> Recently I had an essay question: "Cromwell described the execution of
> Charles I as 'Cruel Necessity'. Do you agree?"
This question could reasonably be taken to mean either:
Do you agree that Cromwell described the execution ... as 'Cruel Necessity'?
or
Do you agree that the execution of Charles 1 was 'cruel necessity'?
(Though to fully justify the first interpretation the question would have
to read:
"Cromwell described the execution of Charles 1 as 'Cruel Necesstiy' ." Do
you agree?
If a student answers either version the tutor should recognise the
ambiguity and accept either interpretation.
If the student recognises the ambiguity, she or he should ask the tutor
which meaning he or she intended.
The question is badly drafted - but hard pressed lecturers are likely to
make that sort of mistake. But if the lecturer marked down the student in
this case, that is less excusable.
I once knew an elderly professor who had been an external examiner all over
the UK and much of Europe. He always insisted that a question should not
be in the form of "Do you agree?" because a one word answer "Yes" or "No"
would be a complete answer and could not be marked as anything other than
10 out of 10. I think that is a somewhat extreme view but re-drafting the
question to comply with this precept does make you think about it a bit more.
>My research showed that Historians such as Barry Coward, Christopher Hill,
>Lawrence Kaplan and Cicely Wedgewood all claimed that Oliver Cromwell
>never made the remark. I therefore set that out in my essay and then
>proceeded to conclude that this was not something that Cromwell would have
>said once he made the decision to execute Charles. Apparently I was
>totally wrong in my interpretation of this question. How would others
>interpret the question? Is there any tips for doing this or should I
>simply ask the tutors what they want from questions they set? Appreciate
>any advice
>
>
>
>Regards Frank
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes. Oscar Wilde 1854-1900
>
>
>
Frank Sharman
Wolverhampton
01902 763246
|