GMAT Analytical Writing: Solutions to the Real Argument Topics (2021)

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GMAT Analytical Writing:Solutions to the Real Essay Topics60 solved Argument topics with strategies to be used as abenchmarkExpert Strategies and simplified methods to produce focusedresponsesScoring Guide for Argument tasks as per the GMAT GuidelinesTest Prep Serieswww.vibrantpublishers.com*****

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GMAT Analytical Writing: Solutions to the RealEssay TopicsCopyright 2022, By Vibrant Publishers, USA. All rights reserved.No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in anyform or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system,without the prior permission of the publisher.This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritativeinformation in regard to the subject matter covered. The author hasmade every effort in the preparation of this book to ensure theaccuracy of the information. However, information in this book issold without warranty either expressed or implied. The Author orthe Publisher will not be liable for any damages caused or allegedto be caused either directly or indirectly by this book.Vibrant Publishers books are available at special quantity discountfor sales promotions, or for use in corporate training programs. Formore information please write tobulkorders@vibrantpublishers.comPlease email feedback / corrections (technical, grammatical orspelling) to spellerrors@vibrantpublishers.comTo access the complete catalogue of Vibrant Publishers, visitwww.vibrantpublishers.com*****

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Table of ContentsIntroduction to the GMATAnalytical Writing AssessmentStrategiesScoring GuideConclusionSolved Argument Tasks with StrategiesArgument Task 1 - The MercuryArgument Task2 - Apogee companyArgument Task3 - Financial MagazineArgument Task4 - Health Club ManagersArgument Task5 - Cerberus dog foodArgument Task6 - Environmental ProtectionArgument Task7 - Big Boards Inc.Argument Task8 - Speedee AirlinesArgument Task9 - Corporate NewsletterArgument Task 10 - Company that Makes ShampooArgument Task 11 - Olympic FoodsArgument Task 12 - Large City’s Council on the ArtsArgumentTask13-CompanyManufacturingpartsforHeavyMachineryArgument Task 14 - Magazine on Trends and LifestylesArgument Task 15 - Waymarsh students

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Argument Task 16 - Daily GazetteArgument Task 17 - Advertisement for AdamsArgument Task 18 - Acid-Ease and PepticaidArgument Task 19 - Restaurant Industry in SpiessaArgument Task20 - Automobile Manufacturing CompanyArgument Task21 - Drug AbuseArgument Task22 - City LArgument Task23 - Board to Censor MoviesArgument Task24 - Synthetic Farm ProductsArgument Task25 - Coffee and ColaArgument Task26 - Perks CompanyArgument Task27 - Fern Valley UniversityArgument Task28 - Professor TaylorArgument Task29 - Avia AirlinesArgument Task30 - University Hospitals Vs Community HospitalsArgument Task31 - Robin GoodArgument Task32 - Recycling of NewspaperArgumentTask33-InformationTechnologyDepartmentOfAdvertising FirmArgument Task34 - Excelsior CompanyArgument Task35 - Government Funding of Environmental RegulatoryAgenciesArgument Task36 - Safer WorkplaceArgument Task37 - West CambriaArgument Task38 - Prime-Time Television ProgramsArgument Task39 - How to write a Screenplay for a movieArgument Task40 - Electrowares CompanyArgument Task41 - Tartfish Industry

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Argument Task42 - Advertising Spots on KMTVArgument Task43 - Plateau CollegeArgument Task44 - Saluda Consolidated High SchoolArgument Task45 - Books in Electronic FormArgument Task46 - Take Heart Fitness CenterArgument Task47 - Bayview High SchoolArgument Task48 - Store Selling Gourmet Food itemsArgument Task49 - Ready-to-WareArgument Task50 - OmnilixirArgument Task51 - Amusement ParksArgument Task52 - The ClarionArgument Task53 - Capital Idea - Irongate districtArgument Task54 - HuggyBunnyArgument Task55 - Exeunt Theater CompanyArgument Task56 - Capital Idea investment firm - tartfishArgument Task57 - Avia Airlines - commuter routeArgument Task58 - GBS CompanyArgument Task59 - Excel MeatsArgument Task60 - Improving Services for the City

