UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS AND LAW LEGAL ENGLISH 2023 – MODULE 2

INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL & COMPARATIVE LAW

EXERCISES
Writing for readability
Inflated phrases:
- There is a need for or it is important that: use must or should
Ex: It is important that we be there on time. 🡪 We must be there on time.
- is able to or has the ability to: use can
Ex: He is able to appeal. 🡪 He can appeal.
- it is possible that: use might or may or can or could
Ex: It is possible that he will be acquitted. 🡪 He might be acquitted.
- under circumstances in which: use when
Ex: Defendants might be acquitted under circumstances in which eyewitnesses have poor vision. 🡪
Defendants might be acquitted when eyewitnesses have poor vision.
- on the grounds that or for the reason that: use because
Ex: He was convicted for the reason that he lied. 🡪 He was convicted because he lied
- prior to or subsequent to: use before or after
Ex: Prior to the end of the trial, the defendant confessed. 🡪 Before the end of the trial, the defendant
confessed.
Subsequent to the end of the trial, the defendant confessed. 🡪 After the trial, the defendant confessed.
- the fact that: use although, even though, or because
Ex: He missed the trial due to the fact that he was late. 🡪 He missed the trial because he was late.
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Exercise 10-A

Correct the following sentence fragments.

1. The inmate asked to use the prison law library. To research the grounds for his appeal.

The inmate asked to use the prison law library in order to research the grounds for his appeal.

2. Although the employer knew that sexual harassment in the workplace is illegal. She made sexually

disparaging remarks to her male employees.

Although the employer knew that sexual harassment in the workplace is illegal, she made sexually

disparaging remarks to her male employees.

3. The doctor asked his new partner to sign a restrictive covenant. To prevent unfair competition if the

partnership terminated.

The doctor asked his new partner to sign a restrictive covenant so as to prevent unfair competition if

the partnership terminated.

Exercise 10-B

Rewrite the following sentences so that the modifiers refer to the correct word(s).

1. Only Trial Advocacy is offered in the third year of law school.

Trial Advocacy only is offered in the third year of law school.

2. Well-written and readable, the lawyer drafted a brief.

The lawyer drafted a well-written and readable brief.

3. The evidence, a scarf, was introduced by the prosecutor checkered and torn.

The evidence, a checkered and torn scarf, was introduced by the prosecutor.

4. The student appealed to the teacher trying to raise his grade.

The student tried to appeal to the teacher to raise his grade.

5. The defendant was distraught because the judge, sentenced to fifteen years in prison, showed no

mercy.

Because of the merciless fifteen-year-in prison sentence of the judge, the defendant was distraught.

6. The court reasoned, at the time the purse was taken, that the defendant acted with felonious intent.

The court reasoned that the defendant acted with felonious intent at the time the purse was taken.

Exercise 10-C
Rewrite the following sentences so that they have parallel structures.

1. When writing a legal memo, you should analyze the relevant case law and why certain facts are

important.

When writing a legal memo, you should explain why the relevant case law and certain facts are

important.

2. The court admitted the lineup identification, suppressed the confession, and the severance motion

was denied.

The court admitted the lineup identification, suppressed the confession, and denied the severance

motion.

3. The first-year student hoped that the workload would diminish and the tests would be easy.

The first-year student hoped that the workload would be diminished and the tests would be easy.

4. The attorney interviewed the client, researched the claims, and the facts were investigated.

The attorney interviewed the client, researched the claims, and investigated the facts.

5. The law review editor reviewed the chronology of the string citations and that the quotations were

accurate.

The law review editor reviewed the chronology of the string citations and the quotations accuracy.

Exercise 10-E

The following sentences are written in the passive voice. Rewrite them in the active voice.

1. A counterclaim for misappropriation of trade secret information was filed by Sam Becker, a

defendant in a breach of contract case

Sam Becker, a defendant in a breach of contract case, filed a counterclaim for misappropriation of

trade secret information.

2. The brief, addressing the constitutionality of Nirvana's anti-stalking statute, was written by the moot

court team.

The moot court team wrote the brief which addresses the constitutionality of Nirvana’s anti-stalking

statute.

3. A severance agreement was executed by Jane Williams and EFG Company.

Jane Williams and EFG Company executed a severance agreement.

4. The failure to inspect the tires was realized by the mechanic on duty.

The mechanic on duty realized the failure to inspect the tires.

Exercise 10-F

Rewrite the following sentences to make them more concise.

