Question 1

Which of the following would NOT be appropriate in a business e-mail or letter?
A)Gary was a slick lawyer.
B)Mary's conduct was professional.
C)Both of the above.
D)Neither of the above.
E)The client made a bundle on that contract.
F)The client got burned on that contract.
G)Adam Attorney bought a new cellular telephone.
H)Adam Attorney bought the latest gizmo.
I)Janice Jones signed the contract.
J)Janice Jones executed the contract.
K)Marcia and Alex split up.
L)Marcia and Alex terminated their relationship.
M)Marty resisted when the police officer arrested him.
N)Marty resisted when the cop arrested him.
O)Alan's son, Jake, flunked the exam.
P)Alan's son, Jake, bombed the exam.
Q)The plane landed at around 8:00 p.m.
R)The plane landed at approximately 8:00 p.m.
S)She was uncertain as to whether she would attend the meeting.
T)She was uncertain whether she would attend the meeting.
U)Troy put across her closing argument well.
V)Troy did a good job in her closing argument.
W)We have lots of time.
X)We have sufficient time.
Y)Regardless of the ethical rules, Bob's conduct created unnecessary friction.
Z)Irregardless of the ethical rules, Bob's conduct created unnecessary friction.
AA)The author set forth her argument in three key chapters.
AB)The author stated her argument in three key chapters.
AC)The cattle were nowhere near the barn.
AD)The cattle were not near the barn.
AE)The witness is alright now.
AF)The witness is all right now.
AG)The witness is well now.
AH)None of the above.
AI)Barbara claimed the event was staged.
AJ)Barbara stated she saw the movie.

Accepted Answer

Neither of the above. Both Answer A and Answer B would be appropriate in a business e-mail or letter. But note that meaning is critical when using "claimed" and "stated." Answer A asserts an (unproven) allegation that the event was staged; by contrast, the sentence "Barbara stated the event was staged" means Barbara said she has actual knowledge. Answer B expresses a statement about what Barbara said; by contrast, the sentence "Barbara claimed she saw the movie" conveys some doubt about whether Barbara actually saw the movie.

Question 2

Which of the following is correct?
A)The burglar accessed the building through an unlocked window.
B)The access work was reassigned to another paralegal.
C)Both of the above.
D)Neither of the above.
E)JoAnne past the exam.
F)JoAnne passed the exam.
G)Bill is the supposed mastermind behind my surprise birthday party.
H)I suppose Bill is the mastermind behind my surprise birthday party.
I)I look foreword to the movie.
J)I look forward to the movie.
K)The defendant was libel for actual and punitive damages.
L)The defendant was liable for actual and punitive damages.
M)Opposing counsel cited Brown v. Board of Education.
N)Opposing counsel sited Brown v. Board of Education.
O)The car overheats when its hot.
P)The toy truck lost it's wheel.
Q)The baseball hit the hood of my car, which is now dented.
R)The baseball hit the hood of my car, that is now dented.
S)Buildings that were built before the current building code are unsafe.
T)Buildings which were built before the current building code are unsafe.
U)The building manager painted the hallway, which is now off-white.
V)The car that ran the red light collided with the delivery truck.
W)The golfer who was in the red hat made a hole-in-one.
X)The dean, who is African-American, took offense to the statement.
Y)The judge who entered the judgment in the Jones case has a good reputation.
Z)The judge, who entered the judgment in the Jones case, has a good reputation.
AA)Mick Nicholson was a principle of the law firm.
AB)Mick Nicholson was a principal of the law firm.
AC)The chairman moved to have the issue considered at a later time.
AD)The chairman moved to have the issue considered at a latter time.
AE)If given a choice between deficit spending and fiscal discipline, I choose the latter.
AF)If given a choice between deficit spending and fiscal discipline, I choose the later.
AG)The tribal council adopted an ordinance regulating hunting on tribal land.
AH)The criminal attorney counseled her client not to take the stand.
AI)Counsel for the plaintiff called an expert witness.
AJ)All of the above.
AK)Penny adviced Sheldon against suing the manufacturer of the video game.
AL)Leonard's advise was to purchase the Star Wars™ memorabilia.
AM)Jerry let George into the building, and later Kramer came over to the apartment.
AN)Jerry let Elaine into the building and later Newman delivered Jerry's mail.
AO)Darth Vader believed in the force, but succumbed to its dark side.
AP)Darth Vader believed in the force but succumbed to its dark side.
AQ)Luke Skywalker believed in the force, but did not succumb to its dark side.
AR)Luke Skywalker believed in the force, and did not succumb to its dark side.
AS)Lana Lawyer walked to the podium and began her closing argument.
AT)Lana Lawyer walked to the podium, and began her closing argument.
AU)Lana Lawyer walked to the podium, opened her notebook and began her closing argument.
AV)Lana Lawyer walked to the podium, opened her notebook, and began her closing argument.
AW)The ingredients include coconut, chocolate chips, and walnuts.
AX)The ingredients include coconut, chocolate chips and walnuts.
AY)To complete the work, Sally stayed all night.
AZ)As part of due diligence, we reviewed the UCC records at the secretary of state's office.
BA)To prepare for the exam Bob studied all night.
BB)After he saw the other car, Bob swerved to avoid hitting it.
BC)Accordingly, the decision cannot be overturned.
BD)Finally the plaintiff suffered damages because he incurred medical bills.

