LNAT - Law National Aptitude Clarity and Precision in Writing Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following sentences is the most clearly and precisely written?
- It is incumbent upon the party of the first part to effectuate the timely remittance of the aforementioned compensation subsequent to the completion of the designated services.
- The client must pay the agreed compensation promptly after the services are completed. (Correct answer)
- Following the completion of the designated services, the remittance of compensation by the party of the first part is to be effectuated.
- Payment by the first party should happen in a timely manner following the service completion.
Correct answer: The client must pay the agreed compensation promptly after the services are completed.
This sentence uses simple, direct language and an active voice ('The client must pay'). It avoids jargon ('incumbent upon', 'effectuate', 'remittance'), overly formal phrasing ('party of the first part'), and passive constructions, making the obligation and timeline perfectly clear. The other options are either verbose, passive, or introduce ambiguity with words like 'timely manner'.
Question 2: In the sentence, 'The solicitor discussed the case with the client, which was becoming increasingly complex,' what is the primary source of ambiguity?
- The word 'discussed' is too vague to describe the conversation.
- The term 'increasingly complex' is subjective and not defined.
- It is unclear whether 'which' refers to the case or the discussion with the client. (Correct answer)
- It is not specified which solicitor or client is being referred to.
Correct answer: It is unclear whether 'which' refers to the case or the discussion with the client.
The pronoun 'which' is a misplaced modifier. It could be referring to the 'case' (the case was complex) or the entire preceding clause 'discussed the case with the client' (the discussion was complex). This structural issue creates a lack of precision.
Question 3: Which pair of words best completes the following sentence to ensure maximum precision? 'The new legislation will significantly ______ the housing market, and the long-term ______ will likely be a rise in prices.'
- effect, affect
- affect, affect
- effect, effect
- affect, effect (Correct answer)
Correct answer: affect, effect
'Affect' is a verb meaning 'to influence'. The legislation will influence (affect) the market. 'Effect' is a noun meaning 'a result'. The result (effect) of the legislation will be a rise in prices. Using the correct forms of these commonly confused words is crucial for precise writing.
Question 4: Which of the following words or phrases in the sentence below is redundant? 'The final outcome of the litigation was a completely unexpected surprise to everyone involved.'
- unexpected surprise (Correct answer)
- final outcome
- everyone involved
- completely
Correct answer: unexpected surprise
A 'surprise' is by its nature unexpected. Therefore, describing a surprise as 'unexpected' is a tautology (a redundant phrase). The other phrases, while potentially wordy, are not strictly redundant in the same way.
Question 5: A project manager is drafting a contract clause to define project completion. Which of the following clauses is the most precise and least open to interpretation?
- The project will be considered complete when all tasks are finished to a satisfactory standard.
- The project will be considered complete upon the client's written acceptance of the final deliverable, as specified in Appendix B. (Correct answer)
- The project is complete when the client feels the work has been done properly and all objectives have been met.
- Project completion occurs after the final phase of work is done and any necessary revisions have been made.
Correct answer: The project will be considered complete upon the client's written acceptance of the final deliverable, as specified in Appendix B.
This option provides an objective, verifiable standard for completion: a specific action (written acceptance) referencing a specific document (Appendix B). The other options use subjective and vague terms like 'satisfactory standard', 'feels the work has been done properly', and 'necessary revisions', which could all lead to disputes over interpretation.
Question 6: Which of the following statements is the most vague and would require the most clarification in a formal report?
- The company's profits increased by 15% in the third quarter, from £5.2 million to £5.98 million.
- Employee turnover decreased by 5 percentage points, from 12% in the previous year to 7% this year.
- There has been a noticeable improvement in overall team morale recently. (Correct answer)
- The new software update reduced average server response time by 200 milliseconds.
Correct answer: There has been a noticeable improvement in overall team morale recently.
This statement uses subjective and unquantifiable terms: 'noticeable improvement,' 'overall team morale,' and 'recently.' These words are open to wide interpretation and lack the specific, measurable data present in the other options, making the statement imprecise and vague for a formal context.
LNAT - Law National Aptitude Clarity and Precision in Writing Questions and Answers
Which of the following sentences is the most clearly and precisely written?