Master gmat 2010 part 14 pptx

in almost any Issue essay are underlined to help you see how the ideas flow naturally and
persuasively from one to the next. (Remember, though, that the GMAT exam’s built-in word
processor does not provide underlining.) Notice the following features of the essay, which
together boost the essay to the highest score level:
• The essay expresses overall but qualified agreement with the statement, a
thoughtful viewpoint that shows the writer recognizes the issue’s complexity.
• The body of the essay begins and ends with pro arguments for rhetorical impact.
The con arguments are positioned between them.
• For each of the con arguments (third and fourth paragraphs), the writer
immediately responds with persuasive counterpoints.
You see that the writer tried to follow his outline while remaining flexible as new ideas for
content or organization occurred to him. (Notice, for instance, that he repositioned certain points
from the original outline sketch.) Also, the writer didn’t incorporate every single point from his
outline, perhaps because he simply didn’t have time in 30 minutes to cover every point.
Essay (Issue Statement 3)
In asserting that government regulation is the “best” way to ensure environmental
protection, the speaker fails to acknowledge certain problems inherent with gov-
ernment regulation. Nevertheless, I agree with the statement to the extent that
exclusive reliance on individual or business volunteerism would be naive and
imprudent, especially considering the stakes involved.
Experience tells us that individuals and private corporations tend to act in their
own short-term economic and political interest, not on behalf of the environment or
the public at large. For example, current technology makes possible the complete
elimination of polluting emissions from automobiles. Nevertheless, neither automo-
bile manufacturers nor consumers are willing or able to voluntarily make the
short-term sacrifices 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.
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 juris-

dictions that allow their environmentally harmful activities. Others calculate the
cost of polluting, in terms of punishment, then budget in advance for anticipated
penalties and openly violate the law. However, this behavior only serves to under-
score the need for government intervention, because left unfettered this type of
behavior would only exacerbate environmental problems.
One must admit as well that government regulation, environmental or otherwise,
is fraught with bureaucratic and enforcement problems. Regulatory systems inher-
ently call for legislative committees, investigations, and enforcement agencies, all
of which add to the tax burden on the citizens whom these regulations are designed
to protect. Also, delays typically associated with bureaucratic regulation can thwart


Chapter 4: Issue Analysis 113
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the purpose of the regulations, because environmental problems can quickly be-
come grave indeed. However, given that unjustifiable reliance on volunteerism is
the only alternative, government regulation seems necessary. Moreover, such de-
lays seem trivial when we consider that many environmental problems carry not
only a real threat to public health but also a potential threat to the very survival of
the human species.
Finally, environmental issues inherently involve public health and are far too
pandemic in nature for individuals or even businesses to solve on their own. Many
of the most egregious environmental violations traverse state and sometimes na-
tional borders. Individuals and businesses have neither the power nor the re-
sources to address these widespread hazards.
In the final analysis, only the authority and scope of power that a government
possesses can ensure the attainment of agreed-upon environmental goals. Since
individuals are unable and businesses are by nature unwilling to assume this
responsibility, government must do so.
RHETORICAL EFFECTIVENESS AND YOUR ESSAY’S STRUCTURE

How you arrange your ideas into paragraphs can make a big difference in your essay’s
persuasiveness. Earlier in this chapter, we introduced the basic strategy of starting the body
of your essay with your best argument and finishing it with your second-best argument,
sandwiching your other arguments between these two. And you just saw in the preceding
essay how you can adapt this strategy to a two-column list of pros and cons—sandwiching the
cons in between the pros.
As an advanced test taker, you should consider alternative structures as well. Although the
ways in which you can organize an Issue essay are limitless, five basic structures cover most
situations.
Try this first structure if your agreement or disagreement with the statement is nearly
unqualified.
1st Paragraph: Main reason for your position → counterpoint → rebuttal
2nd Paragraph: Second reason for your position → counterpoint → rebuttal
3rd Paragraph: Third reason for your position → counterpoint → rebuttal
You can use the same structure to discuss two or more examples (or distinct areas) that lend
support to your position:
1st Paragraph: One example (or area) that supports your position → counterpoint
→ rebuttal
2nd Paragraph: Another example (or area) that supports your position → counter-
point → rebuttal
3rd Paragraph: Another example (or area) that supports your position → counter-
point → rebuttal
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NOTE
The term
“counterpoint”
refers to a reason
or example

