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Grammar and Writing

Grammar and Writing

Helpful tips and links to useful websites on English grammar and writing


Grammar and Writing
The information under the links to the left provides short grammar and writing tips as well as links to websites on the Internet that offer further help in English.

    • Doublets

    • Do doublets such as “null and void” and “due and payable” have distinctive meanings? The short answer is no. Using both words is an unnecessary lawyerism since both words mean exactly the same thing. The doublets doublets came into being in England in the 11th century following the Norman conquest. Since the Normans spoke French, English courts were held in French, but most people in England still spoke English, so lawyers started using both the English and French words in or [...]
    • Doublets

    • Abbreviations

    • Some lawyers use abbreviations in text much more than their Anglo-Saxon counterparts. As a matter of style, avoid using abbreviations in running text. Also bear in mind that Americans always use a full stop after an abbreviation, while the British frequently do not. Your spell check program will help you sort this out in any given case. Do not abbreviate inter alia in English and avoid using it altogether in texts which are not purely legal. [...]
    • Abbreviations

    • Capitalization of Titles

    • Titles of books and documents should be capitalized. e.g. Minutes of Meeting Honorary titles which appear before or after a name should be capitalized. e.g. General Counsel Hans Berggren or Hans Berggren, General Counsel A title of a specific person can be capitalized anywhere it appears. e.g. the Managing Director; BUT a managing director However, there is a modern tendency not to capitalize titles appearing without a name. [...]
    • Capitalization of Titles

    • Question Marks [ ? ]

    • 1) Use a question mark only after a direct question. For example: Can you help negotiate the contract?But: I asked her if she can help negotiate the contract. 2) Use a question mark when a sentence is part statement and part question. For example: You are available to negotiate, are you not? 3) Use a question mark when it is part of a quotation. For example: The Chairman asked, "Is the meeting duly convened?" [...]
    • Question Marks [ ? ]

    • Dates

    • In order to avoid confusion on both sides of the Atlantic, write dates in the following format: e.g. 30 October 2003 Note that names of months and weekdays are capitalized in English. [...]
    • Dates

    • Quotation Marks [ " " ]

    • 1) Use double quotation marks to set off a direct quote. For example: He specifically said, "Do not publish the report until after the meeting." a) Use quotation marks to set off a direct quotation only. For example: "When will you be here?" he asked. But: He asked when you will be there. b) Periods and ending commas go inside quotation marks (and inside single quotes). For example: The opinion polls changed from "Approve," to "Do not approve," to "Approve" again in less th [...]
    • Quotation Marks [ " " ]

    • Parentheses [ ( ) ]

    • 1) Use parentheses to enclose words or numbers for clarification. For example: We are expecting final payment in the amount of five hundred million dollars ($500,000,000). 2) Parentheses may be around numbers of items listed in a sentence. For example: We need a buyer with (1) a strong trademark, (2) mature management, and (3) strong liquidity. 3) Periods go inside parentheses only when the whole sentence goes inside the parentheses. For example: Please review the report (I h [...]
    • Parentheses [ ( ) ]

    • Hyphens [ - ]

    • Hyphens between words 1) To check if a compound noun is two words, one word, or hyphenated, you must look it up in the dictionary. As a rule, if you can’t find the word in the dictionary, treat the nouns as separate words. For example: policeman, police officer, editor-in-chief 2) Compound verbs are usually either hyphenated or written as one word. As a rule, if you do not find the verb in the dictionary, hyphenate it. For example: The board chose to set-off the cost against the purc [...]
    • Hyphens [ - ]

    • Exclamation Points [ ! ]

    • 1) Use exclamation points to show emphasis or surprise. For example: The judge brought his dog into court! Note: Stylistically, the use of an exclamation point is not recommended for formal writing except where it is part of a quote. 2) While common in some European countries, do not use an exclamation point after the salutation in informal letters in English. The use of a comma is the preferred style. [...]
    • Exclamation Points [ ! ]

