Argument Topic - 1

Topic -

The following appeared in a memorandum from a vice president of the Megamart department store chain."For the third year in a row, the average household income in our country has risen significantly.That prosperity means that families are likely to be spending more time and money on leisure activities.Megamart stores should therefore concentrate on enlarging and promoting its line of products typically used in leisure activities: atheletic and outdoor equipment, televisions, gourmetcooking equipment, and luggage and travel accessories."

Sample writing

The Vice President of the Megamart department store chain concluded in his memorandum that the Megamart stores should enlarge and promote its line of products such as athletic and outdoor equipment, televisions, gourmet, cooking equipment and luggage and travel accessories typically used in leisure activities. In support of the conclusion, the Vice President took into account that for the third year in a row, the average household income of the people has risen significantly and so families are likely to spend more time and money on products of leisure activities. However, the Vice President made a number of dubious assumptions and so the argument is not persuasive.

Firstly, the author reports that the average household income has risen significantly for the third year in a row. Therefore, he assumes that this income will continue to grow in future. He has not offered any information to show that this trend will continue in future. It is possible that the incomes may go down due to various factors such as government policies and natural hazards like drought, floods, failure of crops, conflicts with other nations too etc. There can be various other factors, which are beyond the control of the people. In that case, people may not be able to spend money on leisure time products.

Secondly, the Vice President assumes that the cost of living remains reasonably constant or becomes less and does not increase though there is significant increase in the household income. This is a dubious assumption. It is a common knowledge that with the increase in circulation of money, inflation will occur and cost of living goes up. So, there will be less separable money with the people to spend on leisure time products.

Thirdly, the Vice President did not offer any reasons why the household income is increasing significantly. It is possible that the people are working over time and long hours to earn more money. In that case, they will not find time to indulge in leisure time activities. They may conserve time and use it for productive work to earn money.

Finally, the argument of the author relies on the assumption that the people will spend the money on products of leisure time activities. Without further evidence, we cannot be convinced of this assumption. Acquisition of products of leisure time activities may not be in the priority list for the people. They may be saving the money for some other anticipated expenditure in future or as security for old age and difficult economic conditions or they intend to invest in real estate or housing. When there are so many possible causes for utilizing the increase in the household income. It is necessary to examine further information to believe that they will use the extra money for buying products of leisure time activities.

In sum, the Vice President’s conclusion is not fully convincing. In support of his conclusion, the Vice President should provide us reasons that household income will continue to rise in future and the people will definitely prefer to spend the surplus and sparable money in the products typically used in leisure activities. The Vice President should also rule out other factors on which people can spend surplus funds citing further evidence.