Events & Promotions
|
|
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.
Customized
for You
Track
Your Progress
Practice
Pays
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Apr 2512:30 AM EDT
-01:30 AM EDT
At one point, she believed GMAT wasn’t for her. After scoring 595, self-doubt crept in and she questioned her potential. But instead of quitting, she made the right strategic changes. The result? A remarkable comeback to 695. Check out how Saakshi did it.
Apr 2601:30 AM EDT
-02:30 AM EDT
Learn how Keshav, a Chartered Accountant, scored an impressive 705 on GMAT in just 30 days with GMATWhiz's expert guidance. In this video, he shares preparation tips and strategies that worked for him, including the mock, time management, and more.
Apr 2610:00 AM EDT
-11:00 AM EDT
The Target Test Prep course represents a quantum leap forward in GMAT preparation, a radical reinterpretation of the way that students should study. Try before you buy with a 5-day, full-access trial of the course for FREE!
Apr 2711:00 AM EDT
-12:00 PM EDT
Prefer video-based learning? The Target Test Prep OnDemand course is a one-of-a-kind video masterclass featuring 400 hours of lecture-style teaching by Scott Woodbury-Stewart, founder of Target Test Prep and one of the most accomplished GMAT instructors
Apr 2808:00 AM PDT
-11:00 AM PDT
Whether you are just beginning your MBA journey or fine-tuning your path to a 700+ score, GMAT Day is designed to give you a competitive edge.
May 0111:00 AM PDT
-12:00 PM PDT
Free- full-length test + 15 concept videos + 150+ short videos + study plan!
28 Dec 2023, 14:57
Kudos
Bookmarks
The following appeared in a magazine article on trends and lifestyles.
"In general, people are not as concerned as they were a decade ago about regulating their intake of red meat and fatty cheeses. Walk into the Heart's Delight, a store that started selling organic fruits and vegetables and whole-grain flours in the 1960's, and you will also find a wide selection of cheeses made with high butterfat content. Next door, the owners of the Good Earth Café, an old vegetarian restaurant, are still making a modest living, but the owners of the new House of Beef across the street are millionaires."
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.
"In general, people are not as concerned as they were a decade ago about regulating their intake of red meat and fatty cheeses. Walk into the Heart's Delight, a store that started selling organic fruits and vegetables and whole-grain flours in the 1960's, and you will also find a wide selection of cheeses made with high butterfat content. Next door, the owners of the Good Earth Café, an old vegetarian restaurant, are still making a modest living, but the owners of the new House of Beef across the street are millionaires."
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.
Your Answer: The excerpt in the magazine article claims that based on the wide selection of high-fat cheese sold at a specific store and the profit made by owners of a meat-centred restaurant versus one that is vegetarian-centred, that people in general do not consider their intake of red meat and fatty cheeses as much as they did a decade ago. However, due to the limited scope of these anecdotal examples to support this claim, the argument is not well-reasoned at all and can be refuted by offering both weaknesses in these examples as well as counter-examples that may prove the argument wrong.
Firstly, the writer of this article cannot reasonably assume that the consumer habits of people as a whole have changed because of the choices that two specific businesses have made. It is possible that although there are, what they claim, a "wide selection of cheeses made with high butterfat content" sold at the Heart's Delight store, there is no evidence provided to suggest that this must be the case at other stores. Similarly, even though the owners of the two specifically-chosen restaurants are facing different economic fortunes, this may not be the case when comparing many other vegetarian restaurants with many other beef-centred restaurants. Although it is true that these examples may mirror the consumer habits of the area in which the writer of this excerpt resides, there is no indication that there are no other examples from that area proving the writer wrong. It is also not clear whether the writer is asserting that their argument holds true with people living in a specific town or with people in a wider geographic region.
Furthermore, the examples the writer has chosen to employ are themselves weak. Although it may be true that there is a selection of cheese made with high fat content at the Heart's Delight, this alone cannot be used suggest that the demand for such cheese is high. We do not know the motivation for the selection of cheese provided at the store. Based on the limited information provided to us, it is possible that the store is running a promotion on these cheeses because of a partnership with a cheese-making company that is trying to push against prevailing consumer sentiment — we cannot know for certain that this is not the case, in the same way that we cannot know the cheese is on sale because of high consumer demand. It would be helpful to know what proportion of the aforementioned cheese is being bought by store-goers. Furthermore, the writer cannot claim that the Good Earth Café is missing the mark with consumers compared to the House of Beef because there is a lack of information about the size of these restaurants and the nature of the respective business owners. For example, it is possible that the owners of the House of Beef run a chain of highly successful vegetarian restaurants, and are looking to diversify their portfolio of businesses by running a beef-based restaurant. Overall, the lack of information provided for these examples hurts the effectiveness of the argument.
Finally, the time-span for the shift in consumer interests provided in the argument is not substantiated by any of the examples given. The writer argues that people are less concerned about their instake of red meat and fatty cheeses compared to a decade ago. However, they then go on to make examples of a store that was set up in the 1960s and a new beef restaurant compared to an old vegetarian restaurant. In the first example, we do not know how long cheese has been a store item. If it is a recent addition, it is more likely that it is catering to shifting consumer habits, thus supporting the writer's argument. However, if it is not a recent addition, then this renders the argument ineffective. Latterly, if there are a number of new vegetarian restaurants being opened as well as the beef restaurant, this also renders the argument as ineffective.
In conclusion, the lack of evidence to assert that people as a whole have changed their consumer habits severely weakens the writer's argument. In addition, the evidence itself is not strong as isolated examples, and further context needs to be provided in order to prove that the evidence actually supports the writer's claim in the article.