supporting a
contrary position
and “rebuttal”
refers to a
response (reason
or example) to a
counterpoint
(and in further
support of the
other position).
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Try this next structure to acknowledge one strong argument against your position, but where
you have more reasons or examples in support of your position.
1st Paragraph: One reason (and/or example) in support of your position
2nd Paragraph: Another reason (and/or example) in support of your position
3rd Paragraph: Another reason (and/or example) in support of your position
Final Paragraph: Chief counter-argument → rebuttal
Try this next structure to acknowledge one or more strong arguments against your position
but where you have better reasons and/or examples in support of your position.
1st Paragraph: Chief counter-argument
Next Paragraph: Another counter-argument
Next Paragraph: One reason and/or example in support of your position
Next Paragraph: Another reason and/or example in support of your position
If the arguments for and against the statement’s position are equally strong (e.g., if it all
depends on the area under consideration), try the following structure for a balanced essay:
1st Paragraph (or 1st and 2nd Paragraphs): Area(s) or examples supporting
one position
2nd Paragraph (or 3rd and 4th Paragraphs): Area(s) or examples supporting a
contrary position
Finally, try the following structure to address two or more reasons in support of an opposing

position, each one in turn:
1st Paragraph (or 1st and 2nd Paragraphs): Counter-argument → rebuttal
2nd Paragraph (or 3rd and 4th Paragraphs): Counter-argument → rebuttal
Next Paragraph: Counter-argument → rebuttal
You need not adhere strictly to one of these structures to write an effective Issue essay. Try to
be flexible. The particular ideas you’ve jotted down might come together best in some other
format. In short, let your ideas drive your essay’s structure, not vice versa.
KEYS TO WRITING A SUCCESSFUL GMAT ISSUE ANALYSIS ESSAY
Here’s our very best advice for GMAT Issue Analysis in bite-sized pieces. Some of these tips
reiterate suggestions made earlier, but they’re well worth emphasizing. Apply these points of
advice to the Practice Tests in PART VI, and then review them again just before exam day.
You’ll be glad you did.
Adopt a Viewpoint AnyViewpoint
It’s perfectly acceptable to agree or disagree strongly with an Issue statement. Don’t worry
that your position may appear somewhat “right-wing” or “left-wing” or even outside the
mainstream altogether. Just be sure to provide sound reasons and relevant examples to
justify your strong viewpoint. It’s also perfectly okay to qualify the statement—in other
words, to accept (or reject) it only in part or to a limited extent. Again, just be sure to justify
your “middle-ground” position with sound reasoning and relevant examples.


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Explain How Your Examples Support Your Viewpoint
Anyone can list a long string of examples and claim that they illustrate a point. But GMAT
readers are looking for incisive analysis, not fast typing. For each example you cite, be sure to
tell the reader how it supports the point you’re trying to make. Otherwise, your argument will
be unconvincing and your score might suffer as a result.
Appeal to Reason, Not Emotion
Avoid inflammatory statements, and don’t preach or proselytize. Approach the Issue writing

