LNAT Clarity and Precision in Writing 5

Question 1

A contract clause states: 'Payment shall be due within a reasonable time.' What is the primary drafting problem?

Accepted Answer

'Reasonable time' is a vague standard that invites dispute over what qualifies.

Answer

'Reasonable time' is an indefinite standard that parties may interpret differently; a specific date or number of days eliminates this uncertainty.

Question 2

Which of the following demonstrates effective use of parallel structure?

Accepted Answer

The lawyer must research the law, draft the brief, and argue the motion.

Answer

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.

Question 3

What is 'legalese,' and why do modern plain-language guidelines discourage it?

Accepted Answer

Unnecessarily complex vocabulary and phrasing that reduces comprehension without adding legal precision.

Answer

Legalese refers to opaque, archaic, or unnecessarily complex language that impedes understanding without improving legal accuracy.

Question 4

Identify the type of ambiguity in: 'Employees who submit reports late will be penalized or terminated.'

Accepted Answer

Syntactic ambiguity — unclear whether 'or' is inclusive or exclusive.

Answer

Using 'or' leaves unclear whether employees face one of the two penalties, either penalty, or both, which is classic syntactic ambiguity.

Question 5

A writer describes an event as having occurred 'in close temporal proximity to the incident.' What is the clearest revision?

Accepted Answer

shortly before or after the incident

Answer

'Shortly before or after the incident' eliminates verbose Latin-derived phrasing and specifies the direction of the temporal relationship.

LNAT - Law National Aptitude Test Practice Test

LNAT - Law National Aptitude Test Practice Test

LNAT Clarity and Precision in Writing 5