Why would you do that?

A conversation I overhead during book clubs while I was working with another group:

Richard: "Why would you turn in your paper when you know that your answers are wrong?"
Elliot: "I don't know the answer."
Richard: "That doesn't mean you should turn in your paper with the wrong answers. Why don't you look through the book and find the right answers. I just don't see why you would turn it in knowing you have the wrong answers. That's not very smart."
Elliot: (looks at Richard annoyingly)
Richard: "Why don't you try to get the right answers. Turning it in doesn't make sense. You're not trying."
Elliot: (still sitting in silence and staring at Richard very annoyed at this point) "I'm just going to turn it in."
Richard: "WHY????"
Elliot: "Cause I can't do it. I don't know the answer."
Richard: "Well, get your paper and look in your book. You shouldn't just turn in your paper because you don't know. You're not trying."
Elliot: (goes to turn in his paper)
Richard: "That's not very smart. You shouldn't do that."

At this point, I step in and tell Elliot that Richard has a point and that I don't want any papers in the basket to be graded that you know are incorrect. The response of course is a grunt and a devilish stare...not at Richard, but at me. Come on...Richard was the one grilling you and giving you the third degree. It's because of him that I knew what was going on.