It is my first attempt at the argument essay for the impending GRE.
Task instruction: write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the recommendation is likely to have the predicted result. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the recommendation.
The following is a recommendation from the Board of Directors of Monarch Books.
"We recommend that Monarch Books open a café in its store. Monarch, having been in business at the same location for more than twenty years, has a large customer base because it is known for its wide selection of books on all subjects. Clearly, opening the café would attract more customers. Space could be made for the café by discontinuing the children's book section, which will probably become less popular given that the most recent national census indicated a significant decline in the percentage of the population under age ten. Opening a café will allow Monarch to attract more customers and better compete with Regal Books, which recently opened its own café."
My asnwer:
In the foregoing argument, the author contends that Monarch Books would like to entice more customers by opening a café in its bookstore. Although his claim may have some value, the author renders a poorly warranted argument, based on several unconvincing assumptions; hence, the author's argument is anything but valid.
The primary issue with the author's reasoning lies in the unwarranted assumption that the children's book section will grow less essential and, as a result, its space will be utilized for the proposed café. According to the recent national census, there was a recession in the children's percentage under age ten. For one, there is missing information that could have provided some lucidity about the exact percentage figures that showed decline and how they fluctuate. More significantly, we cannot trust this decrease as we don't know when the census was in the process. If it had been in summer, then we could deduce that at that time most of the children forgo their quotidian leisure: some children travel, visit their relatives in other cities and counties; others may go to summer camps or just unwind and maunder about, thus, a few number or no one attends Monarch Books. Therefore, once the school days are back, these children revert to their usual habits, and the decline of the percentage attending the bookstore can recess by no means. The argument would have been more compelling had it provided information concerning the exact percentage of the decline and, also, the proof the census was conducted during the school days. Without these important details, one can confidently infer that the author's presented assumption lacks any evidentiary support and renders the assumption regarding less popularity of the children's book section untenable.
The author's secondary assumption holds unproven. Even if Monarch Books opened a café that would not mean that the new café could let more customers be present in the bookstore. This assumption leaves many unanswered questions - if the overall impression from the Monarch's café would have a great surge of customers, if the café met certain requirements as such as the suitable price of beverages, the right menu lists for customers-to-be. As one can discern, none of these criteria were taken into account. So, the author's assumption is lacking as nothing was provided to conclude that a new café would attract more customers. The author weakens his arguments by clashing the links between the the advent of a café in Monarch Books and a greater amount of customers in the bookstore since no evidentiary support is rendered.
In addition, the author makes a vague assumption about a better ability of Monarch Books to better vie with Rental Books that recently opened its café. The author failed to take into account essential factor - even if the café of Monarch Books enticed more customers, Rental Books could still outperform Monarch Books because of other factors: a better location, another change in the bookstore or a new elegant fine dining and so on. The absence of such details makes us argue that there is no ground for maintaining that more customers in Monarch Books would result in better competition with Regal Books. It is crucial that the author expound his argumentation by contending the location of two bookstores, a detailed survey of the people going to such bookstores, their predilections and dislikes, and a finer proof of an effect the café would yield. Provided such corroboration elaborated, we could trace the correct corollary of an impending opening of the café. Otherwise, the author's supposition makes all but convincing case.
In sum, as the argument lacks the grounded and solid facts to support its conclusion - to entice more customers by opening a new café and better competing with Regal books -, one can safely state that this argument is highly flawed. If the author indeed wants his readers to consider his argument valid, he should clearly ascertain his assumptions and provide evidentiary support. Without these things, the author's argument fails to persuade its readers.
Thank you very much!!
Task instruction: write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the recommendation is likely to have the predicted result. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the recommendation.
The following is a recommendation from the Board of Directors of Monarch Books.
"We recommend that Monarch Books open a café in its store. Monarch, having been in business at the same location for more than twenty years, has a large customer base because it is known for its wide selection of books on all subjects. Clearly, opening the café would attract more customers. Space could be made for the café by discontinuing the children's book section, which will probably become less popular given that the most recent national census indicated a significant decline in the percentage of the population under age ten. Opening a café will allow Monarch to attract more customers and better compete with Regal Books, which recently opened its own café."
My asnwer:
In the foregoing argument, the author contends that Monarch Books would like to entice more customers by opening a café in its bookstore. Although his claim may have some value, the author renders a poorly warranted argument, based on several unconvincing assumptions; hence, the author's argument is anything but valid.
The primary issue with the author's reasoning lies in the unwarranted assumption that the children's book section will grow less essential and, as a result, its space will be utilized for the proposed café. According to the recent national census, there was a recession in the children's percentage under age ten. For one, there is missing information that could have provided some lucidity about the exact percentage figures that showed decline and how they fluctuate. More significantly, we cannot trust this decrease as we don't know when the census was in the process. If it had been in summer, then we could deduce that at that time most of the children forgo their quotidian leisure: some children travel, visit their relatives in other cities and counties; others may go to summer camps or just unwind and maunder about, thus, a few number or no one attends Monarch Books. Therefore, once the school days are back, these children revert to their usual habits, and the decline of the percentage attending the bookstore can recess by no means. The argument would have been more compelling had it provided information concerning the exact percentage of the decline and, also, the proof the census was conducted during the school days. Without these important details, one can confidently infer that the author's presented assumption lacks any evidentiary support and renders the assumption regarding less popularity of the children's book section untenable.
The author's secondary assumption holds unproven. Even if Monarch Books opened a café that would not mean that the new café could let more customers be present in the bookstore. This assumption leaves many unanswered questions - if the overall impression from the Monarch's café would have a great surge of customers, if the café met certain requirements as such as the suitable price of beverages, the right menu lists for customers-to-be. As one can discern, none of these criteria were taken into account. So, the author's assumption is lacking as nothing was provided to conclude that a new café would attract more customers. The author weakens his arguments by clashing the links between the the advent of a café in Monarch Books and a greater amount of customers in the bookstore since no evidentiary support is rendered.
In addition, the author makes a vague assumption about a better ability of Monarch Books to better vie with Rental Books that recently opened its café. The author failed to take into account essential factor - even if the café of Monarch Books enticed more customers, Rental Books could still outperform Monarch Books because of other factors: a better location, another change in the bookstore or a new elegant fine dining and so on. The absence of such details makes us argue that there is no ground for maintaining that more customers in Monarch Books would result in better competition with Regal Books. It is crucial that the author expound his argumentation by contending the location of two bookstores, a detailed survey of the people going to such bookstores, their predilections and dislikes, and a finer proof of an effect the café would yield. Provided such corroboration elaborated, we could trace the correct corollary of an impending opening of the café. Otherwise, the author's supposition makes all but convincing case.
In sum, as the argument lacks the grounded and solid facts to support its conclusion - to entice more customers by opening a new café and better competing with Regal books -, one can safely state that this argument is highly flawed. If the author indeed wants his readers to consider his argument valid, he should clearly ascertain his assumptions and provide evidentiary support. Without these things, the author's argument fails to persuade its readers.
Thank you very much!!
