Essential advice for analysis of argument essays

Last updated: 13 Oct 2008

Someone once said "There's no defence like a good offence". I believe it was someone in football, but as a long-suffering Toronto Maple Leafs fan I hope it was a hockey player.

No matter. It holds true in war, sports, love and various other energetic activities. It is also true for the GMAT Analysis of an Argument. ATTACK.

The author's argument will be, at most, 5 or 6 lines. One cannot write a cogent and comprehensive argument in 5 or 6 lines.

So you can always, at the very least, make the critique of "Well, the argument would make sense if the author had also discussed/explored A, B, C, and D".

There is your essay.

My advice: attack the author's argument.

Common Fallacies in the AWA Arguments

There are 5 main types of logical fallacies you will find in the arguments presented in this section.

If you can identify these types, you can write a good critique of the argument.

Causal argument fallacy (if A, then B)

In this type of argument, the author contends that if one event occurs, the other event will thus occur.

For example,

The Bowler Health Club is planning to install an Olympic-sized pool in its facilities next year. This will create a great amount of interest in the community, and the Club will be able to double its membership next year.

What to do: the argument is "If A, then B". So, imagine "If A, then C (and D, E, F, etc.).

Imagine other effects emerging from this cause. In this case, imagine the pool going way over cost and bankrupting the Club. Imagine another club or the community centre installing a pool, and taking away business from the Club. Etc.

Causal argument fallacy 2 (if B, it must have been A)

This is the flip-side of the previous type of argument fallacy. In this case, we have an effect, and we are establishing a cause for it.

For example,

The Bowler Health Club doubled its membership this year. This is due to the installation of an Olympic-sized pool in its facilities last year, which created a great amount of interest in the community.

What to do: the argument is "If B, then it must have been A". Imagine other possible causes for B.

In this case, perhaps the Club reduced the cost of its membership last year. Perhaps other health clubs in town went out of business. The more examples, such as these, that you can come up with, the weaker the Author's argument that B was definitely caused by A.

False analogy (if it worked for A, it will work for B)

For this type of problem, are false comparison is made.

For example,

The ACME shoe company increased its profits by 300% over a five-year period by closing its main downtown outlet, and opening smaller branches in the suburbs. The Bowler Health Club would be more profitable if it did the same.

What to do: the argument is "If it worked for A, it will work for B".

But the obvious criticism is that a shoe company is not the same as a health club.

Come up with reasons why this plan won't work for the health club. Perhaps one large facility is more cost effective than several smaller facilities. Perhaps the health club clientele is entirely based downtown. Use your imagination.

Appeal to authority (If Steve said it would work, it will work)

In this type of argument, an authority or expert is cited or quoted in order to bolster the argument.

For example,

The Bowler Health Club is planning to install an Olympic-sized pool in its facilities next year. Steve says that this will create a great amount of interest in the community, and the Club will be able to double its membership next year. The Bowler Health Club should build the pool.

What to do: the argument is "If Steve said it would work, it will work".

So who is Steve? Maybe someone else would advise something completely different. You must point this out in your essay.

Appeal to the past (it worked back in the 1950s - it should work today)

For example,

The Bowler Health Club is planning to install a juke-box in its lounge next year. This will create a great amount of interest in the community, as it did for the Club back in the 1950s, and the Club will be able to double its membership next year.

What to do: the logic of the author's argument is "It worked back in the 50s - it should work today".

A juke-box? In today's world?! Get real, Daddy-o! Just because it worked in the past, doesn't mean it will work again. Times, and people, change. Point this out in your critique.

Next page: Organize your essay