Proof-reading Strategies

How you express yourself as a lawyer is crucial. So your writing should be clearly
structured, free of ambiguity, coherent, logical and accurate.

A good assignment from a linguistic perspective should be:

• clear
• logically constructed
• coherent
• grammatically accurate
• concise
• appropriate in tone

Coherence
1 Logical overall structure
2 Coherent sentence structure
3 Unambiguous meaning

Accuracy Reasonably accurate use of grammar

• tenses
• form of verbs
• plurals/singulars (and agreement)
• a/the
• subordinate clauses: relative (who/which) and ‘that’ clauses
• punctuation

Appropriacy
Appropriate choice of language for an academic essay/problem
• not too formal (especially no legalese)
• not too informal (especially no “get” or “And”)

Good writers draft and redraft; check for meaning, logic and clarity. So, use an
editing checklist, and a set of writing principles.

Strategies

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 Proof-reading Strategies

In addition to a basic grammar check list you should also consider the following:

Check Action √
CHECK EVERY NOUN YOU USED
Is it casual (really, And, get) • Delete. If necessary to the meaning,
legalistic? (hereto, said replace with something formal
aforementioned, etc)?

If it is a countable noun:
If singular -
If plural -
For both singular and plural
If it is a non-count noun:
Use
• ‘a’ or ‘an’ if you are using it for the first
time
• ‘the’ if you have used it before or it is
clear from the context which one is meant
• Add a plural ending unless it is an
exception
• Delete any ‘a’ or ‘an’? Delete
• Does it have the right verb? (singular
verb for singular noun, plural verb for plural
noun)
• Delete any plural ending (‘s’ or ‘es’)
• Ensure the verb is singular

CHECK EVERY VERB YOU USED

Is the verb regular or
irregular?
Have you used the right
tense?
Is the verb in the active
or the passive voice?
If the passive
If not:
• If irregular, have you used the right
form?
• If regular, have you put the regular
endings on the verb?
• Are all the necessary parts of the verb
there?
• Are they in the right form for that tense?
• Recast the sentence into the active if
possible.
• Are you absolutely sure that you have
formed the passive correctly?

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 Proof-reading Strategies

CHECK EVERY ADVERB YOU USED

Does it describe a verb? • Turn it into an adverb

Should it be a noun? • Make it one

Are you using it to prove your • Delete it - your argument should stand
argument (“Clearly”, alone
“doubtless”, “obviously”)

CHECK EVERY SENTENCE YOU USED

Is it complete?
Does it have more than one
main clause? If so:
Is it really two sentences
connected with a comma?
Is it too long?
• Make sure it has a main clause with a
subject and a verb?
• Are the two clauses connected with an
appropriate conjunction (and/but/ however
etc)
• Put a full stop instead of a comma
between the two main clauses
• Put a full stop and start again

Check spelling • Correct wrongly spelled words

Check for missing words • Add them
verbs/articles
Check that the structure is • Add an introduction, links, and a
logical conclusion

Eight Golden Rules for Writing Clearly

1. Use verbs, not nouns made out of verbs
2. Use active, rather than the passive voice
3. Use short sentences
4. Keep subject-verb-object close together and in that
order wherever possible.
5. Keep modifiers close to the words they modify
6. Delete unnecessary words.
7. Use formal, but everyday language.
8. Punctuate adequately.

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