Essay topics: The following appeared in a letter from the owner of the Sunnyside Towers apartment complex to its manager.
"One month ago, all the showerheads in the first three buildings of the Sunnyside Towers complex were modified to restrict maximum water flow to one-third of what it used to be. Although actual readings of water usage before and after the adjustment are not yet available, the change will obviously result in a considerable savings for Sunnyside Corporation, since the corporation must pay for water each month. Except for a few complaints about low water pressure, no problems with showers have been reported since the adjustment. I predict that modifying showerheads to restrict water flow throughout all twelve buildings in the Sunnyside Towers complex will increase our profits even more dramatically."
Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the prediction and the argument on which it is based are reasonable. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the prediction.
The author of the above passage claims that shower head modification that restricted water flow one-third will increase their profit significantly. Thought the author's suggestion seems reasonable at first glance, the following investigation shows why it may be flawed.
To begin with, the author believes that changing showerhead into a water-saving model will make significant savings in water cost, however, this may not be the case. He implies that if they change the showerhead model, the residents will use water less than before. Though the water flow per time may decrease, the whole usage of water may not decrease, if people take shower for a longer time than before. Because it is lower-limit at the portions of water a person needs for a day. In that case, the whole portion of water will not be changed or even increased. Thus, without additional evidence regarding the actual decrease in water consumption among the city residents the author's argument cannot be warranted.
Moreover, it is assumed that there is no problem except few complaints among residents, therefore the profit increase is prospective. However, this supposition may be erroneous. Most of all, his argument is based on a month observation, which is too short. To make a general statement about the construction results are successful and no problem, long-term observation at least a year would be necessary. Considering the water consumption is differed by seasons; for example, higer when summer, lower in winter, at least a year-long information is needed. If the construction has done in winter, people will find problems out in next summer, which is too late. Also, the author's assertion that there is no problem so far, is flawed too. The few complaints are also a problem. Therfore the author's belief that the construction was successful is not guaranteed. To support the author's argument, long-term observation reports about the construction results will be required.
Furthermore, the author argues that this building's success will adjust to the other buildings too, however, may not be warranted. Because the conditions are different from this building to others. To get the same results, the conditions such as location and the age of the buildings should be the same.
In conclusion, the author’s argument relies heavily on its doubtful assumptions. To strengthen the argument, the author needs to show that the water saving construction is related to the significant rise in the company's profit.
Comments
Essay evaluation report
argument 1 -- OK
argument 2 -- OK
argument 3 -- OK
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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: 23 15
No. of Words: 399 350
No. of Characters: 2043 1500
No. of Different Words: 201 200
Fourth Root of Number of Words: 4.469 4.7
Average Word Length: 5.12 4.6
Word Length SD: 2.831 2.4
No. of Words greater than 5 chars: 152 100
No. of Words greater than 6 chars: 116 80
No. of Words greater than 7 chars: 88 40
No. of Words greater than 8 chars: 60 20
Use of Passive Voice (%): 0 0
Avg. Sentence Length: 17.348 21.0
Sentence Length SD: 5.592 7.5
Use of Discourse Markers (%): 0.652 0.12
Sentence-Text Coherence: 0.296 0.35
Sentence-Para Coherence: 0.508 0.50
Sentence-Sentence Coherence: 0.103 0.07
Number of Paragraphs: 5 5
Grammar and spelling errors:
Line 1, column 162, Rule ID: POSSESIVE_APOSTROPHE[1]
Message: Possible typo: apostrophe is missing. Did you mean 'authors'' or 'author's'?
Suggestion: authors'; author's
...their profit significantly. Thought the authors suggestion seems reasonable at first gl...
^^^^^^^
Line 3, column 681, Rule ID: POSSESIVE_APOSTROPHE[1]
Message: Possible typo: apostrophe is missing. Did you mean 'authors'' or 'author's'?
Suggestion: authors'; author's
...onsumption among the city residents the authors argument cannot be warranted. More...
^^^^^^^
Line 5, column 673, Rule ID: POSSESIVE_APOSTROPHE[1]
Message: Possible typo: apostrophe is missing. Did you mean 'authors'' or 'author's'?
Suggestion: authors'; author's
...xt summer, which is too late. Also, the authors assertion that there is no problem so f...
^^^^^^^
Line 5, column 791, Rule ID: POSSESIVE_APOSTROPHE[1]
Message: Possible typo: apostrophe is missing. Did you mean 'authors'' or 'author's'?
Suggestion: authors'; author's
...laints are also a problem. Therfore the authors belief that the construction was succes...
^^^^^^^
Line 5, column 877, Rule ID: POSSESIVE_APOSTROPHE[2]
Message: Possible typo: apostrophe is missing. Did you mean 'authors'' or 'author's'?
Suggestion: authors'; author's
...ssful is not guaranteed. To support the authors argument, long-term observation reports...
^^^^^^^
Line 7, column 43, Rule ID: POSSESIVE_APOSTROPHE[1]
Message: Possible typo: apostrophe is missing. Did you mean 'buildings'' or 'building's'?
Suggestion: buildings'; building's
...urthermore, the author argues that this buildings success will adjust to the other buildi...
^^^^^^^^^
Line 7, column 132, Rule ID: SENTENCE_FRAGMENT[1]
Message: “Because” at the beginning of a sentence requires a 2nd clause. Maybe a comma, question or exclamation mark is missing, or the sentence is incomplete and should be joined with the following sentence.
...ngs too, however, may not be warranted. Because the conditions are different from this ...
^^^^^^^
Transition Words or Phrases used:
also, first, furthermore, however, if, may, moreover, regarding, so, then, therefore, third, thus, at least, for example, in conclusion, such as, to begin with
Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments
Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 26.0 19.6327345309 132% => OK
Auxiliary verbs: 16.0 12.9520958084 124% => OK
Conjunction : 3.0 11.1786427146 27% => More conjunction wanted.
Relative clauses : 13.0 13.6137724551 95% => OK
Pronoun: 22.0 28.8173652695 76% => OK
Preposition: 45.0 55.5748502994 81% => OK
Nominalization: 25.0 16.3942115768 152% => OK
Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 2114.0 2260.96107784 94% => OK
No of words: 399.0 441.139720559 90% => More content wanted.
Chars per words: 5.29824561404 5.12650576532 103% => OK
Fourth root words length: 4.46933824581 4.56307096286 98% => OK
Word Length SD: 2.93301836294 2.78398813304 105% => OK
Unique words: 210.0 204.123752495 103% => OK
Unique words percentage: 0.526315789474 0.468620217663 112% => OK
syllable_count: 633.6 705.55239521 90% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.6 1.59920159681 100% => OK
A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 5.0 4.96107784431 101% => OK
Article: 12.0 8.76447105788 137% => OK
Subordination: 5.0 2.70958083832 185% => OK
Conjunction: 0.0 1.67365269461 0% => OK
Preposition: 10.0 4.22255489022 237% => Less preposition wanted as sentence beginnings.
Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 23.0 19.7664670659 116% => OK
Sentence length: 17.0 22.8473053892 74% => The Avg. Sentence Length is relatively short.
Sentence length SD: 35.8653752494 57.8364921388 62% => OK
Chars per sentence: 91.9130434783 119.503703932 77% => OK
Words per sentence: 17.347826087 23.324526521 74% => OK
Discourse Markers: 6.91304347826 5.70786347227 121% => OK
Paragraphs: 5.0 5.15768463074 97% => OK
Language errors: 7.0 5.25449101796 133% => OK
Sentences with positive sentiment : 7.0 8.20758483034 85% => 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: 0.0436130034278 0.218282227539 20% => The similarity between the topic and the content is low.
Sentence topic coherence: 0.0157782110583 0.0743258471296 21% => Sentence topic similarity is low.
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.0227881658566 0.0701772020484 32% => Sentences are similar to each other.
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.0335544935347 0.128457276422 26% => Maybe some paragraphs are off the topic.
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.0199531229022 0.0628817314937 32% => Paragraphs are similar to each other. Some content may get duplicated or it is not exactly right on the topic.
Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 12.2 14.3799401198 85% => Automated_readability_index is low.
flesch_reading_ease: 54.22 48.3550499002 112% => OK
smog_index: 3.1 7.1628742515 43% => Smog_index is low.
flesch_kincaid_grade: 9.9 12.197005988 81% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 13.16 12.5979740519 104% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 8.56 8.32208582834 103% => OK
difficult_words: 103.0 98.500998004 105% => OK
linsear_write_formula: 11.0 12.3882235529 89% => OK
gunning_fog: 8.8 11.1389221557 79% => OK
text_standard: 9.0 11.9071856287 76% => OK
What are above readability scores?
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It is not exactly right on the topic in the view of e-grader. Maybe there is a wrong essay topic.
Rates: 16.67 out of 100
Scores by essay e-grader: 1.0 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.