions (1-2 sentences) 2. Indicate how the Argument can be strengthened and/or

•

indicate what additional information would be helpful in evaluating the Argument. (2-3 sentences) .~.

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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 dem~graphic 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 ~'our ~con: 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! ~brin~ 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 error~.

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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'NOTE: "The '.sample Argument-essays in Parts-6 and 8 of,this~book \.~ . : range from ·425'to ,625 'words in length. :But for a .top ·score 'of.!6;,},our-, , Issue essay,need not be as·lengthy as my samples"especially-any. '.'_ . -.... . . ,]onger--ones. ".. '''''-'

..

NUMBER OF PARAGRAPHS There is no ·correct~ or "best~ 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 ·recap~ paraw-aph arid, if you have time, an introductOry paragraph,

A.'J

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 Argument essays, jot down points of critique you find clearest or mas! convincing, Al.so, highlight transitional phr.tses. which conneCt the ess3y',s points of critiqut:. Review the phrases, then try composing seve"l] c:ss;tys yourself, making a special eHort to incorporate similar phrases into your essays.

NOTE: For book infonnation, see the books' Web supplemt::ms (www.wc::st.net/-stewart).

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE! Compose.as many practice essays.as you reasonably have time for, responding to the ofikial questions. De sure to practice under timed conditions with a word processor. restricting your use of editing functions to the ones provided On the real exam. Evaluate your practice c::ssays, referring to the official scoring criteria; reflect on your wc;:aknesses, and concentrate on improving in those areas next time.

REINFORCEMENT EXERCISES Now let's reinforce what you've learned in Part 3. Each of the following exercises contains an Argument designed to highlight a particular reason· ing problem. For each Argument: 1. Compose a brief (one- or two-paragraph) essay response that focuses only on tbat problem.

2. Try to incorporate all the required elements for an adequate analysis of the problem. L

3. You may also discuss how to Ternedy the problem (strengthen the argument) and/or what addltion;u ~nf~rmatiof! is needed to fully evaluate the Argument, -in terms of the specific problem.

4. On scratch paper, outline additional Tea50ning problems with th( Argumt::nt that you would antiCipate discussing were this a 'full-length (3D-minute) writing task. ' limir your time to 10 minutes per exercise. For each group of exercises, directions for that group immediately precede the exercises . .My' responses and comments begm on page Ill,

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HOW TO WRITE A HIGH·SCORING ARGUMENT ESSAY

".-,WEXERCISES

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1-2

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.:7:

In each of these first twO exercises, identify and discuss the /alse-cause problem. Also note other possible problems you would :Ulticipatc discussing in a full-Length Argument essay.. 1. In order to revitalize this city's economy, we should increase the

number of police officers that patrol the city's downtown bll5mes$ district during daytime business hours. Three years ago, the city reduced the total size of its police force by nearly 30 percent. Since then, retail businesses in the district have experienced a steJdy decline in revenue.

•

2. At Xenon Company,. workers who bring. their own lunches from home are generally more productive than workers who purchase iW1Ch at the company's cafeteria. Therefore, in order for Xenon to enhance averJ.l.l worker productiviry, and in rum profits. the company's cafeteria should offer the same types of lunch foods thaI workers' bring from home.

EXERCISES

3-4 In each of the next (WO exercises, identify and discuss the potentially

weak analogy. Also note other possible problems you would amicipate discussing in a fulJ.lengch Argument essay.

3. In order to prevent a decline of Oak City's property values ami in rems that Oak City property owners can command, the residents of Oak City mUSI spe:J.k OUt against the approval of a new four-year private coUege in their town. After all. in the nearby town of Maple. ton, the averlge rent for apartments has decreased by 10 percent since its new community college opened last year, while the averlge value of Mapleton's single·family homes has declined by an even greater percentage over the same time period. 4. Trashco provides refuse pickup ilnd disposal as well as recycling services for the town of PlattSburg, all at about two thirds the total COSt of Hillsville's total cost for Ridco's refuse and recycling services. In order to save enough money to consU"Uct a refuse tr.lI15fer Mation within its city limits. Hillsville should discontinue using Ridco's services and lbe Trasheo's services im;(c:td.

5-6

EXERCISES

In E.xercise 5. idt:ntify :1Od t.liscuss the pMenti(ll/y ltllrejJresenl(llivf! :itatislit:(l/ reslilts. In E.xereise 6. identify :tnd discuss the potencial winll!d· d,lta problem. Fur each .\.r!-\lIment. also note Other possible probkms vou would anticip:lIe discussing in a flllHength essav.

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5. Workforce Systems, a consulting fum specializing in workplace productivity and efficiency, reports that nearly 70 percent of -Max· tech's employees who enrolled in \\Iorkforce Systems' one-week seminar last year cl.:lim to be: more content with thdr current jobs than prior to enrolling in the seminar. By requiring managers at all large corporations to enroll in the kinds of seminars that Workforce System offers, productivity in our economy's private sector is certain

to improve. 6. A significant percentage of this count)"s residentS who receive unemployment beneftts from the state repon that they would prefer to work but have difficulty finding work for which they are qualified. In order to reduce the strain on our COUnty's State Employment Development office, which is currently understaffed, the county should establish an adult job-training program,

ExERCISES

7-8 in each of the next two exercises, identify and discuss the necessary-

coruiition or suJJicicnt-condition assumption. Also note other possible problc:ms you would anticipate discussing in a full-length Argument essay. 7. The juvenile justice depanmem of one of the nation's largest cities recently reponed thal children who engage in any of the city's organized spans programs are less likely than other children to be convicted of a felony crime later in life. Therefore, the federal govenunent can reduce the national crime rate by mandating daily physical-education classes at every high school in the nation. 8.

:XERCISES

Rivenown'~ historic Hill district used to be one of the ,city's main touriSt attrnctioos. Since the construction of a new shopping center in the distriCt, the district's quaint older shops and restaurants have had difficulty attracting patrons. In order to preserve the historic value of the Hill district's older buildings and to prevent further loss of revenue from touriSts, the dty must impose a moratorium on the construction of any new structures in the Hill district.

9-10 In each of the next two exercises, identify and discusS the potential -group-member problem. Also note other possible problems you would anticipate discussing in a full-length Argument essay.

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9. At Giant Industries, our state's largest private business, the average production worker is now 42 years old. Recently, Giant's revenue from the sale of textiles and paper, which together account for the majority of Giant's manufacturing business, has declined significantly. Since an increasing percentage of new graduates from our state's

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HOW TO WRITE A HIGH-SCORING ARGUMENT ESSAY

colleges and universitks are flIlding jobs in other sures, our state will ::>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 ~tate·s employers. ,IS :t ~roup, with respect to fln:mci:d ~trength .L' lVel] :IS ave,Jge lVorker ;Ige, However. [he :trgument Jlrovllk~ 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 ·busines~, is lOSing business while its workforce nears retirement age proves almOSt nothing about the prospects for the state's overall econom~'. In a full-length (3D-minute) essay, you miRht also address the following

questions about the Argument'S reasoning: • Does the tenn Mlargest private business~ necessarily mean that 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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in the predicted job trends for leg3..1 assistants or nunes? (E.g.,

perhaps new technologies will render obsolete many traditional nursing functions.)

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ANALYSIS

' 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 tOt~tls 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.

ANALYSIS TIlis

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:c.sumes rh;![ current circumstances will remain unchanged

into rhe future. Here·:; a response dut h;lndks the problem:

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 mi~ht experience an influx of new re~idents, or its residents' willin~ness 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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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 ,~j1(luk.l 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.

