Chapter 14
Writing Analytical Essays on Issues and Arguments
In This Chapter
Understanding the two types of essays on the GRE
Meeting the minimum essay requirements
Knowing how to score well with evaluators
Writing sound Issue and Argument Analysis essays, paragraph by paragraph
The GRE doesn’t exactly ease you into the test-taking process. It begins with two challenging essays: Analyze an Issue and Analyze an Argument. These essays are 30 minutes each, for a total of 60 minutes of intense writing before you even encounter any of the other test questions. As you prepare for the essay-writing portion, remember the following goals:
Complete each essay in 30 minutes or less.
Write well-organized, insightful essays clearly stating and fully supporting your position.
Avoid grammatical and spelling errors and typos.
Conserve your energy for the rest of the test.
Thirty minutes for each essay should be sufficient — especially if you’ve practiced writing the essays. The more essay-writing practice you do, the more comfortable you become with your organization and ability to write within the time constraints on test day. Take a trial run-through with the Issue and Argument essays, using the topics presented in Chapter 15 and the methods outlined in this chapter. Then you can check your work against the sample essays in Chapter 15.
In this chapter, I explain what evaluators look for in a quality essay and how they ultimately score your essay. I then guide you through the process of writing each essay paragraph by paragraph.
The computer program used for writing the GRE essays is just like the Notepad program on most personal computers. It has a cut-and-paste feature for moving stuff around and an undo feature for reversing changes, and that’s it — no spell checker, grammar checker, or automated anything, so the burden of proofreading falls squarely on your shoulders.
A Half Dozen Is Good: How the Essays Are Scored
Before you can score well on the essay, you need to have a basic grasp of how the GRE essay section is graded. Two evaluators grade each essay, assigning a score of 0 to 6 for each — the higher the score, the better. Your final score for each essay is the average of the two scores. If the two evaluators arrive at wildly different scores (off by more than a couple points), which is uncommon, then your essay goes to a third evaluator, and your score is the average of the three evaluators’ scores. You get one score for each essay, and your writing score is the average of the two essay scores.
The following sections break down how the essays are scored and provide some tips you can use to get a better score.
What the essay scores really mean
After waiting for weeks to receive your GRE essay scores, you’re sure going to want to know what your scores mean. Following are the descriptions evaluators associate with each essay score as they grade your essays:
Outstanding (6): The essay demonstrates the ability to develop a position on an issue, identify strengths and weaknesses of an argument, support personal views and insights, and write with clarity and focus.
Strong (5): The essay demonstrates a generally thoughtful analysis of the issue or argument and presents a clear and convincing analysis of the argument or presentation of the issue. Presentation is logical and main points are well supported. The essay may have minor errors in grammar and spelling but demonstrates control of the language, good diction (word choice), and variety of sentence structure.
Adequate (4): The essay demonstrates overall competence in adequately analyzing the argument or presenting the issue, organizing and supporting the thoughts, and expressing them clearly. It may not flow smoothly due to lack of effective transitions, and it may contain some errors, but it demonstrates sufficient control of the language.
Limited (3): Competent but flawed, the essay misses the main point or ideas in the argument or presents the issue poorly, lacks order, offers little or no support for the ideas presented, and contains occasional glaring errors or lots of minor errors in grammar, diction, and mechanics.
Seriously flawed (2): The essay completely misses the point, presents the author’s point of view with no or irrelevant support, is poorly organized, and is riddled with errors in grammar, diction, mechanics, and sentence construction.
Fundamentally deficient (1): The essay demonstrates little or no evidence of the ability to understand the issue, analyze the argument, or develop a well-organized presentation of ideas. In addition, the essay contains extensive errors in grammar, diction, mechanics, and sentence structure.
No essay (0): This one is self-explanatory: If no essay is submitted or the essay doesn’t address the comment, the score is a 0.
Your goal is to score a perfect 6 on each essay, especially if your test score or GPA are borderline.
