Question 1

Which of the following is correct?
A)Opposing counsel cited Brown v. Board of Education
B)Opposing counsel sited Brown v. Board of Education
C)The burglar accessed the building through an unlocked window
D)The access work was reassigned to another paralegal

Accepted Answer

Opposing counsel cited Brown v. Board of Education. Answer A is correct because it correctly uses "cited"x9d as a verb meaning to reference as an authority or as authoritative. Answer B is not correct because "sited"x9d is incorrectly used. The term "site" is a noun that refers to a place or location.

Question 2

The following is an Internet citation that provides a URL for the homepage of the NTIA's "A Nation Online" reporting project. Which of the following answer choices provides an acceptable parenthetical explanation of how to navigate to the cited report from the provided URL?
(We recommend following the link to find the cited report before choosing an answer.)
Larry Irving, Nat'l Telecomm. & Info. Admin., Dep't of Commerce, Falling Through the Net: A Survey of "Have Nots" in Rural and Urban America (Jul. 1995), http://www.ntia.doc.gov/reports/anol/index.html.
A)Follow "July 1995" hyperlink under "Previous Reports" heading
B)Use link for "July 1995" under "Previous Reports"
C)Go to "Previous Reports" page, then to "July 1995"
D)None of the above

Accepted Answer

"Follow 'July 1995' hyperlink under 'Previous Reports' heading" is an acceptable parenthetical explanation for navigating to the cited report. The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation R. 18.2.1(a), at 154 (Columbia Law Review Ass'n et al. eds., 18th ed. 2005).

Question 3

Which of the following is correct?
A)Jerry let George into the building, and later Kramer came over to the apartment.
B)Jerry let Elaine into the building and later Newman delivered Jerry's mail.
C)Both of the above.
D)Neither of the above.

Accepted Answer

Answer A is correct because it correctly uses a comma when "and" is used as a conjunction to join two complete sentence. Answer B is not correct because the two sentences are not closely related, so the comma before "and" is required.

Question 4

Which of the following sentences does NOT use correct subject-verb agreement?
A)Each one of the defendants, who were all present in the courtroom, entered a plea of "not guilty."
B)None of the plaintiffs who were still recovering from their injuries was present in the courtroom.
C)Under the Rules of Evidence, all offers to settle a civil dispute is inadmissible to prove liability.
D)All of the plaintiffs who consumed the town's well water developed leukemia.

Accepted Answer

Under the Rules of Evidence, all offers to settle a civil dispute is inadmissible to prove liability. The subject and verb of a sentence must either both be singular or both be plural. Answer C is the correct choice because the subject ("offers") is plural and the verb ("is") is singular. Answer A is not the correct choice because the phrase "Each one of the defendants" is treated as singular and the verb ("entered") is singular. Answer B is not the correct choice because the phrase "None of the plaintiff" is treated as singular and the verb ("was") is singular. Answer D is not the correct choice because "All of the plaintiffs" is treated as plural and the verb ("developed") agrees.

Question 5

Which of the following statements about grammar is NOT correct?
A)Conjunctions link prepositions and clauses.
B)A pronoun is a substitute word for a noun.
C)Articles precede words used as nouns.
D)Adjectives modify nouns, and adverbs modify verbs.

Accepted Answer

Conjunctions link prepositions and clauses. Answer A is the correct choice because conjunctions link words and clauses, but do not link prepositions to clauses. Answers B, C, and D are all incorrect choices because each gives a correct statement about grammar.

Question 6

Which of the following is correct?
A)To complete the work, Sally stayed all night.
B)As part of due diligence, we reviewed the UCC records at the secretary of state's office.
C)Both of the above.
D)Neither of the above.

Accepted Answer

Both of the above. Answer A and Answer B give two examples of introductory expressions. Answer A is correct because it is a correct example of an introductory infinitive. Answer B is correct because it is a correct example of an introductory dependent clause.

Question 7

Which of the following is correct?
A)The chairman moved to have the issue considered at a later time.
B)The chairman moved to have the issue considered at a latter time.
C)Both of the above.
D)Neither of the above.

Accepted Answer

The chairman moved to have the issue considered at a later time. Answer A is correct because it correctly uses "later" as an adverb. "Later" indicates something that is subsequent. Answer B is not correct because it incorrectly uses "latter." "Latter" is used to refer to the second of two matters or nouns mentioned in a sentence.

Question 8

Which of the following sentences does NOT use correct subject-verb agreement?
A)The Millers are not attending the wedding.
B)Jackson wore a dark blue suit.
C)Darrel are expecting us at the restaurant.
D)The Ericsons buy only the best.

Accepted Answer

Darrel are expecting us at the restaurant. The subject and verb of a sentence must either both be singular or both be plural. Answer C is the correct choice because "Darrel" is singular and "are" is the plural present tense of "to be." Answer A is not the correct choice because it uses a plural subject and the plural form of "to be." Answer B is not correct because it uses a singular subject and a singular verb. Answer D is not the correct choice because it uses a plural subject and the plural form of "to buy."

