1. The following appeared in the editorial section of an educational publication.
"One study at Lee University found that first-semester grades of teenage students who had always attended public, tax-supported schools were slightly lower than the grades of students who had received some home schooling instruction by parents at home, although the grade differences disappeared in the second semester. These results suggest that home schooling is the best way to educate teenage children. Therefore, instead of spending more money on public education, the government should provide financial incentives so that home schooling is an option for more parents. After all, children schooled at home receive more attention, since they are taught by the best possible teacher: a parent who has a high stake in educating them well. "
Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument.
The writer of the above given argument is of the view that the government should provide financial support to home schooling since it is a better way to educate teenage students. He refers to a study in which it was found that the first semester grades of teenage students receiving home education were higher than those receiving education in government schools. The writer advocates his point in the argument, but the same fails to convince the reader since it lacks logic and reasoning. In the following discussion, the flaws of the argument are exposed.
Firstly, the writer mentions that the grades of teenage students who had attended public schools were only slightly lower than those receiving home schooling in first-semester. In that case, it makes the reader wonder if there is actually a great difference in the quality of education in public schools and home schooling. it is only if there is a great margin between the grades of the students from these schools that a convincing conclusion can be drawn. moreover, since these differences disappear in the second-semester, one doubts if it is related to lack of good education in school. if the students have not formed a strong base in school, they would continue to get lower grades in the second-semester as well. hence, this does not prove convincingly that the students receiving home education are better educated than those receiving education in public aided schools.
The writer seems to conclude from the grades received in the first-semester that public school students are weaker than students receiving home education. However, the writer needs to provide convincing statistics to bring validity to his stand. moreover, this is not a genuine criterion to judge which the best way of teaching is. home schooling isolates the children, whereas public schooling helps in bringing them together under one roof. there is more exchange of ideas and mutual influence in public schooling. hence, public schooling also has its benefits.
Further, the writer ignores the possibility where the parents are incapable of teaching their children due to various reasons. it is possible that parents are working, or not educated enough to teach their children at home. moreover, public schooling provides education to the financially weaker sections of the society. therefore, it is very essential for the government to support these schools and provide financial incentives to them.
Taking the writer's stand about public education to be true, it does not mean that the government should stop spending on public schools. Instead, efforts should be made to identify the problems faced by these schools and enough money should be spent on them to bring them up and improve the quality of education. For example, it is possible that there is lack of teaching staff or study material in these schools. therefore, it is only if these deficiencies in these schools are fulfilled that they will be able to impart good education amongst students.
Overall, the argument is incapable of giving a convincing and logical suggestion. The writer must take into consideration the above given discussion and think again about the system of education.
Comments
Essay evaluation report
Attribute Value Ideal
Final score: 4.5 out of 6
Category: Good Excellent
No. of Grammatical Errors: 0 2
No. of Spelling Errors: 0 2
No. of Sentences: 15 15
No. of Words: 518 350
No. of Characters: 2628 1500
No. of Different Words: 215 200
Fourth Root of Number of Words: 4.771 4.7
Average Word Length: 5.073 4.6
Word Length SD: 2.661 2.4
No. of Words greater than 5 chars: 204 100
No. of Words greater than 6 chars: 155 80
No. of Words greater than 7 chars: 112 40
No. of Words greater than 8 chars: 64 20
Use of Passive Voice (%): 0 0
Avg. Sentence Length: 34.533 21.0
Sentence Length SD: 21.26 7.5
Use of Discourse Markers (%): 0.533 0.12
Sentence-Text Coherence: 0.395 0.35
Sentence-Para Coherence: 0.665 0.50
Sentence-Sentence Coherence: 0.179 0.07
Number of Paragraphs: 6 5
Grammar and spelling errors:
Line 5, column 325, Rule ID: UPPERCASE_SENTENCE_START
Message: This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter
Suggestion: It
...n in public schools and home schooling. it is only if there is a great margin betw...
^^
Line 5, column 460, Rule ID: UPPERCASE_SENTENCE_START
Message: This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter
Suggestion: Moreover
...t a convincing conclusion can be drawn. moreover, since these differences disappear in t...
^^^^^^^^
Line 5, column 593, Rule ID: UPPERCASE_SENTENCE_START
Message: This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter
Suggestion: If
...ed to lack of good education in school. if the students have not formed a strong b...
^^
Line 5, column 722, Rule ID: UPPERCASE_SENTENCE_START
Message: This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter
Suggestion: Hence
... grades in the second-semester as well. hence, this does not prove convincingly that ...
^^^^^
Line 9, column 247, Rule ID: UPPERCASE_SENTENCE_START
Message: This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter
Suggestion: Moreover
...tistics to bring validity to his stand. moreover, this is not a genuine criterion to jud...
