How to Write Great Essays

UNTIMED PROMPT 3
As part of a communications project and to get ready for the future, you attend a workshop called
The Power of Language in the Workplace. Here, you listen to a speech given by Joseph Brown,
CEO of a financial services company, about the effects of language. You think about the mes-
sages you learned by listening to this speech, and you use that information to write an essay that
discusses how appropriate language is important, not only in the workplace, but in everyday life.
100

---

101
Sample Essay Prompts and Essays
CHAPTER 8 
HOW TO WRITE GREAT ESSAYS
Write an essay in which you discuss the importance of using appropriate language in the
workplace and in everyday life.
Guidelines:
Tell your audience what they need to know about using appropriate language in the work-
place and in all aspects of daily life.
Use specific, accurate, and relevant information from the speech to support your discussion.
According to Joseph Brown, CEO of a prominent financial services company,
language is a powerful force that can be used as a means toward great suc-
cess or great destruction. In his speech, Brown told a personal story that
helped him realize the power of language. Once he approached a coworker who
was feeling ill with a comment about her health. He had not meant to be
offensive, but his choice of words and his tone insulted her. He had to spend a
great deal of time apologizing to the coworker and explaining that he did not
mean to be rude. This incident caused Brown to begin observing and assessing
his own language use and that of others.
Brown came to the conclusion that many people use language in a careless
way. He mentioned a person in his office who frightened all of his staff mem-
bers by being loud. The manager felt powerful when he used a loud, authorita-
tive voice. His workers were afraid to interact with him. Unfortunately, this
made for a very unproductive work environment because people were afraid to
ask the manager questions. This meant that the workers would sometimes have
to complete tasks even when they were unsure of the instructions. Rather than
subject themselves to the manager’s loudness, the workers attempted to do
their work on their own and hoped for the best outcome.
Although Brown experienced this type of power play at work, it happens in
everyday situations. Teachers may use loudness as a way to control their
classes. People in social situations may use their volume to dominate the con-
versation. In both these instances the power of language is used incorrectly
and may possibly be damaging to the listeners. Students tend to have less
respect for teachers who yell at them, and therefore have difficulty learning
from them. People who feel threatened in social situations tend to withdraw
and this could lead to emotional difficulties.
Again, this advice is useful in aspects of life other than work situations.
Even in our homes, politeness should be the norm. Siblings would probably
argue less if they practiced politeness routinely. When the inevitable conflict did
arise in a family, it would be more efficient and healthy if all the members
“fought fair” with honesty rather than sarcasm.
At the language seminar, Brown also learned that it is a poor communica-
tion skill to combine positive and negative statements into one sentence.

---