Question 9

Which of the following sentences uses the passive voice?
A)The court issued a preliminary injunction order.
B)The hunters pursued gazelles on the savannah.
C)It saw the lion and ran in the other direction.
D)The fox was outwitted by the rabbit.

Accepted Answer

The fox was outwitted by the rabbit. If the active voice of the verb is used, the subject of the sentence acts on or toward the object of the sentence. By contrast, if the passive voice of the verb is used, the subject of the sentence is acted upon by the object. The active voice is strongly preferred. Answer D is the correct choice because "rabbit" is the subject of the sentence and "was outwitted" is the passive form of the verb acting on the object "the fox." In the active voice, the sentence would read: "The rabbit outwitted the fox." Answers A, B, and C are all examples of sentences in the active voice.

Question 10

Which of the following, generally, is NOT a step in the legal research process?
A)Obtain background information and identify relevant facts.
B)Post a request on a paralegal discussion board about the topic.
C)Brief statutes and cases that are on point.
D)Frame the legal issues.

Accepted Answer

Post a request on a paralegal discussion board about the topic. Posting a request for information regarding a topic on a paralegal discussion board is not a standard step in the legal research process. Doing so could violate an ethical rule on confidentiality. The basic steps are the following: (1) Obtain background information and identify relevant facts; (2) frame the legal issues; (3) find applicable legal authorities; (4) update the authorities found through a legal citator (e.g., Shepard's Citations or KeyCite); (5) brief the cases and statutes found; (6) analogize the cases to the facts of the client's case; (6) prepare a memorandum summarizing the results for the supervising attorney.

Question 11

Which of the following sentences is NOT grammatically correct?
A)"Out of toner, again?"
B)The repair cannot be here until tomorrow.
C)The paper jam has been cleared.
D)The copier doubles as a scanner.

Accepted Answer

The repair cannot be here until tomorrow. Every sentence requires a noun and a verb that work together grammatically. Answer B is the correct choice because "The repair" is a thing, but the verb as modified "cannot be here until tomorrow" cannot apply to a thing. The modified verb must apply to a person, and "repair" should be replaced with "repair technician." Answer A is not the correct choice because it is a rhetorical question and the noun ("the copier") is implied. Answers C and D both have nouns and verbs ("paper jam" and "has been cleared"; and "copier" and "doubles").

Question 12

Which of the following hyphenations is NOT correct?
A)Crossclaim.
B)Counter-petition
C)Cross-examine.
D)None of the above.

Accepted Answer

Crossclaim. Answer A is correct because a hyphen must be used when combining "cross" and "claim." Answer B and Answer C are both correct because the accepted practice is to hyphenate these compound words.

Question 13

Which of the following sentences does NOT use correct capitalization of the reference to a court?
A)In the Miranda decision, the Supreme Court did not overturn the Massiah decision.
B)In most states, the Superior Court is a court of general jurisdiction.
C)The Wisconsin Supreme Court granted our petition for review.
D)The Court has the final word on issues involving the U.S. Constitution.

Accepted Answer

In most states, the Superior Court is a court of general jurisdiction. The word "court" is capitalized when referring to the United States Supreme Court or to a specific court or judge. Answer B is the correct choice because "Superior Court" is capitalized in a sentence that does not refer to a specific superior court. Answer A is not the correct choice because "Supreme Court" is a properly capitalized reference to the U.S. Supreme Court. Answer C is not the correct choice because "Wisconsin Supreme Court" refers to a specific state supreme court. Answer D is not the correct choice because "Court" is a reference to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Question 14

Which of the following sentence does NOT use correct capitalization?
A)Mr. Armendariz is Jose's father.
B)My uncle Bill owns an auto repair shop.
C)I think Mother is driving the SUV today.
D)Does Alex have a sister?

Accepted Answer

My uncle Bill owns an auto repair shop. A title of kinship must be capitalized if used as part of a name or in place of a name, so "uncle" must be capitalized. Answer A is not the correct choice because "father" is not being used as part of or in place of a name. Answer C is not the correct choice because "Mother" is being used in place of the name of the mother of the speaker. Answer D is not the correct choice because "sister" is not being used as part of or in place of a name.

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT correctly capitalized?
A)The Far East.
B)The Indian Subcontinent.
C)The Hawaiian Chain of Islands.
D)The Sonoran Desert.

Accepted Answer

The Hawaiian Chain of Islands. Generally, names of geographical areas, such as continents or parts of continents are capitalized, but not always. Here, "Chain of Islands" should be capitalized because the term, used alone, does not designate a geographical region. By contrast, "Hawaiian Islands" is correctly capitalized. Answer A is not the correct choice because it correctly capitalizes the name of a specific geographical area. Answer B is not the correct choice because it correctly capitalizes "Subcontinent" as part of the name of a geographical region. Answer D is not the correct choice because it correctly capitalizes "Desert" when used as part of the name of a geographical region.

