Home » Archimedes archive » Acorn User » AU 1994-10.adf » !StarInfo_StarInfo » Wareham/!ReadEase/Manual
Wareham/!ReadEase/Manual
This website contains an archive of files for the Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, Acorn Archimedes, Commodore 16 and Commodore 64 computers, which Dominic Ford has rescued from his private collection of floppy disks and cassettes.
Some of these files were originally commercial releases in the 1980s and 1990s, but they are now widely available online. I assume that copyright over them is no longer being asserted. If you own the copyright and would like files to be removed, please contact me.
| Tape/disk: | Home » Archimedes archive » Acorn User » AU 1994-10.adf » !StarInfo_StarInfo |
| Filename: | Wareham/!ReadEase/Manual |
| Read OK: | ✔ |
| File size: | 08D7 bytes |
| Load address: | 0000 |
| Exec address: | 0000 |
File contents
ReadEase
~~~~~~~~
By Richard Wareham
ReadEase is a program which calculates how easy a
certain text file is to read. It gives as an output
a thing called a 'Reading Ease Quotient'. The higher
this number the more difficult it is to read. The
average age of a child that could read this is the
same as the Reading Ease Quotient for values less
than 16. After this the numbers are just a measure
of how difficult the file is to read. For example
say for two files you had the figures 7.6 and 23.4.
The former value can be used as the average age but
the second can't. You can however compare the two
values as Reading Ease Quotients have no upper
limit.
How Does it Work Out the Reading Ease Quotient?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The program works out the Reading Ease Quotient by
using a formula called the FOG formula. It was
invented by an american psycologist named Gunning in
1952. The formula is :-
F = 0.4(W + P)+5
Where F is the Reading Ease Quotient, W is the mean
number of words per sentence and P is the percentage
of words with more than 3 or more syllables
(excluding those ending in -ed or -ing). This is
the formula at the heart of ReadEase.
How Does it Work Out How Many Syllables are in a
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Word?
~~~~~
The formula is complex. This however is of my own
creation. It uses several rules to enumerate the
number of syllables in the word. I have included a
second program named '!Syllables'. This produces a
printout (so be sure to have your printer connected)
of the breakdown of a typed in sentence. It shows
how the program deciphers the syllable clues. Every
time it finds a clue it shows it on the printout.
This will tell you if it adds or subracts one from
the final amount. It shouldn't be too difficult to
see how it works.
Loading a file
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This couldn't be simpler. Just drag any text file
onto the icon. It will change from having a cross
through it to being clear. A window showing the
results will apper. From this you can read off the
Reading Ease Quotient. You can load files into
ReadEase as many times as you want. It will clear
the last file and replace int with the new file.
