The following appeared in a memorandum from the owner of Movies Galore, a chain of movie-rental stores.
"Because of declining profits, we must reduce operating expenses at Movies Galore's ten movie-rental stores. Raising prices is not a good option, since we are famous for our low prices. Instead, we should reduce our operating hours. Last month our store in downtown Marston reduced its hours by closing at 6:00 p.m. rather than 9:00 p.m. and reduced its overall inventory by no longer stocking any DVD released more than five years ago. Since we have received very few customer complaints about these new policies, we should now adopt them at all other Movies Galore stores as our best strategies for improving profits."
Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the argument.
The owner of Movies Galore claims that all movie-rental stores must reduce operating hours and change inventory of DVDs in order to increase declining profits. While the argument may have some merit, it is rifed with a number of unaddressed assumptions. Specific evidence is needed to evaluate the validity of the author’s argument. If the assumptions are not addressed with sound evidence, then the argument is unwarranted and completely falls apart.
Firstly, the owner implies that increasing prices will not improve profits since they are famous for low prices. However, the author does not provide evidence indicating the failure of increased prices. Perhaps, customers are only interested in buying higher-priced films, which may indicate that higher-priced films are more notorious than lower-priced films. If this were to be true, then the author is missing out on an opportunity to raise revenue. Furthermore, the owner must provide substantial surveys that indicate whether customers are willing to buy lower-priced films. If not, then it weakens the author’s argument that increased prices would not benefit.
Secondly, the owner assumes that reduction in operating hours will decrease profits, since it worked for one of the chain stores. However, what works for one store may not work for others. Evidence is needed to determine why reducing operating hours was less of a complaint for one chain store. Perhaps, it could be that people in the are more active in buying movies during the day versus the night. If this is true, then the author must provide evidence that all customers in different areas are willing to buy movies prior to 6 pm. If not, there customers in other areas may actually have more time to buy movies in the night after work or other occupations. Therefore, the evidence would support the owner’s argument if it shows all customers are willing to buy movies at an earlier time. If not, then the argument falls apart.
Lastly the owner assumes that no one is interested in DVDs released more than five years ago. The owner provides evidence that very few complaints have been made. However, evidence needs to show that all customers are less interested in DVDs released more than five years ago. It could be that few complaints have been made since people in the area are more interested in newly released films. However, other areas may have customers who love a range of movies from that from the past and present. Therefore, the argument could be strengthened if evidence shows a survey of all customers from all chains complained very little about the removal of movies that were released more than five years ago. If customers survey they are more interested in current films, then the argument is strengthened. If not, then owner could be losing profit and potential customers.
In conclusion, the owner presents a number of unstated assumptions that need to be addressed with relevant evidence. If the author does not provide a number of surveys and evidence that shows the overall customer opinion on the changes being made, then the author could be moving towards a downfall in profits and potentially run out of business.
Comments
e-rater score report
Attribute Value Ideal
Final score: 3.5 out of 6
Category: Satisfactory Excellent
No. of Grammatical Errors: 0 2
No. of Spelling Errors: 0 2
No. of Sentences: 28 15
No. of Words: 523 350
No. of Characters: 2588 1500
No. of Different Words: 203 200
Fourth Root of Number of Words: 4.782 4.7
Average Word Length: 4.948 4.6
Word Length SD: 2.541 2.4
No. of Words greater than 5 chars: 183 100
No. of Words greater than 6 chars: 138 80
No. of Words greater than 7 chars: 98 40
No. of Words greater than 8 chars: 56 20
Use of Passive Voice (%): 0 0
Avg. Sentence Length: 18.679 21.0
Sentence Length SD: 6.623 7.5
Use of Discourse Markers (%): 0.786 0.12
Sentence-Text Coherence: 0.311 0.35
Sentence-Para Coherence: 0.486 0.50
Sentence-Sentence Coherence: 0.074 0.07
Number of Paragraphs: 5 5
Grammar and spelling errors:
Line 5, column 332, Rule ID: A_INFINITVE[1]
Message: Probably a wrong construction: a/the + infinitive
...re. Perhaps, it could be that people in the are more active in buying movies during the...
^^^^^^^
Transition Words or Phrases used:
actually, first, firstly, furthermore, however, if, lastly, may, second, secondly, so, then, therefore, while, in conclusion
Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments
Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 32.0 19.6327345309 163% => OK
Auxiliary verbs: 18.0 12.9520958084 139% => OK
Conjunction : 7.0 11.1786427146 63% => OK
Relative clauses : 18.0 13.6137724551 132% => OK
Pronoun: 26.0 28.8173652695 90% => OK
Preposition: 57.0 55.5748502994 103% => OK
Nominalization: 20.0 16.3942115768 122% => OK
Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 2664.0 2260.96107784 118% => OK
No of words: 523.0 441.139720559 119% => OK
Chars per words: 5.09369024857 5.12650576532 99% => OK
Fourth root words length: 4.78217453174 4.56307096286 105% => OK
Word Length SD: 2.62258266147 2.78398813304 94% => OK
Unique words: 215.0 204.123752495 105% => OK
Unique words percentage: 0.411089866157 0.468620217663 88% => More unique words wanted or less content wanted.
syllable_count: 834.3 705.55239521 118% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.6 1.59920159681 100% => OK
A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 3.0 4.96107784431 60% => OK
Article: 9.0 8.76447105788 103% => OK
Subordination: 11.0 2.70958083832 406% => Less adverbial clause wanted.
Conjunction: 0.0 1.67365269461 0% => OK
Preposition: 2.0 4.22255489022 47% => More preposition wanted as sentence beginning.
Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 28.0 19.7664670659 142% => OK
Sentence length: 18.0 22.8473053892 79% => The Avg. Sentence Length is relatively short.
Sentence length SD: 39.4489304322 57.8364921388 68% => OK
Chars per sentence: 95.1428571429 119.503703932 80% => OK
Words per sentence: 18.6785714286 23.324526521 80% => OK
Discourse Markers: 4.42857142857 5.70786347227 78% => OK
Paragraphs: 5.0 5.15768463074 97% => OK
Language errors: 1.0 5.25449101796 19% => OK
Sentences with positive sentiment : 17.0 8.20758483034 207% => Less positive sentences wanted.
Sentences with negative sentiment : 9.0 6.88822355289 131% => OK
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: 0.190376710515 0.218282227539 87% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.0569234790998 0.0743258471296 77% => OK
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.0784804350528 0.0701772020484 112% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.115175066703 0.128457276422 90% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.0722935221607 0.0628817314937 115% => OK
Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 11.9 14.3799401198 83% => Automated_readability_index is low.
flesch_reading_ease: 53.21 48.3550499002 110% => OK
smog_index: 3.1 7.1628742515 43% => Smog_index is low.
flesch_kincaid_grade: 10.3 12.197005988 84% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 12.24 12.5979740519 97% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 7.73 8.32208582834 93% => OK
difficult_words: 106.0 98.500998004 108% => OK
linsear_write_formula: 8.5 12.3882235529 69% => OK
gunning_fog: 9.2 11.1389221557 83% => OK
text_standard: 12.0 11.9071856287 101% => OK
What are above readability scores?
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Rates: 50.0 out of 100
Scores by essay e-grader: 3.0 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.