-".:'-cr~"< _r,,'/?/J,n:, "/71b/'(,7' s ...... IV",,' __ Coo ,''''' --v' / t . • however, doset scrutiilY reveals, upon doser inspection/oca.mination, a more thorough analysis, in reality, actually. when viewed more closely. when viewed from another perspective, further observation shows

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

•

• 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 po~·t. Read [he Tssue statement dosely for key words. Here's one example ot'each: ., . _-,,~,

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Example (Irony) . TIle speaker fails to consider the long-tenn cu!rural impact of the kinds of technolOgical ~advancementS" I've just described. E,.""ample (Misnom~r) TIle ~knowledge" to which the statemem refers is, in acruality, onlr SUbjective perception. Be sure to use quotation marks for the ironic tenTI or misnomer. whether or not you're qUOting the [ssue statemem.

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~PROPER USE OF REFllXlVE PRONOUNS RclleXlve pronouns include such words as oneself. itself. and themselves. In gcncr:LI. usc rellexivc pronouns only when the subject of the sentence

is acting upon itself (in other words, when the subject is aha the object).'

lncorrect Contr:try to popular myth, war heroes rnrely e:un their acting as If (hey rhenl.Se/ves are invincible.

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Correct COntr:uy to popular myth, war heroes r.udy cam their stants by acting as if they were invindb/e. "

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Correct 'C' .... Contrnry to popwu myth., 'wa.r heroes rnrdy consider themselves invincible J.Jld rnrely ad J.S if they were.

RROR IN PRONOUN-ANTECEDENT AGREEMENT antecedent is simply the noun to ~hich a pronoun refers. Be sure that pronouns agree in number (singular or plural) with their antecedents.

An

SInglilar (Correct) Studying other anists acma-Uy helps a- young painter develop bis or her own style, Plural (Correct) Srudying other an::ists actually helps young painters develop their own style. Singular pronouns are generally used in referring to antecedc:-:tts such each, either, neither, and one.

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SIngu1ar (Correct) The Republican and Democratic p~rties each seem to prefer criticiz· ing rhe other's poliCies over making constructive proposals l!seif. plural (Correct) The Republican and Dem.ocratic parties borh seem to prefer criticiz· ing I:!CJch orher's pOlicies over making constructive proposals thetn· selves.

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ERROR IN SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT A verb should alw;I~':- agree in numhcr-eitlH.:r singular or plural-with its subject. An inten·enin.L: cbtlsl" set off b~' commas mask:- :I subject-verb agreement error. Both sentences below include:1 singular subject and therefore CJIJ for;1 sinf',ubr verb (in parentheses). Incorrect Improved sonar tecblloloKY, lOf:ether with less stringent qUOL1.S, account for tlle n:cem increase In the Jmount of fish CJught by commercial vesseb. (accounts) Incorrect Grade school instructiOIl in ethical and social values, panicularly the values of respect:lnd o[ tolerance, arc required [or any democracy to thrive. (is) Compound subjectS (multiple subjectS joined by connectors such as the word and or the word or) can also mask agreement errors. Remember: If jOined by and, a compound subject is usuaUy plural (and takes a plur.U verb). But if jOined by or, citber . .. or, or neilber ... nor, compound subjects arc usua.lJy singular. Plural Subject (Correct) IL1.ising ';':

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III

ISSUE

No.4

Is Moderation in AJJ Things Poor Advice?

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Shuuld we slri\'l· (or llH)(jer:ltiun in ;111 lili!lg~, :1:; tlte :H.bgt: s\.lggesls? I tend to agree With the speaker that won:hwhilt- encie:lvors sometimes require. or at least cali for. in!~nse focus al the eXiJensc of mocJer.!tion. Tht: ,·in:ue:. uf mudcr:ltiun an: undeniable. Moder:l\lon in all things affords us the time and energy to sample more of what life :md the world have to offer. In Contr:lst. lack of moderation leads to :l lift: our of balance. AS a socie[)·. we are slowly corning to realize what many astute psychologisL~ and medical practitiOners haw,: known all along: we are at our bes: as humans only when we strike a proper bala.nce between the mind, bodr, and spirit. The call for :l balanced life is essentially a call for moderation in all things" For inst."lnce, while moderate exercise improves our health and sense of weU.being, overexercise and intense exercise can cause injury Of psychological burnout, either of which defeat our purpose by requiring us (0 discontinue exercise altogether. Lack of moderation in diet can cause obesity at one exueme or anorexi:l at the other, either of which endangers one'S he.alth-and even life. And when it comes to pOtentially addictive substancesalcohol, tobacco, and the like-the deleteriOus effects of overconsumption arc clear enough. The virtues of moderation apply to work as wdl. Stress associated with a high·pressure job increases one's vulnerabili[)' to hean disease and other physical disorders. And overwork can result in psychological bUrnout, thereby jeopardizing one's job and career. Overwork can even kill, as demonstrated by the' alarmingly high death rate among young Japanese men, man)' of whom work 100 or marC: hours each week. Having acknowledged the wisdom of the old adage, 1 nevertheless agree th.at under some circumstlnCes, and for some people, abandoning moderation might be well justiGed. Consider how many of the world's great artistic creations-in the visual ans, music, and even literature-would hav~ come to fruition without intense, focused e[[ons on the part of their creators. Creative WOrk necessarily involves a large measure of intense focus-a single-minded, obsessive purSuit of aesthetic perfection. Or. consider athletic performance. Admittedly, intensi[)'-c:a.n be coun· terproductive when it resultS in b~mour or injury. Yet who could disagree that a great athletic performance necessarily requires great focus and intensit)'both in preparation and in tll;e performance jtself? In shan. when it comes to athJclics, moder:uion breeds mediocrity, while intensity breeds excellence and viC[ory. Finally, consider the increasingly competitive world of business. An intense, focused company-wide dfort is sometimes needed to ensure .:I company's competJt!venes$ and even survival. This is particularly true in today's technology--driven industries where keeping up with the frantic pace of change is essenti;li for almost any high-teCh firm's survival.

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SfI.:¥1PLE ESSAYS FOR 20 OFFiCiAL GRE ISSUES [n sum, the old :ld;tge amounts to sound advice for most people under most circumstances. Nevertheless, when it comes to creative accomplish-. mt:m md to competitive success in areas such as ',uhletics and business, I agree with the speaker that abandoning or suspending moderation is often appropriate, and someeimes necessary, in the interest of achieving worthwhile goals.

11

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r:t(!rSOn·s

tSSUE

No.6

Do People Prefer Constraints on Freedom? Do people prefer cons'tr.tints on absolute freedom of choi~e.;. re.sardless bf what they ffii'grn cbim? I believe so, because in order for any democratic society to thrive, 'it must strike. a balance between freedom and order, History U:C0nns us chat. attempts to quell basic individual freedoms-of expressIon, of opinion and belief, and to come oUld go as we please-invariably bi1. People ultimately rise up ag:li.n.s[ llIlre:l.Sonabk constI"Jints on freedom of choice. ~ desire for freedom seems to spring from our fundamental nature as human beings, But does this mean that people would prefer absolute freedom of choice to any conS[I"Jints whatsoever? No, Reasonable constraints on freedom are needed to prOtect freedom-and to prevent a SOCiety from devolving into l state of anarchy where life is shan and brutish. To appreCiate our preference for constrnining our own freedom of choice, one need look no further than the neighborhood playground. Even without any adult supervision, a group of youngsters at play invariably establish murualiy agreed-upon rules for conduct-whether or not a spOrt or game is involved_ Children !earn at an early age thac wichout any ruJc:s for behavior, the playground bully usually prevails. And short of be'.lting up on others. bullies enjoy taking prisoners-i.e., restricting me freedom of choice of ochers. Thus our preference for constr:Unlng our freedom of choice stems from our desire to protect and preserve that freedom. Our preference for consrraining our own freedom of choice cantinuc~ into our adult lives. We , freely enter into exclusive pair·bondi.n.g relationships; during our teens, we 19ree to ~go steady," then as ~dults, we VOluntarily emer into maniage contractS_ Most of us e:lgerly enter imo exclusive employment relationships-preferring tlle securiry of s[(_-.ldy income to the "freedom~ of not knowing where our next paycheck will come from. Even people who prefer Self-employment to job security quickly le:lrn rh:1[ the only way to preserve their -:lUconomyH is to conser-Jin themselvc::s in terms ot' rheir agreements with ·c1ic:ntS and cu:;comer.> and e~pecially in terms of how riley u:;e rht:ir time. Aumiuetlly, our self-inllicteu jnb conslr.lints :lre born l:trgely of cconomic neces:;iry, Yet cven the wcalrhie:o.{ intlivitlu:lls usual!y choose to constr.lin their frt:edom by uevoring 1110:o.[ of rheir time :\ntl ;lttcnrion to a few pct projct.:[s,