00000000 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 | | 00000010 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 52 65 61 64 45 61 73 65 0a | ReadEase.| 00000020 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 | | 00000030 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 0a | ~~~~~~~~.| 00000040 0a 42 79 20 52 69 63 68 61 72 64 20 57 61 72 65 |.By Richard Ware| 00000050 68 61 6d 0a 0a 20 52 65 61 64 45 61 73 65 20 69 |ham.. ReadEase i| 00000060 73 20 61 20 70 72 6f 67 72 61 6d 20 77 68 69 63 |s a program whic| 00000070 68 20 63 61 6c 63 75 6c 61 74 65 73 20 68 6f 77 |h calculates how| 00000080 20 65 61 73 79 20 61 0a 63 65 72 74 61 69 6e 20 | easy a.certain | 00000090 74 65 78 74 20 66 69 6c 65 20 69 73 20 74 6f 20 |text file is to | 000000a0 72 65 61 64 2e 20 49 74 20 67 69 76 65 73 20 61 |read. It gives a| 000000b0 73 20 61 6e 20 6f 75 74 70 75 74 0a 61 20 74 68 |s an output.a th| 000000c0 69 6e 67 20 63 61 6c 6c 65 64 20 61 20 27 52 65 |ing called a 'Re| 000000d0 61 64 69 6e 67 20 45 61 73 65 20 51 75 6f 74 69 |ading Ease Quoti| 000000e0 65 6e 74 27 2e 20 54 68 65 20 68 69 67 68 65 72 |ent'. The higher| 000000f0 20 0a 74 68 69 73 20 6e 75 6d 62 65 72 20 74 68 | .this number th| 00000100 65 20 6d 6f 72 65 20 64 69 66 66 69 63 75 6c 74 |e more difficult| 00000110 20 69 74 20 69 73 20 74 6f 20 72 65 61 64 2e 20 | it is to read. | 00000120 54 68 65 20 0a 61 76 65 72 61 67 65 20 61 67 65 |The .average age| 00000130 20 6f 66 20 61 20 63 68 69 6c 64 20 74 68 61 74 | of a child that| 00000140 20 63 6f 75 6c 64 20 72 65 61 64 20 74 68 69 73 | could read this| 00000150 20 69 73 20 74 68 65 20 0a 73 61 6d 65 20 61 73 | is the .same as| 00000160 20 74 68 65 20 52 65 61 64 69 6e 67 20 45 61 73 | the Reading Eas| 00000170 65 20 51 75 6f 74 69 65 6e 74 20 66 6f 72 20 76 |e Quotient for v| 00000180 61 6c 75 65 73 20 6c 65 73 73 20 0a 74 68 61 6e |alues less .than| 00000190 20 31 36 2e 20 41 66 74 65 72 20 74 68 69 73 20 | 16. After this | 000001a0 74 68 65 20 6e 75 6d 62 65 72 73 20 61 72 65 20 |the numbers are | 000001b0 6a 75 73 74 20 61 20 6d 65 61 73 75 72 65 20 0a |just a measure .| 000001c0 6f 66 20 68 6f 77 20 64 69 66 66 69 63 75 6c 74 |of how difficult| 000001d0 20 74 68 65 20 66 69 6c 65 20 69 73 20 74 6f 20 | the file is to | 000001e0 72 65 61 64 2e 20 46 6f 72 20 65 78 61 6d 70 6c |read. For exampl| 000001f0 65 20 0a 73 61 79 20 66 6f 72 20 74 77 6f 20 66 |e .say for two f| 00000200 69 6c 65 73 20 79 6f 75 20 68 61 64 20 74 68 65 |iles you had the| 00000210 20 66 69 67 75 72 65 73 20 37 2e 36 20 61 6e 64 | figures 7.6 and| 00000220 20 32 33 2e 34 2e 20 0a 54 68 65 20 66 6f 72 6d | 23.4. .The form| 00000230 65 72 20 76 61 6c 75 65 20 63 61 6e 20 62 65 20 |er value can be | 00000240 75 73 65 64 20 61 73 20 74 68 65 20 61 76 65 72 |used as the aver| 00000250 61 67 65 20 61 67 65 20 62 75 74 20 0a 74 68 65 |age age but .the| 00000260 20 73 65 63 6f 6e 64 20 63 61 6e 27 74 2e 20 59 | second can't. Y| 00000270 6f 75 20 63 61 6e 20 68 6f 77 65 76 65 72 20 63 |ou can however c| 00000280 6f 6d 70 61 72 65 20 74 68 65 20 74 77 6f 20 0a |ompare the two .| 00000290 76 61 6c 75 65 73 20 61 73 20 52 65 61 64 69 6e |values as Readin| 000002a0 67 20 45 61 73 65 20 51 75 6f 74 69 65 6e 74 73 |g Ease Quotients| 000002b0 20 68 61 76 65 20 6e 6f 20 75 70 70 65 72 20 0a | have no upper .| 000002c0 6c 69 6d 69 74 2e 0a 0a 48 6f 77 20 44 6f 65 73 |limit...How Does| 000002d0 20 69 74 20 57 6f 72 6b 20 4f 75 74 20 74 68 65 | it Work Out the| 000002e0 20 52 65 61 64 69 6e 67 20 45 61 73 65 20 51 75 | Reading Ease Qu| 000002f0 6f 74 69 65 6e 74 3f 0a 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e |otient?.~~~~~~~~| 00000300 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| * 00000320 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 0a 20 54 68 65 20 70 72 6f |~~~~~~~. The pro| 00000330 67 72 61 6d 20 77 6f 72 6b 73 20 6f 75 74 20 74 |gram works out t| 00000340 68 65 20 52 65 61 64 69 6e 67 20 45 61 73 65 20 |he Reading Ease | 00000350 51 75 6f 74 69 65 6e 74 20 62 79 20 0a 75 73 69 |Quotient by .usi| 00000360 6e 67 20 61 20 66 6f 72 6d 75 6c 61 20 63 61 6c |ng a formula cal| 00000370 6c 65 64 20 74 68 65 20 46 4f 47 20 66 6f 72 6d |led the FOG form| 00000380 75 6c 61 2e 20 49 74 20 77 61 73 20 0a 69 6e 76 |ula. It was .inv| 00000390 65 6e 74 65 64 20 62 79 20 61 6e 20 61 6d 65 72 |ented by an amer| 000003a0 69 63 61 6e 20 70 73 79 63 6f 6c 6f 67 69 73 74 |ican psycologist| 000003b0 20 6e 61 6d 65 64 20 47 75 6e 6e 69 6e 67 20 69 | named Gunning i| 000003c0 6e 0a 31 39 35 32 2e 20 54 68 65 20 66 6f 72 6d |n.1952. The form| 000003d0 75 6c 61 20 69 73 20 3a 2d 0a 0a 20 20 20 46 20 |ula is :-.. F | 000003e0 3d 20 30 2e 34 28 57 20 2b 20 50 29 2b 35 0a 0a |= 0.4(W + P)+5..| 000003f0 20 57 68 65 72 65 20 46 20 69 73 20 74 68 65 20 | Where F is the | 00000400 52 65 61 64 69 6e 67 20 45 61 73 65 20 51 75 6f |Reading Ease Quo| 00000410 74 69 65 6e 74 2c 20 57 20 69 73 20 74 68 65 20 |tient, W is the | 00000420 6d 65 61 6e 0a 6e 75 6d 62 65 72 20 6f 66 20 77 |mean.number of w| 00000430 6f 72 64 73 20 70 65 72 20 73 65 6e 74 65 6e 63 |ords per sentenc| 00000440 65 20 61 6e 64 20 50 20 69 73 20 74 68 65 20 70 |e and P is the p| 00000450 65 72 63 65 6e 74 61 67 65 0a 6f 66 20 77 6f 72 |ercentage.of wor| 00000460 64 73 20 77 69 74 68 20 6d 6f 72 65 20 74 68 61 |ds with more tha| 00000470 6e 20 33 20 6f 72 20 6d 6f 72 65 20 73 79 6c 6c |n 3 or more syll| 00000480 61 62 6c 65 73 0a 28 65 78 63 6c 75 64 69 6e 67 |ables.(excluding| 00000490 20 74 68 6f 73 65 20 65 6e 64 69 6e 67 20 69 6e | those ending in| 000004a0 20 2d 65 64 20 6f 72 20 2d 69 6e 67 29 2e 20 54 | -ed or -ing). T| 000004b0 68 69 73 20 69 73 0a 74 68 65 20 66 6f 72 6d 75 |his is.the formu| 000004c0 6c 61 20 61 74 20 74 68 65 20 68 65 61 72 74 20 |la at the heart | 000004d0 6f 66 20 52 65 61 64 45 61 73 65 2e 0a 0a 48 6f |of ReadEase...Ho| 000004e0 77 20 44 6f 65 73 20 69 74 20 57 6f 72 6b 20 4f |w Does it Work O| 000004f0 75 74 20 48 6f 77 20 4d 61 6e 79 20 53 79 6c 6c |ut How Many Syll| 00000500 61 62 6c 65 73 20 61 72 65 20 69 6e 20 61 0a 7e |ables are in a.~| 00000510 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| * 00000530 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 0a |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.| 00000540 57 6f 72 64 3f 0a 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 0a 20 54 68 65 |Word?.~~~~~. The| 00000550 20 66 6f 72 6d 75 6c 61 20 69 73 20 63 6f 6d 70 | formula is comp| 00000560 6c 65 78 2e 20 54 68 69 73 20 68 6f 77 65 76 65 |lex. This howeve| 00000570 72 20 69 73 20 6f 66 20 6d 79 20 6f 77 6e 0a 63 |r is of my own.c| 00000580 72 65 61 74 69 6f 6e 2e 20 49 74 20 75 73 65 73 |reation. It uses| 00000590 20 73 65 76 65 72 61 6c 20 72 75 6c 65 73 20 74 | several rules t| 000005a0 6f 20 65 6e 75 6d 65 72 61 74 65 20 74 68 65 20 |o enumerate the | 000005b0 0a 6e 75 6d 62 65 72 20 6f 66 20 73 79 6c 6c 61 |.number of sylla| 000005c0 62 6c 65 73 20 69 6e 20 74 68 65 20 77 6f 72 64 |bles in the word| 000005d0 2e 20 49 20 68 61 76 65 20 69 6e 63 6c 75 64 65 |. I have include| 000005e0 64 20 61 0a 73 65 63 6f 6e 64 20 70 72 6f 67 72 |d a.second progr| 000005f0 61 6d 20 6e 61 6d 65 64 20 27 21 53 79 6c 6c 61 |am named '!Sylla| 00000600 62 6c 65 73 27 2e 20 54 68 69 73 20 70 72 6f 64 |bles'. This prod| 00000610 75 63 65 73 20 61 0a 70 72 69 6e 74 6f 