Accepted Answer

Accordingly, the decision cannot be overturned. Answer A is correct because it is a correct example of a transitional introductory expression, which requires a comma after the transitional word or phrase. Answer B is not correct because a comma is required after "finally."

Question 3

Which of the following is correct?
A)Pam gained on the slower vehicle, and she changed lanes to pass it.
B)Pam gained on the slower vehicle and she changed lanes to pass it.
C)Both of the above
D)Neither of the above
E)"The attorney can not pass the spelling test."
F)"The attorney cannot pass the spelling test."

Accepted Answer

The attorney cannot pass the spelling test. Answer B is correct because "cannot" is spelled as one word, not two words.

Question 4

Which of the following possessives is NOT correct?
A)John's car
B)The Jones' car.
C)An ambassador's car.
D)None of the above.
E)The rule in Shelley's case.
F)He reviewed the ACP's resume.
G)He repaired his mother's-in-law car.
H)Ten days' time.
I)The judges's library.
J)The children's books.
K)Wanda and Henry's home.
L)The fathers-in-law's perspective.
M)The ACPs's certificates.

Accepted Answer

The ACPs's certificates. Answer C is not correct because it is a plural word (in this case, the plural of an acronym) that is made possessive by adding an apostrophe and an "s" at the end. When the word is plural, the possessive is formed by an apostrophe and an "s" at the end, except if the word ends in "s" or and "s" sound. In that case, only the apostrophe is added. Thus, the possessive of "ACPs" is "ACPs'." When the plural form is created by two proper nouns connected by "and" (see Answer A), and the second proper noun does not end in "s," the possessive is formed by adding an apostrophe and an "s" at the end (Answer A). For a plural such as "fathers-in-law," the possessive is formed by adding an apostrophe and an "s" at the end (Answer B).

Question 5

Which of the following contractions is NOT correct?
A)I'd rather be skiing.
B)I wouldn't recommend that option.
C)I saw you're new car in the parking lot.
D)None of the above.

Accepted Answer

I saw you're new car in the parking lot. Answer C is not correct because "you're" is a contraction of "you are," and "you are" is not grammatically correct in the sentence, which needs to be the possessive of "you" ("your"). Answer A is the correct contraction of "I would." Answer B is the correct contraction of "would not."

Question 6

Which of the following hyphenations is correct?
A)One hundred twenty-three
B)Three-hundred-seventy-five
C)Seventy-five hundred fifty.
D)None of the above.
E)She is a well-respected-attorney.
F)He is all-knowing.
G)It was a quasi-judicial proceeding.
H)Crosspetition.
I)Crossexamine.
J)Crossreference.
K)Counterclaim.
L)Counterpart.
M)Counter-petition
N)All of the above.
O)Anti-American.
P)Proactive.
Q)Multinational.

Accepted Answer

All of the above. Answer D is correct because the combination or hyphenation used in Answers A, B, and C correctly combine or hyphenate "anti," "pro," and "multi." A number of prefixes are not hyphenated (but instead combined with the word), except when the other word is capitalized or a number. The prefixes are: anti, co, de, inter, intra, multi, para, pre, post, super, and un.