Some graduate schools weigh your performance on the Analytical Writing section differently from others. Some schools place little importance on it; others consider it critical. Additionally, graduate programs within the same school often prioritize the essay section quite differently. Before you allocate a lot or a little time to preparing for this section of the GRE, you may want to contact the admissions offices of your target schools and find out how important this section is to them. Then again, you may just be determined to do your best no matter what.
Key methods to scoring well
Essay writing (and scoring) is subjective to some degree. There’s no right or wrong answer, and every essay is slightly different based on the essayist’s perspective, knowledge, experience, writing style, and so on. Evaluators, however, have clear criteria for assessing the quality of an essay. To perform well, be sure to do the following:
Take a clear stand. Although arguing both sides of an issue or discussing strengths and weaknesses is good, you must — must — make your opinion or conclusion clear. Don’t expect the evaluators to infer your position. You can acknowledge the merits of both sides of an issue, but make sure you clearly declare your position.
Get to the point. The evaluator will always look for your point in the first two lines of each paragraph, so don’t try to be clever and write an essay with a surprise ending. State clearly and unequivocally in the first paragraph of each essay where you stand on the issue or what you think of the argument you’re about to analyze.
Back up your point with specific examples. Anyone can state a position, but you must defend your position with specific examples. For example, if you describe why mass-produced goods are both higher quality and less expensive, include a case study, such as how your $40 manufactured Casio wristwatch outperforms your uncle’s $7,000 handmade Patek Philippe. You don’t have to be right, but you do need to provide solid support for whatever you claim.
Make sure your examples aren’t easily refutable. For example, if you’re claiming that mass-produced goods are both better and cheaper, don’t compare your mass-produced Civic to your grandfather’s hand-built Model T. In this case, the improved technology, not the method of production, is obviously the reason for the Civic’s superior performance and reliability. This comparison is a poor example because it’s too easily refuted.
Stay on topic. After stating your position (in the first paragraph), make sure every succeeding paragraph supports that position instead of wandering off topic. If the issue is about low commodity prices versus quality of workmanship, for example, and you’re discussing factory output, don’t go off topic and start talking about offshore labor — as I once saw a student do on that very subject. Each paragraph should have a sentence (preferably at the end) that ties the paragraph directly to your position statement.
Avoid fluff. Though longer essays typically earn higher scores, the higher scores are due to the fact that the essay provides sufficient support, not because it rambles on and on. Your essay won’t be judged solely on word count.
Maintain a professional tone. The essay section isn’t for creative writing. It’s more like business writing, so avoid off-color language, slang, and inappropriate humor. Creativity, done well, will be rewarded, but be appropriate.
Writing the Issue Essay
In the Analyze an Issue task, the GRE gives you an issue statement and asks you to introduce and then support your position on that issue. The format is like this:
Directions: Write an essay in response to the following statement in which you discuss the extent that you agree or disagree with the statement. Explain your reasoning in a clear, well-organized essay that supports your position. Consider both sides of the issue when developing your response.
“Today’s cheap, mass-produced goods lack the precision and quality of yesterday’s hand-built, carefully crafted products.”
Where do you begin? What do they want? Only 29 minutes left! Getting started is the hardest part and staying focused is the most important. By having a game plan and structure in place, you’re better equipped to do both. The following sections provide details for the plan and structure I recommend.
1. Identify relevant information you already know about the issue.
2. Take a position that’s in line with the supporting data you have.
3. Write your introductory paragraph clearly stating your position.
4. Use your best supporting detail to write your second paragraph.
5. Write paragraphs three and four to cover two more cases that support your position.
6. Write a concluding paragraph that reiterates the position statement from your introduction.
Your essay doesn’t have to be flawless. The evaluators know that you’re writing a rough draft under time constraints, so they’re ready to forgive the occasional typo and misplaced modifier. Still, they will notice large or repeated errors, so be careful and spend a minute or two editing your essay.
