PUNCTUATION

PUNCTUATE CAREFULLY
 PUNCTUATION
• Judges do use punctuation as a guide to meaning. When you write you should punctuate carefully, in
accordance with ordinary English usage.
• Terms:
• Subject Predicate Phrase Independent clause Dependent clause
• Examples: (who, which, when, that, since, because)
• When the lawyer in the gray skirt objected to the evidence…
• The lawyer in the gray skirt objected to the evidence.
• The lawyer in the gray skirt…
• The lawyer had objected to the evidence.
 COMMAS

1-Use a comma when you link independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction(and, but, or, for, nor, yet,
so), you must put a comma before the conjunction.
• Example:The defendant intentionally accessed the government computer system, and he intentionally
denied acess to authorized users.

2-Use comma after introductory elements, phrase or clause.

Example:At the time of the accident, the defendant was intoxicated.
 COMMAS

• 3-Use commas to set off elements which describes part of the sentence, but are not essential to the
meaning of the sentence. (which, although, though)
• Example:The car, which is blue, ran the red light.

• 4-Use commas when a dependent clause comes at the beginning of a sentence, always put a comma at the
end of it.
• Example: If you accept our conditions, we will postpone the hearing.
 COMMAS

• 5- Use commas to set off parenthetical elements. They are not essential to the meaning of the sentence. If a
word, phrase or clause could be deleted without affecting the meaning of the sentence, then set it off with
commas.
• Example:The mayor’s indictment was, to say the least, unexpected.

• 6- Use commas to separate the items in a series.

• Example: The defendant was armed with a sawed off shoutgun, a semiautomatic pistol, and a hunting knife
when he entered the bank.
 COMMAS

• 7- Use commas to separate coordinate adjectives. When two or more adjectives are coordinate, they modify a
noun equally. If one adjective modifies another, do not separate them with a comma.
• Example: The plaintiff was driving an old, rattly, blue truck.
• A strong constitutional argument.

• 8-Use commas to set off transitional or interrupting words and phrases at the beginning or in the middle of the
sentence. (therefore thus, furthermore, moreover)
• Example: The conclusion, therefore, is that attorney advertising deserves only limited protection.
 COMMAS

• 9-If a term of direct address (madam, sir, my friend,) interrupts a sentence, set it off with commas.
• Example:We submit,Your Honor, that the injunction should be lifted.

• 10-Use commas to introduce a short quotation, unless it is incorporated in the sentence.

• Example:The witness said, “The red car was speeding”.
• The statute banned smoking “in any public building”.
COMMAS

• 11-Titles that follow a person’s name should be set off with commas.
• Example: Jane Sherwood, M.D., testified for the defense.

• 12-Use commas to separate geographic place names.

• Example: Seattle,Washington, is the defendant’s principal place of business.
APOSTROPHES

• 13-Use apostrophes to form possessives.

• Example: Susan’s car
• Achilles’ heel

• 14- Use apostrophes to form the plural of some terms.

• Example:The witness recalled that the license number included three 6’s.
• She got B’s in law school.
 APOSTROPHES, QUESTION MARKS, QUOTATION

• 15- Use apostrophes in contractions.

• Example: can’t, it’s

• 16-Use a question mark to end questions.

• Example:What would justify a writ of mandamus in this case?

• 17-Use a quotation to enclose short, direct quotations under 15 words, for quotations of 50 words ident left
and right.