Abstract
The readability of a given text is dependent on many factors, among which include the number of words in a sentence and the length of the words which is indicated by the syllables in the sentence. It is alleged that local and national newspapers have a readability level of the fifth grade. This experimental project seeks to determine the veracity of these claims using the Gwinnett Daily Post, a local newspaper that circulates in Georgia. The sample for the treatments includes six articles from which the first five sentences will be chosen. The word and syllable count for the thirty sentences will be determined. The analysis of the data showed that the total word count was 772 while the total syllable count was 1052. The calculation of the number of sentences and syllables in every one hundred words was fed into the Fry graph for readability. The readability for Gwinnett Daily Post is at the ninth level.
Introduction
The readability of a text refers to the ease with which the said text can be understood. The readability of a text is dependent on the amount of words and syllables that comprise a sentence. There are claims that the readability of many newspapers is set at lower grade levels. This means that the readers find it very easy to understand the articles featured in the newspaper. However, there is need to ascertain these claims by performing a readability test on a local newspaper. The experimental project entails the testing the readability of Gwinnett Daily Post, a newspaper that is based in Georgia.
Body of the Project
The selected local newspaper for the experimental project is the Gwinnett Daily Post. Six articles published in the Gwinnett Daily Post will be chosen. Five sentences will be chosen from each of the six articles to make a total of thirty sentences. The selection of the sentences will be done in a systematic manner to avoid the precedence of a certain type of sentences. The first five sentences in every article will be selected for the application of treatments. The treatments to be applied on the selected sentences will involve the counting of the syllables and the words in every sentence. These treatments will be applied on all the sentences and the tallies will be made for every sentence selected.
Part of the determination of the readability of a text involves the calculation of the average amount of words and syllables in every sentence. As highlighted earlier, the number of sentences chosen for treatment in the experimental project is thirty. The calculation of the word count in every sentence yielded a total word count of 772 words for the thirty sentences. The calculation of the syllables in every sentence yielded a total syllable count of 1055 syllables for the thirty sentences. The average number of words in every sentence can be determined by dividing the total number of words by the thirty sentences as showed in the formula below
Average words per sentence= Total Word Count30
Average words per sentence = 772/30
= 25.7 words per sentence
The number of sentences per every one hundred words is calculated by dividing one hundred words by the average number of words in every sentence; a figure which was calculated in the step above
3.89 sentences.
The figure above shows that every hundred words in the local newspaper are used in writing approximately 3.89 sentences. The average of syllables in every sentence can be calculated by dividing the total number of syllables in the thirty sentences selected for treatment as shown in the formula below:
Average Syllables per Sentence= Total Number of Syllables30
Average Syllables per Sentence = 1055/30
= 35.16 syllables per sentence
The number of syllables per one hundred words can be calculated by multiplying the number of sentences per every one hundred words by the average number of syllables per every sentence as shown in the formula below:
= 136.77
The readability of the Gwinnett Daily Post can be determine using the Fry Graph for Readability.
Figure 1 showing the Fry Graph for Readability
Using the Fry Graph for readability above, the number of sentences per every hundred words is read on the y-axis while the number of syllables per every hundred words is read from x-axis. A reading in the region of 9 is acquired when the values of the two variables are read on the graph. The reading shows that the readability of the articles in Gwinnett Daily Post is at the ninth grade.
Conclusion
The findings of the experimental project shows that the readability level of ninth grade. This is an indication that contrary to the information in the prompt, the local newspaper has a readability level that is higher than the fifth grade as is alleged for the other local and national dailies.
References
Farner, K. (2016). Sugar Hill murder suspect, out on parole, has violent history. Retrieved from http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/local/cities/buford/sugar-hill-murder-suspect-out-on- parole-has-violent-history/article_3b140e10-5818-5634-bc75-e57f2d3c6767.html
Farner, K. (2016). Teen remains critical following Webb Gin House crash. Retrieved from http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/local/cities/lawrenceville/teen-remains-critical- following-webb-gin-house-crash/article_f8bc4b08-d883-5087-9718-5d49087a33ee.html
Gallo, J. (2016). Celtic Thunder’s Colm Keegan brings solo show to Duluth. Retrieved from http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/entertainment/music/celtic-thunder-s-colm-keegan- brings-solo-show-to-duluth/article_3e060fee-6123-51dd-9b39-37c757d378e1.html
Sharpe, J. (2016). Fundraising efforts underway for family of late Buford girl, 14. Retrieved from http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/local/cities/buford/fundraising-efforts- underway-for-family-of-late-buford-girl/article_b2e881c6-3714-5f24-8c03- 8c1e2d9b7ab9.html
Yeomans, C. (2016). Duluth tavern closed after SUV runs into bar area Restaurant, police say no one in bar hurt. Retrieved from http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/local/cities/duluth/duluth-tavern-closed-after-suv- runs-into-bar-area/article_b5eac7e2-0796-5b2a-b085-a8498808d3e8.html
Yeomans, C. (2016). Suwanee police named ‘Agency of the Year’ by FBI National Academy group. Retrieved from http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/local/cities/suwanee/suwanee- police-named-agency-of-the-year-by-fbi-national/article_5e43483a-e631-54bd-8721- 62a53355d202.html
