CLT Grammar & Punctuation for Legal Transcription 2

Question 1

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

Accepted Answer

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

Answer

Omit the unfinished sentence entirely

Answer

Replace it with '[INCOMPLETE]'

Answer

Use three dots (...) to represent missing words

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

The plaintiff and defendant's agreement

Answer

The plaintiff's and defendant's agreement

Answer

The plaintiffs' and defendants' agreement

Answer

The plaintiff's and defendant agreement

Question 3

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

Accepted Answer

June 24, 2026

Answer

MM/DD/YYYY (e.g., 06/24/2026)

Answer

The 24th day of June, 2026

Answer

24 June 2026

Question 4

Which sentence correctly uses a hyphen in a legal transcript?

Accepted Answer

The court-appointed guardian filed the motion.

Answer

The attorney cross examined the witness.

Answer

It was a well known fact—documented in the record.

Answer

He was a twenty five year old defendant.

Question 5

When should parentheses be used in a legal transcript?

Accepted Answer

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

Answer

To indicate loud or emphatic speech by the witness

Answer

To replace em dashes in interrupted testimony

Answer

To mark all colloquial expressions in testimony

Question 6

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

Accepted Answer

Retain contractions exactly as spoken by the speaker

Answer

Always expand contractions to their full form (e.g., 'do not' instead of 'don't')

Answer

Replace all contractions with abbreviations

Answer

Contractions are prohibited and must be flagged for attorney review

Question 7

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

Accepted Answer

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

Answer

The exhibits included: photos, documents, and maps.

Answer

The exhibits that were admitted were: photos, documents, and maps.

Answer

Photos: documents: and maps were admitted.