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 conclusion in the argument is highly dubious. Merely based on a vague survey and gratuitous assumptions, it is too hasty for the author to suggest that the construction of new generating plants is not necessary.
To begin with, the survey about homeowners' attitude towards energy preservation is open to question. There are many doubts concerning the credibility of this survey. For example, where was the survey conducted? if all the respondents live in a certain region outside the service zone of the electric power company, the result of such a survey cannot provide any useful information for the company. Again, it is also likely that the survey was conducted nationwide. For that matter, the author cannot rely on the survey unless he presents sound evidence to indicate that the tendency of the residents whom the company serves typifies the national trend. In addition, how many people have participated in this survey? if the number of respondents was not large enough, the result of the survey would not be representative and useful. therefore, the author must provide more proof to demonstrate that the survey is both credible and instructive to the company if he wants to rely on it as a support to his claim.
Second, the fact that the respondents of the survey are eager to conserve energy does not necessarily mean that they are going to do it in reality. Just as new Year resolutions are almost always left unattended after the initial fever, the preference shown by these respondents is equally vulnerable to their pragmatic life style or other plans. it is therefore highly possible that most of the respondents will not conserve energy usage either due to their unwillingness to practice the relative tiresome and complicated efforts, or because of their unintentional amnesia. Hence, to totally rely on the respondents' tendency is not safe at all.
Moreover, the author unfairly assumes that more energy-efficient electronic appliances and homes will be purchased and adored by the residents. Although the appliances and homes being energy-efficient is luring, the author must take into account other factors that are surely to influence people's desire of purchasing. these factors include whether the cost of these new appliances and homes is inhibitive, whether these new technologies are foolproof to manipulate, how much energy can be saved and whether the savings are able to compensate the cost of these machines, and whether residents are in favor of the style of the new appliances and homes. after all, buying large electronic appliances and homes is never a cursory issue for anyone; it involves customers' concern from almost every part of their life. being energy-efficient might not be the determinant contributor to the buyers' final decision.
Finally, the author continues to make unsubstantiated assumption that the current generating plants can meet the future need of electricity. he fails to consider any future change within the region which the company serves that might alter the trend of energy consumption. Perhaps in the near future, more people will move into the region, and the need for energy will wax accordingly. Or maybe the weather will become too inclement for residents to bear so that they have to use more electricity to guarantee a comfortable life. it is even likely that the income of the residents will increase in the future, which will then augment their consumption in electricity for entertainment. Without ruling out all these alternatives, the author's conclusion is ungrounded.
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Comments
Essay evaluation report
argument 1 -- not OK. better not to argue survey itself. We suppose the samples are big enough/nationwide except that some specific numbers/locations appear in the topic. If we really want to argue the survey itself, we should carefully pick up the 'key words' and argue, for example, in this topic:
'Several recent surveys indicate that home owners are increasingly eager to conserve energy.'
we may argue like: people may change their ideas in the future surveys. (regarding to 'recent')
argument 2 -- not OK. again we suppose the survey is left no any issues. we need to argue:
'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.'
we may say: maybe people will buy more home appliances.
argument 3 -- OK. we need to argue:
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.
argument 4 -- OK. we need to argue:
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.
----------------
Attribute Value Ideal
Final score: 3.0 out of 6
Category: Satisfactory Excellent
No. of Grammatical Errors: 0 2
No. of Spelling Errors: 0 2
No. of Sentences: 18 15
No. of Words: 574 350
No. of Characters: 2922 1500
No. of Different Words: 268 200
Fourth Root of Number of Words: 4.895 4.7
Average Word Length: 5.091 4.6
Word Length SD: 2.859 2.4
No. of Words greater than 5 chars: 216 100
No. of Words greater than 6 chars: 147 80
No. of Words greater than 7 chars: 107 40
No. of Words greater than 8 chars: 78 20
Use of Passive Voice (%): 0 0
Avg. Sentence Length: 31.889 21.0
Sentence Length SD: 20.856 7.5
Use of Discourse Markers (%): 0.667 0.12
Sentence-Text Coherence: 0.317 0.35
Sentence-Para Coherence: 0.573 0.50
Sentence-Sentence Coherence: 0.137 0.07
Number of Paragraphs: 5 5
Grammar and spelling errors:
Line 3, column 212, Rule ID: UPPERCASE_SENTENCE_START
Message: This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter
Suggestion: If
...xample, where was the survey conducted? if all the respondents live in a certain r...
^^
Line 3, column 717, Rule ID: UPPERCASE_SENTENCE_START
Message: This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter
Suggestion: If
...eople have participated in this survey? if the number of respondents was not large...
^^
Line 3, column 833, Rule ID: UPPERCASE_SENTENCE_START
Message: This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter
Suggestion: Therefore
...would not be representative and useful. therefore, the author must provide more proof to ...
