Introductory signals appear at the beginning of citation sentences. Cleaning up quotations in legal writing the inside scoop on 2017s hottest new citation tool. Brackets allow the insertion of editorial material inside quotations. Paralegal career for dummies, 2nd edition for dummies careereducation. Appropriate use of emphasis added congress found that foreign organizations that engage in terrorist activity are so tainted by their criminal conduct that any contribution to such an organization facilitates that conduct. Emphasis added or in original used to show difference between quoted format vs. Emphasizing words in a direct quotation apa writing commons.
Oct 08, 2014 vi the blue book of grammar and punctuation with sentences that have multiple clauses colons 58 to attach lists to sentences spacing with tabular formatting with long quotations after the salutation in a business letter question marks 60 exclamation points 61 quotation marks 61 placement with periods, commas, question marks, and semicolons use. All it takes is the blue book of grammar and punctuation. It is used in citations to present authorities and indicate how those authorities relate to propositions in statements. Mar 21, 2017 welcome to above the laws newest feature, a column devoted to especially clever or awful examples of legalese, fine print, disclaimers, disclosures, and the like.
I know this to be true, as a prose litigant, complainant who, after requesting an attorney be appointed, was determined by a district judge in the prima facia, stage of the case, to have, ably sic, represented himself to this point, that was for. A related bonus of a plain language style is the potential for reducing mistakes. Generations of law students, lawyers, scholars, judges, and other legal professionals have relied on the bluebooks unique system of citation in their writing. Punctuation is one component of writing that people seldom think about or notice except when it is wrong.
These tips are searchable and linked to the bluebook content they address. Blue book of grammar and punctuation by straus, jane, fogarty, mignon isbn. Mar 30, 2012 matthew butterick, author of the dry but very useful book, typography for lawyers 2d ed. Use italics to add emphasis to a specific word or words in a direct quotation that were not originally emphasized by the author. A volume that explains the organization of a state government and provides the names of state officials. I know this to be true, as a prose litigant, complainant who, after requesting an attorney be appointed, was determined by a district judge in the prima facia, stage of the case, to have, ably sic, represented himself to this point, that was for almost a year. He finally answered after taking five minutes to think that he did not understand the question. This book is a reference guide that, believe it or not, will be just about the only book you take from law school into your practice as a lawyer. To include an intext citation with a quotation youve altered, put the citation first, followed by a semicolon, and then the words emphasis added. Adds instruction on how to cite to an excerpt or partial reprint. The most useful answers are gathered here as blue tips, classified by subject.
In a diverse and rapidly changing legal profession, the bluebook continues to provide a systematic method by which members of the profession communicate important information to one another about the sources and legal authorities upon. This is usually because they dont understand enough about it to judge it properly. This part outlines where vlr conventions depart from the bluebook, adds additional rules, and seeks to clarify some of the more obscure bluebook rules. That was an increase of seven points from his previous score. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.
Most newspapers and magazines drop theoxford comma in a simple series, apparently feeling its unnecessary. The blue book of grammar and punctuation 11th edition pages. By emphasis, i mean the adding bold or underline or italics to the font in a sentence or longer section of a brief in order to emphasize the importance of the text to the reader. Texas, with a history of rugged individualism, was part of the sagebrush rebellion. Lessons covered from the blue book of grammar and punctuation and this web site. This relation can be supportive, comparative, or contradictory. Excessive use of ellipses and brackets may make readers wonder if important things had been cut. That all changed in 2001, when blue book publications brought out the first edition of the blue book of airguns. Use parentheses to enclose information that clarifies or is used as an aside. To note added emphasis, put emphasis added in a parenthetical in the citation. Some parentheticals are designed to make legal writing more detailed, while others might be intended to make legal writing more concise.
The blue book of grammar and punctuation 11th edition. Nov 05, 2014 a lot of specific legal phrases are latin phrases or at least started out latin. Never place the period outside the quotation marks. Part i of the slatebook modifies and adds to the bluebooks rules. However, since so much of what is produced by law firms and courts is in the form of the written word, it is essential that anyone working in the law have highly refined grammar skills. Legal writers use citation signals to tell readers how the citations support or do not support their. An easytouse guide with clear rules, realworld examples, and reproducible quizzes jane straus 4. The style manual used by the new york state law reporting. When part of a quote is emphasized by bolding italicizing. The blue book of grammar and punctuation is a concise, entertaining workbook and guide to english grammar, punctuation, and usage. It doesnt take a lifetime to master english grammar and punctuation.
Just remember that between the 18th and 20th edition, a lot has changed. Consider this excerpt from katherine cullens book, biology. With over 200,000 copies sold, this is one of the most highly trusted english language resources available. My son scored a 31 on the act after using the subscription quizzes. If the original material includes a noun or pronoun that is unclear, brackets can be used for clarification. I had a question during a presentation i was making about whether the phrase emphasis added when used with a quotation was treated in the same font as the emphasized language, for example, if the emphasized language is bolded, is the phrase emphasis added bolded. The blue book of grammar and punctuation, eleventh edition. At the end of the quotation, emphasis in the original is added. Apr, 2020 the current edition of the bluebook is the 20th edition, published in 2015 free 60day access keys for the bluebook. Parentheses and brackets the blue book of grammar and.
Please apply these vlr conventions to every piece that you edit. The cambridge advanced learners dictionary, collins english dictionary and the oxford dictionaries regard the form comprised of as standard english usage, but, according to the. Its a refresher for experts, a reference for lay people, and a lesson plan for teachers. Lincoln specifically advocated a government for the people brown 512.