    • Commas [ , ]

    • 1) Use commas to separate a series of three or more words, groups of words, or phrases. For example: The proceeds are to be divided equally among development, research, marketing, and entertainment. Note: Omitting the comma after marketing would indicate that the marketing and entertainment share a single share of proceeds. 2) Use a comma to separate two adjectives if the word "and" can be inserted between them. For example: He is a creative, aggressive lawyer. 3) Use commas to surround de [...]
    • Commas [ , ]

    • Semicolons [ ; ]

    • 1) Use the semicolon in place of a period to separate two complete sentences where the conjunction - and, but, for, or, nor, so, or yet - has been left out. For example: Contact me next week; I will tell you what you need to know then. I have paid my dues; therefore, I expect all the privileges listed in the contract. But: do not use a semicolon in front of words such as therefore and however if they do not connect two complete sentences or if they are used as conjunctions. For examp [...]
    • Semicolons [ ; ]

    • Colons [ : ]

    • 1) Use the colon to introduce a list. For example: We need a lawyer who is: aggressive educated well connected 2) Use the colon before a list in a sentence when introductory words such as for example or for instance, do not appear. For example: We need a lawyer who is: aggressive, educated and well connected. But: We need a lawyer who is, for example, aggressive, educated and well connected. We will need to prove several points: presence, motive, and opportunity. But [...]
    • Colons [ : ]

    • Apostrophes & Possessives [ ' ]

    • 1) When two words are made into one word, use the apostrophe where one or more letters have been removed. For example: isn’t couldn't weren't Note: Stylistically, the use of contractions is not recommended for formal writing. The apostrophe is also used to show the omission of part of a date. For example: The Chairman will be up for re-elction in '06. (instead of 2006) However, do not use an apostrophe to show the exclusion of letter in an abbreviation. For example: Dept [...]
    • Apostrophes & Possessives [ ' ]

    • Blog @ Legalwriting.net

    • Selected as one of "The best websites by lawyers for lawyers." by the ABA Journal Blawg 100, Wayne Schiess's Blog @ Legalwriting.net is an excellent resource for those wishing to fine-tune their legal writing. Schiess directs the legal-writing program at the University of Texas School of Law and teaches legal writing, legal drafting, and plain English. [...]
    • Blog @ Legalwriting.net

    • AdamsDrafting

    • At AdamsDrafting, Ken Adams focuses on the actual language of contracts. And his approach to contract drafting is relevant to lawyers outside the U.S. As Adam’s makes clear on his site, contracts drafted in the common law countries not only have similar layouts, but they share basic legal concepts and language. Significantly, Adam’s works methodology aims to equip the drafter with the skills necessary to express concepts using language which can be understood on its own. Given that non-n [...]
    • AdamsDrafting

    • Capitalization

    • 1) Capitalize the first word of a sentence. For example: The client called three times. Do not put the matter off any longer. 2) Capitalize the first word of a sentence within sentence (even if it is not within quotation marks). For example: The arbitrator said, "It is time to consider settling the case." The issue on appeal was, Was there ever a contract? 3) Capitalize all words in titles and headings with the exception of articles (a, an, the), short prepositions (in, on, of), and [...]
    • Capitalization

    • Tips for Better Writing

    • Grammar Girl’s Quick & Dirty Tips for Better Writing - A popular and short, tip-based podcast which imparts simple and concise grammar lessons, usually in under five minutes. She also posts transcripts of many of her podcasts so that listeners can see examples of the particular grammar problem addressed. [...]
    • Tips for Better Writing

    • Legal Corpus Search

    • Using corpora in Legal EnglishA corpus is a large collection of written and/or spoken material collected to show the state of a language. Corpora can be extremely useful tools in language teaching as they help both the teacher and the learner to understand exactly how language is currently being used. They can also be excellent resources when it comes to developing materials. A number of corpora are available for free online. Among the best are: Collins Cobuild, the British National Corpus and [...]
    • Legal Corpus Search