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Introduction to the GMATThe GMAT is the standardized test required by more than 7,000 programsand 2300 graduate schools as part of the application package to their businessormanagementprograms.Alongwithyourundergraduatetranscript,recommendations, work experience, etc., your GMAT scores will determinewhich college programs will grant you admission. Colleges consider thesescores important for two main reasons. First, undergraduate courses andcurricula vary from school to school, and second, in the same way that theSAT predicts success in college, the GMAT predicts a student's success in thechallenging courses of graduate business and management programs. Thehigher the score you earn, the more likely you will gain admission tocompetitive programs at colleges around the country. The top businessschools will expect to see a score of 5.5 or 6 from their applicants- but otherschools might be willing to accept a score of 5 or even a little less. You cancheck the websites of desired programs to see the range of scores theyconsider acceptable as well as the weight they assign to those scores.Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the Graduate Management Admissions Council(GMAC) started offering the GMAT Online option from April 2020 onwards.The GMAT Online has now become a permanent fixture as announced inMay, 2021.The format of the Online GMAT, in terms of number of sections,number of questions per section, total test time, and scoring is exactly thesame as the In-Center GMAT Test. However, you have to meet certaintechnology and set-up requirements before you can opt for the GMATOnline.Formoredetails,checktheofficialGMATwebsite:www.mba.com/exams/gmatThe GMAT is composed of four parts: Analytical Writing Assessment,Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Verbal Reasoning. Thetest will begin with a 30-minute Analytical Writing Assessment, followed bythe30-minute,12-questionIntegratedReasoningsection.NextistheQuantitative Reasoning section, made up of 31 questions that you mustanswer in 62 minutes, and the Verbal Reasoning section, made up of 36questions that must be answered in 65 minutes.

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Even though the test is used for admission to business or managementprograms, no specific knowledge in these areas is needed to successfullycomplete the test. All of the information you will need to answer anyindividual question appears in the question and the answers. The test iscomputer-adaptive. The degree of difficulty of the questions will changebased on your answer history. You will never get many questions that areeither too difficult or too easy for you. Your success will derive from yourability to read and follow directions and carefully scrutinize the informationin the question or prompt. You will need to read and write in English andhave basic math and English skills. The test is delivered in English on acomputer, but no special computer skills are needed to complete the test.Basic word processing skills are necessary for composing the essay.Because the results are important, you should spend some time practicing forthe GMAT. At the very least, familiarize yourself with the question formats.Taking one or more practice tests will be most helpful in ensuring a highscore. Remember that the actual test is timed, so you should time yourselfthroughout one practice test.The following strategies will help you complete the GMAT in a timelymanner and ensure that you get the highest score possible.a) Pace yourself; use the allotted time wisely. An on-screen clock will keeptrack of the time remaining and warn you when 5 minutes remain.b)Neverskimthequestionsandanswers.Youmaymissimportantinformation.c) You must confirm the answer you have selected before you can move onto the next question. As long as all of the answers appear on the screen, youcan change your answer, but you cannot return to a question you havepreviously answeredd) You cannot skip a question, so, if you are not sure of the answer, eliminatethe choices that you can and select the best answer from the choicesremaining.e) Attempt to finish all of the questions, as leaving several unanswered canhave a seriously negative effect on your score.

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*****

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Analytical Writing AssessmentThe AWA is the first of four parts of the GMAT, and you will have 30minutes to plan and type your essay. You will begin by reading a briefargument in which the author may state a position, make a recommendation,or make a prediction. You may agree or disagree with the author's position,but refrain from stating your own opinion. Your task is to determine howsufficiently the writer has made his case and clearly communicate yourcritique of the argument in writing. Until 1999, two independent readerswould assign a score between 1 to 6 and if their scores were not exact oradjacent, a third reader would evaluate your writing. Now, the essays aregraded by a person and a computer called an “E-rater.” The computerprogram scans the essay and rates it according to certain parameters. If theperson and the computer vary in score by more than one point, a third personis called in to resolve the differences.The readers, who are college professors from a variety of disciplines, will usethe following criteria to score your analysis: the overall quality of your ideas;your ability to organize, develop, and express your ideas; your includingrelevant supporting reasons and examples; and your control of the elementsof standard written English.The following directions appear after each argument, and you should readthem carefully.Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. In your discussion be sureto analyze the line of reasoning and the use of evidence in the argument. Forexample, you may need to consider what questionable assumptions underliethe thinking and what alternative explanations or counterexamples mightweaken the conclusion. You can also discuss what sort of evidence wouldstrengthen or refute the argument, what changes in the argument would makeit more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluateits conclusion.

