Argument Structure

Solutions
1.
A program instituted by a state government to This is a fact. It sounds like background, though it
raise money allows homeowners to prepay their could be a premise— I'm not sure yet. People can
future property taxes at the current rate. choose to pay future taxes right now at the current
tax rate. [Fd only want to do this i f it saved me
money.]
Even if the government were to raise the tax rate Ah, here's how it could save me money. This is a
in a subsequent year, any prepaid taxes would premise. I f taxes go up but I've already pre-paid,
allow the homeowner to maintain taxes at the I don t have to pay more; I got to pay at the lower
lower rate, lowering the overall property tax bur rate. [What i f tax rates go down? What i f I sell my
den over time. house?]
For this reason, homeowners should participate in Conclusion: people should participate. I've already
the program. thought o f a couple o f reasons why it could N O T be
a good idea.

The structure is Background - Premise - Conclusion. The author concludes that people should par
ticipate because they would save money //'taxes go up.

2.
Tay Sachs disease, a usually fatal genetic condi This is a fact. It's so general that it sounds like back-
tion caused by the build-up of gangliocides in ground info, though it could be a premise.
nerve cells, occurs more frequently among Ashke
nazi Jews than among the general population.
The age of onset is typically six months and gen This is also a fact— just more information about
erally results in death by the age of four. this disease. That's interesting. There's no conclusion
here, just two facts. Both are premises.

The structure is Premise - Premise. The argument concludes nothing. (Note: two types of questions
lack conclusions: Inference and Explain a Discrepancy. We’ll discuss these later in the book.)

3.
Some critics have argued that the price of food “Some critics" criticize the restaurant Ultralux for
and drink at Ultralux, a restaurant, is too high, being too expensive. The language “some critics" is
given its quality. often used in counterpoints; later, the author will
often tell us something else that the author or others
believe instead.
However, Ultralux features a beautiful interior This seems to be pointing out a good thing about
and comfortable seating, Ultralux.

M A N H A TTA N
GMAT
1 Argument Structure

and research has shown that consumers actually A nd this tells us why the beautiful interior and
enjoy food and drink more in such a setting, even comfortable seating are beneficial. I f we enjoy the
when the food and drink is of comparable quality food and drink more, then perhaps we're willing to
to that served elsewhere. pay more money?
Thus, the food and drink at Ultralux is reason This looks like a conclusion. In fact, it directly
ably priced. contradicts the critics' argument in the first sentence,
which we now are sure is a counterpoint.

The structure is Counterpoint - Premise - Premise - Conclusion. The author concludes that Ultra
lux is reasonably priced because research demonstrates that certain beneficial aspects provided by the
restaurant are valuable to the consumer.

4.
Editorial: To stem the influx of illegal immi The government plans to construct a wall and
grants, the government is planning to construct a claims that this will reduce the number o f illegal
wall along our entire border with Country Y. immigrants. This could be the conclusion, but the
sentence also starts with the word “Editorial, " imply-
ing that someone with a point o f view is writing this
argument. I'll have to see whether that person gives
a different opinion or claim.
This wall, however, will do little to actually re “However!" Okay, whoever s writing the editorial
duce the number of illegal immigrants. thinks that the government's plan is not going to
achieve its objective. This is the conclusion, so the
previous sentence must be a counterpremise.
Because few economic opportunities exist in “Because"— and here's the reason why the Editorial
Country Y, individuals will simply develop other writer thinks this: these illegal immigrants have no
creative ways to enter our nation. real opportunities in their own country, so they will
just search for other ways to get into the neighboring
country.

The structure is Counterpoint —Conclusion - Premise. The author concludes that the government’s
plan won’t work because the people trying to immigrate illegally will just search for other ways to do so,
since they don’t have many opportunities in their home country.

5.
The cutback in physical education is the pri This is an opinion, so it could be the conclusion. The
mary contributing factor to North High School’s school isn't offering as much physical education as it
increasing failure rate on the year-end physical used to, and the author claims that this is causing
fitness examination. more students to fa il a physicalfitness exam.
Last year, when students participated in gym class Fact. Last year, they had gym class daily, and the
on a daily basis, 85 percent of the school’s seniors vast majority o f students passed the exam.
passed the exam.

MANHATTAN
GMAT
 Argument Structure

This year, students had gym class twice weekly, Fact. This year, they had gym class lessfrequently,
and only 70 percent of seniors passed the test. and a smaller percentage o f students passed the
exam.
Clearly, fewer sessions of gym class lead to re- Here’s another claim. Having fewer gym classes
duced fitness. causes reducedfitness levels. Is this the conclusion?
What about the first sentence?

I need to use the Therefore Test. A = cutback in gym is causing more kids to fa il the fitness exam. B = cutback
in gym causes reducedfitness.

Is it the case that cutbacks in gym are causing kids to fa il the exam, THEREFORE those cutbacks are causing
reducedfitness?

Or is it the case that cutbacks in gym are causing reducedfitness, THEREFORE those cutbacks are causing
more kids to fa il the fitness exam?

It's the second option—first, the kids have reducedfitness, and then that causes them to fa il the fitness exam.
So the first sentence is the fin a l conclusion, and the last sentence isjust an intermediate conclusion.

The structure is Final Conclusion - Premise - Premise - Intermediate Conclusion. The author con
cludes that gym cutbacks are causing kids to fail the fitness exam because this year s seniors had fewer
gym classes, leading to reduced fitness levels which, in turn, caused more kids to fail the exam.

MA NHATTA N
GMAT