When the last comma in a series comes before and or or after daughterinlaw in theabove example, it is known as the oxford comma. Using parentheticals can often enhance your credibility with your legal audience. Actually i find this word to be a weapon used to correct the ignorant. The blue book of grammar and punctuation is filled with easytounderstand rules, realworld examples, dozens of reproducible exercises, and pre and posttests. This userfriendly resource includes simple explanations of grammar, punctuation, and usage. Parentheses and brackets must never be used interchangeably. Emphasizing words in a direct quotation apa writing. The blue book of grammar and punctuation jane straus. A guide for students and practitioners legal citation, third edition. A publication that establishes the correct form of case citations or of references to a legal authority showing where information can be found. When italicizing words within a quotation for emphasis, add the parenthetical phrase emphasis added after the citation.
Welcome to above the laws newest feature, a column devoted to especially clever or awful examples of legalese, fine print, disclaimers, disclosures, and the like. One subscription works for an entire family, classroom, or office. Grammar speaks bettys talking heads whats a talking head. This handy workbook is ideal for teachers, students in middle school through college, esl students, homeschoolers, and professionals. This book is currently in its 30th anniversary edition and is also widely available. Signals are important because they indicate how a cited authority relates to the text. Some lawyers must really like the use of emphasis in a brief. The anxiety of a jthority absence, a rather impressive literature 8. The editors provide authoritative guidance to reasonable questions on subjects covered by the bluebook. Comprised of is an expression in english that means to compose or constitute. This is the american english rule this newsletter, the blue book of grammar and punctuation, and.
The president stated that he will not sign the bill they republican members of the house have been talking about. See antiterrorism and effective death penalty act of 1996,pub. Nature selects variations that are advantageous for survival and reproduction in a particular environment emphasis added, just as farmers artificially select for economically desirable characteristics cullen, 2006, pp. Examples have been added to the list showing the style of particular words, with a continuing modern style emphasis on reducing excessive use of hyphens and italics appendix 5, and recurrent style inconsistencies have been addressed by new illustrations e. I was taught that this was the one exception to the quotation mark following the period. At their worst, misused punctuation marks commas, semicolons, quotation marks, and the rest may muddle the meaning of your sentences, leaving your reader confused and frustrated. For more on permissible alterations to quotations, see the mla handbook, eighth edition, section 1.
Periods with quotation marks grammar and punctuation. Latin, italics, and punctuation are more than a little confusing so we will take a little time today to try to make those things a little bit clearer. Adds an explanation to the rule on italicizing explanatory phrases in citations that they should not be italicized when introducing the citation in a related authority parenthetical. Everyone knows that youre supposed to avoid block quotations because theyre hard to read. The style manual used by the new york state law reporting bureau. According to the bluebook, nonenglish words and phrases continue reading.
In law, a citation or introductory signal is a set of phrases or words used to clarify the authority or significance of a legal citation as it relates to a proposition. This book is a must have for law students, paralegals and attorneys. According to the bluebook section continue reading. May 31, 2006 its a fairly broad principle that you should not overuse italics or boldface or underlining or whatever for emphasis in persuasive writing because it will wear thin quickly and annoy your readers. In this paragraph, the author first writes the sentence this is how tinklepaugh recorded the experiment in his notes. Often on every page, and sometimes for a paragraph or more. When quoting something that has a spelling or grammar mistake or presents material in a confusing way, insert the term sic in italics and enclose it in nonitalic unless the surrounding text is italic brackets sic thus in latin is shorthand for, this is exactly what the original material says. When writers do not signal a citation, the cited authority states the proposition, is the source of the cited quotation or identifies an authority referred to in. You may also want to buy a copy of the book mastering the blue book or something similar to help you understand how to use this book.
I wanted to find a way to speak directly to students who were using a computer program. The rule that people should not ignore, but often do. But its actually not a bad idea to avoid quotations altogether. Actually, his opinion against the use of emphasis is even stronger than mine. The talking heads were originally developed to introduce grammar charts on the cdroms that accompany understanding and using english grammar blue book and fundamentals of english grammar black book. The blue book of grammar and punctuation jane straus february 26 if anybody finds any body of evidence to prove the theory that breath is all everybody needs, then somebody needs to bring it to me. The book is known as the classic guide to writing nonfiction and should be a part of any serious writers library. The blue book of grammar and punctuation succeeds at a rare feat. Most other sources indicate that the words emphasis added should be at the end of the sentence, either in parentheses and lowercase letters before the quoted sentences ending punctuation or in parenthesis with upper case e in emphasis after the quotations ending punctuation with a period within the parenthesis.
Nov 01, 2017 i had a question during a presentation i was making about whether the phrase emphasis added when used with a quotation was treated in the same font as the emphasized language, for example, if the emphasized language is bolded, is the phrase emphasis added bolded. Now in its tenth edition, the blue book is a masterpiece of clarity and usefulness. Lincoln specifically advocated a government for the people emphasis added. Presented by the academic achievement program october. Oct 07, 2007 then we3 sic wouldnt sic have a problem. If material in parentheses ends a sentence, the period goes after the parentheses. Excessive use of emphasis added tends to make readers feel a bit browbeaten. Law school bluebook basics one of the books that all 1l law students are required to purchase is the bluebook. In a diverse and rapidly changing legal profession, the bluebook continues to provide a systematic method by which members of the profession communicate important information to one another about the sources and legal.
A lot of specific legal phrases are latin phrases or at least started out latin. The current edition of the bluebook is the 20th edition, published in 2015 free 60day access keys for the bluebook. With each version, ask your students how readers are likely to react. Some rules outlined in books on writing and grammar may be modified or completely replaced by rules in the bluebook. Presented by the academic achievement program october 25, 2011.
1520 316 658 682 1325 408 429 336 1394 994 163 337 437 609 1332 1196 66 480 732 1569 1192 532 104 1155 971 1329 1573 737 564 1324 661 366 1413 560 1371 1281 609 1487