Step 1: Start with your supporting info
Your first inclination may be to state your position on the issue and then try to come up with data to support it. This strategy is certainly acceptable if you already have a well-informed position on the issue. Otherwise, you’re usually better off starting with the supporting details and basing your position on those details. You don’t want to waste time stating a position you can’t possibly defend.
Before taking a position, use your scratch paper to write down five supporting details related to the issue statement. Along with each supporting detail, write down which side of the issue you think it supports. For an essay on handmade versus mass-produced goods, such a list may look something like this:
Your mass-produced Casio wristwatch versus your uncle’s handmade Patek Philippe — favors cheap manufacturing.
An off-the-rack suit versus a tailored suit — favors handmade quality.
Your HP computer versus your friend’s custom-built PC from catalog-ordered parts — can go either way.
The $100 One-Laptop-Per-Child initiative — favors cheap manufacturing as sometimes the only option, but issue topic is on product quality, not product availability.
Your Honda Civic versus your grandpa’s Ford Model T — favors cheap manufacturing, but this example can easily be refuted.
Don’t worry if your examples aren’t perfect — you’re racing the clock, so just throw some down. You need only three examples, so writing down five gives you room to discard a couple.
Your examples can be taken from personal or professional experiences, readings, or other general background knowledge that you possess: What have you seen, done, or heard about that formed your opinion? You may find that your examples support the opposite of your initial response, and you want to discover this before writing the introduction.
Step 2: Take a position that’s in line with the supporting data
From your examples, formulate the position you want to take. I know, this may seem like you’re working backwards, but you want to take the position that you know you’re able to support best. This essay isn’t a personal statement; it’s a test of your ability to compose a clear, coherent essay. In this case, your best examples favor cheap manufacturing over handmade quality. So run with that, even if you personally disagree. If necessary, adjust your personal position for the essay. Your goal isn’t self-expression, and you’re not making a commitment. You’re trying to score a perfect 6.
The examples you write in Step 1 provide a good sense of where your essay will go. Now that your examples are down on paper and your thoughts are gathered, you’re ready to write your introduction.
Step 3: Write the introduction
The third step focuses on writing the essay’s introduction. The first paragraph of your essay (the introduction) must demonstrate your understanding of the issue and clearly state your position. Structure the paragraph as follows:
First sentence: Introduce the issue and state your position.
Second sentence: Acknowledge the presence of both sides of the issue and that you, in fact, anticipate and address objections to your point of view while crushing them under the weight of your brilliant logic and reasoning.
Remaining sentences: Prepare the reader for your supporting details.
Refer to this bulleted list as you read the following example to see how I apply this structure.
The broad assertion that all mass-produced goods are inferior to hand-crafted products is clearly overreaching, and I disagree with the statement. Certainly, in some instances hand-crafted products are superior, but more often mass production yields more precise, higher-quality products. Considering the type of product and the context of its use is crucial in determining which manufacturing process is best. A couple real-world examples demonstrate why this is so.
State your position clearly and succinctly. The evaluators favor a concise writing style. If you can clearly state your point with fewer words, do it. That said, be thorough when making your point.
Convey confidence. You’re stating a position and supporting it with relevant examples. You know you’re right, so act like it.
Stay on topic. Digressing and expanding your scope to support your position is tempting, but keep your discussion within scope of the issue topic. For example, mass production may lower the product cost for mass-market availability, but that’s not what the issue is about.
Reference key terms. The topic is about mass production, quality, and precision; use those terms whenever possible. Doing so signals that you’re responding directly to the prompt.
Step 4: Use your best supporting detail for the second paragraph
The next step involves writing the second paragraph. Pick your best example and use it to write a single paragraph that supports your position. Structure the paragraph as follows:
First sentence: Present your best supporting detail or example and mention that it supports your position as stated in the introduction.
Next several sentences: Describe your example in greater detail.