task as an intellectual exercise in which you dispassionately argue for a certain viewpoint. Do
not use it as a forum for sharing your personal belief system. It’s perfectly 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 extolling based on personal
moral grounds. Also avoid demagoguery (appeal to prejudice or emotion) and jingoism
(excessive patriotism).
Spare the Reader Rote Facts and Technical Details
The Issue essay is not like TV’s Jeopardy! or the board game Trivial Pursuit. You will not
score points simply by recounting statistics, compiling long lists, or conjuring up little-known
facts. And don’t try to impress the reader with your technical knowledge of any particular
subject. Resist the temptation to use the Issue essay as a forum to recapitulate your
senior-year thesis. This is not the place to convince the reader of your firm grasp of the finest
points of foreign policy, macroeconomic theory, or market analysis. That’s what your GPA and
undergraduate transcripts are for.
Avoid Obvious and Hackneyed Examples
Many GMAT test takers will rely heavily on today’s headlines and on history’s most
illustrious and notorious figures. If you can, avoid relying on these all-too-obvious examples.
Try to dig a bit deeper, showing the reader a broader, more literate perspective.
Don’t Dwell on One Point, but Don’t Try to Cover Everything Either
Avoid harping on one point you believe to be the most convincing or on one example that you
know a lot about or you feel best illustrates your point. Instead, try to cover as many points in
your outline as you have time for, devoting no more than one paragraph to each one.
At the same time, if you try to cover everything you can think of about the issue at hand,
you’re likely to become frustrated, and you might even panic as the testing clock ticks away
your 30 minutes. The readers understand your time constraints. So don’t worry if you’re
forced to leave the secondary and more tangential points on your scratch paper. Stick to your
outline, ration your time, and you’ll be fine.
Keep It Simple
Don’t make the Issue writing task more onerous than it needs to be for you to attain a solid
score. Keep your sentences clear and simple. Use a straightforward structure for your essay.

Avoid using “fancy” words just to impress the reader. Don’t waste time ruminating over how
you can come across as ultra-brilliant, mega-insightful, or super-eloquent. Finally, don’t waste
116 PART III: GMAT Analytical Writing Assessment


TIP
Most GMAT
readers reside in
the United States.
If you reside
elsewhere, cite
examples from
your own region
of the world.
You’re more likely
to pique the
reader’s interest,
which can only
operate in
your favor.
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brain-power or keystrokes trying to be clever, creative, or humorous. Be forewarned: Dazzling
the reader with your amazing wit and wisdom is not the way to score points.
Look Organized and in Control of the Task
Use every tool at your disposal to show the reader that you can write well under pressure. Use
logical paragraph breaks—one after your introduction, one between each of your main points,
and one before your concluding paragraph. Be sure to present your main points in a logical,
easy-to-follow sequence. (If you don’t get it right the first time, you can use the word
processor’s cut-and-paste features to rearrange your ideas.) Your essay’s “bookends”—the
introductory and concluding paragraph—are especially key to looking organized and in

control. First of all, make sure they’re there. Then, make sure they’re consistent with each
other and that they reveal your viewpoint and recap the reasons for your viewpoint.
Quality Counts, Not Quantity
The only limitation on your essay’s length is the practical one that the 30-minute time limit
imposes. But do the readers prefer brief or long Issue essays? It all depends on the essay’s
quality. A lengthy essay that’s articulate and that includes many insightful ideas that are well
supported by examples will score higher than a brief essay that lacks substance. On the other
hand, an essay that’s concise and to the point can be more effective than one that is
long-winded and rambling.
Don’t worry about the word length of your essay. GMAT readers don’t count words. As long as
you incorporate into your essay all the suggested elements you learned about in this lesson,
you don’t need to worry about length. Just keep in mind that it’s quality, not quantity,
that counts.
Don’t Lose Sight of Your Primary Objectives
The official scoring criteria for the Issue essay boil down to four broad objectives. Never lose
sight of them during the 30-minute Issue section. After brainstorming and making notes, but
before you start typing, ask yourself these three questions:
Do I have a clear viewpoint on the issue?
Do I support my viewpoint with sound reasons and relevant examples?
Do I have in mind a clear, logical structure for presenting my ideas?
Once you can confidently answer “Yes” to each question, start composing your essay. Then,
once you’ve finished your draft, ask yourself the same three questions again, as well as this
fourth one:
Have I demonstrated good grammar, diction (word choice and usage), and syntax
(sentence structure)?
Once you can answer “Yes” to all four questions, rest assured that you’ve produced a solid,
high-scoring Issue essay.


