Easy GRE Argument Essay Prompts Practice Questions

Concept Explanation

GRE argument essay prompts require test-takers to analyze a short paragraph containing a specific claim or recommendation supported by evidence and assumptions. Unlike the Issue task, which asks for your personal opinion, the Argument task focuses on your ability to find logical flaws, unstated assumptions, and alternative explanations within a given text. You must evaluate the strength of the logic used by the author and explain how further evidence might strengthen or weaken the conclusion.

To succeed at this task, you should look for common logical fallacies such as the "after this, therefore because of this" error (post hoc ergo propter hoc), overgeneralizations, and false analogies. For instance, if an author suggests that because a new bookstore succeeded in City A, it will also succeed in City B, they are assuming City A and City B are sufficiently similar in demographics and consumer behavior. Your job is to point out these gaps. Using a structured GRE essay outline can help you organize these critiques into a coherent, high-scoring response.

Solved Examples

Reviewing these solved examples will help you understand how to identify logical gaps in easy GRE argument essay prompts.

1. Prompt: "The city of Riverton should build a new stadium to increase local tax revenue. Five years ago, the nearby city of Oakport built a stadium, and their tax revenue has increased by 20% since then."
   • Step 1: Identify the Conclusion: Riverton should build a stadium to boost tax revenue.
   • Step 2: Identify the Evidence: Oakport built a stadium and saw a 20% revenue increase.
   • Step 3: Analyze Assumptions: The author assumes the revenue increase in Oakport was caused only by the stadium and that Riverton’s economy will react the same way.
   • Step 4: Formulate Critique: Mention that Oakport might have had other economic booms (e.g., a new tech hub) and that Riverton might have a different population size or interest in sports.
2. Prompt: "Last year, we started using 'Clean-O' detergent in our hotel laundry. Since then, guest complaints about room cleanliness have dropped by 50%. Therefore, Clean-O is the reason our guests are more satisfied."
   • Step 1: Identify the Conclusion: Clean-O is the direct cause of increased guest satisfaction.
   • Step 2: Identify the Evidence: Complaints dropped by half after switching detergents.
   • Step 3: Analyze Assumptions: The author assumes "room cleanliness" complaints are specifically related to laundry and that no other changes (like hiring new staff) occurred.
   • Step 4: Formulate Critique: Point out that the drop in complaints could be due to a renovation of the rooms or a change in the guest demographic during that period.
3. Prompt: "To reduce accidents, the town of Millbrook should lower the speed limit on Main Street from 35 mph to 25 mph. Last month, a car speeding at 45 mph caused a major accident there."
   • Step 1: Identify the Conclusion: Lowering the limit to 25 mph will reduce accidents.
   • Step 2: Identify the Evidence: One accident occurred involving a car going 45 mph.
   • Step 3: Analyze Assumptions: The author assumes that drivers will follow the new limit and that the specific accident was caused by the speed limit being too high, rather than the driver already breaking the existing law.
   • Step 4: Formulate Critique: Note that if the driver was already doing 45 in a 35 zone, they were already speeding; lowering the sign to 25 might not change the behavior of reckless drivers.

Practice Questions

Test your analytical skills with these easy GRE argument essay prompts. Focus on identifying the unstated assumptions in each scenario.

1. The local bakery, Crust & Crumb, should open a second location in the neighboring town of Westville. Since Westville has no bakeries and a similar population size to our current town, the new location is guaranteed to be profitable.
2. A recent survey shows that 75% of residents in Clearview prefer drinking bottled water over tap water. Therefore, the Clearview City Council should invest in a municipal bottling plant to generate revenue for the city.
3. Attendance at the Springfield Summer Jazz Festival decreased by 30% this year. During the same period, the price of tickets increased by $5. To restore attendance levels next year, the festival organizers must lower ticket prices to their original levels.

