You will be given a brief quotation that states or implies an issue of general interest and specific instructions on how to respond to that issue. You will then have 30 minutes to plan and compose a response according to the specific instructions. A response to any other issue will receive a score of zero.
Make sure that you respond according to the specific instructions and support your position on the issue with reasons and examples drawn from such areas as your reading, experience, observations, and/or academic studies.
Keep in mind that your response will be evaluated based on how well you:
Before you begin writing, you may want to think for a few minutes about the issue and the specific task instructions and then plan your response. Be sure to develop your position fully and organize it coherently, but leave time to reread what you have written and make any revisions you think are necessary.
Claim: Restaurants should be required to display nutritional information about the food they serve.
Reason: This knowledge will help diners make healthy choices and reduce their risk of diet-related health problems.
You will be given a short passage that presents an argument and specific instructions on how to respond to that passage. You will then have 30 minutes to plan and compose a response in which you evaluate the passage according to the specific instructions. A response to any other argument will receive a score of zero.
Note that you are NOT being asked to present your own views on the subject. Make sure that you respond according to the specific instructions and support your evaluation with relevant reasons and/or examples.
Keep in mind that your response will be evaluated based on how well you:
Before you begin writing, you may want to think for a few minutes about the argument passage and the specific task instructions and then plan your response. Be sure to develop your response fully and organize it coherently, but leave time to reread what you have written and make any revisions you think are necessary.
The following appeared as part of a promotional campaign to sell advertising on channels provided by the local cable television company.
“Advertising with Cable Communications Corp. is the most effective way to increase a company’s profits. Recently, Adams Car Dealership began advertising with Cable Communications, and over a subsequent 30-day period, the dealership’s sales rose 15% over sales the previous month. In addition, the company’s customer ratings show that people who purchase new cars from Adams are more satisfied with the quality and performance of their vehicles than are car dealership customers on average. Customer satisfaction has been found to be a key factor in positive word-of-mouth publicity.”
Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.