Chapter 4: Issue Analysis 117

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SUMMING IT UP
• Follow the 7-step plan in this chapter for a high-scoring Issue Analysis essay: brainstorm
and take notes; review your notes and decide on a viewpoint; organize your ideas
logically; compose an introductory paragraph; compose the body of your essay; compose a
brief summary paragraph; and proofread your essay for glaring errors.
• Recognizing the complexities of GMAT Issue statements is key to composing a
successful essay.
• Be sure to acknowledge and respond not only to the weaknesses in your own viewpoints
on an Issue, but also to the merits of viewpoints that are opposite yours.
• Practice with different ways of structuring your Issue Analysis essay for maximum
effectiveness.
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Argument Analysis
OVERVIEW
• The 7-step plan
• Common reasoning flaws and how to handle them
• Adding optional elements to your essay
• Keys to writing a successful GMAT argument analysis essay
• Summing it up
THE 7-STEP PLAN
For a high-scoring Argument essay, you need to accomplish these four basic
tasks:
Identify and analyze the Argument’s key elements
Organize, develop, and express your critique in a coherent and
logically convincing manner
Support your ideas with sound reasons and supporting examples

Demonstrate adequate control of the elements of Standard Written
English (grammar, syntax, and usage)
Just as you did for the Issue Analysis essay, spend some time up front
thinking about what you will write and how you will organize your ideas.
You’ll also want to save some time at the end of this section of the exam to
proofread and fine-tune your essay. Here’s a 7-step game plan to help you
budget your time so you can accomplish all four tasks listed above within your
30-minute time limit (suggested times are in parentheses):
Read the Argument and identify its conclusions (1 min.)
Examine the evidence for its support of the conclusion(s) (3 min.)
Organize and prioritize your points of critique (1 min.)
Compose a brief introductory paragraph (2 min.)
Compose the body of your response (16 min.)

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Compose a concluding paragraph (2 min.)
Proofread for significant mechanical problems (5 min.)
Notice that by following the suggested time limits for each step, you’ll spend about 5 minutes
planning your essay, 20 minutes writing it, and 5 minutes proofreading it.
In the following pages, you’ll walk through each step in turn, using the following Argument
statement, which is similar to some of the statements in the official pool:
Argument 1 (and directive)
The following appeared in a memo from the manager of UpperCuts hair salon:
“According to a nationwide demographic study, more and more people
today are moving from suburbs to downtown areas. In order to boost
sagging profits at UpperCuts, we should take advantage of this trend by
relocating the salon from its current location in Apton’s suburban mall to
downtown Apton, while retaining the salon’s decidedly upscale ambi-
ance. Besides, HairDooz, our chief competitor at the mall, has just relo-

cated downtown and is thriving at its new location, and the most
prosperous hair salon in nearby Brainard is located in that city’s down-
town area. By emulating the locations of these two successful salons,
UpperCuts is certain to attract more customers.”
Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. In your discussion be
sure to analyze the line of reasoning and the use of 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 argument, what
changes in the argument would make it more logically sound, and what,
if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion.
Step One: Read the Argument and Identify Its Conclusion(s) (1 min.)
Every GMAT Argument consists of the following basic elements:
• Evidence (stated premises that the Argument does not dispute)
• Assumptions (unstated premises needed to justify a conclusion)
• Conclusions (inferences drawn from evidence and assumptions)
As you read an Argument for the first time, identify its final conclusion as well as its
intermediate conclusion (if any). Why is this first step so important? Unless you are clear
about the Argument’s conclusions, it’s impossible to evaluate the author’s reasoning or the
strength of the evidence offered in support of it—and that’s what this section of the GMAT is
all about.
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NOTE
The time limits for
these steps are
guidelines. As you
practice