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Our prt:fen:nCl' for C()ll:-!r.linint: ollr OWJl irlTdof11 oJ ciluice: b t'\,idclll on :1 ~ociel.;]l levcJ :IS well. )u~t a~ children :1l :1 rl:ly!!rollnd recogni7.c: the m:ed for self.imposed rult:~ and regulation~. ;I,~ ;J sociery, We: reco~njze the same need, After :Ill. in ;I dC:nlocr:ltic .-;ocicq-, our sy~tenl of l:lwS is ;In invention of [he: people. For example, we insis( on being bound by ruks for oper.ning motor vehic!es, for buying Olnd selling both real and per~onal property. and for making public Statements abulI! other people. \'VHhout these rules, we would liVe in continual fear for our physical stier)" the security of our property, and OUr person:!l repuL.;l!ion and di~nity, In sum, 1 agree with the fundamental assc:nion that people: prefer reasonable constr.iints on [heir freedom of choice. In faCt, in a democr.:ttic socier)', we insist on imposing these constr.tims on ourselves in order to preserve that freedom.

III

ISSUE

No. 16

Government's Duty to Preserve Cultural Tradition The speaker's claim IS acrualJy threefold: (1) ensuring the survival of large cities and, in tum. that of cul[UraI traditions, is a proper function of government; (2) government suppon is needed for our large cities and cui rural traditions to survive and thrive; and (3) cultura! traditions arc preserved and gener.ued primarily in our large cities. 1 strongly disagree with all three claims. First of all. subSidizing cultural traditions is nor a prOper role of government. Admitted1r, ccnain objC':ctives, such as public hea1t11 and safety, are so essential to the surviVal of large cities and of nations that government has a duty to ensure that ther :lIe met. However, these objeCtives should nor exIend tenuously to preserving cultural traditions. Moreover. government c:mnot possibly play an evenhanded rolc: as cultural patron. Inadequate resources cal..I for restrictions, priorities, and choices. ][ is unconscionable to releg:!te normarive decisions as to which cities or cultural traditions are more deserving, valuable, or needy to a few legislators, whose notions about culrure rrtight be misguided or unrepresentative of those of tile genera] popuJ:!ce, AJso, legislators are all toO likely to make chOices in favor of the cultural agenda. such as imagery and point of view. And. only imJginative works can provide meaning 10 historical event~-throut!h the ust" of devices such as symbolism and met.,phor. Several examples from Iiter:nure serve to illustrate this pOint. Twain·~ novels afford us :1 sense of how nineteenth--ct:nrury Missouri would have appeared through the eyt:~ of lO·year--old boys. Melvillt:'s nil~l' 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 bar~ 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 ~sha.pe and focus" to reality more so than newsreels alone could? If so, will these works hold more ~lasting significance~ 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 fr~m which they were adapted, are ·pure fantasy. Yet both teef!! with symbolism and metaphor relating to life's journey, the htunan spiri~ and our hopes, dreams, and ambitions-in shan, the human experienct. Therein lies th~ 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 ex.p~,rience 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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III

ISSUE

No. 43

What Is Required to Become "Tculy Educated"? [ fund:unentaUy :Jgree with ~hc proposition chat studems mUSt' cake courses outside their major field of study to become ~truly 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 underminln~ those: objectives. The priIIury fe:l50n why [ ag.re~ with the proposition is that ~trued educ:uion amolll'"\~s to far more than ~g the knowledge rod :lbiliry to excel in one's mzlor course of study and in one's profession31 career. True e~ucatiOn - also ~ facilitates an understanding of oneself :lJ1d tolerance and respect fOr the Viewpoints of others. COllrSes in psychology. sociology, and anthropology ill serve these ends. "True~ educ;uion usa provides insighc and perspective regarding one's place in society and in the pbysic::u and met:lphysical worlds. COllrses in politic~ 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 overc:xtend rh~ risk de£e:lCint; an important objective of e
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J1 ~·.C(' II/

PART 5

method is essentially a can for progress through Trial and error. Any new theory mUST be te~ttd 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 tht:Oric~ 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-;rute presidential historians,have described Clinton as a man mociv;J."e·~ more bv l desire to be gr~.~ than to accomplish gre:tt thi.ng!l. And m:uw psychologists atfribute Napoleon's and Mussolinj's insatiable lust for powe, (0 a so-called ~short·man complcx~-a need to be noticed and admired in spite of one's small physic:tl StaNre. "Nevertheless, for every le:tding politic:tl voice driven to new ideJs by a desire to be noticed or co be differem, one cm ·cite ·many other politica.J Ie:tders clearly driven instead by the courage of their convictions. Iconoclasts .\1ahatma Gandhi and Martin Lueher King, for example, secured prominent places in history by challenging the status quo through civil disobedience. Yet no re:!.Sonable person could doubt that it W':lS the conviction of their ideas that drove these two le:tders to their respective places. Turning to the arts, mavericks such as Da.Ii, Picasso, md Warhol, who departed from established rules of compOSition, ultimately emerge :tS the le:tding :l.rtists. And our most influential popular musicians are the ones who. are flagr.mtly ~d.ifferent." Consider, for e.'tampie, jazz 'pioneer.; Thelonius Ytonk and Miles Davis, who broke all the harmonic rules, or folk musici:J.n·poet Bob Dylan. who established a new standard for lyricism. Were :til these le:tding voices driven simply by a desire to be different? Perhaps. but my inruition is thar creative urges are born not of ego but r.tther of some intensely personal commitment to an aesthetic idelJ. .\5 for the physical SCienc~s, 'innovatiOn and progress can only resul t from ch:tlienglng conventional theories-that is. the status quo. Newton and Einstein, for eX:J.mple, both refused to blindly accept what were perceived to be the rule~ of physics. As 'J. result, both men redettned those rules. Yet it would be patently absurd to assert that these two scientistS were driven by :1 mere desire to conjure up ~diffen:nr" theories than those of thdr conrempor.lries or predecessors. Surely it was ;1 conviction that cht.:ir tht.:ories were better thac drove these geniu.ses to thdr r1:lCC5 in history. To Sutll up. When ont.: ex:tmines histOry's ie:H.!ing .... oices. it does ;Ippc:tr tll;1( the~' £"riCtlly hring [() che world something r:ldic:tlly JU'ferent than the status qtH). Yet in mOSt C:.lses. chis SOrt ()f iconoclasm is a byproduct of per.;on:t1 conviction. nor iconoclasm for its own :-';lke.

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Writing Skills/or flJe

PART 5

III

ISSUE

No. 87

Are \Var and Crime Products of the Human Condition?