Next sentence or two: Show how your example supports your position as stated in the introduction.
Last sentence: State unequivocally that the example you just presented clearly supports your position or refutes the counter-argument.
Make sure one sentence (preferably the last sentence) of each paragraph connects back to your introduction and the issue topic. This assures the evaluator that you’re on track and your thoughts are organized. Check out the following example and compare it to the previous list to see how I structured this second paragraph.
The wristwatch is an example of a product that is better when mass-produced. My Casio watch was mass-produced with probably 10,000 other identical units. I purchased this watch five years ago, and it has consistently worked perfectly, with the occasional interruption for a battery replacement. The quality is fine, and the precision couldn’t be better. Contrast this with my uncle’s Patek Philippe, which was handmade with maybe a dozen others. Due to the motion-generated winding feature, his watch stops working when he doesn’t wear it for more than two days! Clearly, this is neither precise timekeeping nor quality of utility. At any given moment, the Casio will always show the correct time, while the Patek’s accuracy is a coin toss. The claim that mass-produced products lack the precision and quality of handmade goods, in this commonly-occurring context, is clearly wrong.
Your examples don’t need to be 100 percent correct. They serve to demonstrate how your powers of observation and insight support your point. The evaluators understand that you can’t research anything while writing the essay. However, don’t manufacture examples out of thin air, because they’re likely to sound phony.
A clever writing style, such as describing the Patek’s accuracy as “a coin toss,” is encouraged. Again, though, be appropriate.
Step 5: Write paragraphs three and four
The third and fourth paragraphs of your essay are similar to the second paragraph. Each paragraph should present a single supporting example from your notes, show how the example supports your position, and reference back to the introduction. Refer to the previous section for how to construct a strong paragraph.
However, some products are better as handmade items than as mass-produced commodities, such as gentlemen’s suits. For example, I wore an off-the-rack two-piece suit to my high-school graduation. The jacket was slightly large, but the next size smaller jacket was too small. The workmanship was mediocre, with loose threads and a misplaced stitch. It wasn’t cheap, but it was mass-produced, and thus had neither quality nor precision. Contrast this with the handmade, professionally tailored suit that I bought last year. The precise fit is flawless and the quality unparalleled. Though the claim that mass-produced products lack the quality and precision of handmade goods is true in this example, the claim still cannot be applied to all products.
Furthermore, some products can feature high or low quality and precision regardless of whether they are mass-produced or handmade. Computers are a good example of this. My mass-produced HP computer demonstrates both precision and quality, while the eMachines computer I bought in 2001 lacked the quality to last more than 18 months. On the other hand, my friend hand-built a computer from parts ordered in a catalog, and his computer works with extremely high quality and precision. I have heard stories, however, of hand-built computers that didn’t fare as well. Therefore, the general claim that mass-produced products lack the quality and precision of handmade goods is clearly flawed, because in this case, the method of computer production has no bearing on the outcome.
Step 6: Write the conclusion
Think of paragraph five (the conclusion) as the closing bracket of your essay, with the introduction being the beginning. Your conclusion should mirror your introduction while leaving the evaluator with a sense of closure. Structure your concluding paragraph as follows:
First sentence: Restate your position or once again refute the issue statement presented on the test.
Middle sentence or two: Remind the reader of the supporting details and/or examples you presented and the logical conclusion those details and examples support.
Final sentence: Summarize why you agree or disagree with the issue statement presented on the test, leaving the evaluator with a sense of closure.
As you read the following example, refer to the preceding list and see how I structured this conclusion.
To sum up, one cannot correctly claim that all mass-produced products are inferior to handmade goods. The examples describing the wristwatch, the gentlemen’s suit, and the personal computer clearly demonstrate that the claim may or may not be true, depending on the context and product. A blanket statement that may or may not be true is an invalid statement, so I disagree with this statement.