4. The following appeared in a memo from the director of a student center: "Last semester, we added a new organic juice bar to the student center, and overall student center usage increased by 15%. To further increase usage, we should now add a gourmet coffee stand."
5. An advertisement for a fitness gym states: "Members who used our 'Power-Lift' weight machines for three months reported a 20% increase in muscle mass. Therefore, anyone looking to gain muscle should join our gym and use the Power-Lift machines."
6. A report from a tech company suggests: "Our employees who work from home are 10% more productive than those in the office. To maximize company-wide productivity, we should transition all employees to a permanent remote-work model."
7. The town of Sun Valley should install solar panels on all public buildings. Last year, the neighboring town of Brightwood installed solar panels and reduced its electricity costs by 25%.
8. A study found that children who play chess score higher on standardized math tests. Consequently, the school board should mandate chess instruction in all elementary schools to improve math performance.

Answers & Explanations

Below are the logical critiques for the practice questions provided above. Using GRE Prep resources like these helps sharpen your ability to spot fallacies quickly.

• 1. Bakery Expansion: The argument assumes that the lack of bakeries in Westville indicates high demand, rather than a lack of interest in baked goods. It also ignores potential differences in local competition, such as large grocery stores that sell bread.
• 2. Bottled Water Plant: A preference for bottled water does not mean residents want locally bottled water. They may prefer specific national brands. Furthermore, the cost of building a plant might exceed the potential revenue.
• 3. Jazz Festival: This assumes the $5 increase was the sole cause of the decline. Other factors, such as poor weather, a less popular lineup of musicians, or a competing event on the same weekend, are not considered.
• 4. Juice Bar vs. Coffee: The increase in usage might have been caused by other factors, like new study furniture or longer hours. Additionally, students who like organic juice might not be the same demographic that wants gourmet coffee.
• 5. Fitness Gym: The "20% increase" is based on self-reporting, which is often unreliable. Also, the members using these machines might also be taking supplements or following strict diets that contributed to the gain.
• 6. Remote Work: The 10% increase might only apply to certain roles (e.g., software developers). Some jobs, like hardware maintenance or collaborative design, might see a decrease in productivity if moved remote.
• 7. Solar Panels: Sun Valley and Brightwood may have different weather patterns or utility rates. If Sun Valley is much cloudier, the return on investment for solar panels will be significantly lower.
• 8. Chess and Math: This is a correlation-causation error. It is possible that children who are naturally gifted at logic and math are simply more likely to be drawn to chess, rather than chess making them better at math.

For more targeted practice, you can explore GRE Writing Practice Questions to refine your essay-pacing skills. Additionally, utilizing an AI Exam Simulator can provide real-time feedback on your analytical writing performance.

1. Which logical fallacy occurs when an author assumes that because Event A happened before Event B, Event A must have caused Event B?

• ACircular Reasoning
• BHasty Generalization
• CPost Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc
• DFalse Dilemma

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between the Issue and Argument essays?

The Issue essay asks you to take a side on a general topic, while the Argument essay asks you to critique the logic of a specific provided statement. You do not provide your own opinion in the Argument task; you only evaluate the author's reasoning.

How long should my GRE Argument essay be?

There is no official word count, but high-scoring essays are typically between 400 and 600 words. Focus on providing three strong body paragraphs that each address a different logical flaw or assumption.

Can I use outside information in my response?

You should not use outside facts to disprove the prompt, but you can use hypothetical scenarios to illustrate why the author's logic is flawed. For example, you can suggest "perhaps a new competitor entered the market" as an alternative explanation for a business's failure.

How is the GRE Argument essay scored?

The essay is scored on a scale of 0 to 6 by both a human reader and an e-rater. They look for analytical writing skills, organization, and your ability to support your critique with relevant points, as noted by the ETS official scoring guidelines.

Should I mention every logical flaw I find?

It is better to focus on the three or four most significant flaws and explain them thoroughly than to list every minor error briefly. Depth of analysis is more important for a high score than the quantity of flaws identified.