Question 7

Which of the following hyphenations is NOT correct?
A)The law is a self-regulating profession.
B)A judge can take judicial notice of a well-known fact.
C)Peter is an ex-officio member of the Board of Governors.
D)None of the above.
E)The accident occurred at a four way stop.
F)John believes he is a second-class citizen.
G)Johnson is the all-time record holder.
H)Crossclaim.
I)Counter-petition
J)Cross-examine.
K)Patti has a high-paying job.
L)Sandy is a parttime paralegal.
M)Andrew works for a run-of-the-mill car dealership.

Accepted Answer

Sandy is a parttime paralegal. Answer C is correct because it uses "parttime" as a compound word that modifies paralegal, and compound modifiers must be hyphenated. "Parttime" should be hyphenated as "part-time." Answers A, B, and D all use compound words that modify a noun, and in all of those three answers, the hyphenation is correct. Note in Answers B and D that the hyphenation involves more than two words.

Question 8

Which of the following hyphenations is NOT correct?
A)Main Street is a one-way street.
B)Gabe used a correctly-hyphenated word.
C)Miller set an all-time record.
D)None of the above.

Accepted Answer

Gabe used a correctly-hyphenated word. An exception exists for compound words that modify a noun if the first of the two words ends in "ly." Answer B is correct because the sentence incorrectly uses a hyphen to join "correctly" and "hyphenated" to modify "word." No hyphen is needed.

Question 9

Which of the following correctly uses a dash?
A)John saw his-red-car rolling down the hill.
B)The first ten amendments to the Constitution-the Bill of Rights-protects citizens.
C)We must protect freedom of speech-it is our birthright.
D)All of the above.

Accepted Answer

The first ten amendments to the Constitution-the Bill of Rights-protects citizens. Answer B is correct because it uses dashes to insert information parenthetically, but also to emphasize the information. Answer A is not correct because it adds parenthetical information that does not need emphasis. The sentence should read: "John saw his (red) car rolling down the hill"; or "John saw his red car rolling down the hill." Answer C is not correct because it uses a dash to add a second sentence that should stand on its own. To give "it is our birthright" the emphasis it deserves, Answer C should be revised to: "We must protect freedom of speech. It is our birthright." Alternatively, a semicolon could be used.

Question 10

Which of the following abbreviations is NOT correct?
A)Patty Paralegal, ACP
B)Cecil R. Jackson, C .P .A .
C)Sharon Paxton, Ph.D .
D)AT&T
E)Dr. Stanley R. Smithson, M.D.
F)Ms. Sally B. Smith
G)115 B.C.
H)Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

Accepted Answer

Dr. Stanley R. Smithson, M.D. Answer A is the correct choice because "Dr." before a name and "M.D." after the same name is not correct. Use either "Dr." before, or "M.D." after, but not both. The same applies for "D.O." and "Ph.D." Answer B is not the correct choice because "Ms." is the accepted abbreviation used before a woman's name. Answer C is not the correct choice because "B.C." is the accepted abbreviation for "Before Christ" ("B.C.E." is the accepted abbreviation for the religiously neutral term "Before the Common Era"). Answer D is not the correct choice because "Jr." is the accepted abbreviation for "Junior," which is used to indicate a son with the same name as his father.

Question 11

One difference between acronyms (e.g., NALA) and most abbreviations is that acronyms ______________.
A)are all abbreviated using periods.
B)are used after a person's name.
C)are pronounced phonetically.
D)are used only to abbreviate a corporate name.

Accepted Answer

are pronounced phonetically. As a general statement, most abbreviations are pronounced by stating each letter of the abbreviation, and acronyms are pronounced as if they are words.

Question 12

Which of the following does NOT use proper placement of the period and the quotation mark?
A)Jerry stood at the podium and said, "I'm running for President".
B)Elaine stood at the podium and said, "I'm running for President."
C)George stood on the treadmill and said, "I'm running in place."
D)Two of the above.

Accepted Answer

Jerry stood at the podium and said, "I'm running for President". The general rule is that periods are placed inside the quotation mark. Both Answer B and Answer C are incorrect choices because the period is correctly placed inside the quotation mark.

