The GMAT AWA section (Analysis of an Argument) is designed to test your analytical-writing and critical-reasoning skills.

GMAT AWA sample essay-

Argument Essay – 1

Argument

A recent study shows that people living on the continent of North America suffer 9 times more chronic fatigue and 31 times more chronic depression than do people living on the continent of Asia. Interestingly, Asians, on average, eat 20 grams of soy per day, whereas North Americans eat virtually none. It turns out that soy contains phytochemicals called Isoflavones, which have been found to possess disease-preventing properties. Thus, North Americans should consider eating soy on a regular basis as a way of preventing fatigue and depression.
Essay

The above argument tries to establish a direct link between soy consumption and chronic fatigue and depression. The underlying basis of the argument is that soy protein contains phytochemicals called Isoflavones, which are found to possess disease-preventing properties.

However, disease is a much larger term, which does not cover only fatigue and depression, but also a host of other medical conditions. Moreover, it is seen that chronic fatigue and depression are also the results of high profile life, which leads to insomnia and stress. Chronic fatigue and depression can be the symptoms of some other diseases also. The weather conditions, economic stature and work environment of Asia and North America are very different from each other. People in these continents have different lifestyles. Their attitude towards life is also very different. These health related problems could not be certainly related with the intake of a certain kind of food that is soy foods. Therefore, it is very important to establish a direct relation between soy foods and chronic fatigue and depression before arriving at any conclusion.

The second point is that fatigue and depression are totally different from each other as scientifically they are treated differently. You cannot categorize them in the same group. You need to consult a psychologist to treat depression and a doctor for fatigue related problems. Hence, there cannot be the same solution for two different problems. Above all, according to the author, chronic fatigue is 9 times and depression is 31 times more in North Americans as compared to their Asian counterparts. There is a huge difference between 9 and 31. Therefore, you cannot relate or treat them together. There are definitely going to be different reasons for the two diseases.

According to the author, soy foods contain a chemical called Isoflavones, which have disease preventing properties. However, there is no study, which reveals that it is relevant for all types of diseases. Hence, a research has to be done to establish that the drugs used to treat these two diseases contain Isoflavones. However, it is a known fact that soy foods are good for human health as soy foods contain many nutrients required for the human body. Again, there is no solid evidence that eating soy foods on a regular basis is a solution for chronic fatigue and depression. The author has not even mentioned about any side effects of Isoflavones. Hence, the suggestion to take soy foods daily, without any detailed study about soy food, does not hold any ground.

Hence, it can be said that one should take soy foods for overall health. It is a possibility that soy foods can be helpful in treating or preventing some diseases, which further have chronic fatigue or depression as its symptoms. That way one can link these two diseases with Isoflavones. However, there is no direct relation between soy proteins and chronic fatigue and depression; it is not justified in the given argument. The author should have provided a few proofs and data to establish this relationship.

Argument Essay - 2
Argument

"In order to save a considerable amount of money, Rockingham's century-old town hall should be torn down and replaced by the larger and more energy-efficient building that some citizens have proposed. The old town hall is too small to comfortably accommodate the number of people who are employed by the town. in addition, it is very costly to heat the old hall in winter and cool it in summer. The new, larger building would be more energy efficient, costing less per square foot to heat and cool than the old hall. Furthermore, it would be possible to rent out some of the space in the new building, thereby generating income for the town of Rockingham."
Essay

According to the conclusion of this editorial, the new and larger building of town hall in place of the old one will help in saving money and energy. However, many points given in support of the views of the writer are not very convincing. Although, there is no doubt that the new proposed building will have many advantages over the old town hall, but the author has ignored to mention many important points. He has completely failed to provide evidence for his reasons to build the new building. The points given by the author have no relevant relation among themselves. for example, the cost effectiveness and the fact that the old building is not able to accommodate its employees are not related anywhere. He has tried to explain the need of the new town hall but has neglected to suggest the alternative measures that can be taken to solve the problems faced by the old town hall.

The author has talked about the larger and the energy efficient new building. According to him, it would cost less per cubic foot to heat and cool the new building as compared to the old town hall building. However, he has easily forgotten to mention the overall cost of heating and cooling the much larger new building. This cost might be much higher than the current expenses. in addition, there will be the costs of constructing the new building and installing new systems. The author has not even mentioned the option of installing new heating and cooling systems in the old building. The upgradation of the old system might be more cost effective. Besides, the new building might also need some maintenance fee to maintain the new facilities added to the building.

The second point on which the author is insisting is that the current building cannot comfortably accommodate all the people who work in it. This point is anyways not related to the money saving measures the author is talking about. Here again, the author has ignored other more effective solutions for this problem. for example, adding another structure for the employees.

Another point is about the renting out of the parts of the new property to generate some income. However, the views of the author are contradictory as on one hand, he is explaining the need of a larger building and on the other hand, he is talking about the renting out some part of property. Hence, if the new and larger building is the need of the hour then there is no scope of additional income. The author has failed to give enough and strong evidence for the requirement of the new building. He has also forgotten to consider the heritage value of the Rockingham's century old town hall.

Hence, the author has to collect more information about the old building. The author must search for some solid evidence. He should do a complete and detailed study of comparing the cost effectiveness of both the options including the initial cost of setting up the new building and replacing the old heating system in the old building. The author has to work towards making his editorial logically more correct.