CLT Grammar & Punctuation for Legal Transcription 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In legal transcription, when two independent clauses are joined by a coordinating conjunction such as 'and' or 'but,' what punctuation rule applies?
- No punctuation is needed before the conjunction
- A comma is placed before the coordinating conjunction (Correct answer)
- A semicolon replaces the conjunction entirely
- A colon is placed before the coordinating conjunction
Correct answer: A comma is placed before the coordinating conjunction
A comma is placed before a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS) when it joins two independent clauses in standard legal transcription style.
Question 2: A legal transcriptionist must introduce a long block quotation from a witness statement. Which punctuation mark is most appropriate immediately before the quotation?
- A comma
- A semicolon
- A colon (Correct answer)
- A dash
Correct answer: A colon
A colon is used to formally introduce a long quotation, a list, or an extended statement in legal documents.
Question 3: How should the possessive form be written for a witness named 'Mr. Jones' in a legal transcript?
- Jones'
- Jones's (Correct answer)
- Jone's
- Jones s'
Correct answer: Jones's
Both 'Jones's' and 'Jones'' are accepted, but most legal style guides prefer adding 's after a singular noun ending in 's' (Jones's).
Question 4: Which sentence correctly uses a semicolon in a legal transcript?
- The defendant arrived at 9:00; a.m.
- Counsel objected; the judge sustained the objection. (Correct answer)
- The exhibit was marked; as Plaintiff's Exhibit 1.
- He testified; that he saw the vehicle.
Correct answer: Counsel objected; the judge sustained the objection.
A semicolon correctly joins two closely related independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction, as in 'Counsel objected; the judge sustained the objection.'
Question 5: In formal legal transcription, how are cardinal numbers from one to nine typically written?
- Always as numerals (1–9)
- Spelled out as words (one through nine) (Correct answer)
- Written as Roman numerals (I–IX)
- Either numerals or words are acceptable interchangeably
Correct answer: Spelled out as words (one through nine)
Standard legal and general style guides require spelling out numbers one through nine as words in formal text.
Question 6: When transcribing quoted testimony in a deposition, which rule governs the placement of a period at the end of a quoted sentence?
- The period is placed outside the closing quotation mark
- The period is placed inside the closing quotation mark (American style) (Correct answer)
- The period is omitted when a quotation ends a sentence
- The period is placed on a new line after the quotation
Correct answer: The period is placed inside the closing quotation mark (American style)
American punctuation style requires periods and commas to be placed inside closing quotation marks, which is the standard applied in U.S. legal transcription.
Question 7: Which of the following demonstrates correct subject-verb agreement in a legal transcript sentence?
- The jury have reached their verdicts.
- Neither the attorney nor the witnesses was present.
- The panel of judges has issued its ruling. (Correct answer)
- Each of the exhibits are admitted into evidence.
Correct answer: The panel of judges has issued its ruling.
'The panel of judges has issued its ruling' is correct because 'panel' is the singular subject governing the verb 'has.'
CLT Grammar & Punctuation for Legal Transcription 1
In legal transcription, when two independent clauses are joined by a coordinating conjunction such as 'and' or 'but,' what punctuation rule applies?