The following appeared in a memorandum from the planning department of an electric power company."Several recent surveys indicate that home owners are increasingly eager to conserve energy. At the same time, manufacturers are now marketing many home appli

Essay topics:

The following appeared in a memorandum from the planning department of an electric power company.

"Several recent surveys indicate that home owners are increasingly eager to conserve energy. At the same time, manufacturers are now marketing many home appliances, such as refrigerators and air conditioners, that are almost twice as energy efficient as those sold a decade ago. Also, new technologies for better home insulation and passive solar heating are readily available to reduce the energy needed for home heating. Therefore, the total demand for electricity in our area will not increase—and may decline slightly. Since our three electric generating plants in operation for the past twenty years have always met our needs, construction of new generating plants will not be necessary."

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.

The author of the memorandum from the planning department of an electric power company asserts that because of modern energy efficient technology and public's willingness to use it, the three existing electric plants will be enough to satisfy people's needs and thus erection a new plants is not necessary. This argument is based on several assumptions which should be carefully scrutinized in order to gauge the soundness of the argument.

First of all, we were told that today's manufacturers tend to create more energy efficient items. It is a widely known fact that today's devices are more efficient, however the number of them in each household has dramatically skyrocketed. Computers, cell and smart phones, TV sets and other energy consuming devices have become cheaper and ubiquitous; consequently, despite the shift in item's efficiency, the overall consumption of electricity by residents probably increase.

Moreover, the writer assumes that available technology which is aimed on enegry saving will be inevitably used by residents. However, many people tend to withhold of them due to the fact that implementation of the new technology often requires significant financial investment. People may not merely have enough money to install them or may consider that return from the technology usage will not be appreciable enough. Thus demos may not use the available technology and the fall of energy consumption may not occur.

Besides, the writer surmises that three plants which have satisfied people's needs for twenty years will do it in the future. However, this belief is not supported properly. Yesterday experience may not suit for tomorrow requirements. For instance, if the number of local residents enhances the demand for electricity will inescapably increase. Moreover, the likeliness exists that these plants will wear off with the time. Mechanism which generate electricity may do it less effective today than they did ten of twelve years ago. All these examples illustrate that despite the previous success the existing plants may not meet requirements of the future .

Finally, the author maintains that construction on new generating plants is not needed. This statement is based on assumption that demand for electricity will not improve and that three existing plants will produce enough electricity. However, we have just demonstrated, that these assumptions are unwarranted. Additionally to it. We know that these electric plants were constructed twenty years ago. As we know ecological requirements and technology have stepped forward since than. In other words, the old plants may be ecologically unfriendly and be inefficient. Perhaps these plants use such fossil fuel as coil which today is seemed as dangerous for people's health. Consequently, the necessity for building new electric plants may exist and thus author's assumption is unreasonable.

In conclusion, the author of the memo states that demand for electricity will not enhance and the existing plants will be enough to meet consumers' needs and thus the new plants may not be built. However, the author fails to consider factors which undermine his or her conclusion and thus the argument and the prediction which is based on it may not bring expected result.

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Average: 7.3 (3 votes)
Essay Categories
GMAT/GRE Argument Task

Comments

Sentence: Moreover, the writer assumes that available technology which is aimed on enegry saving will be inevitably used by residents.
Error: enegry Suggestion: energy

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argument 1 -- OK

argument 2 -- OK

argument 3 and argument 4 are duplicated.

suggested:
It is quite possible that the energy usage on businesses and industries will increase as the number of factories in the country rises in the future.

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Attribute Value Ideal
Score: 3.5 out of 6
Category: Satisfactory Excellent
No. of Grammatical Errors: 0 2
No. of Spelling Errors: 1 2
No. of Sentences: 27 15
No. of Words: 510 350
No. of Characters: 2695 1500
No. of Different Words: 243 200
Fourth Root of Number of Words: 4.752 4.7
Average Word Length: 5.284 4.6
Word Length SD: 2.807 2.4
No. of Words greater than 5 chars: 207 100
No. of Words greater than 6 chars: 148 80
No. of Words greater than 7 chars: 118 40
No. of Words greater than 8 chars: 81 20
Use of Passive Voice (%): 0 0
Avg. Sentence Length: 18.889 21.0
Sentence Length SD: 9.433 7.5
Use of Discourse Markers (%): 0.778 0.12
Sentence-Text Coherence: 0.281 0.35
Sentence-Para Coherence: 0.491 0.50
Sentence-Sentence Coherence: 0.118 0.07
Number of Paragraphs: 6 5

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Hello.
This comment is written as a some kind of work with mistakes.
My third and forth arguments are duplicated and moreover, they miss the point - three existing plants will generate enough electricity and thus no new plants is needed.
I want to try to rewrite these paragraphs in a proper way.