WWW.JN!tf!TSons.com

Arc product:; or human n:nun: such as war and crime actually product~ of the human condilion-specifically, lack of resources and territory? The speaker claims so. 1 strongly disJgree, however. \V'hether we look at scienc!: and history or simply look around us in our dJily lives. we see Jmple evidence that human aggression is the product of our nature as humans-and not of our circumstances. First of all, the claim runs contrary to my personal ohsen'ation about ;.~_dividual behavior-especially when it comes to maks. One need look no further than the local school ground or kindergarten playroom to see the roots of crime and war. Every _school yard has it.~ bully who delights in tonnenting meeker schoolmates; and in every kinderJ;ant:n classroom. there. is at least one miscre<mt whose habit is to snatch away the favorite toys of Classmates-purely for the enjoyment of having seized property from another. And these behaviors are clearly not for warn of resources or ten-ito!)'. Thus, the onll' n::asonabk explanation is that they are products of human 'nature-not of the human condition. Secondly, the claim flies in the face of what scientists have learned about genetically detennined human traits. Many human traits-not just physical ones but psychological ones as well-are predetennined at birth. -And to a great extent, we have inherited our genetic predisposition from our nonhuman ancestors. One might argue that lower animal species engage in 'V.':l.rlike behavior for the main reason that they must do so to protect theiI territory or their clan or for food-not because of their nature. Yet, tllis point ~egs the question; for we humans have been genetically programmed, through the evolutionary process, to behave in sintilar ways. In other words, doing so is simply our nature. Thirdly, the claim makes little sense in the conte).!. of human history. Prior to the last few centuries, the inhabitable re~ons of our planet provided ample' territory and resources-such as food and cultivable land-to accommodate every human inhabitant. Yet our distant ancestors engaged in war and crime anyway. \'(!hat else explainS thiS, acept that it is part of our inherent nature to engage in aggreSSive beh:lVior toward other humans~ Moreover, ifwe consider the various aperimcnts with Marx's~~?,rrununism, i\ becomes clear that the pure Marxist SUt!!! in which ~ territory and resourCes are shared according to the needs of each individual does not work in practice. Every anempt, whether on the macro or micro level, has b.iled at the hands of a few deffi:lgogues or despots, who aggress and oppress like playgroWld bullies_ In sum, the author of this statement misunderstands the roOts of stich phenomena as war and criIne. The statement runs comnry to my personal observations of human behavior, to the scientific notions of gCOl':tic predisposition and evolution of species, and to the overwhelming lack of evidence that providing ample resources to people ~ol\'es these problems.

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ISSUE

__ :: ::SSA'IS FOR

20 OFFICIAL GRE ISSUES

No. 97

The Function and Value of Art and Science The spoker maint:lins· that the function of art is co ~upset~ while the funcuon of science is to "re:l.Ssure" and that it is in mese functions that the vJJue or e:J.ch lies. In my view, the speaker unfarrly gener:t!izes :J.bollt the function :mu vJJuc of art' while completely missing the point about the function :md value of science. Consider fIrSt the intent and effect of lrt. In many c:tSes, artists set :tbout co re:l.Ssure, not to upser. Consider Fn Angelico and others monks and nuns of the late medieval period, who· sought pIimarily through their .represent::ttiom··.Qf the Madonna :J.nd ~Child to re:l.Ssure and be re!lSsured about the messages of Christian redemption and sllvation. Or consider the paintings of impressionis.[ =0d·realist painters of the i:ne nineteenth cenrury. Despite the sharp COntra5t in the teduuques employed by these two schools, in both genres, we tind soothing, genteel, and pasrOr::Ll themes and im:J.ges-certai.n.ly nothing co upset the viewer. In other c:J.ses, :J.rtiS[s set :J.bou( to upset. For example, the painters and sculptors of the Renaiss~ce period, like the artists who preceded them, approached their art as a fonn of worship. Yet Renaissance art focuses on other Christian images and themes-especially those involving the crucifJXion md apoc:tlyprjc notions of judgment md damnation-that are clearly ~upsettingH and disconcerting and clearly not re:l.Ssuring. Or consider the works of two imporunt twentiethoeentury artists; few would argue that the surrealistiC images by Salvn.dor Dill or the jarring, spb.shy murals by abstract painter Jackson Pollock serve to "upset," or ar the very least disquiet, the viewer on a visceral level. When it comes to the function and v:tlue of SCience, in my view. the speaker's :l.Ssenion is simply wrong. The fmal objective of science, in my view, is to discover rruths about our world, our universe, and ourselves. Sometimes, these discoveries serve to reassure, :md other times, they scrve to upset. Por example, many would consider reassuring: the VlriOUS bws :lrh: prinCiples of physics that provide unifying explanations for what we obscr.::: in the phySiCll·world . .1nes2-prinCiples provide a reassuring sense of o,de~ even simpliclty, 'to ~~, omern.rise myster:ious and perplexing world. On the;.:Othcr h':ind, ;nany scientific discoveries have clearly "upset" convention~.i,~otio·ns.abo~i th'e physiCal world and the universe. The notions of:J. ::.:un-cencered unlverse;'that hum:J.ns evolved from lower primate forms. and chac rime: is n..:lariv·c to space :md motion are :dl disquieting notions to anyone wilo.";ic helief ::.:ystem depends on contr.lrY :Issumprions. And man: recently, rcse:trcher.";i have discovered thac many bdl:J.vior:ll frolics are functions of indiviuu:i1 neurological bnin structure, determined :H binh. TIlis notion 11:ls "lIr~t:[~ rn:tn~' profe:o;sionals in Iklds such ;IS bchavior:d psycho[og}'. crilllinology. men(:l1 hc:lIth, :lnd law. wllOst: work b prt:diGltnl

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on the notion that unueslr.ll)k human behavior can be changed-throu&h .... ;lrious me\n:i of reform :lnd heh:lvjor mouificltio!1. In sum. the: spe:lker oVefj.!ener.lIi%e:i \\'IH:n it Corile~ l(l the function :Ind '"alue of an anu sCienCl"-hOlh of "Which serve:" in some cl.~e:; 10 reassure and in other cases to upset. In an~' event. the speaker misstates the true function and ,·all!(:: or science, which is to discover tnlths. whether reassuring or upsetting.

III

ISSUE

No. 103

Is It a Mistake to Theorize \Vithout Data? Is it a "grave mistake" IO theorize Without d.:lLl., as the speaker Contends? I agree in!iofar as to theori7.e hefore collecting sufficient dat.:l. i!i to risk Uinting the proc;:e5s of colleCting and interpreting further daLa. However, in a sense, the speaker begs the question by overlooking the fact that every theory requires some dala to begin with. Moreover, the claim unfairly ignores equally grave consequences of waiting to theOrize until we obtain toO much data. In one imPOrtant respect, I agree with the speaker's contention. A theory conjured up without the benefit of data amounts to little more than the theorist'5 hope5 and ue5irt;5-what he or she wanL~ to be true and not be tnJe. Accordingly, this theorist will tend to seek out evidence that supporu; the theory and overlook. or avoid evidence that refutes it. One telling historical example involves theones about the center of the universe. Understandably, we ego·driven humans would prefer that the universe revolve around us. Early theories presumed so for tlus reason, and subsequent observations that ran COntrary to this ego--d.riven theory were .. . ignored, while the observerI' were scorned and even vilified. By theorizing before collecting data, the theorist also runs the risk of interpreting that data in a manner that makes it appear to lend more credence to the theory than it actUally does. Consider the theory that BIrth is flat. Any person With a clear view of the horizon must agree in all honesty that the evidence does not support the theory. Yet prior to Ne·wtonian phYSiCS, the notion of a spherical E:J.rth was -so unsettling to people that th~ interpreted the arc-shaped horizon as evidence of a convex, yet nevertheles.! ~flanjsh, Earth. Despite tlJe meritS of the spe~aJ.ter's claim, I'Jind it problematic in m'Q crucial respects. First, conimon s~nse informs me that it is impossible to theorize in the ftrst place without It least -some data. How can ·theorizin~ without data be dangerous, as the speaker contends, if it. is not eva possible? While a theory based purely on f:un..2.sy might ultimately be bOlt om by empirical Observation, it is equally possible that it won't. Thus, without prior data, a theory is not worth our time or anention. Secondly, the speaker's claim overlooks the inverse problem: th~ danger of continuio!,! to .acquire data without venturing a theory based 0[ w

