Twenty years ago, Dr. Field, a noted anthropologist, visited the island of Tertia. Using an observation-centered approach to studying Tertian culture, he concluded from his observations that children in Tertia were reared by an entire village rather than by their own biological parents. Recently another anthropologist, Dr. Karp, visited the group of islands that includes Tertia and used the interview-centered method to study child-rearing practices. In the interviews that Dr. Karp conducted with children living in this group of islands, the children spent much more time talking about their biological parents than about other adults in the village. Dr. Karp decided that Dr. Field's conclusion about Tertian village culture must be invalid. Some anthropologists recommend that to obtain accurate information on Tertian child-rearing practices, future research on the subject should be conducted via the interview-centered method.
Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the recommendation 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 recommendation.
The argument states the adoption of interview centered approach in order to obtain the correct information about the rearing of Tertian child since observation centered approach proved to be invalid. It cites the evidences obtained recently by Dr. Karp who adopted interview approach and found in his study that, children spoke about their biological parents more than any of other adults in the village. However, before the argument goes under examination for authenticity, certain questions must be answered since as of now it is lacking in depth on several unverified assumptions.
First of all, are group of islands comparable to Tertia? In other words, Dr. Karp has assumed that the results obtained recently from the study of group of islands and results obtained by Dr. Field, 20 years ago in Tertia Island are comparable and have some common base for comparison. Though, it may not be the case. Since, it may be found that in the study of group of island, Tertia holds insignificant proportion, therefore, what has been found as a result is actually valid for islands except for Tertia. Further, Dr. Karp has also assumed that what has been answered in interview approach was also observed in observation approach. Though, it may be the case that observation covered whole island of Tertia but interview covered only meagre part of Tertia, thus, results are maintainable for group of islands but not for Tertia. Therefore, if any of the above hypothesis were true, then the argument is significantly weakened.
Secondly, are current period of evaluation and 20 years ago comparable? In other words, Dr. Karp has assumed that what he has obtained through interview recently was obtained in observation 20 years ago. Though it may not be the case. Since, 20 years ago might have brought in significant change in terms of movement of people from other islands to Tertia or vice-versa, thus, interview results may focus on current population which might have not originated in Tertia. Further, this 20 year period may have brought in economic reforms in group of Islands which mixed the culture so convolutedly that it is now difficult to distinguish the native Tertian from other children. Thus, interview may have come to conclusion on the basis of study on non-native Tertian children. If any of the above examples hold merit, then the argument does not hold the water.
Thirdly, are subject of observation and subject of interview same? In other words. Dr. Karp has assumed that what Dr. Field has observed 20 years ago was covered in his interview recently. Though it may not be the case. Since, it may find that Dr. Field has observed children during particular time or particular occasion where it was a custom for the children to celebrate the contributions of other adults in their life, thus, he found significant mention of other people in their talks. Further, what Dr. Karp has obtained by adopting interview may be because of questions were designed in such a manner that required speaking about biological parents such as occupation about the parents, their socio-economic background, but the questions had not covered any area related to the other adults in the village. Therefore, the results of interview and observation is not comparable because of the difference in subject being studied. Hence, unless the recommendation is fully representative, it cannot be used to support the argument.
While concluding, the argument as it stands now, is considerably flawed due to its reliance on several unwarranted assumptions. If Dr. Karp is able to offer more answers, perhaps in the form of research study covering changes in the last 20 years in Tertia Island, composition of group of Islands in the study and movement of people across Islands, then it will be possible to fully evaluate the viability of the argument.
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Comments
Essay evaluation report
samples:
https://www.testbig.com/story/gre-argument-essay-topic-21-outline
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Attribute Value Ideal
Final score: 4.0 out of 6
Category: Good Excellent
No. of Grammatical Errors: 0 2
No. of Spelling Errors: 0 2
No. of Sentences: 27 15
No. of Words: 633 350
No. of Characters: 3134 1500
No. of Different Words: 237 200
Fourth Root of Number of Words: 5.016 4.7
Average Word Length: 4.951 4.6
Word Length SD: 2.69 2.4
No. of Words greater than 5 chars: 225 100
No. of Words greater than 6 chars: 181 80
No. of Words greater than 7 chars: 120 40
No. of Words greater than 8 chars: 68 20
Use of Passive Voice (%): 0 0
Avg. Sentence Length: 23.444 21.0
Sentence Length SD: 13.78 7.5
Use of Discourse Markers (%): 0.889 0.12
Sentence-Text Coherence: 0.312 0.35
Sentence-Para Coherence: 0.465 0.50
Sentence-Sentence Coherence: 0.074 0.07
Number of Paragraphs: 5 5
Grammar and spelling errors:
Line 3, column 287, 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.
