The following appeared in a letter to the editor of the Parkville Daily newspaper.
"Throughout the country last year, as more and more children below the age of nine participated in youth-league sports, over 40,000 of these young players suffered injuries. When interviewed for a recent study, youth-league soccer players in several major cities also reported psychological pressure exerted by coaches and parents to win games. Furthermore, education experts say that long practice sessions for these sports take away time that could be used for academic activities. Since the disadvantages outweigh any advantages, we in Parkville should discontinue organized athletic competition for children under nine."
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, the arguments in the letter appears cogent and the conclusion draw well informed, a deep look at the arguments shows that there are a lot of cogent questions that are yet to be substantiated with evidence and inherit unwarranted assumptions. Citing several unproven data, the author of the letter concludes that the advantages in sporting activities outweigh any advantages and recommends that Parkville should discontinue organized athletic competition for children under nine. This argument currently relies on unsubstantiated assumptions, thus amounts to a poor advice.
Firstly, the author posits without any proof that more and more children below the age of nine age participated in youth-league sports and that over 40,000 of these young players suffered injuries. The author fails to point to the source of the data and the way in which such research was carried out. Perhaps, the 40,000 young players that suffered injuries are not even in the age bracket. Even if they are in the age bracket, the author fails to prove the kind of training these beloved children underwent before going into the youth-league sports. Was it an organized coaching exercise done by experts? If any of the above is the case, then the conclusion is unwarranted since the author’s claim cannot be relied upon.
Secondly, the author quotes a recent study of youth-league soccer players in major cities. This research may entail an unrepresentative statistical data which do not reflect the entire youth-league soccer players through out the country, thus, significantly impacting on the credibility of the study. Perhaps, those players that even participated in the study are above nine age and thus do not would not reflect the true realities of children under nine.
Furthermore, even if the data represents a right sample size, the methodology may be problematic in two respects. One, were the respondents allowed to choose from a close-ended alternatives which would have limited their preference on how to respond. Secondly, was the response taken in confidentiality or the respondents’ identity is known. If it was not done in concealment, respondents would not reveal their true feelings on the issue. Either of the cases significantly impacts on the arguments and makes the conclusion drawn a particularly poor advice.
Admittedly, I concur with the education experts that long practice sessions for these sports take away time that could be used for academic activities. However, there is no data or study to support that students that participate in sporting events perform woefully in class. Perhaps, engaging in sporting activities actually allow these children to multitask, take on initiatives on the field, and able to think independently which may improve their ability to learn and excel in class. Failure to prove data that state otherwise renders the assumption unwarranted.
In summary, the author has to substantiate with relevant evidences on some of the assumptions such as the unrepresentative statistical data, problematic research methodology. For instance, the author should cite a study to support their position on the 40000 young players that have suffered injuries and the causes of these injuries. The recent study that was carried out in major cities if they represent the required sample size and the margin of error in this study. Show or cite a study that corroborates his claim on the relationship between academic performance and sporting activities. Otherwise, this conclusion amounts to poor advise.
Comments
Essay evaluations by e-grader
Grammar and spelling errors:
Line 1, column 569, Rule ID: A_UNCOUNTABLE[3]
Message: Uncountable nouns are usually not used with an indefinite article. Use simply 'poor advice'.
Suggestion: poor advice
...stantiated assumptions, thus amounts to a poor advice. Firstly, the author posits without an...
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Line 3, column 213, Rule ID: THROUGH_OUT[1]
Message: Did you mean 'throughout'?
Suggestion: throughout
... the entire youth-league soccer players through out the country, thus, significantly impact...
^^^^^^^^^^^
Line 4, column 530, Rule ID: A_UNCOUNTABLE[5]
Message: Uncountable nouns are usually not used with an indefinite article. Use simply 'particularly poor advice'.
Suggestion: particularly poor advice
...rguments and makes the conclusion drawn a particularly poor advice. Admittedly, I concur with the educati...
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Line 6, column 71, Rule ID: SOME_OF_THE[1]
Message: Simply use 'some'.
Suggestion: some
...substantiate with relevant evidences on some of the assumptions such as the unrepresentativ...
^^^^^^^^^^^
Transition Words or Phrases used:
actually, first, firstly, furthermore, however, if, look, may, second, secondly, so, then, thus, well, as to, for instance, in summary, kind of, such as
Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments
Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 19.0 19.6327345309 97% => OK
Auxiliary verbs: 10.0 12.9520958084 77% => OK
Conjunction : 17.0 11.1786427146 152% => OK
Relative clauses : 20.0 13.6137724551 147% => OK
Pronoun: 36.0 28.8173652695 125% => Less pronouns wanted
Preposition: 79.0 55.5748502994 142% => OK
Nominalization: 10.0 16.3942115768 61% => OK
Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 2989.0 2260.96107784 132% => OK
No of words: 558.0 441.139720559 126% => OK
Chars per words: 5.35663082437 5.12650576532 104% => OK
Fourth root words length: 4.86024933743 4.56307096286 107% => OK
Word Length SD: 3.01380680135 2.78398813304 108% => OK
Unique words: 265.0 204.123752495 130% => OK
Unique words percentage: 0.474910394265 0.468620217663 101% => OK
syllable_count: 926.1 705.55239521 131% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.7 1.59920159681 106% => OK
A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 5.0 4.96107784431 101% => OK
Article: 12.0 8.76447105788 137% => OK
Subordination: 4.0 2.70958083832 148% => OK
Conjunction: 1.0 1.67365269461 60% => OK
Preposition: 1.0 4.22255489022 24% => More preposition wanted as sentence beginning.
Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 26.0 19.7664670659 132% => OK
Sentence length: 21.0 22.8473053892 92% => OK
Sentence length SD: 52.1724070671 57.8364921388 90% => OK
Chars per sentence: 114.961538462 119.503703932 96% => OK
Words per sentence: 21.4615384615 23.324526521 92% => OK
Discourse Markers: 5.84615384615 5.70786347227 102% => OK
Paragraphs: 6.0 5.15768463074 116% => OK
Language errors: 4.0 5.25449101796 76% => OK
Sentences with positive sentiment : 3.0 8.20758483034 37% => More positive sentences wanted.
Sentences with negative sentiment : 16.0 6.88822355289 232% => Less negative sentences wanted.
Sentences with neutral sentiment: 7.0 4.67664670659 150% => OK
What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?
Coherence and Cohesion:
Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.241548492277 0.218282227539 111% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.0611216583319 0.0743258471296 82% => OK
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.106884933759 0.0701772020484 152% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.115480423395 0.128457276422 90% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.104262591417 0.0628817314937 166% => OK
Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 14.5 14.3799401198 101% => OK
flesch_reading_ease: 41.7 48.3550499002 86% => OK
smog_index: 8.8 7.1628742515 123% => OK
flesch_kincaid_grade: 12.7 12.197005988 104% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 13.81 12.5979740519 110% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 8.7 8.32208582834 105% => OK
difficult_words: 142.0 98.500998004 144% => OK
linsear_write_formula: 14.5 12.3882235529 117% => OK
gunning_fog: 10.4 11.1389221557 93% => OK
text_standard: 15.0 11.9071856287 126% => 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 1, column 569, Rule ID: A_UNCOUNTABLE[3]
Message: Uncountable nouns are usually not used with an indefinite article. Use simply 'poor advice'.
Suggestion: poor advice
...stantiated assumptions, thus amounts to a poor advice. Firstly, the author posits without an...
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Line 3, column 213, Rule ID: THROUGH_OUT[1]
Message: Did you mean 'throughout'?
Suggestion: throughout
... the entire youth-league soccer players through out the country, thus, significantly impact...
^^^^^^^^^^^
Line 4, column 530, Rule ID: A_UNCOUNTABLE[5]
Message: Uncountable nouns are usually not used with an indefinite article. Use simply 'particularly poor advice'.
Suggestion: particularly poor advice
...rguments and makes the conclusion drawn a particularly poor advice. Admittedly, I concur with the educati...
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Line 6, column 71, Rule ID: SOME_OF_THE[1]
Message: Simply use 'some'.
Suggestion: some
...substantiate with relevant evidences on some of the assumptions such as the unrepresentativ...
^^^^^^^^^^^
Transition Words or Phrases used:
actually, first, firstly, furthermore, however, if, look, may, second, secondly, so, then, thus, well, as to, for instance, in summary, kind of, such as
Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments
Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 19.0 19.6327345309 97% => OK
Auxiliary verbs: 10.0 12.9520958084 77% => OK
Conjunction : 17.0 11.1786427146 152% => OK
Relative clauses : 20.0 13.6137724551 147% => OK
Pronoun: 36.0 28.8173652695 125% => Less pronouns wanted
Preposition: 79.0 55.5748502994 142% => OK
Nominalization: 10.0 16.3942115768 61% => OK
Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 2989.0 2260.96107784 132% => OK
No of words: 558.0 441.139720559 126% => OK
Chars per words: 5.35663082437 5.12650576532 104% => OK
Fourth root words length: 4.86024933743 4.56307096286 107% => OK
Word Length SD: 3.01380680135 2.78398813304 108% => OK
Unique words: 265.0 204.123752495 130% => OK
Unique words percentage: 0.474910394265 0.468620217663 101% => OK
syllable_count: 926.1 705.55239521 131% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.7 1.59920159681 106% => OK
A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 5.0 4.96107784431 101% => OK
Article: 12.0 8.76447105788 137% => OK
Subordination: 4.0 2.70958083832 148% => OK
Conjunction: 1.0 1.67365269461 60% => OK
Preposition: 1.0 4.22255489022 24% => More preposition wanted as sentence beginning.
Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 26.0 19.7664670659 132% => OK
Sentence length: 21.0 22.8473053892 92% => OK
Sentence length SD: 52.1724070671 57.8364921388 90% => OK
Chars per sentence: 114.961538462 119.503703932 96% => OK
Words per sentence: 21.4615384615 23.324526521 92% => OK
Discourse Markers: 5.84615384615 5.70786347227 102% => OK
Paragraphs: 6.0 5.15768463074 116% => OK
Language errors: 4.0 5.25449101796 76% => OK
Sentences with positive sentiment : 3.0 8.20758483034 37% => More positive sentences wanted.
Sentences with negative sentiment : 16.0 6.88822355289 232% => Less negative sentences wanted.
Sentences with neutral sentiment: 7.0 4.67664670659 150% => OK
What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?
Coherence and Cohesion:
Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.241548492277 0.218282227539 111% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.0611216583319 0.0743258471296 82% => OK
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.106884933759 0.0701772020484 152% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.115480423395 0.128457276422 90% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.104262591417 0.0628817314937 166% => OK
Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 14.5 14.3799401198 101% => OK
flesch_reading_ease: 41.7 48.3550499002 86% => OK
smog_index: 8.8 7.1628742515 123% => OK
flesch_kincaid_grade: 12.7 12.197005988 104% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 13.81 12.5979740519 110% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 8.7 8.32208582834 105% => OK
difficult_words: 142.0 98.500998004 144% => OK
linsear_write_formula: 14.5 12.3882235529 117% => OK
gunning_fog: 10.4 11.1389221557 93% => OK
text_standard: 15.0 11.9071856287 126% => 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.