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GRE Argument Essays PDF
GRE Argument Essays PDF
MODEL ESSAYS 1 - 90
An essay analyzing an Argument is easier to compose than one analyzing an Issue. This is because, in
the case of an Argument, you have some concrete statements in front of you to analyze, and do not have to
start from scratch.
An argument passage will consist of some facts, some research findings or some opinions of experts
followed by some conclusions or recommendations by the author of the argument.
You must recognize each of these and must differentiate among them. You should write a critique of only
the last, namely the conclusions or recommendations. You should not try to question the correctness or
accuracy of the first three.
In narrating each Argument, the question setters have deliberately incorporated two or
three logical flaws in it. Their intention is to test whether you are capable of spotting these flaws
and commenting on them logically.
An analysis of the pool of 242 Arguments for GRE, released by Educational Testing Service, reveals that
the types of logical flaws that are repeatedly encountered are JUST 14 in number. It is these 14 flaws which
are incorporated in different contexts in different Argument topics.
1. Concluding that because Action A caused Result X a few years ago, a similar action A now
will cause a similar result X.
While analyzing an argument containing this flaw, you should point out that the relevant circumstances
might have changed significantly in the last few years, and that the same action may not produce the same
result now. In the context of the given narration, you should enumerate some of the possible ways in which the
circumstances might have changed in the intervening years.
2. Comparing the achievement record of Company A in a particular year (say, 1995) with a
better achievement record of Company B in some other year (say, 2001), and concluding that
Company B is therefore more efficiently run than Company A.
While analyzing such an argument, you could point out that the year 1995 was perhaps bad for all
companies, and that Company B, if it had existed then, might have fared equally badly, or even worse, than
Company A in that year. You should also point out that, if the achievement record of Company A for 2001 is
available, it may perhaps be seen that Company A had done even better than Company B in 2001, and is
therefore the more efficient of the two. You could also state that these two companies may be in two totally
different types of industries and are not comparable at all on the basis of any single common parameter. You
may give instances of difference in the nature of these two companies.
3. Concluding that, because Institution A (a college, university, school, town council, state, a
magazine, a shop or a supermarket) had taken Action X (such as introducing a new syllabus, a
new tax, a new regulation, introducing a new feature, reducing the price, stocking a new item
etc.) successfully, Institution B should also take the same Action X to achieve the same result.
You should point out that conditions are perhaps different in the two institutions, and an action which
was successful in one may not prove to be equally successful in the other. In the context of the given
narration, you should enumerate a few possible differences in characteristics between the two institutions.
American Education Aids - GRE Arguments - Model Essays 3
4. Comparing the efficiency of two organizations A and B (such as two shops, two hospitals,
two schools etc.), on the basis of just a single parameter (such as turnover, or the number of
patients who had died, the number of prizes it won in a certain athletic competition etc.) and
concluding that one is more efficient than the other.
You should point out that a single parameter cannot be used to compare the overall relative efficiencies of
two institutions, and that other factors (such as profit per employee, profit per dollar invested, or the number
of terminally ill patients who had been admitted, academic success of the students etc.) must also be taken
into consideration.
5. Trying to apply the result of a statistical study in a limited area to a much wider area or,
conversely, trying to apply the result of a nationwide statistical study to a limited local area. A
variation of this is the extrapolation of the results of a study over a short period (say, six months)
as valid for a much longer period (such as a decade or a century).
In the former cases, you should point out that conditions in the local area may be significantly different
from what is prevalent in the wider geographical area or vice versa, and that, therefore, the results of a
particular statistical study may not be true in both. In the latter case, you should point out how conditions
relevant to the conclusion may have changed over a period over a period of time. In the context of the given
narration, you should enumerate a few possible differences in conditions that may arise.
7. Concluding from a percentage difference (such as 5% or 95%), but without the base figure,
that the increase/decrease was either high or low.
You should point out that an increase of 90% over a base figure of 100 will be much less than an increase
of only 10% over a base figure of 10,000. Therefore, without knowing the base figure, it is not possible to judge
whether the increase/decrease was high or low. You can cite such figures (whether 100, 1000, 10,000 or a
million) in the context of the given narration.
8. Concluding that, because Action A will increase the sales revenue of a company, it will also
increase its profit. Or, conversely, a decrease in sales turnover will result in a decrease in profit.
You should point out that an increase in sales revenue need not always be attended by an increase in
profit, or vice versa. The steps taken to increase the turnover, such as opening new branches, appointing new
staff, incurring additional advertisement expenditure, increased transportation, increased interest on capital
employed etc., may sometimes result in a decrease in overall profit. Similarly, austerity measures which will
save considerable unnecessary expenditure may sometimes result in a reduction in turnover even while
increasing the net profit.
9. Arriving at a certain conclusion on the basis of the opinion expressed by a high percentage
(such as 90%) of those who responded to a survey.
You should ask the questions: What was the total population? What percentage among them were
approached with a questionnaire or were interviewed? And what percent among these actually responded?
If only 10% of a total population were approached, and only 10% among them responded, then the opinion
in favor of the proposed conclusion is that of only 1% of the total population, and it cannot be considered to be
reflective of that of the whole population.
