The Argument Task
OVERVIEW
• Key facts about the GRE Argument task
• The 7-step plan
• GRE Argument flaws—and how to handle them
• Argument task strategies
• Summing it up
In this chapter, you’ll find out how to write an effective GRE Argument essay.
First, you’ll learn a step-by-step approach to brainstorming, organizing, com-
posing, and fine-tuning your Argument essay, all within the exam’s 30-minute
time limit. By following this step-by-step plan, you’ll increase your chances of
attaining a better-than-average Argument task score of at least 4 on the 0–6
scale.
Then, later in the chapter, you’ll focus on the most common types of reasoning
flaws in GRE Arguments. You’ll learn how to recognize and handle each type,
since this is the skill that separates the best Argument essays—those earning
a score of 5 or 6—from all the others.
At the end of the chapter, you’ll review the keys to writing a high-scoring GRE
Argument essay.
KEY FACTS ABOUT THE GRE ARGUMENT TASK
You first looked at the Argument writing task in Chapter 2 and in this book’s
Diagnostic Test. Here’s a quick review of key facts about this component of GRE
Analytical Writing.
Where: Either immediately before or after the Issue writing task (the two
Analytical Writing tasks come at the beginning of the exam, before all Quan-
titative and Verbal Reasoning sections)
How Many: One essay
Time Allowed: 30 minutes
General Directive: You write an essay in which you discuss how well-
reasoned you find a particular Argument—specifically, the following four
aspects (1 and 2 are primary tasks):

vincing manner.
• Support your ideas with sound reasons and examples.
• Demonstrate adequate control of the elements of Standard Written English
(grammar, syntax, and usage).
Thirty minutes isn’t much time to accomplish these tasks, so you need to use that time
wisely. This does not mean using every one of your 30 minutes to peck madly at the
keyboard, however. You should spend some time first thinking about what you want to
write and how to organize your ideas. You should also allocate at least the final few of
your 30 minutes to proofread and fine-tune your essay.
PART III: Analytical Writing114
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The Argument task prompt will
direct you to discuss “how
well-reasoned” you find the
Argument; but in reality, your
job will be to discuss how
poorly reasoned it is—as you’ll
learn in this chapter.
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Here’s the 7-step plan (with suggested time for each step) to help you budget your
time so you can accomplish all four objectives listed above within 30 minutes:
Read the Argument and identify its conclusion(s) (1 minute).
Examine the Argument’s evidence and determine how strongly it supports the
conclusion(s) (3 minutes).
Organize and prioritize your points of critique (1 minute).
Compose a brief introductory paragraph (2 minutes).
Compose the body of your essay (16 minutes).
Compose a final paragraph (2 minutes).

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intermediate conclusion, upon which the final conclusion depends, might appear
anywhere in the Argument. Not every Argument contains an intermediate conclusion.
Did you identify and distinguish between the intermediate and final conclusions in
the Argument 1? Here they are:
Intermediate conclusion
“By emulating the locations of these two successful salons, UpperCuts is
certain to attract more customers.”
Final conclusion
“In order to boost sagging profits at UpperCuts, we should...relocate the
salon from its current location in Apton’s suburban mall to downtown Apton,
while retaining the salon’s decidedly upscale ambiance.”
Notice that the Argument’s final conclusion relies on its intermediate conclusions.
Here’s the essential line of reasoning:
UC will gain customers if it moves downtown. (Intermediate conclusion)
Therefore, UC will boost its profits simply by moving downtown. (Final
conclusion)
Always jot down an Argument’s intermediate conclusion (if any) and its final con-
clusion (shorthand form will do). You’ll need to refer to them time and again as you
develop your points of critique and compose your essay.
Step 2: Examine the Argument’s Evidence and Determine How
Strongly It Supports the Conclusion(s) (3 minutes)
Most GRE Arguments contain at least two or three items of information (or evidence)
supporting their conclusion(s). Identify these items, label them, and jot them down on
your scratch paper. Argument Statement 1 contains three distinct items of evidence:
Evidence Item 1
“According to a nationwide demographic study, more and more people today
are moving from suburbs to downtown areas.”

• demog. study—is Apton typical? no trend
reverse trend
• success of HD—is location key? marketing
key stylist
• success of B salon—downtown location key?
—is Apton like Brainard? (demog.)
• other problems
—relocation expenses offset revenues
—UC must establish new clientele
—competition from HD
(suff. demand for both salons?)
—demand for “upscale” salon downtown?
Step 3: Organize and Prioritize Your Points of Critique (1 minute)
Using your notes from step 2 as a guide, arrange your ideas into paragraphs (probably
three or four, depending on the number of problems built into the Argument). Take a
minute to consider whether any of the flaws you identified overlap, and whether you can
separate any of them into two distinct problems. In many cases, the best way to organize
your points of critique is to put them in the same order in which the reasoning problems
arise in the Argument itself.
Chapter 5: The Argument Task 117
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Without exception, each
Argument in the official GRE
exam pool contains at least
three or four distinct
assumptions or other
problems—that’s how the test
makers design them. Make