The King's English

Everyone knew that Pumpley was brilliant. That's why there was so much sadness when he flunked out. It was that 200 level philosophy course was about, but he didn't know how to say it on the final.

Pumpley is gone, but there are many others like him still around. They are people who have gone through several years of college without acquiring the ability to express their thoughts in coherent prose. And it is a well known fact of Harvard man ship that the grades go not always to the brilliant, but to those who can fill a bluebook with language that neither confuses or bores a grader.

General Education Ahf has not solved this problem. Those who lack writing ability or experience need more than its bi-weekly short papers. But they shy away from the more advanced English C, because they feel that it is aimed at the fledgling creative writer. Those few who do turn out for English C sometimes find themselves rejected because their work is of an inferior grade. this is especially true this year, when an instructor's illness has vastly over-loaded the remaining sections of the course, and even students with considerable talent have been rejected.

What is needed is a half-course in remedial writing open to anyone in the University and similar to the remedial course offered by the Department of Mathematics. Such a course, and even students with considerable talent have been rejected.

What is needed is a half-course in remedial writing open to anyone in the University and similar to the remedial course offered by the Department of Mathematics. Such a course would count for credit, but unlike English C, it would not count towards concentration in English. Detailed attention could be given the elementary problems of clear expression, with no emphasis on fiction or other creative forms. In addition to frequent papers assigned by the instructor, the student could hand in papers written for other courses of this type were established, instructors in English C would have more time to spend with the more talented writers, and those students who lack ability would get the guided practice that they need.