...d have some common base for comparison. Though, it may not be the case. Since, it may ...
^^^^^^
Line 5, column 205, 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 obtained in observation 20 years ago. Though it may not be the case. Since, 20 years...
^^^^^^
Line 7, column 190, 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.
... was covered in his interview recently. Though it may not be the case. Since, it may f...
^^^^^^
Transition Words or Phrases used:
actually, also, but, first, hence, however, if, may, second, secondly, so, then, therefore, third, thirdly, thus, while, except for, speaking about, such as, as a result, first of all, in other words
Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments
Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 32.0 19.6327345309 163% => OK
Auxiliary verbs: 15.0 12.9520958084 116% => OK
Conjunction : 12.0 11.1786427146 107% => OK
Relative clauses : 14.0 13.6137724551 103% => OK
Pronoun: 33.0 28.8173652695 115% => OK
Preposition: 96.0 55.5748502994 173% => OK
Nominalization: 27.0 16.3942115768 165% => OK
Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 3219.0 2260.96107784 142% => OK
No of words: 633.0 441.139720559 143% => Less content wanted.
Chars per words: 5.08530805687 5.12650576532 99% => OK
Fourth root words length: 5.01592376844 4.56307096286 110% => OK
Word Length SD: 2.77256720756 2.78398813304 100% => OK
Unique words: 247.0 204.123752495 121% => OK
Unique words percentage: 0.390205371248 0.468620217663 83% => More unique words wanted or less content wanted.
syllable_count: 990.9 705.55239521 140% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.6 1.59920159681 100% => OK
A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 9.0 4.96107784431 181% => OK
Article: 3.0 8.76447105788 34% => OK
Subordination: 8.0 2.70958083832 295% => Less adverbial clause wanted.
Conjunction: 1.0 1.67365269461 60% => OK
Preposition: 4.0 4.22255489022 95% => OK
Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 27.0 19.7664670659 137% => OK
Sentence length: 23.0 22.8473053892 101% => OK
Sentence length SD: 83.5703296631 57.8364921388 144% => OK
Chars per sentence: 119.222222222 119.503703932 100% => OK
Words per sentence: 23.4444444444 23.324526521 101% => OK
Discourse Markers: 7.37037037037 5.70786347227 129% => OK
Paragraphs: 5.0 5.15768463074 97% => OK
Language errors: 3.0 5.25449101796 57% => OK
Sentences with positive sentiment : 4.0 8.20758483034 49% => More positive sentences wanted.
Sentences with negative sentiment : 7.0 6.88822355289 102% => OK
Sentences with neutral sentiment: 16.0 4.67664670659 342% => Less facts, knowledge or examples wanted.
What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?
Coherence and Cohesion:
Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.264899817586 0.218282227539 121% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.0772117502357 0.0743258471296 104% => OK
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.0625922975426 0.0701772020484 89% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.158966141305 0.128457276422 124% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.0460833283261 0.0628817314937 73% => OK
Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 14.3 14.3799401198 99% => OK
flesch_reading_ease: 48.13 48.3550499002 100% => OK
smog_index: 8.8 7.1628742515 123% => OK
flesch_kincaid_grade: 12.3 12.197005988 101% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 12.54 12.5979740519 100% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 7.87 8.32208582834 95% => OK
difficult_words: 124.0 98.500998004 126% => OK
linsear_write_formula: 14.5 12.3882235529 117% => OK
gunning_fog: 11.2 11.1389221557 101% => OK
text_standard: 15.0 11.9071856287 126% => OK
What are above readability scores?
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Write the essay in 30 minutes.
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.