Punctuation

With more stopping power than the comma and the ability to connect two independent clauses (and perhaps even leap tall buildings in a single bound), the semicolon packs a serious punch. Yet it’s one of the most underutilized punctuation marks among lawyers. Join the Greats who make judicious use of

Touted as the “magician” of punctuation by Noah Lukeman, the colon is as potent as it is versatile. But do you make full use of this versatility, or do you confine your colon use to more pedestrian purposes, like introducing quotes and lists? Here’s a list of several colon uses

Are you ever unsure whether you can connect those clauses with a comma, or if you need something stronger like a semicolon? The answer is one you may be familiar with: it depends! But fear not, for after this lesson the largely misunderstood comma splice will no longer afflict your

Do you know the rules for where to place commas, or do you still use the I-feel-like-there-should-be-a-pause-here method? Fear not, for the list below will ensure you have a methodical—instead of a shoot-from-the-hip—approach to comma placement. Introductory Clauses: Rule: If your sentence begins with an introductory clause of more than

What’s the difference between a “little used car” and a “little-used car”? Between “more critical attacks” and “more-critical attacks”? Or, for that matter, between “toxic tort litigation” and “toxic-tort litigation”? Phrasal Adjectives: Rule: When two or more words form a unit that comes before the noun that the words modify,

Is it Chris’s toy or Chris’ toy? How about a business’s problems? General Rules for Possessive: Singular Nouns: Typically, you make a singular noun possessive by adding “’s” to the end of a singular noun, even if that noun ends in “s” (e.g., James’s, the Business’s, dog’s, etc.). Plural Nouns: If

Has your to-do list ever included learning more about proper list-writing practices? Well procrastinate no further, and check that box off today! (1) Colon Use: Rule (Beginning a List with a Colon): Use a colon to introduce a list only when what comes before it could serve as a complete