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Pelerson'.
ulting charitable dforrs of spons hemes retlcct slmibr (nits and efforts a.mong: our sociery at large? No, they simply reveal thar , ... c admire rhese tr:J.itS;!.Ild efforts in other people and wbh wc Llltlld Crlwl:Ltt;" thcm-but tor OlJr own persollal failings. :"Jext consider rhe mllit:.lry hero. who g:.Uns ht:roic :;tantre by way of cour..lgt: in il:.lttie or by otherwise l:.ldng Certain Jete-..l[ and t:merging: victOrious. CU!1:'lut:r rormer pre~l(1cnri:t1 hopeful john McC..lln, whom cvt:n biS pOlitil..-.l1 uppunents l;lUtl ;l~ ;\ war hero for haVing not only endured yC.lP.i of torture ;LS

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II/I IJIII./)(!!t.r.,·{ JI/S. ;'ithout ruting out such explanations, these physiCian· resident ratios prove nothing about the compa.rative:: health of Lee::vUle and Mason City residents-or about the impact of t-oWn size on hcalth. Finallr. the author cites the fact that the average age of Leeville residents is higher than that of Mason City residents. However, any number of factors might explain this disparity. "For example. perhaps Leeville is ;t retirement communit)" while Mason City attracts younger working people. For that maner, perhaps Leeville is comprised mainly of fonner Mason Cit)' . residents whose longevit)' is attributable' chiefly to their fonner lifesryle in Mason City. In an): event, t1;e author ~ot justify the conclusion that this disparity in average age is due [Q the difference in size berween the twO towns. In conclusion, the :lrgument that small·town livmg promotes good health and longevit;.· is unpersuasive as it stands. To strengthen t1le ~mem, the author must provide clear evidence th;1.I the overall popu);nion ofLcc\'illc. not just cmployc;c~ in Lc:.cvilk, is hc;iltlJier tllan that of

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SAMPLE ESSAYS FOR 20 OFFICIAL GRE ARGUMENTS _\1~on

City. The author must :::uso provide strong evidence that Leeville and

.\f2SOfl City residents visit local physicians whenever they become sick.

Fi.cally. to bener evaluate the argument, we would need roon: inform:nion lboUt why the average age of Leeville residents exceeds tlut of Mason City ~esacknu.

III .

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ARGUMENT

No. 9

Cheating at Groveton- College

1

In this editorial, the author concludes that colleges should adopt an honor code for-detecting :fCldemic ch~ting. To support this conclusion, the J.uthor points''Out chat the flrst year iner swicching from a monicoring system [Q l.n honor system, the ~ual number of reported che:lting incidents :l.t Groveton College decr~~d -from 30 to 21 and that five ye:l.IS !:Icer, the number W:tS cinly 14. The :tuthor :tlso cites a survey in which most students Indicated they would be less likely to cheat under an honor system th:m if they :tte closely monitored. 1111s argument is unconvincing for severn (C';lSons. First :md foremo.~t, the :trgUment relies. on the_ :LSSumpcions that Groveton srudems are JUSt as capable of detecting che-:lcing as faculty monitors and that these srudents :tte just :l5 likely to report chc:J.ting whenever they observe it. However, without evidence to substantiate these assumptions, one cannot reasonably concLude that the honor code has in faet resulted in a decline in the incidence of cheating at Groveton. Besides. cornmon sense rdls me chat these assumptions are dubious at bcst; an imparti:tl faculty observer is morc likdy to detect :md report cheating than a preoccupied student under peer pressure not to repon: cheating among classmates: The :u-gument also assurnes that during the five·ye:tt period, :ill other conditIons possibly :Jifecti.ng the reported incidence of cheating J.t Grover?n remained unchanged. Such conditions include tile numbel" of Groveton students and the OVer.:LJI integrity of the student body. After five ye-:tr3. it is entirely possible [hat these conditions have changed :md that the reported decrease in che:lting is attrioutable to one or more such changes. Thus, without ruling Out such llternative explanations for the reported decrC':l5e, the aurhol" cmnot convince me that the honor code has in fact contributed co l dedine in the incidence of cheating at Groveton. nle :tuthor's recommendation that other colleges follow Groveton's eXlmpJe depends on the additional J.ssumption [hat GrOveton is typical in ways relevant [0 the incidence of cheating. However. this is not necesslrily che cxse. for instance. perh:tps Groveton students ;J.re more or less likely co report che:.tcing. or to cheat under ;tn honor system. than rypic:tl collt:ge srudents. lacking: evidence thar Grovemn sn!dentS 'Jre typical in these respects. the :!r).:llmenc is indefensible.

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'fcrson's _ IVn'Ung Skills /nr WI! ?F/G;l{AT TI'~'-~

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PART 6

Finally, the survey thai the :luthor citt:::. might be unreliable in any of thn:t: respects. First. the :luthor f;lils to assure u~ th:u thl: survey's respoOlkOlS are represeOlalivr: of ;111 co!Jt:gt: students. Second. the survey n:suIL~ depend on lhe hOlleslY ;ll1d inLq.:rilY of the re:-,poflc.knt:-.. Third, hypothetical pn::dictiUns :lbout one's future beh;n'ior art: inherently kss reliable than rtparts of pron:n behavior. L:lcking cvidence that the survey is reliabk. the author cannOI n::asunably rely on the survey in recommending 1,));11 other colleges adopt :1Il honor code. In conclusion, 10 persuade me that other colkges should adopt ;m honor code in order to reduce cbcatin;;, the :luthor must supply clear evidence that cheating at Grovewn in fact decreased afte:r the honor code was instituted there: and that it is this code that was n:.sponsible for "the decrease. FinaUy, to better assess the usefulness of the survey, I would need specilic information about the survey's sampling methodology.

III

ARGUMENT

No. 14

AJazz Club for Monroe

www.petersous.com

This loan :lpplic:mt claims that a jazz. club in Monroe would be a profitable venture. To support this claim, the applicant points out ·that Monroe has no other jazz clubs. He also cites various other evidence that jau is popular among Monroe re~idents. Careful examination of this supporting evidenct:, however, reve:tls thaI it lends little credible suppon to the applicam's claim. First of all, if the demand for a live jazz club in Monroe were as great as the appliCant claims, it seems that Monroe would already have one or more such clubs. The fact that the closest jazz club is 65 miles away suggests a lack of interest among Monro~Jesidems \n a local jazz. club. Since the. applicant has not adequately responded to this concern, his c!:lim that the proposed club would be profitable is untenable. The popularity of Monroe's annual jazz festival and of its nightly jazz radio show might appear to lend suppon to the applicant'S claim. However: it is entirely possible that' the vast majority of festival attendees are out-of-town visitors. Moreover, the author provides no evidence that r.l.dio listeners would. be interested in going 'but to hear live jazz. For that matter, the radio program mi~[ actually pose competltion for the C-Note dub, especially considering that the program airs during the evening, Nor does the mere fact that several wel1-kno~n j:u.z musicians live in Monroe lend siSruncant "suppon to the applicant's claim. It is entirely possible that these musicians perform elsewhere, perhaps at the club located 65 miles away, TIlis would go a long way toward explaining why Monroe does not currently have a jazz. club, and it would weaken the applicant's assenian that tl1e C-Note would be profitable. FinaJJy, the nationwide !>tudy showing that the average jazz fan spends $1,000 each year on jazz. tnten.1.inment "",auld lend suppon to the

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::.pp.:aru·S cl:l..im only iJ :-.ronroe residents typify jll2 f;m:, :-:..:.:..:,,;:.\ :~e HoWC"ftt'. th~ :J:pplicant provides no credible evidence tlUt this :s :::c ...;:::)c. (n conclusion. me lol.Il :J:pp!.icant·s argument is not perst1~; .. c. Tc bOu(er it, he must provide. c1e-a.cer evidence that :-.ronroe rC!iidcnLS would p:zrrortiZe the C-Nore on a regular basis. Such evidence might inc~t.:c.e me [oUowmg: statistics showing that a significant number of Monroe re:mlenrs :me:1d the j3ZZ festival e:lch year, a survey showing mat f:J:nS of MO!1.rOe's jll2 r::1(::..io prognrn would go OUt to. hear live j:lZZ if they had the chance, :trld ::ts!>ll."""Ulces from well-known local jazz musici:trls that they would play :J.t the C:'{otc if given the oppornmity.

