The following is a memorandum from the business manager of a television station.
"Over the past year, our late-night news program has devoted increased time to national news and less time to weather and local news. During this period, most of the complaints received from viewers were concerned with our station's coverage of weather and local news. In addition, local businesses that used to advertise during our late-night news program have canceled their advertising contracts with us. Therefore, in order to attract more viewers to our news programs and to avoid losing any further advertising revenues, we should expand our coverage of weather and local news on all our news programs."
In the above memorandum of a business manager of a television station, the manager proposes to increase time of weather and local news in late night news programs. In support to his statement he puts forwards various arguments such as reduction in advertising by local businesses and complaints from viewers due to decrease in weather forecasts and local news. According to me, the author’s arguments contain myriad of logical flaws as well as it is based on non-verified assumptions.
First of all, it is not clear from the paragraph whether the news channel is local or national. For precise decisions, it is important to know the audience. The author should have clarified the maximum reach of their programs and the areas covered in their news. Content of a news channel depends on variance in their prospective viewers. If the channel has nationwide viewership, then the local news and weather conditions are of no importance. Without categorically scrutinizing the result of the change, no alterations or hasty decisions should be made.
Second, the author supports his argument by posing that most complaints received from viewers during that period was regarding the local and weather news. Though the number of complaints received is not clear. Also the total number of viewers of late-night news shows is not mentioned. Before making any assertions, the manager should study and analyze all statistics, count percent of viewers complaining and the significant effects of the changes in viewership. It is possible that the number of viewers complaining is negligible as compared to total viewership. In that case, it poses no significant threat to the channel’s reputation.
Thirdly, the author contends that there is decrease in advertisement revenues during late night shows due to changes in the content. However, it is illucid in the argument that the advertisers have retreated their advertisements due to the same reason. It is possible that they might have taken that step in response to some other factors like; decrease in overall viewership of the channel, deteriorating reputation of the channel, increased cost of advertising on the channel or no absolute success in business due to advertisement. It is also possible that as the channel might have nationwide viewers, these advertise do not reach pertinent audience. Finally the author has mentioned that all news programs should include weather and local news. Though, it is not clearly mentioned in the paragraph that it can result in desired outcome. It is possible that repeated news of same incidents or same weather forecasts during the day reduces the channel’s viewership and seem cloying to the audience. It is important for a news channel to keep redundancy rate low in their content to attract viewers.
In sum, it is certainly not clear that making the above mentioned changes by the manager, viewership and advertising revenues will increase. Hence, to make the argument more solid and insinuate desired changes, the manager should illustrate concrete situations and plausible assertions. For this the manager should hold various detailed surveys on preferences of viewers and the advertisers.
Comments
Essay evaluation report
samples:
https://www.testbig.com/gmatgre-argument-task-essays/over-past-year-our…
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Attribute Value Ideal
Final score: 2.5 out of 6
Category: Satisfactory Excellent
No. of Grammatical Errors: 0 2
No. of Spelling Errors: 0 2
No. of Sentences: 26 15
No. of Words: 507 350
No. of Characters: 2621 1500
No. of Different Words: 211 200
Fourth Root of Number of Words: 4.745 4.7
Average Word Length: 5.17 4.6
Word Length SD: 2.831 2.4
No. of Words greater than 5 chars: 209 100
No. of Words greater than 6 chars: 179 80
No. of Words greater than 7 chars: 112 40
No. of Words greater than 8 chars: 75 20
Use of Passive Voice (%): 0 0
Avg. Sentence Length: 19.5 21.0
Sentence Length SD: 7.355 7.5
Use of Discourse Markers (%): 0.423 0.12
Sentence-Text Coherence: 0.309 0.35
Sentence-Para Coherence: 0.491 0.50
Sentence-Sentence Coherence: 0.089 0.07
Number of Paragraphs: 5 5
Grammar and spelling errors:
Line 1, column 362, Rule ID: ACCORDING_TO_ME[1]
Message: This phrase can sound awkward in English. Consider using 'in my opinion' or 'I think'.
Suggestion: In my opinion; I think
...se in weather forecasts and local news. According to me, the author's arguments contain my...
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Line 5, column 156, Rule ID: SENTENCE_FRAGMENT[1]
Message: “Though” 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.
...s regarding the local and weather news. Though the number of complaints received is no...
^^^^^^
Line 5, column 211, Rule ID: SENT_START_CONJUNCTIVE_LINKING_ADVERB_COMMA[1]
Message: Did you forget a comma after a conjunctive/linking adverb?
Suggestion: Also,
...er of complaints received is not clear. Also the total number of viewers of late-nig...
^^^^
Line 7, column 656, Rule ID: SENT_START_CONJUNCTIVE_LINKING_ADVERB_COMMA[1]
Message: Did you forget a comma after a conjunctive/linking adverb?
Suggestion: Finally,
...ertise do not reach pertinent audience. Finally the author has mentioned that all news ...
^^^^^^^
Line 7, column 751, Rule ID: SENTENCE_FRAGMENT[1]
Message: “Though” 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.
... should include weather and local news. Though, it is not clearly mentioned in the par...
^^^^^^
Transition Words or Phrases used:
also, finally, first, hence, however, if, regarding, second, so, then, third, thirdly, well, such as, as well as, first of all
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 : 18.0 11.1786427146 161% => OK
Relative clauses : 13.0 13.6137724551 95% => OK
Pronoun: 38.0 28.8173652695 132% => Less pronouns wanted
Preposition: 73.0 55.5748502994 131% => OK
Nominalization: 15.0 16.3942115768 91% => OK
Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 2701.0 2260.96107784 119% => OK
No of words: 507.0 441.139720559 115% => OK
Chars per words: 5.32741617357 5.12650576532 104% => OK
Fourth root words length: 4.74517233601 4.56307096286 104% => OK
Word Length SD: 2.96820656049 2.78398813304 107% => OK
Unique words: 225.0 204.123752495 110% => OK
Unique words percentage: 0.443786982249 0.468620217663 95% => More unique words wanted or less content wanted.
syllable_count: 824.4 705.55239521 117% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.6 1.59920159681 100% => OK
A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 12.0 4.96107784431 242% => Less pronouns wanted as sentence beginning.
Article: 7.0 8.76447105788 80% => OK
Subordination: 3.0 2.70958083832 111% => OK
Conjunction: 0.0 1.67365269461 0% => OK
Preposition: 8.0 4.22255489022 189% => OK
Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 26.0 19.7664670659 132% => OK
Sentence length: 19.0 22.8473053892 83% => The Avg. Sentence Length is relatively short.
Sentence length SD: 47.4655901525 57.8364921388 82% => OK
Chars per sentence: 103.884615385 119.503703932 87% => OK
Words per sentence: 19.5 23.324526521 84% => OK
Discourse Markers: 4.84615384615 5.70786347227 85% => OK
Paragraphs: 5.0 5.15768463074 97% => OK
Language errors: 5.0 5.25449101796 95% => OK
Sentences with positive sentiment : 9.0 8.20758483034 110% => OK
Sentences with negative sentiment : 11.0 6.88822355289 160% => 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: 0.284122659921 0.218282227539 130% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.0837416868407 0.0743258471296 113% => OK
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.115151532526 0.0701772020484 164% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.169887830502 0.128457276422 132% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.103704589726 0.0628817314937 165% => OK
Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 13.4 14.3799401198 93% => Automated_readability_index is low.
flesch_reading_ease: 52.19 48.3550499002 108% => OK
smog_index: 8.8 7.1628742515 123% => OK
flesch_kincaid_grade: 10.7 12.197005988 88% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 13.63 12.5979740519 108% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 8.66 8.32208582834 104% => OK
difficult_words: 131.0 98.500998004 133% => OK
linsear_write_formula: 11.0 12.3882235529 89% => OK
gunning_fog: 9.6 11.1389221557 86% => OK
text_standard: 11.0 11.9071856287 92% => OK
What are above readability scores?
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Rates: 58.33 out of 100
Scores by essay e-grader: 3.5 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.