Please assess and advice

[iarindambanerjee]

AWA ESSAYS: Analyze Argument

ESSAY QUESTION:

The following appeared in The Homebuilder magazine, a local publication with a focus on

construction and sale of real-estate properties:

"According to the most recent survey of our readers, nearly 70% of the respondents indicated

that they are planning to build or purchase a new home over the next 2 years. These results

indicate that the growth in the construction industry is likely to accelerate in the near

future. Therefore, this industry continues to offer lucrative opportunities for investment."

Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. Point out flaws in the argument's logic

and analyze the argument's underlying assumptions. In addition, evaluate how supporting

evidence is used and what evidence might counter the argument's conclusion. You may also

discuss what additional evidence could be used to strengthen the argument or what changes

would make the argument more logically sound.

YOUR RESPONSE:
I would not make any prediction of the investment potential of the construction industry based just on the feedback of a particular magazine.There are inherent assumptions in the

argument which may not be true and hence there is always a chance of ignoring the bigger

picture.In the following paragraphs,I would try to point out some of the basic flaws in the

argument and also recommend some evidence that could actually strengthen the argument.
Firstly,there is no evidence to suggest that the survey conducted by The Homebuilder

magazine is truly representative of the views of the population at large.We are also unaware

of the economic status of the respondents and this may be a determining factor in their

planning to build or purchase a new home in the next 2 years.It is also important to note

that there is no mention about the total number of respondents so we cannot assume that 70%

of that mix is a true representation of the general population.If the number of respondents

is only a fraction of the total population then 70% may very well be a miniscule figure.
Secondly,growth in a particular industry is dependent on a number of fcators.In economics,we

know that there needs to be a proper balance between demand and supply to actually spur

growth.In this argument,we understand that the demand is high but nothing is mentioned about

the supply side of things.If there is a constraint on the supply of raw materials then there

could be a cascading effect on the demand side as well and the overall health of the

industry might suffer.
Thirdly,we are not aware of the political and social scenario of the area under

question.Government policies play a huge rule in encouraging the growth of a particular

industry.If the political scenario is unstable and unfavourable then the industry might not

grow as expected.
To conclude,I would state that we would need much more information regarding various

different factors like the political,economic and social state of affairs to make an

informed decision about the investment potential of the construction industry.A good

starting point could be an official release of data from the government agencies regarding

the economic scenario and its prediction of the investment opportunities in various

industries in the next 2 years.In addition,it could also point out that the inherent

challenges in the future.



AWA ESSAYS: Analyze Issues
ESSAY QUESTION:
"The level of a country’s development can be best judged by the well-being of its two most vulnerable social groups"”children and senior citizens."

Explain what you think this quotation means and discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with it. Develop your position with reasons and/or specific examples drawn from history, current events, or your own experience, observations, or reading.

YOUR RESPONSE:
I would not agree to the fact that the general development of the country is best judged by the well-being of its two most social groups - children and senior citizens.The term "development" encompasses a large number of issues including social development,ecomic development and political development.We need to understand that equal progress on all these aspects of development is essential for the overall development of the country's well being.In the following paragraphs,I would try and point out some basic flaws in the quotation and offer some further insights into the subject of development.

Firstly,we need to to understand the perspective in which the term 'development' is used in the quotation.We are not sure as to what constitutes "level of development" of a country.For instance,if the word development is used in ecomic terms,then the level of a country's development would rather be indicated by its GDP and unemployment figures rather than by the well-being of the vulnerable social groups.
Secondly,it would be unfair to compare the development level of children to that of senior citizens.The needs and demands of these two categories are diverse and hence it is not necessary that the development of either one of the categories would necessarily lead to the development of the other category.
Thirdly,we need to understand that the two most vulnerable social groups in a country may not necessarily constitute of children and senior citizens.There are other groups like the socially backward and the physically challenged classes which may be at a higher risk level than senior citizens and children.If we were to take the quotation in literal terms,we would do well to include more groups.
Fourthly,it is important to understand what constitutes the definition of "vulnerable social groups." We need to understand whether the formation of such groups is due to some specific external factors.A country may develop despite the presence of such factors and hence to state that the country has not developed because of the presence of such factors would be a gross mistake.
To conclude,I would state that the level of a country's development is dependent on many factors.It would be unfair to point out any one particular group as being the symbol of overall development of the country.In reality,a country generaly is seen to progress on a few parameters and lag behind on others.It is upto the policy makers to decide the priority of issues in hand and take appropriate measures to rectify those areas.

[StaceyKoprince]

Hi, thanks for posting your essays! Just an FYI that instructors don't grade or give feedback on essays (see the forum guidelines for details).

But I certainly hope other community members respond. Also, if you're in our class, you'll have an opportunity to get essays graded and get written feedback during the course (after class 6). Finally, you can get essays graded by GMAT Write (the official essay grading service from the makers of the exam) - they'll both grade the essays and provide feedback as to how to improve (for a fee). For details and pricing, go to www.mba.com and search for GMAT Write.