GMAT Essays (AWA)

arjun12345 wrote:Please rate my essay. This is my first attempt. Thanks in advance.


The following was used as part of an internet advertising company's appeal to businesses:"Furniture Depot employed our internet advertising company to help. Since then its sales increased by 10% over last year's totals. Furniture Depot's success demonstrates how using our internet services can increase your profitability."

Describe how well reasoned you find this argument. In the 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 argument's conclusion. You may also address possible changes in the argument that would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion.




Advertising is a useful tool that may be employed by a business to boost its sales. In the given situation, an internet advertising company appeals to businesses to employ its services to boost the business's profits. This statement has 3 flaws, namely, a doubtful cause and effect relationship, a questionable relationship between sales and profits and an assumption about the pervasiveness of the advertising company's services.

Firstly, there is an unsubstantiated relationship between the increase in Furniture Depot's sales and the effectiveness of the advertising services provided. The internet company falsely assumes that the services it provided are the sole reason for an increase in Furniture Depot's sales. The sales of the furniture company could have increased due to some other reason. The sales may have increased due to a clearance sale that the company had announced simultaneously. Similarly there could be several other reasons for the increase in sales. Thus, the advertising company draws a wrong conclusion.

Secondly, the internet advertising company draws a questionable relationship between sales and profits. The prompt cites that the sales of Furniture Depot increased, whereas the internet company claims an increase in profits as a result of its services. The internet company assumes that an increase in sales will necessarily lead to an increase in profits. The advertising company fails to take in to account that the services it provides will only be cost effective if the increase in sales of the business are more than the cost of the advertising service.

Thirdly, the internet company wrongly assumes that its services will be effective for all natures of business. Even if the services provided by the advertising company lead to an increase in the sales of the furniture company, there is no guarantee that the same service will be effective for some other business.

To conclude, the given argument fails to provide certain details that would help evaluating the argument an easier process. Details regarding any other possible causes for an increase in sales or whether the advertising company provides turnkey solutions would have made the process to analyze the argument easier. The argument in its current form is flawed.