Question 13

Which of the following uses proper placement of the punctuation and the quotation marks?
A)After the collision, the driver of the blue car said, "The light was green".
B)"I'm innocent," exclaimed the defendant.
C)The witness stated he is a retired "second-story man", and then provided an alibi.
D)None of the above.
E)"I saw her after work that day", explained the witness. "We met at a pub".
F)"Hello Newman." "Hello Jerry," said Newman in response.
G)"I'm nervous about flying," said the passenger. "Don't be", said the pilot, "It's just turbulence."

Accepted Answer

"Hello Newman." "Hello Jerry," said Newman in response. Answer B is the correct choice because the period after "Newman" is placed before the quotation mark, and because the comma after "Jerry" is placed before the quotation mark. Answer A is not the correct choice because the comma after "day" is placed outside the quotation mark, and because the period after "pub" is placed outside the quotation mark.

Question 14

Which of the following properly uses the quotation marks?
A)The contract was marked Exhibit 1 and placed with the trial exhibits.
B)The letter was signed "Franklin Delano Roosevelt" and discussed the New Deal.
C)Both of the above
D)Neither of the above.

Accepted Answer

The letter was signed "Franklin Delano Roosevelt" and discussed the New Deal. Answer B is correct because a term introduced by the word "signed" is placed in quotation marks. Answer A is not correct because a term introduced by the word "marked" must be placed in quotation marks, and "Exhibit 1" is not in quotation marks.

Question 15

Which of the following properly uses the quotation mark?
A)Peter quoted from the label: "Do not mix with bleach."
B)Peter quoted from the label, "Do not mix with bleach."
C)Both of the above
D)Neither of the above.
E)The term "consideration" does not refer to thoughtful politeness when used by lawyers.
F)She handed us a document entitled "Purchase and Sale Agreement."
G)The check was endorsed "John Hancock."
H)All of the above.

Accepted Answer

All of the above. Answers A, B, and C are all correct because words introduced by "term," "entitled," and "endorsed" are enclosed in quotation marks.

Question 16

When a text includes a long quotation, the block quotation format is followed that places the quotation after a colon and in a separate paragraph that is indented from each margin, without quotation marks. What is the length of a quotation that requires block quotation?
A)25 words or more.
B)40 words or more.
C)50 words or more.
D)75 words or more.

Accepted Answer

50 words or more. This is the length that requires block quotation under Rule 5.1 of The Bluebook.

Question 17

Which of the following does NOT correctly use ellipses?
A)"The rule on negligence includes . . . breach of duty . . ."
B)"Constitutional democracy is . . . government by the people."
C)". . . [T]he governor supports the bill."
D)"Congress passes legislation . . ., and the President signs the legislation into law."

Accepted Answer

"The rule on negligence includes . . . breach of duty . . ." Answer A is the correct choice because a period is required at the end of the sentence following the second set of ellipses. Answer B is not correct because it correctly uses only three ellipses to remove words from the middle of a sentence. Answer C is not correct because it correctly uses three ellipses and a capital letter in brackets to remove words from the beginning of a sentence. Answer D is not correct because it correctly uses three ellipses followed by a comma to remove words from a sentence but retain grammatically correct punctuation.

Question 18

Which of the following correctly uses parentheses?
A)The plaintiff sued the defendant for breach of contract. (It was a real estate contract).
B)Marla went to the theme park with Jennifer. (They spent the entire day there.)
C)The mayor presided over the ceremony. (And the parade).
D)None of the above.
E)We saw Reggie's hot air balloon (which was shaped like a hamburger).
F)Reggie's hot air balloon was voted "best in show" (Reggie was given a trophy).
G)Reggie's hot air balloon was shaped like a hamburger (and advertised his restaurant.)
H)The hot air balloon (Reggie used it to advertise his restaurant) was shaped like a hamburger.
I)The movie theater charged $7.50 (the movie wasn't worth it).
J)The Charlie Chaplin movie was silent (but very funny.)
K)Amelia Earhart was a famous aviator. (She is believed to have crashed in the Pacific).
L)Eisenhower was a general during World War II (and later elected President).
M)The movie theater (on Main Street) charged $7.50.
N)Silent movie actors (the best example is Chaplin) became the first Hollywood stars.
O)Both of the above.
P)Neither of the above.

