A recently issued twenty year study on headaches suffered by the residents of Mentia investigated the possible therapeutic effect of consuming salicylates Salicylates are members of the same chemical family as aspirin a medicine used to treat headaches Al | TOEFL IELTS GMAT GRE SAT ACT PTE ESL

Essay topics:

A recently issued twenty-year study on headaches suffered by the residents of Mentia investigated the possible therapeutic effect of consuming salicylates. Salicylates are members of the same chemical family as aspirin, a medicine used to treat headaches. Although many foods are naturally rich in salicylates, food-processing companies also add salicylates to foods as preservatives. The twenty-year study found a correlation between the rise in the commercial use of salicylates and a steady decline in the average number of headaches reported by study participants. At the time when the study concluded, food-processing companies had just discovered that salicylates can also be used as flavor additives for foods, and, as a result, many companies plan to do so. Based on these study results, some health experts predict that residents of Mentia will suffer even fewer headaches in the future.

Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the prediction and the argument on which it is based are reasonable. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the prediction.

The author's statement on the prediction of health experts in regard to plummeting the residents suffering from headaches based on a study, lacks several important considerations and is insufficiently supported. More evidence is required to properly evaluate the author's argument.
Firstly, the author mentions that salicylates are naturally rich in many foods. However, there is no mention of what foods or what category of foods are rich in salicylates. Additional information on the type and category of foods that fall under salicylate rich foods is evident to evaluate the argument. If the 'many foods' in the author's statement mean by the foods that are easily available in the market and consumed by an average individual and also generally deemed as basic foods would make a valid point. On the contrary, if these foods are far from reach of an average individual, would make the statement insufficient. Therefore, having clarity on what foods are termed as salicylate rich foods is evident to evaluate the argument.
Further, the author states that the twenty year study found a steady decline in the average number of headaches reported by the study participants in correlation with the rise in the commercial usage. However, without having proper figures on the count of study participants involved and the proportion to which the salicylate consumption or use was commercialized, the argument cannot be evaluated thoroughly. Additional evidences such as the total number of test subjects reporting fewer headaches along with the average proportion and time duration of salicylate intake will be neccessary to evaluate the argument. If the study had a sample size of a million participants reporting decline in fewer headaches with the increased consumption of salicylate and in brief period of time would make the author's argument valid and also strengthen the claim. Conversely, if the sample size was just about few hundreds, and with erratic information on salicylate intake and duration of time, would certainly reduce the validity of the author's argument. Ultimately, without the proper evidence on the number of participants and the average consumption of salicylate, it is difficult to evaluate its significance on acting as a substitute for reducing headaches.
Nevertheless, the author also links the discovery that salicylates can also be used as flavor additives for foods and many companies also planning to implement it. However, there is no clear inclination whether this will lead to increase in consumption of the salicylate rich foods or salicylates can also be used as a flavor with similar food types. It requires additonal evidence as to why many food-processing companies are planning to use salicylates as flavor additives? Is it because people like to consume more flavored foods? If the usage of flavored foods is significantly more by the general consumers, and if it also lead them to consume salicylates with the food of their liking, this would strengthen the author's point in correlating this factor resulting in fewer headaches among the participants. Else, it would not be significant to correlate with the argument. Ultimately, without having many supportive information and significant questions answered the authour's argument and prediction by some health experts fall short to be properly evaluated.
While the author's statement on the prediction of health experts about the gradual decrease in suffering of headaches among the residents of Mentia in the future is relevant, but lacks certain aspects and considerations to properly evaluate the argument.

