The Tale of Two Essays
The Tale of Two Essays is an example I use in class of two of the worst essays I have had turned in to me, both from other schools that I have taught for.
This activity is discussed during the first week of English Composition, and typically we just review the essays and discuss how they could be improved.
The purpose of this activity is to simple make students aware that there are always things you can do to improve on your essays. I also take the opportunity to impress upon students that they could be a lot worse at this whole creative writing thing!
For these two essays, pay particular attention to the run-in sentinces, poor spelling and grammer, and their faulty (or “follity”, according to one) use of logic to support their view.
Enjoy, and remember that you’re essays are so much better than this! 
A Tale of Two Essays
I used to think that no essay would EVER beat this one from a few years ago:
“Lincoln was a tall man, much in the way that Andre the Giant was also tall, and with the same sideways heart and thick bones that made Andre the Giant look so much like a giant, and made Lincoln look like a guy who shouldn’t have been photographed wearing that tall hat which made him look even taller, kinda like a chef only the wrong color, which for the times of his life, were taller even than if he lived today, in which case the hat wouldn’t be a problem because it wouldn’t exist, and some think and I might agree that he grew that beard because a little girl told him to because the more of that face that was covered up, the better, and you know it’s bad if a little kid can’t stand it, and we all know which one was took out by a southerner with three names, just like the guy who blew Teddy Kennedy’s brain to pieces in the middle of the parade, and which one was killed by a crazy actor leaping from the stage onto the balcony to climax the scene with something not exactly in the script but which would read DEATH all in red caps if it was, and Andre the Giant has a small and dainty wife which must have made their personal lifes interesting to say the least, and Lincoln’s wife was a spendthrift nutter, but at least Andrew the Giant got to drop dead naturally instead of be took out by ham actors with guns or book salesmen, but the Morphine Syndrome which made them both so tall and thickboned also caused their death before their old age began, and pretty much ended both the Civil War and any chance of a Princess Bride sequel.”
. . . but I was wrong.
“After watching the movie sos I could really get it, and reading the book, although in all sincerness it was the Classic Junior Comic of my youth, which I cherish, not the novelle since I haven’t got all day to bake a cake with you, (sorry, my parental rights come before a book because being a good example is more important than being seen reading or watching a non-barney substance for my own benefit or pleasure or a good grade) I have concluded that being a comic and thereofe much shorter than a book with hard covers still gives no rights for leaving out important people who have a part in the story, such as the girl with short hair who could shoot, and Moochie. I find follity logic in this paper version because it left out so much that was in the movie! I think in my opinion since the question begged me that the tree house was the best part of the story, and I would love to have one, for I would make my bed in the tower and paint the walls green but have real plumbing with shower and high speed internet in it. I find the book version lacking for it left out the treehouse and the girl and that Tarzan game they played by the waterfalls. Also, many of the words were long and hard to understand, since I was ever in a hurry that week and coulndt’ stop to use the dictionary all the time like usual when I read the paper, for example, or the instructions on the back of No-Bake Cheesecake by Jello. I also wondered things like where the hell are all the pirates? To answer the question in only a few words I would have to say, the movie was better because it had them riding ostriches and rolling logs down a hill to crush people, where in the book there was nothing cool like that.”
Can we put it to a vote?
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September 11th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
This essay in my opinion is clearly written. It’s presentation is adequate for the novice and the seasoned nurse. We as nursing health care professionals need to be reminded of the impact of the basic protocol. This truly should jar the minds of nurses everywhere to take the time to properly sanitize their hands; for themselves and their patients.