Accepted Answer

The movie theater (on Main Street) charged $7.50. Answer A is correct because the parenthetical information is not a complete sentence. Answer B is not the correct choice because the parenthetical information is stated as a complete sentence and is not provided as a separate sentence in parentheses with the period before the close parenthesis.

Question 19

Which of the following two examples of quotes correctly uses brackets?
Example 1:
Original: One of the parties to the contract was a minor. The lawyer argued that a contract had not been formed because his client lacked capacity.
Quote: "The lawyer argued that a contract had not been formed because his client [who was a minor] lacked capacity."
Example 2:
Original: On the videotape of the meeting, Bob only said that he was thinking about selling his car. His lawyer, therefore, argued that Bob had not made an offer to sell his car.
Quote: "[Bob's] lawyer . . . argued that Bob had not made an offer to sell his car. [Because Bob only stated he was thinking about selling it]."
A)Example 1.
B)Example 2.
C)Both Example 1 and Example 2.
D)Neither Example 1, nor Example 2.

Accepted Answer

Example 1. Answer A is correct because the information within the brackets adds information not a part of the original that would be grammatically correct (if part of the original). Answer B is not correct because the information within the brackets is set off separately from the quote, yet still within the quotation marks. The following would be correct: "[Bob's] lawyer . . . argued that Bob had not made an offer to sell his car [because Bob only stated he was thinking about selling it]."

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT correctly capitalized?
A)President Barack Obama.
B)thomas edison
C)Alexander Graham Bell
D)Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
E)George Costanza.
F)e.e. cummings.
G)Jerry Seinfeld.
H)Albert Jackson, jr.
I)FDR
J)James D.
K)Antonio De La Rosa.
L)Haile Gebrselassie.
M)Jean Luc Picard, president of the United Federation of Planets.
N)President Jean Luc Picard.
O)Jean Luc Picard, the President.
P)The United Federation of Planets, and its president, Jean Luc Picard.
Q)The Far East.
R)The Indian Subcontinent.
S)The Hawaiian Chain of Islands.
T)The Sonoran Desert.
U)The Federal Courthouse.
V)On Main Street.
W)The New York Thruway.
X)The Hoover Building.
Y)The Los Angeles City Council.
Z)The tribal council of the Navajo Nation.
AA)The Indiana legislature.
AB)The office of the Governor of Georgia.
AC)The United States Supreme Court.
AD)The Supreme Court of New York.
AE)The Delaware court of chancery.
AF)The criminal court.

Accepted Answer

The Delaware court of chancery. The names of courts are capitalized if using the formal name of the court or a shortened version (e.g., the "Supreme Court" for the "United States Supreme Court"). Answer C is the correct choice because "Delaware Court of Chancery" is the formal name of a Delaware court, but "court of chancery" is not capitalized. Answers A and B are not the correct choice because they both use the full name of the court and are capitalized. Answer D is not the correct choice because "criminal court" is used as a generic term and capitalization is not needed.

Quiz 1: Communication

Which of the following would NOT be appropriate in a business e-mail or letter?

Which of the following is correct?

Which of the following is correct?

Which of the following possessives is NOT correct?

Which of the following contractions is NOT correct?

Which of the following hyphenations is correct?

Which of the following hyphenations is NOT correct?

Which of the following hyphenations is NOT correct?

Which of the following correctly uses a dash?

Which of the following abbreviations is NOT correct?

One difference between acronyms (e.g., NALA) and most abbreviations is that acronyms ______________.

Which of the following does NOT use proper placement of the period and the quotation mark?

Which of the following uses proper placement of the punctuation and the quotation marks?

Which of the following properly uses the quotation marks?

Which of the following properly uses the quotation mark?

When a text includes a long quotation, the block quotation format is followed that places the quotation after a colon and in a separate paragraph that is indented from each margin, without quotation marks. What is the length of a quotation that requires block quotation?

Which of the following does NOT correctly use ellipses?

Which of the following correctly uses parentheses?

Which of the following is NOT correctly capitalized?