Votes

Essay Categories

GMAT/GRE Argument Task

Comments

Essay evaluations by e-grader

Grammar and spelling errors:
Line 1, column 5, Rule ID: POSSESIVE_APOSTROPHE[1]
Message: Possible typo: apostrophe is missing. Did you mean 'authors'' or 'author's'?
Suggestion: authors'; author's
The authors statement on the prediction of health e...
^^^^^^^
Line 1, column 263, Rule ID: POSSESIVE_APOSTROPHE[2]
Message: Possible typo: apostrophe is missing. Did you mean 'authors'' or 'author's'?
Suggestion: authors'; author's
...ce is required to properly evaluate the authors argument. Firstly, the author mentions...
^^^^^^^
Line 2, column 331, Rule ID: POSSESIVE_APOSTROPHE[1]
Message: Possible typo: apostrophe is missing. Did you mean 'authors'' or 'author's'?
Suggestion: authors'; author's
... the argument. If the many foods in the authors statement mean by the foods that are ea...
^^^^^^^
Line 3, column 770, Rule ID: PERIOD_OF_TIME[1]
Message: Use simply 'period'.
Suggestion: period
... consumption of salicylate and in brief period of time would make the authors argument valid a...
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Line 3, column 800, Rule ID: POSSESIVE_APOSTROPHE[1]
Message: Possible typo: apostrophe is missing. Did you mean 'authors'' or 'author's'?
Suggestion: authors'; author's
... in brief period of time would make the authors argument valid and also strengthen the ...
^^^^^^^
Line 3, column 1029, Rule ID: POSSESIVE_APOSTROPHE[2]
Message: Possible typo: apostrophe is missing. Did you mean 'authors'' or 'author's'?
Suggestion: authors'; author's
...ld certainly reduce the validity of the authors argument. Ultimately, without the prope...
^^^^^^^
Line 4, column 628, Rule ID: IT_VBZ[1]
Message: Did you mean 'leads'?
Suggestion: leads
...y the general consumers, and if it also lead them to consume salicylates with the fo...
^^^^
Line 4, column 863, Rule ID: WHITESPACE_RULE
Message: Possible typo: you repeated a whitespace
Suggestion:
...uld not be significant to correlate with the argument. Ultimately, without having...
^^
Line 5, column 11, Rule ID: POSSESIVE_APOSTROPHE[1]
Message: Possible typo: apostrophe is missing. Did you mean 'authors'' or 'author's'?
Suggestion: authors'; author's
...rt to be properly evaluated. While the authors statement on the prediction of health e...
^^^^^^^

Transition Words or Phrases used:
also, but, conversely, first, firstly, however, if, nevertheless, so, then, therefore, while, as to, in brief, such as, in regard to, on the contrary

Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments

Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 24.0 19.6327345309 122% => OK
Auxiliary verbs: 11.0 12.9520958084 85% => OK
Conjunction : 20.0 11.1786427146 179% => OK
Relative clauses : 6.0 13.6137724551 44% => More relative clauses wanted.
Pronoun: 18.0 28.8173652695 62% => OK
Preposition: 85.0 55.5748502994 153% => OK
Nominalization: 36.0 16.3942115768 220% => Less nominalizations (nouns with a suffix like: tion ment ence ance) wanted.

Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 3041.0 2260.96107784 135% => OK
No of words: 564.0 441.139720559 128% => OK
Chars per words: 5.39184397163 5.12650576532 105% => OK
Fourth root words length: 4.87326216964 4.56307096286 107% => OK
Word Length SD: 3.049259315 2.78398813304 110% => OK
Unique words: 227.0 204.123752495 111% => OK
Unique words percentage: 0.402482269504 0.468620217663 86% => More unique words wanted or less content wanted.
syllable_count: 1001.7 705.55239521 142% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.8 1.59920159681 113% => OK

A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 4.0 4.96107784431 81% => OK
Article: 5.0 8.76447105788 57% => OK
Subordination: 6.0 2.70958083832 221% => Less adverbial clause wanted.
Conjunction: 3.0 1.67365269461 179% => OK
Preposition: 4.0 4.22255489022 95% => OK

Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 22.0 19.7664670659 111% => OK
Sentence length: 25.0 22.8473053892 109% => OK
Sentence length SD: 63.4219113791 57.8364921388 110% => OK
Chars per sentence: 138.227272727 119.503703932 116% => OK
Words per sentence: 25.6363636364 23.324526521 110% => OK
Discourse Markers: 6.77272727273 5.70786347227 119% => OK
Paragraphs: 5.0 5.15768463074 97% => OK
Language errors: 9.0 5.25449101796 171% => OK
Sentences with positive sentiment : 11.0 8.20758483034 134% => OK
Sentences with negative sentiment : 8.0 6.88822355289 116% => OK
Sentences with neutral sentiment: 3.0 4.67664670659 64% => OK
What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?

Coherence and Cohesion:
Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.1527414906 0.218282227539 70% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.0549835589073 0.0743258471296 74% => OK
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.0422410060186 0.0701772020484 60% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.0946688117995 0.128457276422 74% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.0312689629089 0.0628817314937 50% => Paragraphs are similar to each other. Some content may get duplicated or it is not exactly right on the topic.

Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 16.8 14.3799401198 117% => OK
flesch_reading_ease: 29.18 48.3550499002 60% => OK
smog_index: 11.2 7.1628742515 156% => OK
flesch_kincaid_grade: 15.4 12.197005988 126% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 14.28 12.5979740519 113% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 8.46 8.32208582834 102% => OK
difficult_words: 128.0 98.500998004 130% => OK
linsear_write_formula: 9.0 12.3882235529 73% => OK
gunning_fog: 12.0 11.1389221557 108% => OK
text_standard: 12.0 11.9071856287 101% => OK
What are above readability scores?

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Rates: 66.0 out of 100
Scores by essay e-grader: 4 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.

Essay evaluations by e-grader

Transition Words or Phrases used:
also, but, conversely, first, firstly, however, if, nevertheless, so, then, therefore, while, as to, in brief, such as, in regard to, on the contrary

Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments