CSR English Grammar, Punctuation & Vocabulary 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In the sentence 'The witness, who testified yesterday, recanted her statement,' the commas set off a clause that is:
- Restrictive and essential to meaning
- Nonrestrictive and parenthetical (Correct answer)
- Introductory and adverbial
- Coordinate and parallel
Correct answer: Nonrestrictive and parenthetical
The clause 'who testified yesterday' is nonrestrictive because removing it does not change the essential meaning of the sentence.
Question 2: Which sentence uses the subjunctive mood correctly?
- If he was present, he would have testified.
- I recommend that she testifies immediately.
- The judge insisted that the witness be sworn in. (Correct answer)
- The attorney wishes he was better prepared.
Correct answer: The judge insisted that the witness be sworn in.
After verbs of demand, recommendation, or insistence, the subjunctive 'be' is required rather than 'is' or 'was'.
Question 3: Select the correct use of the semicolon:
- The exhibit was admitted; however it was disputed.
- The court recessed; and the jury was dismissed.
- The deposition was lengthy; the transcript ran 400 pages. (Correct answer)
- Counsel objected; to the line of questioning.
Correct answer: The deposition was lengthy; the transcript ran 400 pages.
A semicolon correctly joins two independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction.
Question 4: The word 'tortuous' most nearly means:
- Causing pain or suffering
- Full of twists and turns; winding (Correct answer)
- Relating to tort law
- Excessively long and detailed
Correct answer: Full of twists and turns; winding
'Tortuous' means winding or indirect; it should not be confused with 'torturous,' which means causing agony.
Question 5: In transcript formatting, a parenthetical direction such as '(Whereupon, the document was marked as Exhibit 1.)' ends with:
- No punctuation inside the closing parenthesis
- A period inside the closing parenthesis (Correct answer)
- A period after the closing parenthesis
- A semicolon after the closing parenthesis
Correct answer: A period inside the closing parenthesis
In legal transcripts, parenthetical stage directions that form complete sentences place the period inside the closing parenthesis.
Question 6: Which of the following is an example of a dangling modifier?
- Running quickly, the attorney reached the courthouse on time.
- Having reviewed the file, the judge issued her ruling.
- After reviewing the evidence, the verdict was reached by the jury. (Correct answer)
- While testifying, the witness began to cry.
Correct answer: After reviewing the evidence, the verdict was reached by the jury.
The verdict cannot review evidence; the participial phrase 'after reviewing the evidence' has no logical subject to modify.
Question 7: The prefix 'per-' in the legal term 'perjury' derives from Latin and means:
- Against
- Through or thoroughly (here, intensifying falsely) (Correct answer)
- Before
- After
Correct answer: Through or thoroughly (here, intensifying falsely)
'Per-' here is an intensifier from Latin 'per-' meaning 'thoroughly,' so perjury means thoroughly or completely lying under oath.
CSR English Grammar, Punctuation & Vocabulary 2
In the sentence 'The witness, who testified yesterday, recanted her statement,' the commas set off a clause that is: