5. The following appeared in a letter to the editor of the Balmer Island Gazette.
"On Balmer Island, where mopeds serve as a popular form of transportation, the population increases to 100,000 during the summer months. To reduce the number of accidents involving mopeds and pedestrians, the town council of Balmer Island should limit the number of mopeds rented by the island's moped rental companies from 50 per day to 25 per day during the summer season. By limiting the number of rentals, the town council will attain the 50 percent annual reduction in moped accidents that was achieved last year on the neighboring island of Seaville, when Seaville's town council enforced similar limits on moped rentals."
Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the recommendation is likely to have the predicted result. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the recommendation.
In this argument, the author concludes that after limiting the number of rentals of mopeds, accidents in Balmer Island can be reduced. To bolster the argument, the author points out that neighboring island of Seaville which implemented similar policy last year has successfully decreased the number of accidents. However, it is still replete with a myriad of assumptions.
To begin, the author unfairly claims that by limiting the number of mopeds rented from the island’s rental companies from 50 per day to 25 per day can efficiently decrease the number of moped-related accidents. Here, the author obviously rests on the assumption that limiting the number of mopeds a company can rent per day can decrease the actual usage of mopeds. However, it is possible that much more rental companies have opened, and although there are restrictions on the maximum mopeds being rent per company, the actual mopeds being rent by all the rental companies increase dramatically. Also, it is likely that a couple who previously rent two mopeds, now have to rent only one moped because of the limitation, and thus the possibility to crash into pedestrians increase and the number of accidents will increase. In short, more information to address the question as to whether more rental companies will be opened is needed to corroborate the author’s reasoning.
Furthermore, the author assumes that all the moped-related accidents are caused by mopeds’ drivers rather than other factors. However, the author fails to provide any evidence to support the assumption. Perhaps, it is pedestrians who disobey the transportation rules very often. It is also likely that it is the government that does a really bad job in regulating misbehavior happened on roads, or in repairing broken roads on which are full of hallows. Therefore, in order to fully persuade the readers, the author should provide more detailed information regarding whether it is the mopeds’ drivers’ fault in causing accidents.
Finally, even if limiting the number of rentals of mopeds can decrease the number of mopeds on road, and the reason of the moped-related accidents is the misbehavior of mopeds’ drivers, it does not necessarily mean that the town council can attain the 50 percent annual reduction in moped accidents that was achieved last year on the neighboring island of Seaville, when Seaville's town council enforced similar limits on moped rentals. The author assumes that Seaville and Balmer Island are very similar to each other and nothing has changed from last year to this year. However, the assumption is unwarranted. If Seaville experienced hurricane last year, and the number of tourists dropped dramatically, moped accidents would reduce but had nothing to do with the restriction. Also, regarding to the time, the development of any trend may contain unexpected fluctuations, it may not be possible to make accurate predictions of the future trend by referring to the past event. Thus, without additional information of the similarity of the two islands and the two consecutive years, it is difficult to access the merit of the statement.
In a nutshell, the argument is unconvincing as it relies on several unjustifiable assumptions. If the argument has included the given factors discussed above, it would have been more logically acceptable.
Comments
Essay evaluations by e-grader
Grammar and spelling errors:
Line 3, column 862, Rule ID: WHETHER[2]
Message: Wordiness: Shorten this phrase to the shortest possible suggestion.
Suggestion: whether; the question whether
.... In short, more information to address the question as to whether more rental companies will be opened is...
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Transition Words or Phrases used:
also, but, finally, furthermore, however, if, may, really, regarding, so, still, therefore, thus, as to, in short
Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments
Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 23.0 19.6327345309 117% => OK
Auxiliary verbs: 13.0 12.9520958084 100% => OK
Conjunction : 10.0 11.1786427146 89% => OK
Relative clauses : 17.0 13.6137724551 125% => OK
Pronoun: 26.0 28.8173652695 90% => OK
Preposition: 76.0 55.5748502994 137% => OK
Nominalization: 19.0 16.3942115768 116% => OK
Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 2812.0 2260.96107784 124% => OK
No of words: 533.0 441.139720559 121% => OK
Chars per words: 5.27579737336 5.12650576532 103% => OK
Fourth root words length: 4.80487177365 4.56307096286 105% => OK
Word Length SD: 2.93800962666 2.78398813304 106% => OK
Unique words: 244.0 204.123752495 120% => OK
Unique words percentage: 0.457786116323 0.468620217663 98% => OK
syllable_count: 873.0 705.55239521 124% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.6 1.59920159681 100% => OK
A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 9.0 4.96107784431 181% => OK
Article: 12.0 8.76447105788 137% => OK
Subordination: 4.0 2.70958083832 148% => OK
Conjunction: 5.0 1.67365269461 299% => Less conjunction wanted as sentence beginning.
