Which one of the following best describes the content of the passage as a whole?

Irina September 18, 2019

@Lucas,

That's correct. The passage contrasts formal and substantive reasons embodied in both common law systems. Keep up the good work.

xDaltonLaney October 24, 2019

Is it the term similarities and differences that makes A incorrect?

shunhe January 10, 2020

Hi @xDaltonLaney,

Thanks for the question! I think the words “similarities and differences” is part of it, but not the main issue. You are right that the passage is focusing on differences and doesn't really talk about similarities. But also, when talking about the content of the passage as a whole, we can’t really say it’s even about the legal systems of England and the US. It’s more about a difference in legal reasoning and visions of law—substantive reasons being more common than formal reasons in England, and the reverse being true in the US. The first paragraph sets this up, the second paragraph talks about substantive reasons, and the last paragraph talks about formal reasons. The final paragraph talks about extreme examples of each, and some of the consequences of both. The actual legal systems of each country aren’t really discussed, and so (A) is wrong. Hope this helps! Feel free to ask any further questions if you have them.