Firstly, the writer of this article cannot reasonably assume that the consumer habits of people as a whole have changed because of the choices that two specific businesses have made. It is possible that although there are, what they claim, a "wide selection of cheeses made with high butterfat content" sold at the Heart's Delight store, there is no evidence provided to suggest that this must be the case at other stores. Similarly, even though the owners of the two specifically-chosen restaurants are facing different economic fortunes, this may not be the case when comparing many other vegetarian restaurants with many other beef-centred restaurants. Although it is true that these examples may mirror the consumer habits of the area in which the writer of this excerpt resides, there is no indication that there are no other examples from that area proving the writer wrong. It is also not clear whether the writer is asserting that their argument holds true with people living in a specific town or with people in a wider geographic region.
Furthermore, the examples the writer has chosen to employ are themselves weak. Although it may be true that there is a selection of cheese made with high fat content at the Heart's Delight, this alone cannot be used suggest that the demand for such cheese is high. We do not know the motivation for the selection of cheese provided at the store. Based on the limited information provided to us, it is possible that the store is running a promotion on these cheeses because of a partnership with a cheese-making company that is trying to push against prevailing consumer sentiment — we cannot know for certain that this is not the case, in the same way that we cannot know the cheese is on sale because of high consumer demand. It would be helpful to know what proportion of the aforementioned cheese is being bought by store-goers. Furthermore, the writer cannot claim that the Good Earth Café is missing the mark with consumers compared to the House of Beef because there is a lack of information about the size of these restaurants and the nature of the respective business owners. For example, it is possible that the owners of the House of Beef run a chain of highly successful vegetarian restaurants, and are looking to diversify their portfolio of businesses by running a beef-based restaurant. Overall, the lack of information provided for these examples hurts the effectiveness of the argument.
Finally, the time-span for the shift in consumer interests provided in the argument is not substantiated by any of the examples given. The writer argues that people are less concerned about their instake of red meat and fatty cheeses compared to a decade ago. However, they then go on to make examples of a store that was set up in the 1960s and a new beef restaurant compared to an old vegetarian restaurant. In the first example, we do not know how long cheese has been a store item. If it is a recent addition, it is more likely that it is catering to shifting consumer habits, thus supporting the writer's argument. However, if it is not a recent addition, then this renders the argument ineffective. Latterly, if there are a number of new vegetarian restaurants being opened as well as the beef restaurant, this also renders the argument as ineffective.
In conclusion, the lack of evidence to assert that people as a whole have changed their consumer habits severely weakens the writer's argument. In addition, the evidence itself is not strong as isolated examples, and further context needs to be provided in order to prove that the evidence actually supports the writer's claim in the article.
31 Dec 2023, 02:16
Kudos
Bookmarks
AWA Score: 5 - 5.5 out of 6
Coherence and Connectivity: 5.5/6
The essay demonstrates strong coherence and connectivity, with a clear progression of ideas. The arguments are logically presented, and transitions between paragraphs contribute to the overall coherence. However, there are a few instances where smoother transitions could enhance connectivity.
Word Structure: 5.5/6
The essay makes effective use of vocabulary, and the language is generally clear and precise. Some sentences could benefit from more varied structures to enhance overall word structure, but the language is proficient.
Paragraph Structure and Formation: 5/6
The essay has a well-defined paragraph structure, with each paragraph focusing on a specific point and adequately developed. However, there are a few areas where more detailed elaboration could strengthen the argument further.
Language and Grammar: 5.5/6
The language and grammar are strong, with only minor errors. Sentence structures are generally correct, but a couple of instances could be rephrased for improved clarity. Overall, the essay exhibits a high level of language proficiency.
Vocabulary and Word Expression: 5.5/6
The essay employs a varied and effective vocabulary, contributing to clear expression. There are instances where more precise word choices could enhance expression, but the overall vocabulary use is commendable.
In summary, this analytical writing assessment essay demonstrates a high level of proficiency in terms of coherence and connectivity, word structure, paragraph structure and formation, language and grammar, and vocabulary and word expression. There is room for improvement in some areas, but the essay effectively critiques the argument and provides constructive suggestions for enhancement.
Coherence and Connectivity: 5.5/6
The essay demonstrates strong coherence and connectivity, with a clear progression of ideas. The arguments are logically presented, and transitions between paragraphs contribute to the overall coherence. However, there are a few instances where smoother transitions could enhance connectivity.
Word Structure: 5.5/6
The essay makes effective use of vocabulary, and the language is generally clear and precise. Some sentences could benefit from more varied structures to enhance overall word structure, but the language is proficient.
Paragraph Structure and Formation: 5/6
The essay has a well-defined paragraph structure, with each paragraph focusing on a specific point and adequately developed. However, there are a few areas where more detailed elaboration could strengthen the argument further.
Language and Grammar: 5.5/6
The language and grammar are strong, with only minor errors. Sentence structures are generally correct, but a couple of instances could be rephrased for improved clarity. Overall, the essay exhibits a high level of language proficiency.
Vocabulary and Word Expression: 5.5/6
The essay employs a varied and effective vocabulary, contributing to clear expression. There are instances where more precise word choices could enhance expression, but the overall vocabulary use is commendable.
In summary, this analytical writing assessment essay demonstrates a high level of proficiency in terms of coherence and connectivity, word structure, paragraph structure and formation, language and grammar, and vocabulary and word expression. There is room for improvement in some areas, but the essay effectively critiques the argument and provides constructive suggestions for enhancement.
spishnut
Moderator:
