The following appeared in a letter to the editor of the Balmer Island Gazette.
"The population on Balmer Island doubles during the summer months. During the summer, then, the town council of Balmer Island should decrease the maximum number of moped rentals allowed at each of the island's six moped and bicycle rental companies from 50 per day to 30 per day. This will significantly reduce the number of summertime accidents involving mopeds and pedestrians. The neighboring island of Torseau actually saw a 50 percent reduction in moped accidents last year when Torseau's town council enforced similar limits on moped rentals. To help reduce moped accidents, therefore, we should also enforce these limitations during the summer months."
Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.
Although, at the surface level, the argument put in by the author may appear to be cogent. A deeper analysis will reveal that the assumptions in which the conclusion depends upon fail to answer some very cogent questions. Citing that the population on Balmer Island doubles during the summer, the author argues that decreasing the maximum number of moped rentals will lead to a reduction in moped accidents during the summer months. However, the assumptions in which this argument relies upon has not be substantiated, thus, without proper evidence may amount to a slapdash advice.
Firstly, the author has given a weak analogy in comparing the Balmer Island with that of Torseau Island. Does the island of Torseau population doubles during the summer? Even if that is the case, do the tourist in that island see a significant increase in moped accidents that is directly as a result of an increase in moped rentals.
Secondly, the assumption that an increase in moped accidents in the islands of Balmer corresponds to increase in the six islands may not be correct. The author fails to drill down whether this is the case for all the islands in Balmer. If in fact for some of the islands’, moped rentals do not actually increase on these islands then reducing the number of rentals allowed per day from 50 to 30 may not lead to a decrease in the number of accidents on the island.
In addition, the author assumes without substantiation that a reduction in the number of rentals is sufficient enough to lead to a reduction in the number of accidents. What if, the accidents in Balmer is as a result of the speed levels of those using the moped rentals and that of islands of Torseau is caused by the number of moped rentals. A reduction in the number of moped rentals per day will not lead to a reduction in speed which may be the cause of these accidents.
Final, it is started that in Torseau Island, there was an enforcement of a limit to moped rentals. Did Torseau Island also engaged in sensitization of tourists on the island in addition to the enforcement of such limits. Did they create lanes dedicated for bicycles and pedestrian walk way. If this is the case, then a mere enforcement by authorities at Balmer Island may not bring the desired outcome.
I believe that the argument can be strengthen if the author provides that the scenario in Torseau Island is identical with Balmer Island. Substantiating that the cause of the increase in moped accidents in the six islands of Balmer is solely as a result of the increase in moped rentals during the summer months. Furthermore, that a reduction in the number of rentals only is sufficient to lead to a reduction in the number of moped accidents. Failure to substantiate upon the above will lead to a poor advice that will not lead to the desired outcome.
Comments
Essay evaluations by e-grader
Grammar and spelling errors:
Line 1, column 502, Rule ID: HAVE_PART_AGREEMENT[2]
Message: Possible agreement error -- use past participle here: 'been'.
Suggestion: been
...which this argument relies upon has not be substantiated, thus, without proper evi...
^^
Line 1, column 564, Rule ID: A_UNCOUNTABLE[3]
Message: Uncountable nouns are usually not used with an indefinite article. Use simply 'slapdash advice'.
Suggestion: slapdash advice
..., without proper evidence may amount to a slapdash advice. Firstly, the author has given a weak ...
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Line 3, column 251, Rule ID: SOME_OF_THE[1]
Message: Simply use 'some'.
Suggestion: some
...l the islands in Balmer. If in fact for some of the islands’, moped rentals do not actually...
^^^^^^^^^^^
Line 6, column 496, Rule ID: A_UNCOUNTABLE[3]
Message: Uncountable nouns are usually not used with an indefinite article. Use simply 'poor advice'.
Suggestion: poor advice
...ubstantiate upon the above will lead to a poor advice that will not lead to the desired outco...
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Transition Words or Phrases used:
actually, also, first, firstly, furthermore, however, if, may, second, secondly, so, then, thus, in addition, in fact, as a result
Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments
Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 17.0 19.6327345309 87% => OK
Auxiliary verbs: 12.0 12.9520958084 93% => OK
Conjunction : 2.0 11.1786427146 18% => More conjunction wanted.
Relative clauses : 19.0 13.6137724551 140% => OK
Pronoun: 25.0 28.8173652695 87% => OK
Preposition: 94.0 55.5748502994 169% => OK
Nominalization: 21.0 16.3942115768 128% => OK
Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 2331.0 2260.96107784 103% => OK
No of words: 494.0 441.139720559 112% => OK
Chars per words: 4.71862348178 5.12650576532 92% => OK
Fourth root words length: 4.71445763274 4.56307096286 103% => OK
Word Length SD: 2.68178898594 2.78398813304 96% => OK
Unique words: 176.0 204.123752495 86% => More unique words wanted.
Unique words percentage: 0.356275303644 0.468620217663 76% => More unique words wanted or less content wanted.
syllable_count: 729.0 705.55239521 103% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.5 1.59920159681 94% => OK
A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 3.0 4.96107784431 60% => OK
Article: 10.0 8.76447105788 114% => OK
Subordination: 3.0 2.70958083832 111% => OK
Conjunction: 0.0 1.67365269461 0% => OK
Preposition: 3.0 4.22255489022 71% => OK
Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 21.0 19.7664670659 106% => OK
Sentence length: 23.0 22.8473053892 101% => OK
Sentence length SD: 42.1295916706 57.8364921388 73% => OK
Chars per sentence: 111.0 119.503703932 93% => OK
Words per sentence: 23.5238095238 23.324526521 101% => OK
Discourse Markers: 6.19047619048 5.70786347227 108% => OK
Paragraphs: 6.0 5.15768463074 116% => OK
Language errors: 4.0 5.25449101796 76% => OK
Sentences with positive sentiment : 5.0 8.20758483034 61% => OK
Sentences with negative sentiment : 14.0 6.88822355289 203% => Less negative sentences wanted.
