Grading: students give correct answers, but in the wrong places

In the last assignment I've given my students, one of the questions has two subquestions that go as follows.

1. Explain how Theory X, as developed in Smith (2010) accounts for dataset A.


2. Briefly summarize the additional data that, according to Smith (2010), fall under the scope of Theory X.

A number of students have submitted something along these lines.

1. Something that is technically correct, but doesn't actually answer Question 1.


2. Something that is technically correct and answers both Question 2 and Question 1.

What is the proper grade for this students? The three possibilities that I have in mind are:

• Full credit: they have provided correct answers to both questions, even though the answer to Question 1 is embedded within the answer to Question 2.


• Full credit only for Answer 2, no credit for Answer 1: they not only have to provide the correct answers, they also have to provide them in the right place.


• Half credit for Answer 2, no credit for Answer 1: half credit because the Answer 2 contains more information than I asked for.

I'm inclined towards the second option (full credit only for Answer 2). Would this be appropriate?