In a study of the reading habits of Waymarsh citizens conducted by the University of Waymarsh, most respondents said they preferred literary classics as reading material. However, a second study conducted by the same researchers found that the type of book most frequently checked out of each of the public libraries in Waymarsh was the mystery novel. Therefore, it can be concluded that the respondents in the first study had misrepresented their reading preferences.
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.
While it may be true that Waymarsh citizens prefer mystery novels rather than literary classics as a result of a study that was conducted, the argument does not make a cogent case that reading preferences were mistaken. Because the argument is rifed with holes and assumptions, the argument is unsubstantiated and completely flawed.
Firstly, the author implies that responses in the first study misrepresented their reading preferences for literary classics due to another study that showed a larger check out of mystery novels. Perhaps, the researchers in the first study conducted the survey unfairly. The study may have surveyed questions that only allowed respondents to answer whether they preferred literary classics or science fiction. If there were multiple genres for respondents to choose form, then perhaps respondents may have answered differently. Therefore, it is not the respondents fault, rather it is the structure of how the survey was conducted. If that were the case, then the assumption that respondents misrepresented their preferences would be faulty. The author must provide an open-ended survey that allows respondents to freely answer their preference of a book to read, which may elicit the appropriate response of reading mystery novels.
Secondly, the author assumes that people prefer mystery novels since they are the most checked out books in Waymarsh public libraries. While the assumption may be true, it could possibly be the case that mystery novels are the most popular books on the shelves of public libraries. Public libraries may not offer other genres, such as literary classions, fiction, and science. Therefore, more people would only be able to check out mystery novels, rather than other genres that the public libraries lack in providing. If that were the case, then it would go against the assumption that people only prefer mystery novels when really it may be the only genre available to read in public libraries. Thus, the assumption is flawed. The author must provide a survey at public libraries that demonstrate the public’s opinion on what they prefer to read
Moreover, the structure of the studies conducted may not be highly representative of the population. Because the researchers were the same for both studies, they may have placed a biased opinion on the structure and organization of the study. The researchers may have only surveyed five people in the first study. Therefore, the population is not representative of Waymarsh citizens. Additionally, they may have asked the wrong people. Because the researchers conducted the second study on how many books were checked out, they did not survey people in the first study who read and go to the library. Therefore, the studies may have been flawed, which would not support the author’s argument.
Furthermore, the author needs to address the assumptions by providing substantial evidence that citizens prefer mystery novels rather than literary classics. It could be due to the flaws in the structure of the studies that have led to misleading answers, not the respondents themselves. Thus, the author must provide appropriate evidence of open-ended surveys that demonstrate appropriate responses of the Waymarsh community.
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: 25 15
No. of Words: 510 350
No. of Characters: 2670 1500
No. of Different Words: 179 200
Fourth Root of Number of Words: 4.752 4.7
Average Word Length: 5.235 4.6
Word Length SD: 2.75 2.4
No. of Words greater than 5 chars: 212 100
No. of Words greater than 6 chars: 150 80
No. of Words greater than 7 chars: 105 40
No. of Words greater than 8 chars: 71 20
Use of Passive Voice (%): 0 0
Avg. Sentence Length: 20.4 21.0
Sentence Length SD: 8.443 7.5
Use of Discourse Markers (%): 0.92 0.12
Sentence-Text Coherence: 0.329 0.35
Sentence-Para Coherence: 0.329 0.50
Sentence-Sentence Coherence: 0.102 0.07
Number of Paragraphs: 1 5
Grammar and spelling errors:
Line 3, column 173, Rule ID: MAY_COULD_POSSIBLY[1]
Message: Use simply 'could'.
Suggestion: could
...s. While the assumption may be true, it could possibly be the case that mystery novels are the...
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Transition Words or Phrases used:
first, firstly, furthermore, if, may, moreover, really, second, secondly, then, therefore, thus, while, such as, as a result
Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments
Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 25.0 19.6327345309 127% => OK
Auxiliary verbs: 21.0 12.9520958084 162% => OK
Conjunction : 6.0 11.1786427146 54% => More conjunction wanted.
Relative clauses : 22.0 13.6137724551 162% => OK
Pronoun: 35.0 28.8173652695 121% => Less pronouns wanted
Preposition: 45.0 55.5748502994 81% => OK
Nominalization: 17.0 16.3942115768 104% => OK
Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 2737.0 2260.96107784 121% => OK
No of words: 510.0 441.139720559 116% => OK
Chars per words: 5.36666666667 5.12650576532 105% => OK
Fourth root words length: 4.75217629947 4.56307096286 104% => OK
Word Length SD: 2.85175232962 2.78398813304 102% => OK
Unique words: 198.0 204.123752495 97% => OK
Unique words percentage: 0.388235294118 0.468620217663 83% => More unique words wanted or less content wanted.
syllable_count: 837.0 705.55239521 119% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.6 1.59920159681 100% => OK
A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 6.0 4.96107784431 121% => OK
Article: 15.0 8.76447105788 171% => OK
Subordination: 8.0 2.70958083832 295% => Less adverbial clause wanted.
Conjunction: 1.0 1.67365269461 60% => OK
Preposition: 0.0 4.22255489022 0% => More preposition wanted as sentence beginning.
Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 25.0 19.7664670659 126% => OK
Sentence length: 20.0 22.8473053892 88% => OK
Sentence length SD: 48.8664465661 57.8364921388 84% => OK
Chars per sentence: 109.48 119.503703932 92% => OK
Words per sentence: 20.4 23.324526521 87% => OK
Discourse Markers: 4.96 5.70786347227 87% => OK
Paragraphs: 5.0 5.15768463074 97% => OK
Language errors: 1.0 5.25449101796 19% => OK
Sentences with positive sentiment : 4.0 8.20758483034 49% => More positive sentences wanted.
Sentences with negative sentiment : 8.0 6.88822355289 116% => OK
Sentences with neutral sentiment: 13.0 4.67664670659 278% => Less facts, knowledge or examples wanted.
What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?
Coherence and Cohesion:
Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.287973059395 0.218282227539 132% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.0902527341001 0.0743258471296 121% => OK
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.0762726176932 0.0701772020484 109% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.17398112097 0.128457276422 135% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.0604358008295 0.0628817314937 96% => OK
Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 14.1 14.3799401198 98% => OK
flesch_reading_ease: 51.18 48.3550499002 106% => OK
smog_index: 3.1 7.1628742515 43% => Smog_index is low.
flesch_kincaid_grade: 11.1 12.197005988 91% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 13.87 12.5979740519 110% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 7.91 8.32208582834 95% => OK
difficult_words: 106.0 98.500998004 108% => OK
linsear_write_formula: 11.5 12.3882235529 93% => OK
gunning_fog: 10.0 11.1389221557 90% => OK
text_standard: 14.0 11.9071856287 118% => OK
What are above readability scores?
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Rates: 66.67 out of 100
Scores by essay e-grader: 4.0 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.