GMAT Sample Essays 11 - Saluda Natural Spring Water Essay Prompt

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The following is taken from a sample essay prompt (Analytical Writing Assignment Section) of the GMAT:

Laboratory studies show that Saluda Natural Spring Water contains several of the minerals necessary for good health and that it is completely free of bacteria. Residents of Saluda, the small town where the water is bottled, are hospitalized less frequently than the national average. Even though Saluda Natural Spring Water may seem expensive, drinking it instead of tap water is a wise investment in good health."

Discuss how well reasoned . . . etc.

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Sample Essay #1

The author concludes that drinking Saluda Natural spring water is a wise investment in good health. The evidence presented by him are the presence of essential minerals in it and the less frequent hospitalization rate of the residents of Saluda. But the argument is not totally convincing and is based on unwarranted assumptions.

Although it is mentioned that several minerals necessary for good health are present in Saluda Natural Spring Water, other branded bottled waters may also contain the same or even more minerals. Saluda Spring Water is also expensive. But the price of other bottled waters could be lesser than Saluda Natural Spring Water. Nothing is mentioned about the other competing brands or other household methods to purify tap water.

It is mentioned that the residents of Saluda are less frequently hospitalized but there is no direct evidence which states that the residents of Saluda drink only Saluda Natural Spring Water. The lifestyle of the residents of Saluda may be a healthier one. For example, the amount of time the people of Saluda spend on daily exercise is more than the time spent by people in other parts of the country, or the diet of people of Saluda is more nutritious than the diet of other people of the country. Thus there may be other reasons for the comparatively lower hospitalization rates.

Also, a comparatively lower national average does not necessarily mean less number of people falling sick as the national average may have been inflated due to a famine or an epidemic in some other part of the country.

Overall, the argument is weak because of lack of data about other companies, and a direct evidence that links usage of Saluda spring water and having a good health. The argument could have been strengthened by providing these crucial data about other competing brands and by considering other factors that might play a part in the good health of the people of Saluda.

Sample Essay #2

The author of the article claims that because the people in the nearby town have a lower average rate of hospitalization and because the water has been tested bacteria free in laboratory it is a requirement for healthy being. Clearly, the conclusion is based on many assumptions and doesn't provide enough reasons to convince the consumers for using the water from Saluda springs.

Firstly, the author mentions that the people in the Saluda town, where the water is bottled, are not hospitalized often because of the good quality of springs water. If people bottle the water, it doesn't mean they consume it too. If the water is expensive and the economic stature of the people is not high enough, they might not be consuming this water.

Secondly, less number of hospitalization doesn't mean people don't fall sick. There is a fair chance, that people do fall sick and take home remedies instead of visiting the hospitals most of the times. Also, the author should mention the statistics of diseases caused by water to those caused by any other reasons at other places to clearly justify that hospitalization in Saluda is less because of good quality water.

Lastly, the author concludes by saying that Saluda bottled water is better than tap water. This statement doesn't justify the consumption of Saluda water rather than any other bottled water. If Saluda water is expensive than any other bottled water, people would prefer other mineral water than Saluda bottled water.

Sample Essay #3

The author’s argument is considerable weekend by all of the above mentioned points. The author should provide justification to the points discussed to strengthen his argument.

The argument states that Saluda Natural Spring Water contains several minerals which are vital for good health and is completely free of bacteria. Residents of Saluda have been hospitalized less frequently than the national average. It is expensive as compared to tap water but is a wise investment in good health.

Firstly, I agree with this argument in general. Saluda Natural Spring Water has been preferred by many people as it contains minerals which are beneficial for optimal health and is free of bacteria. Moreover, residents of Saluda have been hospitalized less frequently than the national average. This clearly indicates that people who consume Saluda Natural Spring Water on a regular basis are healthier than those who do not consume it. On the other hand, tap water is not a better option for drinking as it is contaminated with harmful chemicals that would lead to adverse health effects.
Secondly, Saluda can promote themselves on various sources of media such as television, radio, newspapers, banners and social networking websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. They should outline the differences between consuming regular tap water and Saluda Natural Spring Water so that people are aware and familiar about the type of water they should consume. Moreover, Saluda Natural Spring Water should state the impact of consuming tap water over a certain period of time so that few people use it for regular use. The company can hire famous celebrities for promoting their product which would cause their profits and revenues to rise drastically.

Thirdly, the company can be more successful in the future if they listen to the views and opinions of the consumers regarding the product. This would help them greatly in improving their services. Furthermore, Saluda Natural Spring Water should also consider in representing a strong brand image when compared to other companies in the market. This would enable them to have a strong position in the market.

In conclusion, Saluda Natural Spring Water is a better option than regular tap water since it is abundant in minerals which are optimal for good health as well as does not contain chemicals harmful to health. In addition, fewer people living in Saluda have been hospitalized as compared to the national average. This shows that people who consumed the water have been diagnosed with fewer diseases as compared to those who have not consumed the water. The company should advertise themselves as a result more people will be familiar and keen to purchase the product.

Sample Essay #4

The author tries to convince the readers to think that the Saluda Natural Spring Water is good for health and that drinking the water is a wise choice. To support the conclusion, he or she cites scientific data saying the water contains minerals good for health and it is free of bacteria, and statistical data showing that the residents living around the source of the water are less frequently hospitalized, that is, are healthier. While the two data seems reasonable to judge the effectiveness, the respective citations have serious errors.

The first citation is that laboratory studies show the advantages that the water has: containing beneficial minerals and being free of bacteria. Although it seems to give the consumers exquisite benefits, since the data has no relative data by which the readers can valid it, the argument is significantly weak. That is, although the author claims that the water is superior to the others, no data about the other water brands is shown. Therefore, the readers can not make out whether the water is better than the others or not. For instance, if the other famous water brand, X, has the same amount of the beneficial minerals and it is also free of bacteria, the Saluda Natural Spring Water has no advantage over X.

The second citation is that the residents who live around the source of the water are healthier than ones in the other cities. This citation is intended to make the readers believe the superiority that the water has, but, in terms of the lack of information about causal relationship between the data and the water's effectiveness, the citation fails to function. That is, the health of the residents can be considered the result from the other factors such as the style of life or food, not from the water. It is well happened that people in rural areas live longer than people in urban areas because of cleanness of the air and the land. In my country, residents in the capital city Tokyo are less healthy than ones in the southernmost city Okinawa. Therefore, to make the citation meaningful, the author should have shown the direct relationship between the cited data and the water.

In conclusion, although the author tries to show the superiority of Saluda Natural Spring Water, he or she fails is for the reasons that I mentioned above.

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