Preposition: 8.0 4.22255489022 189% => OK
Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 21.0 19.7664670659 106% => OK
Sentence length: 25.0 22.8473053892 109% => OK
Sentence length SD: 81.5700803269 57.8364921388 141% => OK
Chars per sentence: 133.904761905 119.503703932 112% => OK
Words per sentence: 25.380952381 23.324526521 109% => OK
Discourse Markers: 5.38095238095 5.70786347227 94% => OK
Paragraphs: 5.0 5.15768463074 97% => OK
Language errors: 1.0 5.25449101796 19% => OK
Sentences with positive sentiment : 5.0 8.20758483034 61% => OK
Sentences with negative sentiment : 10.0 6.88822355289 145% => OK
Sentences with neutral sentiment: 6.0 4.67664670659 128% => OK
What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?
Coherence and Cohesion:
Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.170421270446 0.218282227539 78% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.04892157233 0.0743258471296 66% => OK
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.0501220005536 0.0701772020484 71% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.0910303368039 0.128457276422 71% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.0596133388975 0.0628817314937 95% => OK
Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 16.1 14.3799401198 112% => OK
flesch_reading_ease: 46.1 48.3550499002 95% => OK
smog_index: 8.8 7.1628742515 123% => OK
flesch_kincaid_grade: 13.0 12.197005988 107% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 13.64 12.5979740519 108% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 8.94 8.32208582834 107% => OK
difficult_words: 137.0 98.500998004 139% => OK
linsear_write_formula: 11.0 12.3882235529 89% => OK
gunning_fog: 12.0 11.1389221557 108% => OK
text_standard: 9.0 11.9071856287 76% => OK
What are above readability scores?
---------------------
Rates: 66.67 out of 100
Scores by essay e-grader: 4.0 Out of 6
---------------------
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.
Grammar and spelling errors:
Line 3, column 862, Rule ID: WHETHER[2]
Message: Wordiness: Shorten this phrase to the shortest possible suggestion.
Suggestion: whether; the question whether
.... In short, more information to address the question as to whether more rental companies will be opened is...
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Transition Words or Phrases used:
also, but, finally, furthermore, however, if, may, really, regarding, so, still, therefore, thus, as to, in short
Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments
Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 23.0 19.6327345309 117% => OK
Auxiliary verbs: 13.0 12.9520958084 100% => OK
Conjunction : 10.0 11.1786427146 89% => OK
Relative clauses : 17.0 13.6137724551 125% => OK
Pronoun: 26.0 28.8173652695 90% => OK
Preposition: 76.0 55.5748502994 137% => OK
Nominalization: 19.0 16.3942115768 116% => OK
Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 2812.0 2260.96107784 124% => OK
No of words: 533.0 441.139720559 121% => OK
Chars per words: 5.27579737336 5.12650576532 103% => OK
Fourth root words length: 4.80487177365 4.56307096286 105% => OK
Word Length SD: 2.93800962666 2.78398813304 106% => OK
Unique words: 244.0 204.123752495 120% => OK
Unique words percentage: 0.457786116323 0.468620217663 98% => OK
syllable_count: 873.0 705.55239521 124% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.6 1.59920159681 100% => OK
A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 9.0 4.96107784431 181% => OK
Article: 12.0 8.76447105788 137% => OK
Subordination: 4.0 2.70958083832 148% => OK
Conjunction: 5.0 1.67365269461 299% => Less conjunction wanted as sentence beginning.
Preposition: 8.0 4.22255489022 189% => OK
Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 21.0 19.7664670659 106% => OK
Sentence length: 25.0 22.8473053892 109% => OK
Sentence length SD: 81.5700803269 57.8364921388 141% => OK
Chars per sentence: 133.904761905 119.503703932 112% => OK
Words per sentence: 25.380952381 23.324526521 109% => OK
Discourse Markers: 5.38095238095 5.70786347227 94% => OK
Paragraphs: 5.0 5.15768463074 97% => OK
Language errors: 1.0 5.25449101796 19% => OK
Sentences with positive sentiment : 5.0 8.20758483034 61% => OK
Sentences with negative sentiment : 10.0 6.88822355289 145% => OK
Sentences with neutral sentiment: 6.0 4.67664670659 128% => OK
What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?
Coherence and Cohesion:
Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.170421270446 0.218282227539 78% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.04892157233 0.0743258471296 66% => OK
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.0501220005536 0.0701772020484 71% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.0910303368039 0.128457276422 71% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.0596133388975 0.0628817314937 95% => OK
Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 16.1 14.3799401198 112% => OK
flesch_reading_ease: 46.1 48.3550499002 95% => OK
smog_index: 8.8 7.1628742515 123% => OK
flesch_kincaid_grade: 13.0 12.197005988 107% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 13.64 12.5979740519 108% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 8.94 8.32208582834 107% => OK
difficult_words: 137.0 98.500998004 139% => OK
linsear_write_formula: 11.0 12.3882235529 89% => OK
gunning_fog: 12.0 11.1389221557 108% => OK
text_standard: 9.0 11.9071856287 76% => OK
What are above readability scores?
---------------------
Rates: 66.67 out of 100
Scores by essay e-grader: 4.0 Out of 6
---------------------
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.