Local Author Helps Lawyers Write

Listen to the local news or read the newspaper for evidence that the English language is abused.

Know won no’s corect gramer and speling anymour, and they don’t seam to care (sic)!

As lawyers, we appreciate that a misplaced comma can change the meaning of a sentence. The comma misplaced in the following example could be costly: “Mr. Smith left $100,000 to Tom, Dick and Harry.” Did Mr. Smith mean to leave $50,000 to Tom with $25,000 each to Dick and Harry? That’s what was directed in that sentence. Simply adding a comma after Dick would provide equal distribution of the money.

The ABA Basic Guide to Punctuation, Grammar, Workplace Productivity, and Time Management by Jayne Kracker is a handy tool that should be on every desk in the office and on everyone’s holiday gift list. It covers basic rules of punctuation and grammar. It has examples of each rule as it is related to the legal office. This guide answers questions such as: Where do I put the comma in a sentence? Does the end-of-line punctuation go inside or outside the quotation mark?

Other useful information includes capitalization, quotation marks, subject/verb agreement, misplaced modifiers, letter styles and formats, tricky words, and spelling hints. Time management techniques and suggestions to improve productivity by utilizing practices such as “delegating and reporting” are available. This guide provides relief from the occasional “brain cramp” by having a useful tool at your fingertips.

Bring back the dinosaurs—those who understand and appreciate the English language!

Jayne Kracker, a graduate of Kent State University, has a long career in education and business. She was an adjunct professor at Ohio’s Kent State University, Lakeland Community College and Cleveland’s Notre Dame College. As an educator in business, Kracker knows people seek assistance with business writing grammar.Kracker may be contacted at krackerj@att.net.