GRE AWA Argument Task Review

[MAX2015]

Argument Task:

The following appeared in a letter to the editor of the Balmer Island Gazette.

"The population on Balmer Island doubles during the summer months. During the summer, then, the town council of Balmer Island should decrease the maximum number of moped rentals allowed at each of the island's six moped and bicycle rental companies from 50 per day to 30 per day. This will significantly reduce the number of summertime accidents involving mopeds and pedestrians. The neighboring island of Torseau actually saw a 50 percent reduction in moped accidents last year when Torseau's town council enforced similar limits on moped rentals. To help reduce moped accidents, therefore, we should also enforce these limitations during the summer months."

 

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.

 

Prompt:

In the argument, the author concludes that the town council of Balmer Island should decrease the maximum number of moped rentals allowed from 50 per day to 30 per day during summer months. The author basis his conclusion on insufficient premises that the neighboring island of Torseau saw a 50 percent reduction in moped accidents last year when their council enforced similar limits on moped rentals. Initially the argument may sound convincing. A comprehensive evaluation may, however, reveal certain flaws.

 

First, the author assumes that enforcing limitations as enforced in the neighboring island of Torseau will surely cause a reduction in mopeds pedestrians accident. There is no information provided on the population count in Torseau. It is possible that the population on Torseau Island was very less as compared to population on Balmer Island. So, there were less people on the road  on Torseau Issland and the limitations caused less mopeds on road as well. However, if the population count of both island's is same, then the author assumption might hold warranted.

 

Second, it is assumed that the more number of mopeds on the road that are causing accidents.  The roads on Balmer Island might be less efficient and there might be large number of potholes which is causing accidents. In such a scenario, the author assumption is invalid and enforcing a limitation on moped rentals will not provide sufficient benefits. However, if the roads are efficient and are constructed properly, then the author assumption will hold true.

 

Moreover, there is no sufficient data provided on the limit that were enforced on Torseau Island. The only information stated is that there were similar limits enforced on moped rentals on Torsaeu Island. If the limitation stated to limit moped rentals from 40 to 10 on Torseau Island. Then it is possible that when a limitation on moped rental is reduced from 50 per day to 30 per day on Balmer Island, there could be less decrease in moped pedestrians accidents.

 

To sum up, we need more relevant data and comparisons to arrive at a more holistic conclusion. A survey including the opinion of the people of Balmer Island on the major causes for accidents can help in the evaluation of the argument.

 

 

Can someone review the above argument task and let me suggestions/errors for the same.