Tying everything together with smooth transitions
As you write, work toward transitioning smoothly from one paragraph to the next. Strong transitions connect the points you’re making, especially when your examples take different sides of the issue. Transitions contribute greatly to the organization and coherence of your essay. Here are a few examples of commonly used transitions:
Closely related to this idea is . . .
Conversely . . .
On the other hand . . .
However . . .
In contrast . . .
Similarly . . .
Besides transitions, a more subtle technique for tying everything together and staying on point is to repeat key terms throughout the essay. Identify key terms in the issue statement. For example, in the following issue statement, you may identify the following as key terms: cheap, mass-produced, precision, quality, hand-built.
“Today’s cheap, mass-produced goods lack the precision and quality of yesterday’s hand-built, carefully crafted products.”
Here’s the sample paragraph again, bolding the repetition of key terms drawn directly from the issue statement:
The wristwatch is an example of a product that is better when mass-produced. My Casio watch was mass-produced with probably 10,000 other identical units. I purchased this watch five years ago, and it has consistently worked perfectly, with the occasional interruption for a battery replacement. The quality is fine, and the precision couldn’t be better. Contrast this with my uncle’s Patek Philippe, which was handmade with maybe a dozen others. Due to the motion-generated winding feature, his watch stops working when he doesn’t wear it for more than two days! Clearly, this is neither precise timekeeping nor quality of utility. At any given moment, the Casio will always show the correct time, while the Patek’s accuracy is a coin toss. The claim that mass-produced products lack the precision and quality of handmade goods, in this commonly-occurring context, is clearly wrong.
Analyzing an Argument in Six Paragraphs
The second essay is called Analyze an Argument. The test provides a paragraph that states a position and provides several reasons in support of it. Your job is to analyze the argument and its reasoning and evidence and describe why the argument is either faulty or sound. Check out the following example:
Directions: Write a response to the following argument that analyzes its stated or implied assumptions, reveals how the argument’s position depends on the assumptions, and explains the effect of any flawed assumptions on the argument’s validity.
“Many considerations point to the conclusion that Flint’s restaurant should be changed from a youth-oriented, family-style restaurant to a Western-style saloon serving alcoholic beverages and featuring country bands. First, few families live in the area surrounding the restaurant; most have gone farther out into the suburbs. Second, Flint owns and operates two other saloons that have liquor licenses, making him experienced in the field. And finally, alcohol has a higher profit margin than food.”
The clock’s ticking, so you need to work fast, but you also need to spend time analyzing the argument before you start writing. By having a plan of attack and a structure in place, you’re better equipped to produce an outstanding essay in the allotted time. The following sections provide steps to writing a good argument.
1. Identify the position stated in the argument.
2. List the reasons given to support the stated position.
3. Identify any flawed assumptions behind each reason.
4. Write your introductory paragraph demonstrating your understanding of the position stated in the argument and whether you think the evidence provided supports that position.
5. Write three paragraphs each of which refutes a faulty assumption/conclusion presented in the argument or, if you agree with the stated position, provides additional evidence to support it.
6. Write a concluding paragraph that recaps your essay and reinforces why the argument is or isn’t valid.
Unlike the Analyze an Issue essay, which is based on your opinion, the Analyze an Argument essay isn’t based on your opinion on a subject. For example, in this argument, a personal preference of family restaurants to saloons shouldn’t affect this essay.
Step 1: Identify the stated position
The argument on the GRE test is so brief that finding the position statement is a snap. The position statement is almost always in the first sentence. In the example from the previous section, the position is this:
“. . . Flint’s restaurant should be changed from a youth-oriented, family-style restaurant to a Western-style saloon serving alcoholic beverages and featuring country bands.”
Identifying the position stated in the argument is a crucial first step because you need to show how each reason presented in support of that position succeeds or fails to do so.
Step 2: List the reasons given to support the stated position
Every argument includes a list of facts to support the position. In the example we’re following, the facts are easy to pick out, because they’re identified by number:
First: Few families live in the area surrounding the restaurant; most have gone farther out into the suburbs.
