GRE Argument Essay Structure – Flashcards

Read argument with critical eye. Lookout for assumptions, in how writer moves from evidence to conclusion. Analyze the chain of reasoning used. All essays will be flawed. Explain how a different approach or more information would make the argument better or worse. Analyze the logical soundness of argument conclusion/evidence, not really agreeing or disagreeing. Evaluate someone else's argument by assessing their claims and evaluate evidence provided.

Primarily to address ways in which assumptions seem unsupported, recommend new evidence to see and why

2 minutes... Conclusion-Point argument is making. Evidence-basis offered to support the conclusion. Assumptions-unspoken conditions or beliefs necessary for the conclusion to make sense in light of evidence. Ex. Credits will improve teachers' classroom performance, current bad teachers haven't met this standard training, current bad teacher will need to be trained or won't be teaching in future.

4 minutes... Analyze the use of evidence in the argument. Determine anything relevant that is not discussed. Types of evidence that would make the argument stronger or more logically sound. Or new evidence to support assumptions. Ex. will training address the cause of problems, what does poorly performing mean, improve or remove bad teachers.

2 minutes... P1-argument improved academic training, ensured by credits in ed and psych, will alleviate current prob of poorly trained educators. P2-will training address the cause of the problem? P3-Poorly performed not clearly defined P4-another state instituted same guidelines, what does their data and seen results? P5-author has not presented well-defined terms and relies upon unproven assumptions, these reasons it is not convincing.

20 minutes

2 minutes

· Find the three holes in logic: Statistical Analogy Causal · ID Keywords to reuse in essay to provide proper context

· Restate the argument · Point out the three flaws · End with argument is weak due to assumptions which have no clear evidence "The argument___may seem logical at first glance. Author makes a valid argument, one that would be correct if its premises were true." "However, the writer's conclusion relies on assumptions for which there is no clear evidence, and it uses terms that lack definition"

"The argument ___ may seem logical at first glance. The author makes a valid argument, one that would be correct if its premises were true. However, the writer's conclusion relies on assumptions for which there is no clear evidence, and it uses terms that lack definition."

· Restate statistical flaw in prompt · Call it out for it's weakness · Give an example pointing out statistical flaw · Clearly.... · Show a way the statistic could be improved "First"

"First, the writer assumes..."

· Restate analogy flaw · This is again a very weak and unsupported claim as the argument does not demonstrate any correlation between....and... · Give example pointing out analogy flaw · While... · Present a comparison that would yield worthwhile evidence "Additionally,"

"Additionally, the writer provides no evidence could be strengthened considerably if provided evidence of.."

· Restate Causal Flaw · Call out it's weakness · Give an example pointing out the causal flaw · Therefore.... · Provide a causal example that would lead to substantive evidence "The notion.."

"Furthermore, the writer does not explain or the argument could be strengthened by a clear definition..."

· Restate initial premise · Because of these three flaws the argument is invalid "In conclusion," "The writer must first define the scope of the problem more clearly and submit more conclusive evidence that the new requirements will, in fact, improve overall teaching performance."

"In conclusion, ___. The writer must first define the scope of the problem more clearly and submit more conclusive evidence that the new requirements will, in fact, improve overall teaching performance."

· Because · Since · Given that · In view of · In light of · assume · The above argument tries to · However · According to the author · Hence · According to the conclusion of this editorial · Although

Show that one cannot assume that the opinions or experiences of a smaller group (A) is representative or a reflection of the larger group (B)

Show that A and B are dissimilar, nothing like each other; What is true for one does not have to be true for the other.

Point out that there are other possible causes of B, other than A. Give some possible examples; Show that while there may be a strong correlation between A and B, it does not always follow that one is the cause for the other.