Writing the GRE argument Essay / Step-by-step Guide
Organization of argument Essay
THE TASK
The following appeared in a Letter to the Editor of the Shady Village newspaper.
“Commuters are complaining that increased rush-hour traffic on Blue Highway between the suburbs and the city center has doubled their commuting time. The favoured proposal of the motorists’ lobby is to widen the highway, adding another lane of traffic. Opponents note that last years addition of a lane to the nearby Green Highway was followed by a worsening of traffic jams on it. Their suggested alternative proposal is adding a bicycle lane to Blue Highway. Many area residents are keen bicyclists. A bicycle lane would encourage them to use bicycles to commute, it is argued, thereby reducing rush-hour traffic.”
Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the recommendation and the argument on which it is based are reasonable. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the recommendation.
Main conclusion, Main Assertion, Main Prediction
Main Conclusion
Opponents have proposed to add a bicycle lane to Blue Highway rather than adopt the motorists’ lobby’s proposal to widen the highway with an additional lane.
Main Assertion
What evidence does the author provide to support the conclusion of these opponents
1. Last year, the city widened Green Highway, but it led to a worsening of traffic jams on it.
2. Many area residents are keen bicyclists. A bicycle lane would encourage them to use bicycles to commute, thereby reducing rush-hour traffic.
Main Prediction
Unstated assumptions.
1. The author is assuming that last year’s issues still exist today.
2. Green Highway and Blue Highway are roughly comparable.
3. The author is assuming that if you enjoy bicycling as a hobby, then you are likely to use that mode of transportation to commute to work.
4. The author is assuming that these working locations are actually within biking distance.
5. The author is assuming that the this added bicycle lane will not result in any accidents that actually cause MORE traffic delays than the current set up.
and possibly, there are more….
GOOD NEWS - you only need three of them (in some cases, only two, depending how you structure your essay)
The following appeared in a Letter to the Editor of the Shady Village newspaper.
“Commuters are complaining that increased rush-hour traffic on Blue Highway between the suburbs and the city center has doubled their commuting time. The favoured proposal of the motorists’ lobby is to widen the highway, adding another lane of traffic. Opponents note that last years addition of a lane to the nearby Green Highway was followed by a worsening of traffic jams on it. Their suggested alternative proposal is adding a bicycle lane to Blue Highway. Many area residents are keen bicyclists. A bicycle lane would encourage them to use bicycles to commute, it is argued, thereby reducing rush-hour traffic.”
Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the recommendation and the argument on which it is base are reasonable. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the recommendation.
In the editorial from the local newspaper, it is stated that opponents of the motorists’ lobby’s plan to add another lane to Blue Highway have instead advocated that a bicycle lane be constructed in order to alleviate the highway’s traffic issues. The opponents have come to this conclusion based on the issues faced by Green Highway as well as the keen interest in bicycling of the area’s local residents. However, before this recommendation can be properly evaluated, two questions must be answered.
First of all, are Green Highway and Blue Highway roughly comparable? In other words, can circumstances from one highway be used to make generalisations and predictions about the other? It is possible that Green Highway and Blue Highway are not similar at all - perhaps Green Highway runs through residential neighbourhoods, whereas Blue Highway is located mostly in rural, unpopulated sections of the city suburbs. Further, there is a possibility that the quality of the highways is markedly different, with Green Highway’s roads falling apart and Blue Highway’s in pristine condition. If either of these scenarios has merit, then conclusion drawn in the original argument is significantly weakened.
Secondly, do a majority of the area residents interested in biking live within biking distance of their places of employment? The opponents in the argument prematurely assume that many of the residents in the town will bike to work in the morning rather than drive their cars. However, this might not be the case. Perhaps the average distance from home to work is over 15 miles, and that’s why many of the residents are essentially obligated to take the highway - even if they don’t want to. In an ideal world, they might choose to bike to work, but if the reality is such that they cannot due to the logistics of their situations, then only one form of transportation (the car via the highway) is possible. If the above is true, then the argument does not hold water.
( I will not write Body 3 )
In conclusion, the argument, as it stands now, is considerably flawed due to its reliance on several unwarranted assumptions. If the author is able to answer the three questions above and offer more evidence (perhaps in the form of a systematic research study), then it will be possible to fully evaluate the viability of the proposed recommendation to add a bike lane to Blue Highway.
Main Takeaways:
1. When you read the argument, you need to identify the following:
a. The main conclusion, main assertion, or main prediction
b. The premises, the evidence, or the ‘facts’ that led the author to this conclusion
2. With the correct identification of the conclusion and the evidence, you then have to do something very important: REASON THE UNSTATED ASSUMPTIONS OUT.
This is where the bulk of your writing grade for the Argument Essay comes from. Remember what ETS is looking for. They are looking for your ability to deconstruct an argument in an analytical fashion - they are not necessarily looking for your ability to write a TOEFL/IELTS essay. In other words, they are asking you to think.
3. Structures, templates, and ‘one way’ to write this essay are not essential. It says so right on ETS’s website. However, we still want to have a structure in mind because it allows us to hit the ground running on test day.
4. Three body paragraphs are roughly the same thing with different content.
5. Make sure you follow the prompt’s instructions. Whether the prompt is asking you to ask questions, or to give evidence, or about assumptions, or alternative explanations, make sure you are actually using that verbiage because it is an indicator to the grader that you are paying attention, and not simply memorising this stuff.
6. All of this must be completed within 30 minutes! We are not seeing perfection. We are seeking quality and completion.
Analysing the Argument
1. Are the arguments ever good?
No. These arguments are always flawed in some manner, typically because they come to conclusions based on either faulty evidence or unwarranted assumptions.
2. When I read the argument, what exactly am I trying to identify?
The most important thing, the first thing, that you are trying to identify is the author’s main conclusion, main assertion, or overall prediction. This is basically the thrust of the author’s argument.
You are also trying to identify the pieces of evidence and the ‘facts’ that the author provides in order to support this argument.
3. Once I have successfully identified the structure and parts of the argument, then what?
Here comes the somewhat hard part. You have identified the author’s main point and his or her evidence and ‘facts’ that led the author to that point. Now you need, using that information, reason out the assumptions (unstated) that the author relies upon in order to make his argument.
4. Can I write now?
Once I have done the three things above (identify the conclusion, identify the evidence, reason out the unsalted assumptions), can I write now?
Yes, you can. These essays typically follow a template, or a firm formula, and once you have established those above pieces, you should start writing.