Plain English for Lawyers

Preface and Acknowledgments xi Why Plain English? 3(4) Omit Surplus Words 7(16) How to Spot Bad Construction 7(4) Avoid Compound Constructions 11(2) Avoid Word-Wasting Idioms 13(2) Focus on the Actor, the Action, and the Object 15(2) Do Not Use Redundant Legal Phrases 17(6) Use Base Verbs, Not Nominalizations 23(4) Prefer the Active Voice 27(6) The Difference Between Active and Passive Voice 27(3) The Passive Can Create Ambiguity 30(3) Use Short Sentences 33(8) Arrange Your Words with Care 41(14) Avoid Wide Gaps Between the Subject, the Verb, and the Object 41(3) Put Conditions and Exceptions Where They Are Clear and Easy to Read 44(1) When Necessary, Make a List 45(2) Put Modifying Words Close to What They Modify 47(3) Avoid Nested Modifiers 50(1) Clarify the Reach of Modifiers 51(4) Choose Your Words with Care 55(14) Use Concrete Words 56(1) Use Familiar Words 57(1) Do Not Use Lawyerisms 58(3) Avoid Shotgunning 61(1) In Rule Drafting, Prefer the Singular Number and the Present Tense 62(1) Use Words of Authority with Care 63(6) Avoid Language Quirks 69(12) Avoid Elegant Variation 69(2) Avoid Noun Chains 71(1) Avoid Multiple Negatives 71(1) Avoid Cosmic Detachment 72(1) Use Strong Nouns and Verbs 73(1) Avoid Sexist Language 74(7) Punctuate Carefully 81(28) How Punctuation Developed 81(1) Lawyers' Distrust of Punctuation 82(1) Punctuate Carefully 83(1) Definition of Terms 84(1) Commas 85(5) Semicolons 90(2) Colons 92(1) Dashes 93(1) Parentheses 94(1) Apostrophes 95(2) Hyphens 97(2) Periods, Question Marks, and Exclamation Points 99(2) Quotations 101(8) Appendix: Reader's Exercise Key 109(12) Index and Lawyer's Word Guide 121