Practice Test Geeks(CLT) Certified Legal Transcriptionist Practice Test
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Grammar & Punctuation for Legal Transcription Flashcards

7 cards from real CLT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

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  1. In verbatim legal transcription, how should a speaker's interrupted or unfinished sentence be indicated?

    Answer: Use an em dash (—) at the point of interruption

    An em dash marks an abrupt interruption or break-off mid-sentence in verbatim transcription, indicating the speech was cut short.

  2. Which sentence shows the correct use of an apostrophe for a joint possessive in a legal document?

    Answer: The plaintiff and defendant's agreement

    When two parties jointly possess something, only the last noun takes the apostrophe-s (e.g., 'the plaintiff and defendant's agreement').

  3. In U.S. legal transcription, how are dates most commonly formatted in formal documents?

    Answer: June 24, 2026

    U.S. legal transcription standard practice writes dates as Month Day, Year (e.g., June 24, 2026), with a comma after the day.

  4. Which sentence correctly uses a hyphen in a legal transcript?

    Answer: The court-appointed guardian filed the motion.

    'Court-appointed' is a compound modifier preceding a noun and requires a hyphen per standard hyphenation rules.

  5. When should parentheses be used in a legal transcript?

    Answer: To enclose interpolated notes, clarifications, or stage directions (e.g., (Pause))

    Parentheses enclose editorial insertions, notations, or stage directions such as '(Pause),' '(Witness nods),' or clarifying information added by the transcriptionist.

  6. In formal legal transcription, how should contractions generally be handled?

    Answer: Retain contractions exactly as spoken by the speaker

    In verbatim legal transcription, contractions are retained as spoken to accurately reflect the speaker's words; in some edited formats they may be expanded, but verbatim is the default standard.

  7. Which of the following correctly uses a colon to introduce a list in a legal transcript?

    Answer: Three exhibits were admitted into evidence: photos, documents, and maps.

    A colon is correctly used after a complete independent clause that introduces a list; it should not interrupt the flow of the main clause.