Check Whether Accounts Really Conflict
Use dates and definitions before calling two statements contradictory.
Supplied materials
- Original fictional Source A, Monday catalog: “The box contains twelve draft story cards.” Source B, Wednesday curator note: “We removed three drafts on Tuesday and added five finished cards Wednesday. The box now contains fourteen cards: nine drafts and five finished pieces.”
- Paper and pencil; spoken responses are welcome.
Learn the idea
Two accounts can give different numbers without disagreeing about the same event. Compare the date, the item category, and the definition being counted. Monday’s statement counts drafts at that time; Wednesday’s total follows removals and additions and includes finished pieces. Those are related but different scopes.
Build a timeline to explain the relationship. Twelve drafts minus three removed leaves nine drafts; five finished cards bring the total to fourteen. This reconciles the supplied accounts if no other changes occurred. A reader should not erase the category distinction by calling all fourteen drafts or treating the Wednesday note as proof that Monday’s count was wrong.
- Label the dates and categories in both sources.
- List the removal and addition in chronological order.
- Calculate nine remaining drafts and fourteen total cards.
- Write a synthesis that keeps draft and finished categories distinct.
See the method in action
The accounts are compatible: Monday had twelve drafts; removing three leaves nine, and adding five finished cards yields fourteen total on Wednesday. Only nine are drafts. The different totals describe a documented change, not necessarily a counting error.
Check your reasoning
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See the answer and explanation
Monday’s twelve drafts become nine drafts plus five finished cards, totaling fourteen Wednesday.
The arithmetic and categories follow the dated actions. The other choices mistake changes over time for contradiction or change the item types and dates.
Take it further
Change Wednesday’s added count from five finished cards to two. Model: twelve minus three plus two equals eleven total, with nine drafts and two finished cards. A Wednesday claim of fourteen would now require an explanation or correction; do not keep it as reconciled automatically.
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Check the subject sources
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