Second: Flint owns and operates two other saloons that have liquor licenses, making him experienced in the field.
Third: Alcohol has a higher profit margin than food.
Step 3: Analyze the assumption and conclusion based on the facts
As you begin to write your essay, look for the author’s flawed assumption(s) — anything the author claims or implies without providing sufficient evidence to back it up. (See Chapter 6 for more about assumptions.) For example, stating that “alcohol has a higher profit margin than food” doesn’t necessarily mean it’s more profitable.
You can argue assumptions, but you can’t argue facts. In this example, you can argue that selling alcohol in this area may not be more profitable because few residents in the area drink or because the loss of revenue from food sales will more than offset the increased profit from alcohol sales, but you can’t argue the fact that alcohol has a higher profit margin than food. The argument analysis consists of providing new evidence that refutes each flawed assumption.
You can either support or refute the argument, but refuting is typically much easier. The arguments presented on the GRE are so brief that they can’t possibly provide enough evidence to support a particular position. This enables you to easily poke holes in the argument and the reasons given to support the stated position.
On your scratch paper, jot down about five assumptions and new facts that support or refute those assumptions. Write down only keywords — save your prose for the essay. The following list is an example of what someone may come up with to refute the argument presented earlier (you can make your notes less precise):
Faulty assumption: Families won’t make the drive from the distant suburbs.
New fact: Though they don’t live nearby, families may drive to the area for other reasons, such as shopping or recreation.
Faulty assumption: Because Flint’s other two saloons are successful, this new saloon will also be successful.
New fact: Several factors may contribute to the success of the two saloons that aren’t present in the restaurant’s location, such as the proximity of a popular sports arena or theater.
Faulty assumption: Flint’s experience with saloons will make this newly converted saloon a success.
New fact: Other factors affect success, including what else is in the area. There could be five other saloons across the street from this restaurant, but no other family restaurants within five miles.
Faulty assumption: A liquor license that brings success to one locale will bring success to another.
New fact: Regions are different. What works in Dallas won’t work in Salt Lake City.
Faulty Assumption: Alcohol’s higher profit margin will lead to higher overall profits, because the level of sales will be the same.
New Fact: Though alcohol has a higher profit margin than food, the sales volume could be less. Selling 200 dinners at a profit margin of 40 percent is more profitable than selling one case of beer at a profit margin of 80 percent.
If you think the argument is valid, list the reasons given in support of the argument followed by new facts that support those reasons. However, even if you believe the argument is fundamentally sound and you support it, you should still be able to show the GRE evaluator that you can recognize claims in the argument that others may find questionable.
You don’t have to use all five points in your essay. Whittle down your list to the best three — while writing the essay, you may discover that a couple points aren’t valid. With only 30 minutes, having three well-developed points is very good, and far better than having five sketchy ideas.
Be sure to never refute a fact — just refute an assumption. You can’t refute that alcohol has a higher profit margin, because that’s a fact and is, therefore, irrefutable. Instead, accept the fact as true, and think of something else that would affect the outcome, such as sales volume. Refuting facts leads to point reductions on your essay.
Step 4: Write the introduction
The first paragraph of your Analyze an Argument essay (the introduction) must demonstrate your understanding of the argument and whether you think the argument is valid or invalid. Structure the paragraph as follows:
First sentence: Briefly state the argument you’re analyzing and whether it’s sound.
Second sentence: Acknowledge the reasons in the argument and indicate whether the presence of faulty assumptions or the reasons provided offer solid evidence in support of the argument’s main point.
Remaining sentences: Touch upon the points you’re going to bring up in subsequent paragraphs.
As you read the following example introduction paragraph, refer to the preceding list and see how I apply this structure.
