GMAT考试写作指导：Argument范文七五

　　15. This political advertisement recommends re-electing governor Adams because he

　　has a proven leadership role in improving the states economy. In support of this reason

　　the author cites these statistics: in the past year, most state workers wages have gone up;

　　5,000 new jobs have been created; and six corporations have located in the state.

　　Another reason offered for re-electing Adams is a recent poll, which indicates that most

　　respondents believe the state economy would continue to improve if he were re-elected.

　　Finally, the author claims that rival Zebulon would harm the states economy because he

　　disagrees with Adams fiscal policies. This argument is fraught with vague,

　　oversimplified and unwarranted claims.

　　To begin with, the statistics are intended to support the main claim that the state is

　　economically better off with Adams as governor. But these statistics are vague and

　　oversimplified, and thus may distort the states overall economic picture. For example,

　　state workers pay raises may have been minuscule and may not have kept up with cost

　　of living or with pay for state workers in other states. Moreover, the 5,000 new jobs may

　　have been too few to bring state unemployment rates down significantly; at the same

　　time, many jobs may have been lost. Finally, the poll indicates that six new corporations

　　located in the state, but fails to indicate if any left.

　　Next, the poll cited by the author is described in the vaguest possible terms. The

　　ad does not indicate who conducted the poll, who responded, or how the poll was

　　conducted. Until these questions are answered, the survey results are worthless as

　　evidence for public opinion about Adams or his economic policies.

　　Finally, while we have only vague and possibly distorted evidence that the state is

　　better off with Adams, we have absolutely no evidence that it would be worse off with

　　Zebulon. Given that the state economy is good at the moment, none of the authors

　　reasons establishes that Adams is the cause of this. And neither do they establish that

　　the state wouldnt be even better off with someone else in office.

　　In conclusion, this argument is weak. To strengthen the argument, the author must

　　provide additional information about the adequacy of state workers pay raises, the

　　effect of the 5,000 jobs on the states employment picture, the overall growth of

　　corporations in the state, and other features of the state economy. Also, the author must

　　support the claims that Adams actions have caused any economic improvement and

　　that in the future Adams will impart more economic benefit than would Zebulon.