III

~r=Ol"f's

ARGUMENT

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No: 20 .., ....

Worker Safety at Alta A1:anufa",turing This editorial. reco.mroends that AJ[:J. Manu[acnuing reduce iLS \vork shifts by I-hour each in order to reduce its on·the-job accident r.ue and thereby incre:tSc Alta's productivity. To suppOrt this recommenda[Jon, the .luthor points our that last ye:r.r, the number of accidents at Alta was 30 percent greater than at Panoply industries, where WOrk shifts were 1 hour shaner. The .luthor also cites certain experts who believe that many on-the-job accidents are caused by fatigue md sleep deprivation. r find this lrgumenc unconvincing for several reasons. First lIld foremost, [he :tuthor provides absolutely no evidence cluc over:::tU·worker productivity is attributable in part ro [he number of on-the-job accidems. Although common sense infonns me: that such a relationship exists, the :luthor must provide some evidence of this c::tuse-;u;d-effect relationsh..ip before. r cJ.n accept the author's fmal conclusion that the proposed course of action would in fact increase Alta's productivity. Secondly. the author assumes that some accidents at Alta are caused by fatigue or sleep deprivltion. However, me author overlooks other pOSSible causes. such as In.ldequlte eqUipment maintenance or worker tr:l.ining or the inherent h:uards of .Uta's manufacturing processes. By the same token. Panoply's comparatively low .lcddenr ra.te might be attribut:J.bJe not to che length of its work shifts but ra.ther ro other facrors, stich :IS supenor -equipmem maimen:.tI1ce or worker tr.l.i.ning. rn ocher words, without nliing our aitem:.tcive c,Juses of on-the-job accidents ;.1[ both compmies, the author cannOt justifiably conclude that merely by emulating: P:lOoply's WOrk-shift policy...!Jta would reduce ehe number of such accidents. lllirclly, would Wit: the ;lddicional hour of fn:e: time: to sleep or rest. However. rhe :lutlJor provides no evidence that rhc:y would lise the time: in chis manner. It is Lntirdv pussi/)k [hat AltJ.·.~ workers would use chac c:xtr.l flOur to engJ.ge: in :-.(Jm~ u{her fJ.tiguing :tctiviry. Without ruling out (hlS

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pOs:)ibiliry, the:: :lUthor cannot convincin).:lr concluc.1t: that re::cJucing Nw's work shifts by 1 hour would reduce:: Alta's accident ronc. Fin;tlly, :1 scrie~ of probkms with the :1rgumcnt :1risc from the Scant statistical information on which it relies. In comparing the: number of accidents at All:! and P:1noply, [he: author fails to consider that the per-worker accident r.lte might reve::al that Alta is actually safer than Panoply. depending on the:: total numbe::r of workc:rs at eJch company. Second, perhaps accident rones at the two companies last ye::ar were abcrr.J.tions, and during other years, AJu's accident rate waS no greater, or even lower, than Panoply's rate. Or per-haps Panopl)" is no; n~presentative of i.nduStn:l.1 companies generally. and other companies with shaner work shlfrs have even higher accident rates. In shan, since the argument relies on very limited st:nistic:u information, J cannot ukc the:: amhor's recommendation seriously. In conclusion, [he re-commenwtion for emulating Panoply's work-shift pc.'·':::-! •.'; not ~-,ll r-·-'pOfT:~:1. T{' -:·.)TIvince me that shaner work shifts w:''..l\c:\ reduce: Alta'S "-'.: _-:D; :,ccL I: ;-;;lt~, the auth0T :t -, .. ~y.~~\~ evidence that work-shift length 1S responsibk: fc: ~". ,c, 1\;". j aCciL ....li.:i. TIle
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au!u·r.lcing rnech;mics irnprO\·es after {/H: !teminar, .so will that of Get-Aw-a(s mechanics. 111t' director·s :u-gument relics on -a number of dubioU5 assumptions :lnd is therefore unconvincing. First of ;Ill, the arf!umcm unfairly as~umes that because the perform3ncc of auto-racing mech:lOics improves after [he 5cnlinar, so will the performance of :lircr.tft mechanics. Common sense: tells me th.at, even though aircrnfi and auto mechanics 5erve sin?ilar functions, aircr:iIt repair and maintenance is fur more involved than car repair and maintenance. Thus. a seminar th:lt improves the performa.nce of auto mechanics will not neccss:uiJy improve lh:n of aircrafl mechanics. Secondly, the argument assumes that" the perform;mce of Get-Away mechanics is subject 10 improvement. Hpwever, it is entirely possible that their performance level is already vcr)' high and that the seminar will afford little or no improvement. Perhaps Get-Away's mechanics have already attended a similar seminar, or perhaps they meet higher standards than the ones imposed on auto-racing mechanics. ThlrcUy, the arflUment concludes .from the mere fact thaI the performance of auto-racing mC"chanics improved aIler the seminar that the seminar was responsible for this improvement. However, jt is possible that some other factor, "5uch as improved diagnostiC technology or more stringent inspection requirements, was the reason for the improved performance. \~7ithour ruling out these and other such pos5ibilities, I cannot accept the memo's fmal conclusion that enrolling in the seminar will improve the perfaf1TI;)J]ce of Get·Away's mechanics as well. Fina!Jy, the argument concludes without adequate evidence that improved performance on the pan of Get-Away's mechanics will result in grater customer satisfaction and therefore greater profits for Get-Away. Adntittedly, if a low performance level results in aCCidents, customer satisfaction and profits will in all probabiliry decrease. Otherwise, however, improved mechanic performance will in ali likelihood have nO bearing on customer satisfactjon; in other words, customers arc unlikely to be aware of the level of performance of an aircraft's mechanics unless accidents occur. In conclusion, the argument is unconvincing as it stands. To strengthen it, the director must provide more" convincing evidence that the performance of Get·Away's mechanics will actually improve as a result of the seminar-perhaps-by pOintlrfg Out o1l?er airlines whose mechanics benefited from the serni.na.r. The directOr mUS{.,~so show aa-strong causal nexus between impro"ved mechanic performance and profit. In order to better evaluate the .argument, 1 would need more information .about the cOSt of the seminar -compared to its expected benefits and about what factors other than the seminar might have been responsible for the improved performance of auto-racing mechanics.

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Writing Skills for the GRE/GMAT T(fsrs .

