Common writing errors:

Transcription

1 Legal writing Common writing errors: A comedy of errors certain barristers and most judges do not like the use of commas if they are not fulfilling the function of replacing a conjunction in order to avoid ambiguity 2 Legal writing Upon application made and after hearing submissions of Counsel for Applicant L xxx and Counsel for Respondent N xxxxx His Honour Judge xxxxx in the absence of Judge YYYY and after deliberation of submissions from xxxxx of 10 May 2006 and submissions from xxxxx dated 7 July 2006 made the following ORDERS... under low temperature conditions... under low-temperature conditions.10 day period.10-day period...work related injuries.work-related injuries 3 4.commonly used drug.commonly used drug.four year old ewes.four-year-old ewes.four year-old ewes.ewes were four years old.ewes were four years old...live weight gain...liveweight gain.liveweight of the cows.live weight of the cows...badly infected wound...badly infected wound 5 6 1

2 .sorghum based diet.sorghum-based diet.two or four wheeled bikes.two- or four-wheeled bikes.autumn and spring lambing ewes.autumn- and spring-lambing ewes The inside is a water based, moisture resistant food grade offline sheet fed internal coating. The outside is coated with fast curing high gloss high slip solvent free, low viscosity and excellent scuff resistant coating. 7 8 Inside is a water-based, moistureresistant, food-grade, off-line, sheet-fed, internal coating. The outside is coated with fast-curing, high-gloss, high-slip, solvent-free, low-viscosity and excellent scuff-resistant coating. There is a big black blowfly in my bedroom! man eating rabbits man-eating rabbits man eating rabbits breast feeding baby breast-feeding baby percent alcohol soaked absorbent cotton swabs 70-percent-alcohol-soaked absorbent cotton swabs 24 h weaned rat mammary gland positive control 24-h-weaned-rat-mammary-gland positive control 11 Consider putting most modifiers after the noun to improve clarity absorbent cotton swabs soaked in 70- percent alcohol The positive control was a sample of mammary gland from a rat weaned 24 h previously 12 2

3 Commas To keep track of all the breeding stock within a country New Zealand and most countries with racing industries publish every three years or so a Stud Book. Commas To keep track of all the breeding stock within a country, New Zealand, and most countries with racing industries, publish, every three years or so, astud Book Commas New Zealand, and most countries with racing industries, publish a Stud Book every three years or so to keep track of all the breeding stock within a country. However,......, however,... Thus,..., thus,... Commas Periods & commas, e.g.,,i.e., et al. Jones et al. (2000) (Jones et al., 2000) Latin et al. in vivo in vitro muscularis mucosa

4 Agreement of number Farmers were more receptive to safety messages if it was given in terms of. The smuggling of meat products, embryos, or semen into the country are perceived as the most likely ways in which the disease could be introduced. 19 Agreement of number These features, plus., makes the disease very difficult to control. These features, plus., make the disease very difficult to control. There were no differences between the three groups. There were no differences among the three groups. 20 Tense Brown (1997) gives an excellent example of.. Brown (1997) gave an excellent example of.. This is supported by Brown et al. (1968) who state that This was supported by Brown et al. (1968) who stated that Tense This was supported by Brown et al. (1968) who stated that (OK) Brownet al. (1968) supported (better still) Place & time There are breeding herds where the calves are kept until weaning. There are breeding herds in which the calves are kept until weaning. as explained in Annor (1996). as explained by Annor (1996). 23 Place & time Each collection period was followed by a three-day period where pigs were fed but no collection took place. Each collection period was followed by a three-day period during which pigs were fed but no collection took place. At day 65 where the cows were treated with.. At day 65 when the cows were treated 24 with.. 4

5 Grammar The cows which were black were killed The cows, which were black, were killed The cows that were black were killed data is data are Grammar It s = it is Its Indicates ownership in the 80 s in the 80s an 80 s hairstyle Grammar In particular sheep and beef farmers as well as shearers. (no verb) In particular, sheep and beef farmers, as well as shearers, are the most at risk. 27 Grammar It is assumed that the system is operating at an optimum. (missing noun) It is assumed that the system is operating at an optimum level. (misuse of level) It is assumed that the system is operating optimally. 28 Incomplete comparisons Survival is more important in species with a smaller number of offspring weaned per dam Survival is more important in species with a smaller number of offspring weaned per dam than in those with a larger number... Incomplete comparisons The treated group had higher plasma concentrations of glucose The treated group had higher plasma concentrations of glucose than did the control group

6 Numerals 72 days later. 120 cows were used 10 ten-year-old cows 5 ewes Never start a sentence with a numeral five ewes 15 ewes Numbers <10 that qualify a noun should be written in words unless followed by units Numerals Never start a sentence with a numeral 3.1 Materials and methods 32 cows were used in the experiment Thirty-two cows were used or The experiment used 32 cows Units..kg but 56 Pa..4.3_kg but 37 o C Brackets (_xyz_) the cow jumped over the moon, the little dog laughed to see such sport and the dish ran away with the spoon ( nursery rhyme lyrics ). 33 Difficult words Principle- general rule or law Principal - main or first in importance Who or whom? Can you substitute him? Who did it to whom? practise verb practice noun 34 Difficult words effect (noun) 1. result of consequence of an action 2. efficacy (the effect of) 3. belonging (his effects) 4. impression (special effects) 5. (physics) a physical phenomenon (Doppler effect) effect (verb) 1. bring about, accomplish cause to exist or occur Difficult words Affect (verb) 1. produce an effect on 2. move, touch the feelings (affect me deeply) 3. Pretend (affect a limp) Affect (noun) 1. (Psychol) a feeling, emotion or desire 36 6

7 Tautology Saying the same thing twice over in different words - a style fault The most critical factor. They arrived one after the other in succession The most strongest... Very unique 37 Lies The use of Merino blood will decrease the MFD quickly. In some other counties, where cows are kept in doors.. It may be a dairy farmer who points out a problem in a shearing shed or vice versa. The shearing shed points out the problem to the dairy farmer?? 38 Lies A total of 30 possums were radio tracked weekly to their den site until death. they tracked them to death? 39 7