correct grammar when speaking to an attorney

The #1 Rule to Remember the Plural of “Attorney” If you follow the grammar, the word that ends with y will have a specific rule. Y will be replaced with the -ies to make the plural form.Here we can take the example of cry, dry, or party.

Full Answer

How do you write attorneys general in the UK?

Dec 12, 2016 · Of course, there is more to effective writing than standard grammar. To write well you need appropriate style and organization, and good analysis. But the sine qua non of writing is good grammar. Your clients will depend on it; courts will expect it. If your grammar is substandard, expect to be embarrassed.

How do you use Attorney General in a sentence?

Both words end with y. However, y in attorney comes after e, and y in cry comes after r. This difference changes the grammar rule. R is a consonant, and e is a vowel. Therefore, the rule will vary. Instead of replacing y with -ies, you can add s to y to make it plural.

Which is correct – “attornies” or ‘attorneys’?

A is used when mentioning something for the first time (‘a client walked into the office’). An is used in the same circumstances but only where the following word begins with a vowel (‘an attorney walked into the office’). The is the definite article.

Do you think about grammar rules when you are speaking?

“People fight this one all the time because sometimes in previous professions or in nonlegal writing – I call it ‘illegal writing’ – you don’t use the Oxford comma, but lawyers like to speak in terms of elements, and punctuation is very important,” said …

Do you refer to a court as it or they?

Collective nouns, such as court, jury, or team, are singular (unless referring to the members of the court, jury, or team), so they take singular pronouns.

Why is grammar important in law?

Grammar can have a great impact on how something is understood, or misunderstood. In the legal world, grammar can cost a case and money – hence the importance of legal grammar rules. When it comes to grammar and legal translation, the risks can be even higher. Language is powerful, but only if it is used correctly.

Does law require good English?

The legal education regulator, Bar Council of India, requires English to be included as a compulsory paper in all courses in law, even though the course itself can be delivered, and students tested, in any medium. This holds even for the three-year LL. B programme.Jan 15, 2020

Do you say defendant or the defendant?

Defendants is more than one defendant; Defendant's is the possessive of a singular defendant; and. Defendants' is the possessive of more than one defendant.Jun 16, 2011

What are qualities of English required of a lawyer?

Good Communication Skills.Judgment.Analytical Skills.Research Skills.Perseverance.Creativity.Logical Thinking Ability.Public Speaking Skills.More items...•Mar 1, 2018

Are you smart enough to be a lawyer?

You do need to be at least moderately bright to be a good lawyer. But it doesn't have to be book smarts, and you certainly don't have to possess a prodigious memory. You need to have pretty good sorting skills, meaning you have to be able to put problems and issues in the correct cubby holes.

Why is English important for lawyers?

In particular, legal English is particularly important in relation to legal writing and the drafting of written texts including contracts, court pleadings and judgements, legislation, and legal correspondence.

Is counsel capitalized when referring to an attorney?

Capitalize as part of a full official name; lowercase otherwise. Counsel means advice or a lawyer. We valued his wise counsel. He served as the court-appointed counsel on the case.Dec 19, 2014

Should court order be capitalized?

Throughout the judge's mark-up, he changes “order” to “Order” and “Motion” to “motion.” What gives? The convention is to lowercase these words when they are used generically to describe a category of actions or papers: Defendant in this action has filed a motion to dismiss.

Should plaintiff be capitalized?

Capitalize party designations (plaintiff, defendant, etc.) only when referring to the parties in the matter that is the subject of the document.

Attorneys Mean More than One

Now we know the plural form of the attorney and the rule behind it. You will have to follow this grammar rule while changing the form of attorneys. You can follow a simple rule and add s to the y to make it plural. It cannot be attornies since there is a vowel before y. You will have to check it since iwriter does not format.

Plural Form of the Attorney General

As stated above, the plural form of attorney is attorneys. Now you should not have any confusion between attornies or attorneys. If you cannot remember the grammar rule, you can simply add s to y. You might be thinking about how to make the plural of the attorney general.

What the Rule Says

When it comes to the US, these two words are separated. They do not connect these words with a hyphen. There will be two separate words, attorney and general. In this condition, you can consider the grammar rule explained above. You can write the plural form as attorneys general.

The Difference between the UK and US English

In US English, there will be two separate words and will be treated as a compound noun. Also, s will be added to the first word to make it plural, and the second word (adjective) will not change the form.

Why are prepositions so difficult to use?

Prepositions are a difficult area of English usage for non-native speakers, because while they sometimes appear to be used logically (e.g. the pen is on the table, the pen is underthe table; I am going toLondon, I am coming fromLondon) this is not always the case.

Can you use more than one preposition?

It is important to note that in certain circumstances it may be possible to use more than one preposition, and that there may be small but crucial differences in meaning between them. For example, the sentence:

Why is it important to write in the active voice?

Writing in the active voice is clearer, more concise and easier for the reader to understand. Writing in the passive voice makes the reader “struggle to figure out what you’re saying,” he said. Placement matters. “Put the modifying words as close as you can to the words you’re modifying,” Spratt said.

Is a singular subject a verb?

A singular subject should have a singular verb and a plural subject should have a plural verb. Note word placement. “The verb should come after the subject and be as close to the subject as possible,” Spratt said. Stay active. Writing in the active voice is clearer, more concise and easier for the reader to understand.

What Is the Plural of 'Deputy Attorney General'?

Update: After the podcast aired, we got an interesting follow-up question: What is the plural of deputy attorney general ?

About the Author

Mignon Fogarty is the founder of Quick and Dirty Tips and the author of seven books on language, including the New York Times bestseller " Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing ." She is an inductee in the Podcasting Hall of Fame, and the show is a five-time winner of Best Education Podcast in the Podcast Awards.

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