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III

ARGUMENT

f!l!SM.V5 FOR

20 OFFICIAL GRE ARGUMENTS

No. 52

Learning to Re3d by Listening to Audiotapes This cdhorial concludes chat the school board should invest in :lud.toc::2sscttcs, because listening [0 :ludioc:J.Sseues makes elemenu.ry Stu· d.~[S more oger to learn and to read. To support this conclusion, the eeli· mrul cites srudies showing the value of listening to someone else read. However. close scrutiny of this evidence and of the edirorial's line of relSon· ing reve::tJs that they provide little credible suppOrt for me edirori:ll's conclu· sion_

To begin W1'th, me ~ent cl1.ims that for a poor reader, the isolation :l. genen.! disincentive to do schoolwork. However, the aumor provides no evidence to suppOrt this cl:urn. Ie is jlL'>t is possible: th;u a child who h:t.S difficulty reading might excel:lt other subjects du[ co not require much re:l.ding:, such :l...S mathematics or music. Desides, this :lrg\..' ment :tssumes that learning to read must be an isolaced actiVity. E:"(penenc::: informs us, however. th;u this is not [he case, especially for dementJ..-. school students who typicaUy learn to read in a group environment. The editorial goes·on to dte' studies that ~a[[e,St to the value' ._~; allowing students to hear books read aloud. However, :J..S it stands, rh~~ evidence is far tOO vague to suppOrt· the editorial's conclusion; we lre not informed whether the ~Y:llue" relates specUk:illy to reading skills. Common sense teUs me mat, while Judiocassettes can help:my person learn facts ;lOd understand concepts, J skill such as reading can only be le::uned by praCticing the skill irsdf. Nor are .we informed about the manner in which books were re:Ld J10ud In the srudy: were they read dir~ctly by parems, or were they recorded on JudioC:l.Ssettes?· Absent' addido~al information about the cited studies, these studies le~d no credible supp~rt to the conclusion that audioc3.Ssettes wiJI help e1ement;uy school students to read and to learn. TIle editorial continues by claiming that listening to ";ludiocassct{CS wtll make children better roders because when parents read J10ud to thelr children, these children beco"le better readers. This argument by anJ.1ogy lS wholly unpersuasive. The latter :illows for interJ.ction berween parent JI1U child. while the former does not. The latter allows for the child to view written words as the parenr re:lds-th:l( is, to n:ad-while the former does not. Oesides, common sense and experience tell liS that audioca,Ssc:ttc::s, which prOvide for pa$sive listening, ;lre likely to serve :.J.5 CfU{che$ that dissuade children from active roding-inste:ld of eocour.lging them to read. In conclusion, rIle editorial is unconvincing :IS it ~tands. To strengthen rile argument. Ihe t'ditori:d's allthor must provide Illort:: compelling evidence th;H li.stening to :ltHJiocassertes will :lcru:dly help :.tJld encourage elementary school stluJents tl) read. nor JUSt !O lelm 'in ge:ne:r:i1. In Druer tu be:ne:r e:\";llu·J.rt: the: ";lq::ument. we would ne~d mtire: inf(}rm;ttiun :tbout whe:ther the

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the b:Jcteria·killing rroct:s~. Gulf Oystcf!i 'will become JUS! ~~ c1esirabk as AtlantiC oysters. To hetter :lssess the arf!ument's claim that profits for Gulf ny.,acr prodllo:r!' will increa~c as an end rc~ulL I would need to kno'l;\' whether Gulf oy~ter prodllCt.:r~ will incur the exren~t:S involved in killing the bacteria and, if so, the cxtent to which tbe~e expenses wiU impinf!e on the producers' profits.

III

ARGUMENT

No. 76

Employee Compensation at National Brush Company In this repon, the president of National Brush Company (NnC) concludes that the best W:ly to ensure that NBC will earn a profit next year is for the company to pay its workers according to the number of brushes the)' produce-rather th;u1 hourly. To suppon this conclusion, the president claims th:lt the new polie)' will result in the production of more and better brushes, which in turn will allow NBC to reduce its staff size and openting hours, thereby cuning apenses. This argument is fraught with dubious assumptions, which render it entirely unconvincing. First of all, the argument relies on the unsubstantiated assUJIlption that the new policy will motivate workers to produce brushes more quickly. Whether this is the case will depend, of course, on the amount earned per brush and the rate at which workers can produce brushes. It will also depend on the extent to which NBC workers are content with their current income level. Lacking evidence that the new policy would result in the production of more brushes, the president cannot convince me that this policy would be an effective means to ensure a profit for NBC in the coming

year. , Even if the new policy does'motivate NBC workers to produce more brushes, the president's arf!ument depends on the additional assumption that producing brushes more quickly can be accomplished without sacrifiCing q~allty. In fact, the president goes further by predicting an" increase in qUality. Yet common sense informs me th:lt if the production process otherwise remains the same, quicker production is likely to reduce quality-and in any event· certainly not-increase it. And :l decline in qualit), might serve to dimirush the value of NBC's brushes in the marketplace. Thus, the ultimate result of the new policy might be to reduce NBC's revenue and. .10 turn, profir:s. . ~.",. " ' Even assuming that 'as :the ·result of the new polic)', NBC's current workforce produces mote brushes without sacrificing quality, reducing the size of .the workforce and the number of operating hours "Would serve to offset those production gains. Adm.inedly, by keeping the most effiCient employees, NBC would min.i.mize the extent of this offset. Nevertheless, the president provides no evidence that the result would be a net gain in produCtion. Without any such evidence, the president'S argument that the new policy will help ensure: profitahilit)' is highly suspect.

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\Fritillg Skills for the GRE/GMAT Tests

SAMPLE ESSAYS FOR 20 OFFiCiAL GRE ARG·....!MENTS

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have- rdatively few choice~ when il comes [0 pancake restaur-lOt:;. In sum, the speaker's argument is weak. To better assess it, 1 would need to know (1) how long [he change has been in effect in the Southwest, (2) what percentage of HPH servers and mamgers have received customer complaints about the change, and (3) the number of such complaints as :t percentage of the total number of HPH ·customers who order meals calling for either buner or margarine. To strengthen the :u-gument, the speaker must provide clear evidence-perhaps by way of a reliable survey-that HPH customers in other regions are likely to be hapry with the Change :md continue to patronize HPH after the Change.

III

ARGUMENT

No. 88

Advance Ticket Sales for Glenville's Concerts TIlls lener recommends that Glenville feature modem music, especially the music of Richens, at its summer concens in order to boost advance ticket sales and anendance. To suppOrt th.is recommendation, the letter's author pointS out that advance-ticket sales have declined over the past few ~years, but-unpredictable we:ltber cannot be the reason for the decline because -many people attended the concens even in bad weather." The :tuthor concludes that choice of music must be the reason for the deCline, then reasons further that since Richerts' recordings are very popular among Glenville reSidents, featuring Richens' music at the concertS would boost ticket sales and attendance. I fmd this argumem to be logically unconvincing in several respects, As :l threshold maner, the author unfairly equates the number of ticket purchasers with the number of tickets -purChased. The author ignores the "., possibility that the. average ,number .of)lckets sold to each purchaser is increasing, and, as a result, the 'total number of _tickets is not declining-or perhaps even increasing. Thus, the .author cannot .convincingly·conclude that Glenville has.a tickct-sale problem in the ftrst place. Even if the aCtual number of tickets sold in advance has been declining, the author concludes too hastily that unpredictable weather cannot be the reason for the decline. Perhaps concert attendees during the past few years have now learned from their experience with bad concert weather not to purchast: advance tickets again. Besides, the mere fact that ~many people~

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:::.•••.,;::....E ESSAYS FOf( 20 OFFIC1AL GRE ARGUMENTS J::~dcd concertS in bad weather proves nothing unlc:ss me author can show lh2r: toa.I attendance has been lower in bad we:uhc:r than in good

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:assuming unpredictable weather is noC the fe:lSOn for the decline in aUV":U'lce tickec sJ.Jes, ~e author falsely assumes that the decline must be annbutl.ble to choice- of music. This_ ~e:ither-or" argument is fallacious in that it ignores orner possible causes of the decline. For example. perhaps during me lJ.St few years, Glenville h:J.S. begun its promotional effons unusually late. Or perhaps the number of outlets- where tickers are available in- advance ha.5 declined. For that marrer, perhaps Glenville's demographics are in flux so chat the total number of residents willing and able to attend- swnmer concens is declining. . , Finally, even: "iSsuming thac choice of music is the true cause of the decline in advance.ticket sale~,-the luthOr fJils. to provide adequate evidence thac chOOSing modem mu~ic~ and Richens' compositiOns in particular, will boost sales and~-attendance. TIle author unfairly J.Ssumes that people who purchase recordings lre lhe same group chac would be inclined co attend !lve concertS. Llcking evidence that this is ~le case, the author cannoc convince me that the proposed course of action wiU bring about its imended result. In sum, the argument is logically __ unconvincing: as it sunds. To strengthen it, the auehor muse nrst establish a clear causal relationship between the number of people buying advance tickets and actual concen: attendance. The amhor must also provide evidence-perhaps by way of a reliable survey-that the ~many people~ who have :mended the concerts in bad weather are likely to do so again despite their experience, The author must then consider and eliminate all other possible explanations for the decline, Finally, to better assess the argument, I would need more infonnation about the musical tastes of the Glenville residents who are most inclined to attend Jive concerts.

