This blog is to provide you with a strategy to attack AWA arguments. It is meant to serve as a companion to the excellent article here –
https://gmat.crackverbal.com/gmat-awa/ AWA section tests your ability to critically analyze the argument given. Before you write down your essay, try to find as many points of attack as possible. Note them down. The whole activity must not take more than five minutes.
So, you ask me, how do I try to find the points of attack?
The best way to do so would be
to attack the argument sentence by sentence. I ask these questions to challenge each sentence - how/why/what if/why only this
Let me illustrate this strategy with a GMAT essay –
SuperCorp recently moved its headquarters to Corporateville. The recent surge in the number of homeowners in Corporateville proves that Corporateville is a superior place to live than Middlesburg, the home of SuperCorp's current headquarters. Moreover, Middlesburg is a predominantly urban area and according to an employee survey, SuperCorp has determined that its workers prefer to live in an area that is not urban. Finally, Corporateville has lower taxes than Middlesburg, making it not only a safer place to work but also a cheaper one. Therefore, Supercorp clearly made the best decision.Let me read the first sentence. It is a given fact. I cannot attack this. Okay, let me move on the second sentence –
The recent surge in number of homeowners in Corporateville proves that Corporateville is a superior place to live than Middlesburg.I try to attack this sentence.
Does the surge in homeowners mean that Corporateville is a superior place to live than Middlesburg?
For example - Has the surge occurred because a new factory has opened in Corporateville and the majority of people who have shifted there are the factory’s employees? (those employees might have been forced to relocate.)
Has the surge occurred because of a sudden drop in property prices there? If this were true, then we get an alternate cause for the surge in the number of homeowners.
How does this surge in the number of homeowners compare with surge in homeowners in Middlesburg? If the surge in Middlesburg is more, then obviously the argument is weakened.
What about other amenities in Corporateville? Access to shops, good schools, colleges and universities, electricity, drinking water etc. What about other factors such as climatic conditions, air pollution, public transportation, proximity to airports etc. Without an evaluation of these factors, it is difficult to arrive at a conclusion.
What if the recent surge in Corporateville causes overcrowding? By the same token, we can say that the surge in number of homeowners might cause increase in property prices and rent. Not so attractive then.
Let us look at the next sentence –
Middlesburg is a predominantly urban area and according to an employee survey, SuperCorp has determined that its workers prefer to live in an area that is not urban.Do we know that Corporateville is not an urban area?
What is the validity of the survey conducted? How old is the survey? What is the sample size of the survey conducted? Was the survey conducted according to rigorous research standards or was it just an informal survey?
What kind of people were surveyed for the essay? Were the majority of such people from rural/suburban areas? Did the majority of people surveyed live close to Corporateville (if so, then it would be easier for them to commute to Corporateville from their homes.) These factors obviously introduce a bias in the research conducted.
Okay, let us move to the last sentence –
Finally, Corporateville has lower taxes than Middlesburg, making it not only a safer place to work but also a cheaper one.Lower taxes do not necessarily lead to lower crime rates.
Lower taxes do not also necessarily lead to cheaper prices. What if Corporateville is a remote/difficult to access area? Then the increase in transportation costs will more than compensate for the lower taxes.
What if Corporateville has little to no access to basic amenities such as electricity, internet etc. Making business in such an area would be very expensive.
Are lower taxes only temporary? That might be a ploy of local government to attract business. What if they increase taxes as soon as businesses get established there?
Let us move on to the conclusion –
Therefore, Supercorp clearly made the best decision.What if Supercorp loses clients in Middlesburg and other surrounding areas because of its decision to relocate?
What if they established a branch office at Corporateville instead of shifting their headquarters there?
What if supplies required for Supercorp were better accessible from Middlesburg?
Once, you have noted down all these points of attack, try to
structure them into 2-3 paragraphs. Also,
allocate 3 minutes toward the end for grammar/spell checking.All the best!!
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Crackverbal Prep Team
www.crackverbal.com