composing your
Argument essay
under timed
conditions, you’ll
be able to adjust
to a pace that
works best
for you.
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You’ll probably find the final conclusion in the Argument’s first or last sentence. The Argument
might refer to it as a “claim,” a “recommendation,” or a “prediction.” An intermediate conclu-
sion, upon which the final conclusion depends, might appear anywhere in the Argument. Not
every Argument contains an intermediate conclusion.
Did you identify and distinguish between the intermediate and final conclusions in the
Argument involving UpperCuts? Here they are:
Intermediate conclusion:
“By emulating the locations of these two successful salons, UpperCuts is certain to
attract more customers.”
Final conclusion:
“In order to boost sagging profits at UpperCuts, we should . . . relocat[e] the salon
from its current location in Apton’s suburban mall to downtown Apton, while
retaining the salon’s decidedly upscale ambiance.”
Notice that the Argument’s final conclusion relies on its intermediate conclusion. Here’s the
essential line of reasoning:
UC will gain customers if it moves downtown. (Intermediate conclusion)
Therefore, UC will boost its profits simply by moving downtown. (Final conclusion)
Always jot down an Argument’s intermediate conclusion (if any) and its final conclusion—in
shorthand like we’ve provided above. You’ll need to refer to them time and again as you
develop your points of critique and compose your essay.
Step Two: Examine the Evidence for Its Support of the Conclusion(s) (3 min.)

Most Arguments contain at least two or three items of information, or evidence, that are used
in support of its conclusion(s). Identify them, label them, and jot them down in shorthand on
your scratch paper. Argument 1 contains three distinct items of evidence:
Evidence (Item 1):
“According to a nationwide demographic study, more and more people today are
moving from suburbs to downtown areas.”
Evidence (Item 2):
“HairDooz, our chief competitor at the mall, has just relocated downtown and is
thriving at its new location.”
Evidence (Item 3):
“ themost prosperous hair salon in nearby Brainard is located in that city’s
downtown area.”
Next, analyze each item as to how much support it lends to the Argument’s intermediate and
final conclusions. For the most part, what you should look for are any unsubstantiated or
unreasonable assumptions upon which the Argument’s conclusions depend. For example, an
Argument might rely on one of these assumptions, yet fail to provide evidence to support it.


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• An event that occurs after another was caused by the other (a false-cause problem)
• Two things that are similar in one way are similar in other ways (a false-analogy
problem)
• A statistical sample of a group is representative of the group as a whole
Also check for problems with the Argument’s internal logic (for example, self-contradictions or
circular reasoning). These types of problems don’t occur commonly in GMAT Arguments, but
you should be on the lookout for them anyway.
Just as for your Issue essay, don’t filter your ideas during this crucial brainstorming step. Get
them all down onto your scratch paper. (You’ll sort them out in step 3.)
Below is an example of what a test taker’s notes for Argument 1 might look like after a few

minutes of brainstorming:
inter. concl.ÑUC will gain customers downtown
final concl.ÑUC will improve profits downtown
• demog. studyÑis Apton typical? no trend
reverse
trend
• success of HDÑis location key? marketing
key stylist
• success of B salonÑdowntown location key?
Ñis Apton like Brainard?
(demog.)
• other problems
Ñrelocation expenses offset revenues
ÑUC must establish new clientele
Ñcompetition from HD
(suff. demand for both salons?)
Ñdemand for ÒupscaleÓ salon downtown?
Step Three: Organize and Prioritize Your Points of Critique (1 min.)
Using your notes from step 2 as a guide, arrange your ideas into paragraphs (probably three
or four, depending on the number of problems built 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 cases, the best sequence in which to organize your points
of critique is the same order in which reasoning problems arise in the Argument.
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