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.

ARGUMENT

No. 91

Homework Assignments and Academic Performance The speaker argues that if .. the state board of education reqUired that homework be assigned to high school srudents no more than twice per week, academic pert"onnance would improve. To suppon this assenion, the speaker cites a statewide survey of mam and science teachers. According to the survey. studems in the Marlee qistricc. who :lre :lssigned homework no more than once per week, :lchieve better grades :lod J.re less likely to repeat a school year than students in the Sanlee district, who are :l.ssigned homework t:\'ery nighr. Close scrutiny reve:lis, however, th:u thiS evidence provides littlt: credible !:iuppon for tht: spe:lker's :1!)senion. To begin wirh, the .'iurvey appt:ars [Q !:iuffer from two stati:;tic.!l problen1!:i, either l)f which renders the slJrvey':;- n:sults lInrdiablc. Fie-;[. tht: :,pc:lkcr relics lin _\[atiscil.:!; from only twO districts; 11OwCYCr, it is cnlirdy

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_ Writing Skill;; lor II!/! Tests

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SAMPLE ESSAYS FOR 20 OFFiCiAL GRE ARGUMENTS First, the survey must be shown co be reliable before I cm accepr;JJ conclusions b'J.5ed upon it. Specifically, the responses must be accur::lte, :u:~ the respondents must be Statistically significant in number:lnd represen!.> uve of me over;ill Forsythe citizeruy in tenns of eating habits. WithaL: evidence of the survey's reliability, it is impossible to d.r:lw J...Oy £.i.rr.: conclusions about the current dieury habits of Forsythe citizens based on the survey. Second, the argument relies on the dubious assumption that followiIlg the government's nutrition recommendations promotes health _to- a grCJ.te: extent chan follOWing any other nlluition regime. It is entirely possible that the dietary habits of forsytlJ.e citizen$- were he:l1Utier ten years ago tl}.:m they are now. TIH.l.,S.,:' without evidence cd subsuntiate this ass~m-ption. the 'II speaker cannot r~3sonably conclude that the diee of Fon)'the's Citizens jus become more nutritional. ThUd, th,ry ingredH~m 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 ofbusines~ 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 -expendable~ 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 -imponant~ than their achievements as stuesman and s~eial refonner, respectively? Perhaps not. Adminedly, some types of p~..sQnal failings ~ale 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 crim~ ourweighs that of any spons record.

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•

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GRE/GMATTeslJ

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 ~t 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 enha.ncio~our lives. While mechanical amomation 1

1111 Peterson's

ISSUE

may have diriiinished" -~Ur quality" of~life. on balance, digital automation l~ 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 in~bWty to reverse ~ 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 i~ uncon\'incin~ in li)!ht of more: persuasive argumems that government should pi:!)' no part in either supporting or n:strictin).: the arts. First, suh~idizin).: tilt' :lrt.~ i~ neither ;t proper nor nt:ce~sary joh for f!ovcmmem. Although public: he:alth is generally vIewed a:-. critical 10 a socie~"s very sun'ival and therdore an apprupriate concern of government, this concern should not extend tenuously to our cultural "health~ or wel!-bein~. 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)" gov~mme.nt 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 "value~ 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 in~redient 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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quiet engine. in a Clf than in :l motofcyck. In either t:vt:nt. it would be unn::;1.sonable to dr:l\\" :my conclusions about why people choose one motorcycle over anothn bas~d on sales of quiet cars vi.""t . . described might vcry well not suffice to achieve those objectives. It ffilS.l.;;: :: c impossible to fuUy eliminate" system strnin, no matter h.ow much mone... :~ invested in anempcing to do so. And morn..le probkms might be due to l."'.~ current social or political clinure throughOUt the COUntry, in which else :.:.~

postal service would be powerless to improve morale reg;udless of ho·.... much money is at its disposal. Finally, the dererioI?tion to which the author refers mighc very well involve more than system strain and employee morale. If so, men eliminating these'two .problems might" no~ suffice co reverse the decerior::nion. To reapitulate. before the author cm convince me that the proposed price increase will reverse the service's deteriOr.ltion. the author mU5t establish each of me four causal relationships discussed above. To accomplish thiS, the author should obtain reli~ble marginal-revenue projections-perhaps through a survey [hac gauges how the public will respond to stamp-price increa.scs. The author should also determine. by means of effiCiency studies and postal-employee surveys, the extent to which additional revenues could :illevi:m: system Str:lin and morale problems. Fin:U1y, the auchor must investigate all possible contnburing causes of the deterioration-and confidently rule out all except system str:l.in and worker morn..le. '

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J

i!tersotl's

ARGUMENT

No. 48

Are Private Businesses More Profitable than Public Ones? /his editorial cites the profit:lbiliry of Croesus Company (CQ, recently restored [Q priv:lte ownerShip, J.S clear proof that businesses "fare better~ -by which [ :lssume the editorial means -are more prafit.lbJe"under private than publiC ownership. This argument relies on several crucial hut unsllhsranriated assumptions ;J.nJ is therd'orc unconvincing ;tS it st.lnus. As ;J. threshold matter. presumably CC was once :1 puhlicly owned business. liowever. (ile eui(()riaj's :Iuthor mus, he more expliCit that this is the CIS!.:. Otilerwbe. :lny ~cnC:r:Jliz:ltions abom (he merits of pnvate hU.'illl!.:SSCS vi.'i-a-vis public ones b:lscu on the profit:lhi!ity uf a single private

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assumption j:; tll;l! CC O\\'tS its profitabiliry to its newly restored priy:!u:: Slatus. CCs profit:lbiJiry mif!ht be due instead 10 factors such as the econumic or regulatory environment-to name JUSt a few poSSibilities. Mon:over, just :IS a politic!l office-holder mip:1H unfairly receive credit for a predect:ssor's accompllshments. CC's current profitability might be due to policies and actions at CC while it '\vas :t publiC company. In fact, it is entirely possible that CC was more profitabk as a public busint:ss and that its profitability is in decline-due to its return to private status. In either case. it would be morc reasonable to conclude .that public businesses are li.kei~' to fare better thao private ones, r.lthcr than the other way around. Another of the argument's unsubstantiated assumptions is that CC is typical of businesses recently restored to private status. It is entirely possible that, to the contnry, CC's profit.1.bility is highly unusual under It..sibk nH:an:-, !>uch :t.~ 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. .. "." ~ 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' i'.h1l~ 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 scri~s 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 cxplana~j0;-! 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

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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 ~:-:e:. requests accurately. TItis mayor may not be the case. Many 5u....~;C> respondents might have forgotten what they had requested e:uiler In Lh.eu viSit, especi~y 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 e:nou~h low·ctiorie beer co justify brewing it.

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!-!rtlUp would prefer group might nUl hl' rcprescnt:lth't' of bc:cr-drinkt:rs gencr:lll)', c!:ipccially if the j.:roup consLilUtc:':1 small ponion of the he:t:r-drinking population. l'tt the ;'imhor's conclusion rdies on the: :l,~sllmption th:ll they are, If it turns out. for example, th.1! MHU visitors are especiaJl)' oloric--conscious, or e:sp