Argument199【六人作文小组】第3周第3次作业

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TOPIC: ARGUMENT199 - There is a general idea that waiters and waitresses are more likely to receive larger gratuities from large groups of people. A recent research study suggests this is not true. The researchers examined the relationship between the size of tips in restaurants and the number of meals charged on the bill. They found that, while most tips were around 15 percent, the minimum percentage considered appropriate, people dining alone tipped consistently more (19 percent) and those dining in groups of four or more tipped considerably less (13 percent) than this 15 percent standard. These results strongly suggest that people dining in a group are less likely to feel personally responsible for leaving an adequate or generous tip.
WORDS: 453

TIME: 上午 12:30:00
DATE: 2009-1-21

The author of this memo avers that people dinning in a group are less likely to leave an adequate tip based on a recent study of how much people leave tips. Seemly reasonable the ratiocination is, however, after close scrutiny of the reasons presented, many are groundless yet unconvincing.

The threshold problem involved is whether it is true that people dinning in groups do leave fewer tips since there is no statistic of the average expenditures of both people dinning in groups and alone. It is natural that one people consumes less than a group of people. In this regard, the groups of people actually leave much more money, as tips compared to the people dinning alone through the percentage of tips are lower. Without any related studies, we cannot ensure that people dinning in groups tipped less.

Additionally, even if one were to concede that people dinning in a group of four or more tipped less than those dinning alone, doubts still remain as whether the study of dining could indicate the truth as the author also overlooks the group of 2 or 3 persons' tips. The truth could be that these groups of people tend to tip more than the appropriate percentage. After taking into considering these possible conditions, it is too hastily to conclude that people in a group are less likely to leave an adequate tip.

Furthermore, the author also neglects the scientific of the study and whether it could represent all the people. Since there is no evidence of how many people were observed. Those people may not represent the public. Meanwhile, there is in lack of where the study was taken. If the observers observe the people dining alone in a compared better restaurant while those dinning in groups in a cheaper one, it is quite likely to have the similar with the author. Thus, without close evidence to justify those doubts, the author cannot conclude that the public are tend to tip less while dinning in groups.


Lastly, even it is true that people dinning in groups tipped less than people dinning alone, it unfair to conclude that people are less likely to feel the responsibility for leaving an adequate tip. It is partly because people have consumed much more than alone that they tend to believe they have realize the responsibility. Or perhaps, they do not have much money to tip even they feel the responsible to tip.

In sum, to better bolster the author's idea. The study should be justified as a scientific one while people dinning in 2 or 3 should also be studied. Study of whether people dinning groups really tipped less and the reasons of people's certain actions are also needed.