Kindly Rate my AWA
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20 Apr 2014, 11:16
AWA ESSAYS: Analyze Argument
ESSAY QUESTION:
The following appeared in The Homebuilder magazine, a local publication with a focus on construction and sale of real-estate properties:
“According to the most recent survey of our readers, nearly 70% of the respondents indicated that they are planning to build or purchase a new home over the next 2 years. These results indicate that the growth in the construction industry is likely to accelerate in the near future. Therefore, this industry continues to offer lucrative opportunities for investment.”
Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. Point out flaws in the argument's logic and analyze the argument's underlying assumptions. In addition, evaluate how supporting evidence is used and what evidence might counter the argument's conclusion. You may also discuss what additional evidence could be used to strengthen the argument or what changes would make the argument more logically sound.
YOUR RESPONSE:
The argument is dependent upon a small sample space and has extrapolated information from the opinion of only it's readers. The magazine is a local publication and very likely the readers are geographically confined but the conclusion has been applied on the industry level. We cannot trust the veracity of the survey unless we are offered an insight into the people who were surveyed. It might be that the people surveyed are of a relatively young age and plan to invest in buying a home in the next two years which has no relation to an increase in the investment opportunities in the future. Also the argument fails to mention current market trends in terms of number of vacant houses. Maybe, at this point of time there are a lot of houses lying vacant and people will chose to buy them rather than build new houses. The conclusion also falls apart when we assume that people willing to build or buy new houses have the necessary finances to do the same. We also have to keep in my mind the ease with which financial aid is available to the prospective buyers of these new homes.
The premise and the conclusion would be better linked if we were to mention the missing facts like age group of buyers and any other such data about the readers that makes the conclusion universal. The argument would also be well supported if were to discuss current market trends and draw a comparison with the past trends so that we can eliminate any growth arising purely out of regression. The argument also needs to mention about the ease with which other factors are available so that the building and buying of new homes is facilitated. The argument would be more sound if it published data about how well the situation in the region truly reflects the world wide scenario.