Question 16

Which of the following sentences uses correct pronoun case?
A)Judge Williams and me disagree with the appellate court's decision.
B)Among those who disagree with the appellate court's decision are Judge Williams and I.
C)Both of the above.
D)Neither of the above.

Accepted Answer

Neither of the above. When choosing between "[noun] and I" and "[noun] and me," the choice is made based on whether the phrase is the subject or the object of the question. When the phrase is the object of the sentence, as in Answer A, use the "[noun] and I" phrase. When the phrase is the subject of the sentence, as in Answer B, use the "[noun] and me" phrase.
In this question, both answers use the wrong phrase.

Question 17

Which of the following hyphenations is correct?
A)She is a well-respected-attorney.
B)He is all-knowing.
C)It was a quasi-judicial proceeding.
D)None of the above.

Accepted Answer

It was a quasi-judicial proceeding. Answer C is correct because "quasi" used in a compound word is hyphenated if the compound word is used as an adjective-also called a phrasal adjective. Here, "quasi-judicial" is an adjective of proceeding. Answer A is not correct because the hyphenation includes the word ("attorney") that the adjective modifies. Answer B is not correct because "all-knowing" is not used as an adjectival phrase.

Question 18

Which of the following modifiers is NOT correct?
A)Remembering to call George, Jerry was about to leave the apartment.
B)As the guests began arriving, Alex was not ready for the party.
C)While driving around the block, my employer made a court appearance.
D)All of the above.

Accepted Answer

All of the above. Dangling modifiers do not modify anything. Answer A is not correct because "Remembering to call George" does not modify anything. A better construction for the sentence is: "Jerry was about to leave the apartment when he remembered to call George." Answer B is not correct because "As the guests began arriving" does not modify anything. A better construction for the sentence is "Alex was not ready for the party when the guests began arriving." Answer C is not correct because "While driving around the block" does not modify anything. A better construction is: "While I was driving around the block, my employer made a court appearance."

Question 19

Which of the following sentences correctly uses the present tense?
A)Carter will owe a duty of care to Peter because Carter will be driving on Highway 5 and Peter will be riding his bicycle on Highway 5.
B)Amber owed a duty of care to Phil because Amber invited Phil onto her property for the birthday party.
C)Miguel owes a duty of care to Anna because Miguel drives his car on the road and Anna walks on the side the road.
D)George has owed a duty of care to Jerry because George has driven on a road when Jerry was a pedestrian on the road.

Accepted Answer

Miguel owes a duty of care to Anna because Miguel drives his car on the road and Anna walks on the side of the road. The present tense is formed by adding an "s" to the end of the verb or by using the present tense of an irregular verb. Answer C is the correct choice because it uses the present tense of the verb "to owe," the present tense of the irregular verb "to drive," and the present tense of the verb "to walk." Answer A is not the correct choice because the verbs are stated in the future tense. Answer B is not the correct choice because the verbs are stated in the past tense. Answer D is not the correct choice because the verbs are stated in the present perfect tense.

Question 20

Which of the following correctly uses parentheses?
A)We saw Reggie's hot air balloon (which was shaped like a hamburger).
B)Reggie's hot air balloon was voted "best in show" (Reggie was given a trophy).
C)Reggie's hot air balloon was shaped like a hamburger (and advertised his restaurant.)
D)The hot air balloon (Reggie used it to advertise his restaurant) was shaped like a hamburger.

Accepted Answer

We saw Reggie's hot air balloon (which was shaped like a hamburger). Answer A is the correct choice because the information within the parentheses is not a complete sentence, and because it correctly places the period outside the close parenthesis. Answer B is not the correct choice because "Reggie was given a trophy" is a complete sentence, so the first statement should be a separate sentence, and the statement within the parentheses should be a separate sentence with the period within the close parenthesis. Answer C is not the correct choice because the statement within the parentheses is not a complete sentence and the period is within the close parenthesis. Answer D is not the correct choice because "Reggie used it to advertise his restaurant" is a complete sentence and should be a separate sentence with a period before the close parenthesis.

Quiz 7: Language and Legal Research

Which of the following is correct?

Which of the following is correct?

Which of the following sentences does NOT use correct subject-verb agreement?

Which of the following statements about grammar is NOT correct?

Which of the following is correct?

Which of the following is correct?

Which of the following sentences does NOT use correct subject-verb agreement?

Which of the following sentences uses the passive voice?

Which of the following, generally, is NOT a step in the legal research process?

Which of the following sentences is NOT grammatically correct?

Which of the following hyphenations is NOT correct?

Which of the following sentences does NOT use correct capitalization of the reference to a court?

Which of the following sentence does NOT use correct capitalization?

Which of the following is NOT correctly capitalized?

Which of the following sentences uses correct pronoun case?

Which of the following hyphenations is correct?

Which of the following modifiers is NOT correct?

Which of the following sentences correctly uses the present tense?

Which of the following correctly uses parentheses?