^^^^^^^^
Line 9, column 444, Rule ID: UPPERCASE_SENTENCE_START
Message: This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter
Suggestion: There
... bringing them together under one roof. there is more exchange of ideas and mutual in...
^^^^^
Line 9, column 518, Rule ID: UPPERCASE_SENTENCE_START
Message: This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter
Suggestion: Hence
...d mutual influence in public schooling. hence, public schooling also has its benefits...
^^^^^
Line 13, column 128, Rule ID: UPPERCASE_SENTENCE_START
Message: This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter
Suggestion: It
... their children due to various reasons. it is possible that parents are working, o...
^^
Line 13, column 225, Rule ID: UPPERCASE_SENTENCE_START
Message: This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter
Suggestion: Moreover
...enough to teach their children at home. moreover, public schooling provides education to...
^^^^^^^^
Line 13, column 322, Rule ID: UPPERCASE_SENTENCE_START
Message: This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter
Suggestion: Therefore
...ncially weaker sections of the society. therefore, it is very essential for the governmen...
^^^^^^^^^
Line 17, column 415, Rule ID: UPPERCASE_SENTENCE_START
Message: This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter
Suggestion: Therefore
...aff or study material in these schools. therefore, it is only if these deficiencies in th...
^^^^^^^^^
Transition Words or Phrases used:
actually, also, but, first, firstly, hence, however, if, moreover, second, so, therefore, well, whereas, for example
Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments
Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 29.0 19.6327345309 148% => OK
Auxiliary verbs: 8.0 12.9520958084 62% => OK
Conjunction : 11.0 11.1786427146 98% => OK
Relative clauses : 15.0 13.6137724551 110% => OK
Pronoun: 46.0 28.8173652695 160% => Less pronouns wanted
Preposition: 72.0 55.5748502994 130% => OK
Nominalization: 24.0 16.3942115768 146% => OK
Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 2714.0 2260.96107784 120% => OK
No of words: 518.0 441.139720559 117% => OK
Chars per words: 5.23938223938 5.12650576532 102% => OK
Fourth root words length: 4.77070365392 4.56307096286 105% => OK
Word Length SD: 2.74754308582 2.78398813304 99% => OK
Unique words: 227.0 204.123752495 111% => OK
Unique words percentage: 0.438223938224 0.468620217663 94% => More unique words wanted or less content wanted.
syllable_count: 825.3 705.55239521 117% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.6 1.59920159681 100% => OK
A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 11.0 4.96107784431 222% => Less pronouns wanted as sentence beginning.
Article: 9.0 8.76447105788 103% => OK
Subordination: 2.0 2.70958083832 74% => OK
Conjunction: 2.0 1.67365269461 119% => OK
Preposition: 3.0 4.22255489022 71% => OK
Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 26.0 19.7664670659 132% => OK
Sentence length: 19.0 22.8473053892 83% => The Avg. Sentence Length is relatively short.
Sentence length SD: 36.0483731547 57.8364921388 62% => OK
Chars per sentence: 104.384615385 119.503703932 87% => OK
Words per sentence: 19.9230769231 23.324526521 85% => OK
Discourse Markers: 4.46153846154 5.70786347227 78% => OK
Paragraphs: 6.0 5.15768463074 116% => OK
Language errors: 11.0 5.25449101796 209% => Less language errors wanted.
Sentences with positive sentiment : 12.0 8.20758483034 146% => OK
Sentences with negative sentiment : 9.0 6.88822355289 131% => OK
Sentences with neutral sentiment: 5.0 4.67664670659 107% => OK
What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?
Coherence and Cohesion:
Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.259794051414 0.218282227539 119% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.0750477908935 0.0743258471296 101% => OK
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.0794190371084 0.0701772020484 113% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.128375554181 0.128457276422 100% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.0875617257594 0.0628817314937 139% => OK
Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 13.2 14.3799401198 92% => Automated_readability_index is low.
flesch_reading_ease: 52.19 48.3550499002 108% => OK
smog_index: 8.8 7.1628742515 123% => OK
flesch_kincaid_grade: 10.7 12.197005988 88% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 13.11 12.5979740519 104% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 7.66 8.32208582834 92% => OK
difficult_words: 101.0 98.500998004 103% => OK
linsear_write_formula: 10.5 12.3882235529 85% => OK
gunning_fog: 9.6 11.1389221557 86% => OK
text_standard: 11.0 11.9071856287 92% => OK
What are above readability scores?
---------------------
Rates: 58.33 out of 100
Scores by essay e-grader: 3.5 Out of 6
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Note: the e-grader does NOT examine the meaning of words and ideas. VIP users will receive further evaluations by advanced module of e-grader and human graders.