1. The employer could have reasonably concluded and therefore foreseen that the employee was unfit

and had something in his background that rendered him dangerous to third parties.

The employer could have concluded and therefore foreseen that the employee was unfit and had

something in his background that could harm third parties.

2. Our client, whose name is Jordan Wilson, was engaged in the course of drinking in the company of

a friend at a local bar.

Our client, Jordan Wilson, was engaged in the course of drinking in the company of a friend at a local

bar.

3. With respect to the issue of intent, the court admitted the said evidence heretofore offered by the

plaintiff.

With respect to the issue of intent, the court admitted the said evidence offered by the plaintiff.
Exercise 10-G

Rewrite the following sentences in the affirmative.

1. The litigant's argument is not unlike that in the precedent case.

The litigant's argument is similar to the precedent case.

2. The divorce decree will not become invalid unless it was procured by fraud.

The divorce decree will be valid unless it was procured by fraud.

3. Not very many of the employees were entitled to a three-week vacation.

Few employees were entitled to a three-week vacation.

Q1 Here is the pompous paragraph. Rewrite it in good prose:

The purpose of this PPM [Policy and Procedure Memorandum] is to ensure, to the maximum
extent practicable, that highway locations and designs reflect and are consistent with federal,
state and local goals and objectives. The rules, policies, and procedures established by this PPM
are intended to afford full opportunity for effective public participation in the consideration of
highway location and design proposals before submission to the federal Department of
Transportation for approval. They provide a medium for free and open discussion and are
designed to encourage early and amicable resolution of controversial issues that may arise.

The purpose of this PPM is to ensure that highway locations and design, to the maximum extent
practicable, are consistent with federal, state and local goals and objectives. This PPM established the
rules, policies and procedures to afford full opportunity for effective public participation in the
consideration of highway location and design proposals before submitting to the federal department of
transportation for approval. They provide a medium for free, open discussion and are designed to
encourage early and amicable resolution of controversial issues that may arise.

Q2 Turn the following sentence into a paragraph of several sentences. See whether listing might
help. Make the central idea of the passage its first sentence.

If, on the date of opening of bid or evaluation of proposals, the average market price of domestic
wool of usable grades is not more than 10 percent above the average of the prices
of representative types and grades of domestic wools in the wool category which includes the wool
required by the specifications [see (f) below], which prices reflect the current incentive price as
established by the Secretary of Agriculture, and if reasonable bids or proposals have been
received for the advertised quantity offering 100 percent domestic wools, the contract will be
awarded for domestically produced articles using 100 percent domestic wools and the procedure
set forth in (e) and (f) below will be disregarded.

The contract will be awarded for domestically produced articles using 100 percent domestic wool and
the procedure set forth in (e) and (f) below will be disregarded. This will only happen if it satisfies two
conditions. Firstly, on the date of opening of bid or evaluation of proposals, the average market price
of domestic wool of usable grades is not more than 10 percent above the average of
the prices of representative types and grades of domestic wools in the wool category which includes
the wool required by the specifications [see (f) below], which prices reflect the current incentive price
as established by the Secretary of Agriculture. Last but not least, if reasonable bids or
proposals have been received for the advertised quantity offering 100 percent domestic wools.

Q3 Paragraph Development
The distribution of fossils (skeletons, shells, leaf impressions, footprints and dinosaur eggs) in
rocks of a certain age tells something about the ancient distribution of lands and seas on the
Earth’s surface. The remains of coral and clamshells found in the very old limestones in parts of
Pennsylvania and New York indicate that this region was once covered by a shallow
sea.
Similarly, the remains of ancestral horses and camels in rocks of South Dakota show that the area
was then dry land or that land was nearby. A closer look at these fossils will tell even more. Their
distribution identifies the ancient areas of land and sea and also determines the approximate
shoreline. The distribution of living forms shows that thick shelled fossil animals once lived in
shallow seas close to shore, where their shells were built to withstand the surging and pounding
of waves. Thin-shelled, delicate fossil animals probably lived in deeper, calmer water offshore.
In addition to providing a measure of water depth, fossils can also be used to indicate the former
temperature of water. In order to survive, certain types of present-day coral must live in warm
and shallow tropical saltwaters, such as the seas around Florida and the Bahamas. When similar
types of coral are found in the ancient limestones, they provide a good estimate of the marine
environment that must have existed when they were alive. All these factors—depth, temperature,
currents, and salinity—that are revealed by fossils are important, for each detail tends to sharpen
and clarify the picture of ancient geography.