Elevate your writing skills with BriefCatch Lessons.
BriefCatch Lessons offers a comprehensive suite of interactive training modules and quizzes designed to hone your skills in writing clarity, efficiency, and impact.
Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting your writing journey, this section serves as your go-to resource for mastering the nuances of syntax, tackling commonly confused words, and much more. Gain the confidence to articulate your thoughts precisely and compellingly, and make every word count.
With step-by-step guidance and real-time feedback, you’ll soon find yourself writing more persuasively and effectively than you ever thought possible.
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
If you favor “as such” to avoid another “thus” or “therefore,” you’re in good company. But do you know what “as such” actually means? “As Such” Definition: The phrase as such means “in that capacity” or “in itself”: “She is the president of the company, and as such, she has
Can you actively identify the difference between an active or passive sentence construction? Or would you passively sit by if asked to do so? Active Voice: Active Voice Defined: The subject of the sentence performs the action (verb). Typical Sentence Construction: An active sentence will usually follow a subject +
Which “which” vs. “that” rules make you wish that grammar evaporated? Do “which” hunts sometimes feel like witch hunts? Trick: Imagine the noun (clauses) as a pie. Is the writer talking about the whole pie (which) or just slices of that pie (that)? That: Rule/Explanation: Think of a that clause as
Was Jones a case where the plaintiff was found not guilty by reason of insanity? Or would in which be clearer? Where: Where should be used to refer to a specific location or place, or to refer to an issue in which the location matters (e.g., jurisdiction): “The jurisdiction where
Who knows who’s the who’s who these days? And whose job is it to keep up with such matters? While we’re unsure of the answer to either of those questions, we do know “who” is on first. Who/Whom: Who: Who is a subject pronoun used to refer to the subject of
Similar to improper comma placements, improper capitalization plagues today’s legal writing. Here are six of the most common capitalization crimes to avoid! (1) Titles and Headings: Rule: Avoid ALL CAPS unless court rules require them. Instead, capitalize every word unless it’s (1) a preposition that has fewer than five letters (of,
Writing is vital to every part of your legal career. BriefCatch empowers you to stand out above the rest.