"Since our three electric generating plants in operation for the past twenty years have always met our needs, construction of new generating plants will not be necessary."

finally, the argument claims that due to the fact that the existing electric plants have produced enough electricity, they will do it in the future. However, the author tends to neglect the likeliness that demand for electricity may skyrocketed due to some factors which were neglected by the originator. First of all, the local population may increase and thus the necessity in energy as well as its consumption will enhance as well. Moreover, the author missed to pay attention to industrial sector. In other words, if a new mills and plants open in the area, the demand for energy may soar significantly. Consequently, the argument's conclusion seems to be unwarranted and even unreasonable.

What do you think about this paragraph? Does it address the third prompt's argument?
Thank you.

I am sorry. I want to ask you about a favor: check these analyses of arguments’ structure. I want to avoid writing a plethora of incomplete essays badly written because of my misunderstanding of the structures. I intend to write this analysis for three arguments. Thank you for your patience.
Argument #1
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
1) "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.
2) 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.
3) To help reduce moped accidents, therefore, we should also enforce these limitations during the summer months."
Hello, I keep analyzing argument’s structure.
Is it correct?
Thank you.

yes, The structure should be like this:

condition 1:
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.

condition 2:
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.

conclusion:
To help reduce moped accidents, therefore, we should also enforce these limitations during the summer months.

Hello, I keep analyzing argument’s structure.
Is it correct?
the second argument.

The following appeared in a recommendation from the president of Amburg's Chamber of Commerce.

"Last October the city of Belleville installed high-intensity lighting in its central business district, and vandalism there declined within a month. The city of Amburg has recently begun police patrols on bicycles in its business district, but the rate of vandalism there remains constant. We should install high-intensity lighting throughout Amburg, then, because doing so is a more effective way to combat crime. By reducing crime in this way, we can revitalize the declining neighborhoods in our city."

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.
1)"Last October the city of Belleville installed high-intensity lighting in its central business district, and vandalism there declined within a month.
2)The city of Amburg has recently begun police patrols on bicycles in its business district, but the rate of vandalism there remains constant.
3)We should install high-intensity lighting throughout Amburg, then, because doing so is a more effective way to combat crime.
The conclusion) By reducing crime in this way, we can revitalize the declining neighborhoods in our city."
Is it correct?
Thank you.

No, should be like this:

Last October the city of Belleville installed high-intensity lighting in its central business district, and vandalism there declined within a month.

The city of Amburg has recently begun police patrols on bicycles in its business district, but the rate of vandalism there remains constant.

Need to argue against the conclusion:
We should install high-intensity lighting throughout Amburg, then, because doing so is a more effective way to combat crime. By reducing crime in this way, we can revitalize the declining neighborhoods in our city

Hello. It is the third argument.
The following appeared in a memo from the vice president of a company that builds shopping malls around the country.
"The surface of a section of Route 101, paved just two years ago by Good Intentions Roadways, is now badly cracked with a number of dangerous potholes. In another part of the state, a section of Route 40, paved by Appian Roadways more than four years ago, is still in good condition. In a demonstration of their continuing commitment to quality, Appian Roadways recently purchased state-of-the-art paving machinery and hired a new quality-control manager. Therefore, I recommend hiring Appian Roadways to construct the access roads for all our new shopping malls. I predict that our Appian access roads will not have to be repaired for at least four years."
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.
________________________________________
1) "The surface of a section of Route 101, paved just two years ago by Good Intentions Roadways, is now badly cracked with a number of dangerous potholes. In another part of the state, a section of Route 40, paved by Appian Roadways more than four years ago, is still in good condition.
2) In a demonstration of their continuing commitment to quality, Appian Roadways recently purchased state-of-the-art paving machinery and hired a new quality-control manager.
The conclusion) Therefore, I recommend hiring Appian Roadways to construct the access roads for all our new shopping malls. I predict that our Appian access roads will not have to be repaired for at least four years."
Is it correct?
Thank you.

Hello it is the last argument.
The following is a letter that recently appeared in the Oak City Gazette, a local newspaper.
"The primary function of the Committee for a Better Oak City is to advise the city government on how to make the best use of the city's limited budget. However, at some of our recent meetings we failed to make important decisions because of the foolish objections raised by committee members who are not even residents of Oak City. People who work in Oak City but who live elsewhere cannot fully understand the business and politics of the city. After all, only Oak City residents pay city taxes, and therefore only residents understand how that money could best be used to improve the city. We recommend, then, that the Committee for a Better Oak City vote to restrict its membership to city residents only. We predict that, without the interference of non-residents, the committee will be able to make Oak City a better place in which to live and work."
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.
-------------------------
"The primary function of the Committee for a Better Oak City is to advise the city government on how to make the best use of the city's limited budget. (It seems that this information should be accepted for granted)/

1) However, at some of our recent meetings we failed to make important decisions because of the foolish objections raised by committee members who are not even residents of Oak City. People who work in Oak City but who live elsewhere cannot fully understand the business and politics of the city.

2) After all, only Oak City residents pay city taxes, and therefore only residents understand how that money could best be used to improve the city.

The conclusion) We recommend, then, that the Committee for a Better Oak City vote to restrict its membership to city residents only. We predict that, without the interference of non-residents, the committee will be able to make Oak City a better place in which to live and work."

Is it correct?
Thank you.