^^^^^^^^^
Line 5, column 347, Rule ID: UPPERCASE_SENTENCE_START
Message: This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter
Suggestion: It
...ir pragmatic life style or other plans. it is therefore highly possible that most ...
^^
Line 5, column 605, Rule ID: POSSESIVE_APOSTROPHE[1]
Message: Possible typo: apostrophe is missing. Did you mean 'respondents'' or 'respondent's'?
Suggestion: respondents'; respondent's
... amnesia. Hence, to totally rely on the respondents tendency is not safe at all. Moreove...
^^^^^^^^^^^
Line 7, column 320, Rule ID: UPPERCASE_SENTENCE_START
Message: This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter
Suggestion: These
...influence peoples desire of purchasing. these factors include whether the cost of the...
^^^^^
Line 7, column 653, Rule ID: UPPERCASE_SENTENCE_START
Message: This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter
Suggestion: After
... style of the new appliances and homes. after all, buying large electronic appliances...
^^^^^
Line 7, column 814, Rule ID: UPPERCASE_SENTENCE_START
Message: This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter
Suggestion: Being
...n from almost every part of their life. being energy-efficient might not be the deter...
^^^^^
Line 9, column 142, Rule ID: UPPERCASE_SENTENCE_START
Message: This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter
Suggestion: He
...an meet the future need of electricity. he fails to consider any future change wit...
^^
Line 9, column 531, Rule ID: UPPERCASE_SENTENCE_START
Message: This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter
Suggestion: It
...ricity to guarantee a comfortable life. it is even likely that the income of the r...
^^
Line 9, column 734, Rule ID: POSSESIVE_APOSTROPHE[1]
Message: Possible typo: apostrophe is missing. Did you mean 'authors'' or 'author's'?
Suggestion: authors'; author's
... ruling out all these alternatives, the authors conclusion is ungrounded.
^^^^^^^
Transition Words or Phrases used:
accordingly, also, but, finally, hence, if, may, moreover, second, so, then, therefore, after all, for example, in addition, to begin with
Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments
Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 31.0 19.6327345309 158% => OK
Auxiliary verbs: 18.0 12.9520958084 139% => OK
Conjunction : 16.0 11.1786427146 143% => OK
Relative clauses : 18.0 13.6137724551 132% => OK
Pronoun: 40.0 28.8173652695 139% => Less pronouns wanted
Preposition: 71.0 55.5748502994 128% => OK
Nominalization: 15.0 16.3942115768 91% => OK
Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 2987.0 2260.96107784 132% => OK
No of words: 574.0 441.139720559 130% => OK
Chars per words: 5.20383275261 5.12650576532 102% => OK
Fourth root words length: 4.89472135074 4.56307096286 107% => OK
Word Length SD: 2.93697687105 2.78398813304 105% => OK
Unique words: 280.0 204.123752495 137% => OK
Unique words percentage: 0.487804878049 0.468620217663 104% => OK
syllable_count: 960.3 705.55239521 136% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.7 1.59920159681 106% => OK
A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 7.0 4.96107784431 141% => OK
Article: 12.0 8.76447105788 137% => OK
Subordination: 4.0 2.70958083832 148% => OK
Conjunction: 4.0 1.67365269461 239% => Less conjunction wanted as sentence beginning.
Preposition: 5.0 4.22255489022 118% => OK
Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 26.0 19.7664670659 132% => OK
Sentence length: 22.0 22.8473053892 96% => OK
Sentence length SD: 63.2205798453 57.8364921388 109% => OK
Chars per sentence: 114.884615385 119.503703932 96% => OK
Words per sentence: 22.0769230769 23.324526521 95% => OK
Discourse Markers: 5.30769230769 5.70786347227 93% => OK
Paragraphs: 5.0 5.15768463074 97% => OK
Language errors: 11.0 5.25449101796 209% => Less language errors wanted.
Sentences with positive sentiment : 11.0 8.20758483034 134% => OK
Sentences with negative sentiment : 9.0 6.88822355289 131% => 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: 0.113717195778 0.218282227539 52% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.0328702028709 0.0743258471296 44% => OK
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.0285586410364 0.0701772020484 41% => Sentences are similar to each other.
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.0544189816994 0.128457276422 42% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.0344644312959 0.0628817314937 55% => OK
Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 14.1 14.3799401198 98% => OK
flesch_reading_ease: 40.69 48.3550499002 84% => OK
smog_index: 8.8 7.1628742515 123% => OK
flesch_kincaid_grade: 13.1 12.197005988 107% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 12.88 12.5979740519 102% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 8.58 8.32208582834 103% => OK
difficult_words: 140.0 98.500998004 142% => OK
linsear_write_formula: 8.0 12.3882235529 65% => OK
gunning_fog: 10.8 11.1389221557 97% => OK
text_standard: 9.0 11.9071856287 76% => OK
What are above readability scores?
---------------------
Rates: 66.67 out of 100
Scores by essay e-grader: 4.0 Out of 6
---------------------
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.