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StrategiesWhile planning your response, focus on the suggestions in the directions. Usethe erasable notepad to take notes to help you organize your analysis. Beginby identifying the audience for the argument. The author may have tailoredthe information in the argument to this audience, thereby creating someinherent biases. For example, a company's report to its stockholders mayinclude information that makes a company seem more profitable than it reallyis and omit information that makes stockholders question their investment. Apolitical endorsement will enumerate positive changes that the incumbent hasfacilitated and point out how his opponent disagrees with that incumbent'spolicies. An editorial, by its nature, expresses an opinion. Understanding howthe audience may influence the type of information included in the argumentwill help you to single out the questionable assumptions in the argument. Theauthor may have a vested interest in the point of view expressed in theargument. He or she may be a department head in a large company, andprovideonlypositiveinformationabouthisdepartment'sperformancedesignedtoinsurejobsecurityorexpansionofhisdepartment.Acknowledging hidden agendas will help you evaluate the argument.Consider the source of the information presented in the argument. The authormay cite polls or surveys. Although the survey or poll information may beaccurate, it may not actually support the argument. The author may be usingsurvey results to create an analogy, a conclusion drawn by arguing that thereare clear similarities between two different events. Be wary of generaldescriptors like several, some, many, or recent. You should ask, "How many?How recent?"Next, list the assumptions. Keep in mind that an assumption is not a fact, butit may be based on what appear to be facts in the argument. For example, thewriter may say that over the last few years, gold chain sales at Jennie'sJewelry have declined by 20%. A recent survey shows that a significant

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number of women prefer sterling silver over gold, so Jennie should increaseher sterling silver chain inventory to raise her profits. One questionableassumption implied in this statement is that Jennie's sales of gold chain wereso high that a 20% reduction has had a big impact on her profits. Another isthat Jennie can sell enough sterling silver to compensate for the reduction ingoldsales.YoumightalsoassumethatJenniehastakennostepstocompensate for the reduction in gold sales. The survey results cited here mayalso lead you to conclude that investing in more sterling silver is a gooddecision.Thedirectionstellyoutoconsideralternativeexplanationsorcounterexamples for the assumptions in the argument. In the case of Jennie’sJewelry, you might think of reasons to explain the 20% decline in gold sales.A new jewelry store may have opened in town. The price of gold may be sohigh that Jennie bought less of it, and a smaller selection forced customers toshop elsewhere. The higher price may have discouraged customers frompurchasingit.Jennie'sJewelrymayhaveexperiencedanevengreaterreduction in sterling silver sales. A manufacturer may have closed its plant inJennie's town, eliminating a significant number of jobs, so all businesses inher town may have suffered losses. If any of these conditions are true, theassumption is faulty. You might be able to draw on your own experience todevelop an alternative explanation. It is likely that you live in a town whoseindependently-owned, small businesses have been affected by the opening ofa new mall or big box store, and you can relate the impact of that in youranalysis.Whatadditionalinformationwouldhelpyoutobetterevaluatetheassumptions? The following pieces of information may help you: the portionof Jennie's total sales that can be attributed to gold jewelry; changes in theprice of gold over the last few years; changes in the local economy; what isselling well at Jennie's Jewelry. If you know this information, you candetermine if the author's recommendation is reasonable. Try manipulatingsome numbers that make a 20% decline in gold sales seem either significantor of little concern. For example, consider that gold sales account for 80% ofJennie's total sales. Losing one-fifth of those sales would result in gold salesequallingonly66%oftotalsales,asignificantloss.Salesofothermerchandise would have to increase from 20% of the total to 34% of the

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total. On the other hand, if the sale of gold jewelry accounts for only 10% oftotal sales for the store, a 20% decline, which would reduce the contributionto 8% of total sales, would be almost negligible.Makingseparatelistsfortheassumptionsand/orclaims,alternativeexplanations or counter examples, and missing information will provide avisual aid to assist you in developing your evaluation of any argument. Now,you are prepared to begin composing your evaluation of the argument. Youwill be able to perform basic word processing functions like cut and paste, sofeel free to begin writing about your ideas in any way that is comfortable foryou. Some writers complete the introduction before moving on to the bodyparagraphs, while others prefer to write the introduction after developingtheir ideas in the body paragraphs. Whatever style suits you, keep in mind thefollowing strategies.a) Read the argument carefully; reread it as you write to insure that youmaintain your focus.b) Refer to your notes, lists, or outline as you write, but do not hesitate toinclude ideas that come to you as you write. Your prewriting is just a guide.c) Fully develop your examples; do not simply list them.d) In your discussion of alternative explanations or counterexamples, feel freeto draw on your own experiences, observations, or readings.e) Be sure to use a narrative format for your evaluation.f)Leave some time to reread your response and make any necessary revisions.g) Keep in mind that you are critiquing the argument, and you may point outboth strengths and weaknesses.Complete enough practice essays to become comfortable with the format.Take as much time as you need with the first few responses, but, eventually,you should complete some practice analyses while timing yourself. Asksomeone whose opinion you respect to read some of your analyses and askhim or her to provide constructive feedback. Share the scoring criteria withthat person, so he or she can phrase the feedback in the language of thescoring guide.

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Scoring GuideYour goal, after completing practice essays, is to use what you have learnedto get the highest score possible on your analysis. In order to earn a score of6- the highest score possible- your analysis must be Outstanding. At thislevel, you will have created a response that demonstrates an insightfulanalysis of the argument after clearly identifying its important features. Yourideas will be organized logically and be connected with clear transitions tocreate a cogent response as you provide effective support for your points. Usea variety of sentence structures and apt and accurate vocabulary. Althoughyour writing may have some minor flaws, you should strive for control of theconventions of standard written English, including grammar, usage, andmechanicsAnalyses at score point 5 are described as Strong. You have demonstrated theability to identify the important features of the arguments and analyze themthoughtfully.Youranalysesarenotformulaic.Youranalysisproceedslogically with appropriate transitions between ideas. You demonstrate controlof language with sentence variety and appropriate vocabulary. Your responsemay contain occasional flaws in usage, grammar, and mechanics.A score point of 4 is for analyses that are considered Adequate. You havedelivered a competent critique of the argument. You are able to identify andanalyze the important features of the argument. You may omit transitionsbetween satisfactorily developed and well- organized ideas. You provideadequate support for the main points in your critique and demonstratereasonable clarity and sufficient control of language. Although your analysismay have some flaws, your writing generally follows the conventions ofstandard written English.Papers that are given a score of 3 are considered to be Limited. Although youdemonstrate some ability to provide a written analysis of an argument, yourflaws are evident. You have failed to identify or analyze most of the

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important points in the argument. Although some analysis is present, itaddresses only tangential or irrelevant matters. Your reasoning is weak.Development of ideas lacks substance, and the organization lacks logic. Theanalysis may contain either occasional major errors or frequent minor errorsingrammar,usage,andmechanics.Thereislittlevarietyinsentencestructure, and sometimes vocabulary is weak or inappropriate.An analysis assigned a score of 2 is Seriously Flawed due to seriousweaknesses in analytical writing skills. At this level, your response may stateyour own opinion on the subject of the argument. If you attempt a critique,you do not develop your ideas or provide relevant support for them. Yourresponse is poorly organized and has serious and frequent errors in sentencestructure. Numerous errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics interfere withmeaning and coherence.A Fundamentally Deficient analysis earns a score of 1. This paper lacks eventhe basic skills of analytical writing. Your writing demonstrates the inabilitytounderstandtheargument,therebypreventingyoufromidentifyingimportant ideas. Any response at this score level has severe and persistenterrors in language and sentence structure. The response is virtually incoherentas a result of pervasive errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics.The final two scoring options are No Score and NR. Your response will earna No Score if you simply attempt to copy the prompt, write off topic, write ina language other than English, or write using only keystroke characters. NRis assigned to blank responses.ConclusionThe Analytical Writing Assessment does not measure the extent of yourknowledge about any specific topic or academic content. The argument topicsmay be about business or any area of general interest. Use your familiaritywith the scoring criteria and your practice writing analyses to approach theargument in a manner that displays your ability to think critically about the

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