Sentences with neutral sentiment: 2.0 4.67664670659 43% => OK
What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?
Coherence and Cohesion:
Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.422835717169 0.218282227539 194% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.154838296897 0.0743258471296 208% => Sentence topic similarity is high.
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.130072894632 0.0701772020484 185% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.262859124839 0.128457276422 205% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.0671962240217 0.0628817314937 107% => OK
Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 12.6 14.3799401198 88% => Automated_readability_index is low.
flesch_reading_ease: 56.59 48.3550499002 117% => OK
smog_index: 3.1 7.1628742515 43% => Smog_index is low.
flesch_kincaid_grade: 11.1 12.197005988 91% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 10.39 12.5979740519 82% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 7.72 8.32208582834 93% => OK
difficult_words: 92.0 98.500998004 93% => OK
linsear_write_formula: 10.5 12.3882235529 85% => OK
gunning_fog: 11.2 11.1389221557 101% => OK
text_standard: 11.0 11.9071856287 92% => OK
What are above readability scores?
---------------------
Rates: 50.0 out of 100
Scores by essay e-grader: 3.0 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 1, column 502, Rule ID: HAVE_PART_AGREEMENT[2]
Message: Possible agreement error -- use past participle here: 'been'.
Suggestion: been
...which this argument relies upon has not be substantiated, thus, without proper evi...
^^
Line 1, column 564, Rule ID: A_UNCOUNTABLE[3]
Message: Uncountable nouns are usually not used with an indefinite article. Use simply 'slapdash advice'.
Suggestion: slapdash advice
..., without proper evidence may amount to a slapdash advice. Firstly, the author has given a weak ...
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Line 3, column 251, Rule ID: SOME_OF_THE[1]
Message: Simply use 'some'.
Suggestion: some
...l the islands in Balmer. If in fact for some of the islands’, moped rentals do not actually...
^^^^^^^^^^^
Line 6, column 496, Rule ID: A_UNCOUNTABLE[3]
Message: Uncountable nouns are usually not used with an indefinite article. Use simply 'poor advice'.
Suggestion: poor advice
...ubstantiate upon the above will lead to a poor advice that will not lead to the desired outco...
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Transition Words or Phrases used:
actually, also, first, firstly, furthermore, however, if, may, second, secondly, so, then, thus, in addition, in fact, as a result
Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments
Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 17.0 19.6327345309 87% => OK
Auxiliary verbs: 12.0 12.9520958084 93% => OK
Conjunction : 2.0 11.1786427146 18% => More conjunction wanted.
Relative clauses : 19.0 13.6137724551 140% => OK
Pronoun: 25.0 28.8173652695 87% => OK
Preposition: 94.0 55.5748502994 169% => OK
Nominalization: 21.0 16.3942115768 128% => OK
Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 2331.0 2260.96107784 103% => OK
No of words: 494.0 441.139720559 112% => OK
Chars per words: 4.71862348178 5.12650576532 92% => OK
Fourth root words length: 4.71445763274 4.56307096286 103% => OK
Word Length SD: 2.68178898594 2.78398813304 96% => OK
Unique words: 176.0 204.123752495 86% => More unique words wanted.
Unique words percentage: 0.356275303644 0.468620217663 76% => More unique words wanted or less content wanted.
syllable_count: 729.0 705.55239521 103% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.5 1.59920159681 94% => OK
A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 3.0 4.96107784431 60% => OK
Article: 10.0 8.76447105788 114% => OK
Subordination: 3.0 2.70958083832 111% => OK
Conjunction: 0.0 1.67365269461 0% => OK
Preposition: 3.0 4.22255489022 71% => OK
Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 21.0 19.7664670659 106% => OK
Sentence length: 23.0 22.8473053892 101% => OK
Sentence length SD: 42.1295916706 57.8364921388 73% => OK
Chars per sentence: 111.0 119.503703932 93% => OK
Words per sentence: 23.5238095238 23.324526521 101% => OK
Discourse Markers: 6.19047619048 5.70786347227 108% => OK
Paragraphs: 6.0 5.15768463074 116% => OK
Language errors: 4.0 5.25449101796 76% => OK
Sentences with positive sentiment : 5.0 8.20758483034 61% => OK
Sentences with negative sentiment : 14.0 6.88822355289 203% => Less negative sentences wanted.
Sentences with neutral sentiment: 2.0 4.67664670659 43% => OK
What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?
Coherence and Cohesion:
Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.422835717169 0.218282227539 194% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.154838296897 0.0743258471296 208% => Sentence topic similarity is high.
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.130072894632 0.0701772020484 185% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.262859124839 0.128457276422 205% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.0671962240217 0.0628817314937 107% => OK
Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 12.6 14.3799401198 88% => Automated_readability_index is low.
flesch_reading_ease: 56.59 48.3550499002 117% => OK
smog_index: 3.1 7.1628742515 43% => Smog_index is low.
flesch_kincaid_grade: 11.1 12.197005988 91% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 10.39 12.5979740519 82% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 7.72 8.32208582834 93% => OK
difficult_words: 92.0 98.500998004 93% => OK
linsear_write_formula: 10.5 12.3882235529 85% => OK
gunning_fog: 11.2 11.1389221557 101% => OK
text_standard: 11.0 11.9071856287 92% => OK
What are above readability scores?
---------------------
Rates: 50.0 out of 100
Scores by essay e-grader: 3.0 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.