October 27, 1981

TWO Chicago researchers have confirmed what high school and college students have known for years: Many English teachers are more impressed by purple prose than by the clear, concise language that they profess to teach. In a series of experiments over a six-year period, Rosemary L. Hake of Chicago State University and Joseph M. Williams of the University of Chicago asked English teachers to rate pairs of student essays that were identical in everything except linguistic style. One of each pair was marked by simple language, active verbs and straightforward sentences, the other by flowery language, passive verbs and complex sentence structures. The two professors found not only that the teachers consistently preferred verbosity to tight writing but also that the style of language affected their judgment about the kinds of errors they discovered.

Tallal, a 26-year-old who is in prison, is known to the authorities here as a ''muta'assib,'' a Moslem fanatic. His life story is the story of the rise in Egypt of Islamic militancy - the political force that not only assassinated Anwar el-Sadat but also continues to pose a serious threat to the stability of this nation of 43 million. ''Thousands of Egyptian youths see some of their own lives reflected in the image of Tallal,'' said Saad Eddin Ibrahim. A professor of sociology at the American University of Cairo, Mr. Ibrahim compiled a case study of the youth, whom he identified only as Tallal to protect his family. Included among those who identify with Tallal, said Mr. Ibrahim, are undoubtedly the four Moslem militants who are accused of shooting Mr. Sadat on Oct. 6 and who belonged to the same secret society as Tallal, Takfir Wahigra.

Senator Bob Dole, splitting openly with his Republican colleagues in the House, declared today that ''Congress must act in 1982'' to raise more revenues to avert huge budget deficits in the future. Mr. Dole, Republican of Kansas and chairman of the Finance Committee, said he wanted to see a bill increasing excise taxes passed by March 31. Mr. Dole also indicated that the bill would include some of the selective tax revisions recommended by President Reagan on Sept. 24 but not yet outlined in detail to the Congress. Two Republican leaders in the House, Representatives Jack F. Kemp and Barber B. Conable Jr., both of upstate New York, have expressed opposition to an early revenue-raising bill or even submission of the Administration's formal proposal. In an Oct. 16 letter to President Reagan, they warned that a tax bill could become a vehicle for ''political mischief,'' meaning acton by the Democratic majority in the House to undo some of the three-year, 25 percent income tax cut enacted in August.

Thirty-three Haitians drowned this morning in choppy waters just north of here after their jerry-built 30-foot boat capsized less than a mile from shore. Thirty-four others from the overloaded vessel swam to shore and were taken, many of them in tears, to a Federal detention facility for illegal aliens. Immigration authorities said it was the worst such accident recorded since waves of immigrants from the impoverished Caribbean country began heading for the United States 10 years ago. Gov. Bob Graham of Florida called it ''a human tragedy which has been waiting to happen,'' and said he would press the Federal Government to work with Haiti to stop the flight to these shores. Two months ago the Reagan Administration ordered the Coast Guard to interdict Haitian boats loaded with illegal aliens on the high seas and return them to Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital. The first interdiction came last night, 123 miles northwest of Port-au-Prince, when the cutter Chase intercepted a leaky 30-foot boat filled with 57 passengers.

The Government will revise the housing part of the Consumer Price Index. Administration officials said the aim was to eliminate the distorting impact of mortgage interest rates on the key inflation measure. They said this would eventually reduce cost-of-living increases for people whose benefits are tied to the index. (Page A1.) Senator Bob Dole said Congress must raise more revenues in 1982 to avert huge future budget deficits. The Finance Committee chairman thus broke with his House G.O.P. colleagues, who have opposed early consideration of the President's revenue-raising proposal. (D1.)