10. Arriving at a conclusion on the basis of the opinion of, or experiments on, many, several,
or a number of persons or subjects, without actually quantifying these numbers.
You must point out that these vague adjectives may mean any number (say, from 20 to 20,000) and that,
unless they are specifically quantified, it is not possible to come to any reliable conclusion.
11. Concluding that because Event B followed Event A, Event B must have been caused by
Event A. (This is known as a causal relationship between A and B).
American Education Aids - GRE Arguments - Model Essays 4
You must point out that what caused Event B might have no relationship at all to Event A, but was
something totally different. In the context of the given narration, you can enumerate some of the other
probable causes for Event B.
12. Arriving at a conclusion on the assumption that the reported number (of a particular
illness such as headache, an accident etc.) is the same as the actual number.
You must point out that not everyone (who had that illness or who had been involved in an accident)
might have reported for treatment at a hospital. In the context of the given narration, you may give possible
reasons for their action.
13. Concluding that only one of Event A or Event B can happen under the given circumstances,
without considering the possibility that both events can happen simultaneously.
In such cases, you should, in the light of the given context, give examples of how both events can happen
simultaneously.
Every given Argument will contain two or three of the 14 types of flaws explained above, cleverly
incorporated within the context of the given narration. These flaws may not be apparent to you during the first
reading. When you read the narration again carefully, you should be able to spot them and comment on them
as suggested above.
Each Argument topic has been carefully drafted by the question-setters, and every word or phrase in it
has a specific reason for being there, and can help you to compose a cogent sentence or two in your essay.
Each of the following model essays is a first draft by the author and was composed within the given time
limit of 30 minutes, so that it is truly representative of the type of essay that a bright candidate is expected to
write for deserving the highest score of 6.
You can obviously not compose essays before you sit for your GRE on each of the 242 topics given, nor can
you memorize all the following essays and reproduce them in the test.
On the other hand, you should not just read the following essays a few times and then imagine that you
will have no difficulty in composing a similar essay in the test hall if the topic is posed to you. You should
write essays of your own on at least 25 of the given topics before you sit for your GRE test. Composing an
essay is a difficult art, and the examination hall should not be the place where you compose a GRE
essay of your own for the first time.
If you wish to key in your essay instead of handwriting, you can use the limited word processing features
of the typing program in the computer that will be made available to you in the test center.
This programme will have three features - cut, paste and undo.
In the course of typing an essay, or after completing it, if you wish to delete a word or phrase or sentence,
you can do so by selecting it with your mouse and pressing the cut command.
If you wish to shift a word, phrase or sentence from one place of the essay to another, you can select it,
use the cut command and then, pointing the cursor at the point where you wish to insert it, press the paste
command.
The word processing software stored in the ETS computer does not have the spell check facility.
You can adopt one of the following standard formats for your essay on Analysis of an Argument:
Format 1
Para 1:
The argument that (restatement of the conclusion in the given paragraph) is not entirely and logically
convincing because it is based on a few unproven assumptions.
Para 2:
First, the argument assumes that ...
Para 3:
Second, the argument does not address the question ....
Para 4:
Third, the argument omits ....
Para 5:
For all these reasons, the argument is not completely sound.
Para 6:
The argument might have been strengthened if only the author had ....
Format 2
Para 1:
State your position: Restate the argument.
Para 2:
Discuss the link (or the absence of it) between the conclusion and the evidence presented in support of it.
Para 3:
Show three deficiencies in the reasoning of the argument.
Para 4:
Show how each of the three deficiencies could be plugged by stating the missing assumptions.
Format 3
Para 1:
Restate the given argument and say that it has two/three/four flaws.
Para 2:
Point out the first flaw and show it could be plugged if only a particular assumption (which is missing) is
American Education Aids - GRE Arguments - Model Essays 6
made.
Para 3:
Point out the second flaw, and show it could be plugged only if another specific assumption (which is
missing) is made).
Para 4:
Point out the third flaw, and show it could be plugged only if another specific assumption (which is
missing) is made).
Para 5:
Summarize your essay with the statement that, because these assumptions have not been stated, the
given argument is weak.
Do not use strong words such as foolish, idiotic or mad to describe a conclusion in the given argument.
Remember that logical flaws are deliberately built into the conclusions for you to notice and comment upon.
The use of words such as illogical and unfounded are quite adequate to describe these logical flaws.
Wind up your essay with a concluding paragraph as in the model essays below. If you have time, you can
do a little more elaboration of the final paragraph to state what specific additional information will be
required if the given conclusion is to be considered as valid. In most cases, this will be a restatement of what
you have written already.
Remember that there is a time limit of 30 minutes for composing your essay. It is only by
writing a few essays on your own within this time limit that you can assess beforehand how many
words you will be able to write or type in the test hall. A length of 350 to 400 words would be the
optimum.
Remember that the wording of a topic that is posed to you by the computer when you sit for
your GRE may differ slightly from what is found in the Pool of GRE Topics released by
Educational Testing Service. Note the difference first and understand it before starting to
compose your essay.
(In the case of the first few model essays below, we have first indicated the types of flaws in the given
argument. You can take them as the guidance for reviewing the subsequent arguments.)