Clarity and Precision in Writing Flashcards
7 cards from real LNAT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Clarity and Precision in Writing flashcards as text
A contract clause states: 'Payment shall be due within a reasonable time.' What is the primary drafting problem?
Answer: 'Reasonable time' is a vague standard that invites dispute over what qualifies.
'Reasonable time' is an indefinite standard that parties may interpret differently; a specific date or number of days eliminates this uncertainty.
Which of the following demonstrates effective use of parallel structure?
Answer: The lawyer must research the law, draft the brief, and argue the motion.
Parallel structure requires all items in a series to use the same grammatical form; here, three infinitive verb phrases (research, draft, argue) are properly aligned.
What is 'legalese,' and why do modern plain-language guidelines discourage it?
Answer: Unnecessarily complex vocabulary and phrasing that reduces comprehension without adding legal precision.
Legalese refers to opaque, archaic, or unnecessarily complex language that impedes understanding without improving legal accuracy.
Identify the type of ambiguity in: 'Employees who submit reports late will be penalized or terminated.'
Answer: Syntactic ambiguity — unclear whether 'or' is inclusive or exclusive.
Using 'or' leaves unclear whether employees face one of the two penalties, either penalty, or both, which is classic syntactic ambiguity.
A writer describes an event as having occurred 'in close temporal proximity to the incident.' What is the clearest revision?
Answer: shortly before or after the incident
'Shortly before or after the incident' eliminates verbose Latin-derived phrasing and specifies the direction of the temporal relationship.
Which technique best prevents readers from misinterpreting a complex multi-part rule?
Answer: Using numbering or lettering to separate distinct conditions and consequences.
Numbered or lettered sub-provisions visually separate distinct elements of a rule, preventing readers from conflating conditions with each other.
Which of the following sentences exemplifies the 'throat-clearing' problem in legal writing?
Answer: It is important to note that the evidence supports the conclusion that the defendant acted negligently.
'It is important to note that' is a throat-clearing opener that delays the actual assertion without adding information or emphasis.