In between a string of meetings this week, I have been busy marking exam scripts and projects, hence the absence of any posts for the past couple of days. Normal service will resume shortly. In the interim, I thought I would share with you two or three exam howlers that amused me:
The invasion at the Bay of Pigs was undertaken by “an American-inspired Gorilla movement”
“Harold Macmillan was the surprise victor of the 1964 general election”
And James Callaghan was responsible for the ‘night of the long knives’, when he sacked one-third of his Cabinet.
Mind you, they don’t beat one student some years ago who wrote “President Eisenhower gave Senator McCarthy enough rope to bury himself”.
And James Callaghan was responsible for the ‘night of the long knives’, when he sacked one-third of his Cabinet.
Perhaps the writer was a secret sympathiser of Barbara Castle?
A marvellous selection of howlers here.
All these people are doing their best to be imaginative and catch the eye of the examiner.
Give ’em a chance!
Why should a man not bury himself with rope, especially Senator Macarthy; too mean for a coffin, that man.
Use rope!
The Bay of Pigs? It was NOT inspired by Americans; otherwise well done.
To describe a doctor of politics, as leader of a gorilla movement is surely not unacceptable?
Animals! Beasts!
Twm O’r Nant: The proposal for an invasion originated in the Eisenhower Presidency with Vice-President Nixon and was pursued in the new Kennedy administration. It was offered by Irving Janis as a prime example of Groupthink.
And what grades did these students get I wonder….
“Harold Macmillan was the surprise victor of the 1964 general election”
“I’ll be surprised if I get that right. Still if I put ‘surprised’ in, it might help. I’ll never know! You’ve got to understand how these examiners think, or they will mark you down.”
During the debate on the Equality Bill provisions on employment by religious groups a neighbour passed me a note which said ‘ The trouble is the Humanists are a non-prophet making organisation…..’
That can only be a written reply. I mean, what CAN you say?
“I don’t know about that?”
Here is one of my favourite examination errors. It was clearly written in a rush at the end of a very challenging exam.
“The current electoral system used in General elections is the first-parcel-post system”
ChristopherHares: I once had a student who wrote that the Prime Minister “has the power of disillusion”. I pointed out that we all have that power.
“The current electoral system used in General elections is the first-parcel-post system””
It is a bit childish, FPTP. “Passing-the-parcel” post game.
“has the power of disillusion”
Now you see me; now you don’t!?
Sorry Noble lord,we don’t all have it. It’s got something to do with the Uses of Televison, that has!
I sometimes wonder about these far sighted examiners!