75 74 20 |uces a.printout | 00000620 28 73 6f 20 62 65 20 73 75 72 65 20 74 6f 20 68 |(so be sure to h| 00000630 61 76 65 20 79 6f 75 72 20 70 72 69 6e 74 65 72 |ave your printer| 00000640 20 63 6f 6e 6e 65 63 74 65 64 29 0a 6f 66 20 74 | connected).of t| 00000650 68 65 20 62 72 65 61 6b 64 6f 77 6e 20 6f 66 20 |he breakdown of | 00000660 61 20 74 79 70 65 64 20 69 6e 20 73 65 6e 74 65 |a typed in sente| 00000670 6e 63 65 2e 20 49 74 20 73 68 6f 77 73 0a 68 6f |nce. It shows.ho| 00000680 77 20 74 68 65 20 70 72 6f 67 72 61 6d 20 64 65 |w the program de| 00000690 63 69 70 68 65 72 73 20 74 68 65 20 73 79 6c 6c |ciphers the syll| 000006a0 61 62 6c 65 20 63 6c 75 65 73 2e 20 45 76 65 72 |able clues. Ever| 000006b0 79 0a 74 69 6d 65 20 69 74 20 66 69 6e 64 73 20 |y.time it finds | 000006c0 61 20 63 6c 75 65 20 69 74 20 73 68 6f 77 73 20 |a clue it shows | 000006d0 69 74 20 6f 6e 20 74 68 65 20 70 72 69 6e 74 6f |it on the printo| 000006e0 75 74 2e 0a 54 68 69 73 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 74 65 |ut..This will te| 000006f0 6c 6c 20 79 6f 75 20 69 66 20 69 74 20 61 64 64 |ll you if it add| 00000700 73 20 6f 72 20 73 75 62 72 61 63 74 73 20 6f 6e |s or subracts on| 00000710 65 20 66 72 6f 6d 20 0a 74 68 65 20 66 69 6e 61 |e from .the fina| 00000720 6c 20 61 6d 6f 75 6e 74 2e 20 49 74 20 73 68 6f |l amount. It sho| 00000730 75 6c 64 6e 27 74 20 62 65 20 74 6f 6f 20 64 69 |uldn't be too di| 00000740 66 66 69 63 75 6c 74 20 74 6f 0a 73 65 65 20 68 |fficult to.see h| 00000750 6f 77 20 69 74 20 77 6f 72 6b 73 2e 0a 0a 4c 6f |ow it works...Lo| 00000760 61 64 69 6e 67 20 61 20 66 69 6c 65 0a 7e 7e 7e |ading a file.~~~| 00000770 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 0a 20 54 68 69 |~~~~~~~~~~~. Thi| 00000780 73 20 63 6f 75 6c 64 6e 27 74 20 62 65 20 73 69 |s couldn't be si| 00000790 6d 70 6c 65 72 2e 20 4a 75 73 74 20 64 72 61 67 |mpler. Just drag| 000007a0 20 61 6e 79 20 74 65 78 74 20 66 69 6c 65 0a 6f | any text file.o| 000007b0 6e 74 6f 20 74 68 65 20 69 63 6f 6e 2e 20 49 74 |nto the icon. It| 000007c0 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 63 68 61 6e 67 65 20 66 72 6f | will change fro| 000007d0 6d 20 68 61 76 69 6e 67 20 61 20 63 72 6f 73 73 |m having a cross| 000007e0 0a 74 68 72 6f 75 67 68 20 69 74 20 74 6f 20 62 |.through it to b| 000007f0 65 69 6e 67 20 63 6c 65 61 72 2e 20 41 20 77 69 |eing clear. A wi| 00000800 6e 64 6f 77 20 73 68 6f 77 69 6e 67 20 74 68 65 |ndow showing the| 00000810 20 0a 72 65 73 75 6c 74 73 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 61 | .results will a| 00000820 70 70 65 72 2e 20 46 72 6f 6d 20 74 68 69 73 20 |pper. From this | 00000830 79 6f 75 20 63 61 6e 20 72 65 61 64 20 6f 66 66 |you can read off| 00000840 20 74 68 65 0a 52 65 61 64 69 6e 67 20 45 61 73 | the.Reading Eas| 00000850 65 20 51 75 6f 74 69 65 6e 74 2e 20 59 6f 75 20 |e Quotient. You | 00000860 63 61 6e 20 6c 6f 61 64 20 66 69 6c 65 73 20 69 |can load files i| 00000870 6e 74 6f 0a 52 65 61 64 45 61 73 65 20 61 73 20 |nto.ReadEase as | 00000880 6d 61 6e 79 20 74 69 6d 65 73 20 61 73 20 79 6f |many times as yo| 00000890 75 20 77 61 6e 74 2e 20 49 74 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 |u want. It will | 000008a0 63 6c 65 61 72 0a 74 68 65 20 6c 61 73 74 20 66 |clear.the last f| 000008b0 69 6c 65 20 61 6e 64 20 72 65 70 6c 61 63 65 20 |ile and replace | 000008c0 69 6e 74 20 77 69 74 68 20 74 68 65 20 6e 65 77 |int with the new| 000008d0 20 66 69 6c 65 2e 0a | file..| 000008d7
.