raminajjar

Hello all, I have been studying a lot for the GRE. specifically AWA. The school I want requires a 4.5. I used the score it now feature from the ETS website and got a 4 on the analyze an argument. I don't understand how I am still getting a 4 (last 2 real gre's I got a 4 as well). Can someone please tell me how to improve? Below is a cut and paste of the question and my answer. I am trying to get 5. Obviously there are some small errors as it was a test like, 30 min. experience. The following is a memorandum from the business manager of a television station. "Over the past year, our late-night news program has devoted increased time to national news and less time to weather and local news. During this time period, most of the complaints received from viewers were concerned with our station's coverage of weather and local news. In addition, local businesses that used to advertise during our late-night news program have just canceled their advertising contracts with us. Therefore, in order to attract more viewers to the program and to avoid losing any further advertising revenues, we should restore the time devoted to weather and local news to its former level." Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the argument. ______________________________________________________________ The assumptions of the memorandum are based on fallacious arguments. Without several clarifications and elaborations, the validity of this argument- while seemingly valid at first site- may lead to fruitless efforts for the news program in achieving its goals. Firstly, the assumption is made that viewers have been complaining about the coverage of weather and local news since switching to covering national news at night. The specific types of complaints from the viewers must be elucidated, as it is unknown whether the complaints refer to quantity of quality. If local news and weather is shown during the daytime hours, perhaps the quality of the programming is sub par. There may be a news anchor during the day time hours who does a poor job of presenting the weather and local news. If the complaints from viewers are primarily a question of quantity, then the assumption does indeed hold a degree of truth. This discrepancy must be resolved as it is the foundation of the argument. In accord with the complaints of the viewers, it is stated that local businesses have ceased advertising with the news program. There are a wide variety of reasons as to why local businesses ceased advertisement. Businesses could be suffering economically, and in an effort to save money, have cancelled the contract with the news station. The news station could also be taking a polarizing political or social stance, whether it be supporting or being against gay marriage or speaking highly or negatively of a politician. These businesses could be either heavily liberal or conservative. Therefore, the news station may not represent the businesses' values which can lead to the cancellation of contracts. Simply inquiring with the businesses as to why they are ceasing advertisements would resolve this discrepancy. With this information, the argument could be strengthened if it were related to viewership complaints. Lastly, the business manager states that he hopes to attract more viewers by covering weather and local news. This assumption is particularly striking as there is no mention of whether viewership is down or not. Based on the information given, viewership does not appear to be down, there merely seems to be complaints. If this is the case, then evidence needs to be provided as to how exactly viewers would be attracted to the station. If only viewers who are watching the station will be satisfied by the proposed changes, then this does not attract viewers who are unfamiliar with the station already. Thus, this line of logic proposed by the business manager is severely flawed. If viewership has indeed decreased in concurrence with the complaints, then the business manager has a valid point. Until the above assumptions have been properly elaborated upon and clarified, then the business manager does not have sufficient grounds for switching back to covering the local news and weather at night.