The author provides a compelling, though flawed, argument for Flint to convert his restaurant to a saloon. Although converting the restaurant to a saloon may indeed be a wise course of action, the assumptions used to support the argument lack sufficient supporting evidence, and are, therefore, flawed. A lot of information is missing that would validate or weaken the assumptions. These unknown facts are very important to the validity of the argument, and Flint would be unwise to risk his business without knowing these facts.
Step 5: Write paragraphs two, three, and four
Your second, third, and fourth paragraphs each cover one of the argument’s reasons or faulty assumptions and present a new fact or reason to support or refute it. Start with your strongest point first, and structure each paragraph as follows:
First sentence or two: Present one of the argument’s reasons/assumptions in your own words.
Next sentence: Transition into the new fact you have to support or refute this particular reason/assumption.
Remaining sentences: Provide additional details to support your new fact.
Last sentence: Summarize how your new fact supports or refutes the argument’s reason/assumption.
Read my example second, third, and fourth paragraphs in this section and compare them to the previous list to see how I use this structure.
Spell out exactly why each reason is valid or why each assumption is invalid. Don’t expect the evaluators to draw conclusions from your description — make it clear.
Cover only one reason or assumption per paragraph.
Use transition words at the beginning of each subsequent paragraph to move from one paragraph to the next. For more about transitions, see the section “Tying everything together with smooth transitions” earlier in this chapter.
Following is a sample second paragraph that conforms to the recommended structure.
First of all, the author states that most families live too far away, which may be true. However, the author assumes that because they live so far away, they’ll never be in the area. This may not be the case, because families may take a day trip into town and want to stop somewhere to eat. The author doesn’t mention whether the restaurant is near a children’s museum or a shopping mall that caters to families. The restaurant could be near plenty of family-based traffic, even though the suburbs are far away from the restaurant.
Note the transition words at the beginning of each of the following paragraphs (paragraphs three and four from the same essay) that help smooth the movement from one paragraph to the next.
Furthermore, the author attributes the success of Flint’s two saloons to the liquor license and asserts that the same will bring success to his restaurant. The author assumes that the conditions are the same at both locations. What works at one location, however, will not necessarily work at another. For example, the saloons could be in Dallas, where saloons can thrive, and the restaurant could be in Salt Lake City, with a much smaller drinking population.
In addition, the author mentions the higher profit margin of alcohol as key to increased profits. The author assumes, however, that sales will be the same. No information is provided to suggest liquor sales will be comparable to food sales. Although profit margin is key to profits, sales volume is also important. A 20 percent profit from $500,000 in sales is worth more than a 50 percent profit from $100,000 in sales. The level of future alcohol sales is not known, so Flint would be ill advised to throw away his existing food sales for a throw-of-the-dice level of alcohol sales, regardless of the profit margin.
Don’t fall into your own trap. If you argue that the writer’s assumption is based on personal logic and unsupported by facts, be sure that your refutation isn’t based on personal logic and unsupported by facts. The last thing you want to do is point out the author’s weakness and then make the evaluator chuckle as he marks you down for having the exact same weakness.
Step 6: Draft the conclusion
The last step to writing the Analyze an Argument essay is to compose paragraph five (the conclusion). The conclusion is the closing bracket of your essay, with the introduction being the opening bracket. Your conclusion should mirror your introduction while leaving the evaluator with a sense of closure. Structure your concluding paragraph as follows:
First sentence: Acknowledge the argument’s main point and generally explain why you think it has or hasn’t been adequately proven.
Next sentence or two: Remind the reader of the reasons or assumptions that you think support or question the main point of the argument.
Closing: The closing need not be a separate sentence, but it should complete your essay, leaving the evaluator with a sense of closure.
Look at my example conclusion and how I utilize the preceding list to draft the sentences.
Though the author provides a strong argument for converting Flint’s restaurant to a saloon, the argument relies on several assumptions that are based on uncertain facts. These assumptions are discussed above, and Flint should verify the key facts, also discussed above, before making a decision.