Thanks Brenda, yes still endorsed by my firm to spell it out. I know another one that has "all" numbers spelled out regardless of how they are used. Except maybe dates? I didn't work there so I don't know for sure how that works.

When I was talking about being endorsed, I meant in reference books. LMEG shows "three" for "arriving at three." With that, you can't even go to TPTB and say, hey, look, times have changed!

Rhoda, I've heard of writing out all numbers. Makes no sense to me, and if I had to change my dictionary to accommodate that . . . well, I'm just glad I call the shots. :)

all right I've got a question for your punctuation masters:

when you have a question the ends in "right" and you put a semi-colon
in front of it; right?

what about when it is a statement not a question?

Those distributions; right. comma or semi-colon??

thanks,
kathy

I use a comma when it's a sentence, semi when it's a question. Though I must say all the reporters I proof for use commas in the question, too. I leave it for them, but when I'm the reporter, it's a semi. :)

and one more question on objections:

the main concensus here was a period after the word objection.

Objection. Relevance.

but what if they say:

Objection as to relevance.

now what do I do?? period or comma??
thanks, kathy

Leave it as is.

Hyphen?? assembly line work, assembly line type work, assembly line position???

I feel that "assembly line" is a compound term, like "high school," and doesn't require hyphenation. I would use the hyphen only for assembly line-type work.

Stacy, I agree with Brenda. If one of those nouns before "work" was an adjective, I'd hyphenate it. I would definitely hyphenate "assembly line-type work." I started a discussion on hyphens and included some great links to sites explaining when to use hyphens. It's permanently linked in the list above, titled "Hyphens." I find this site particularly helpful: http://www.mtdaily.com/mt1/hyphens.html

Should mutually agreed upon schedule be hyphenated? If so, all of it, or just agreed-upon?

LeAnne, you know, I have never hyphenated that. mutually wouldn't be hyphenated because you don't usually hyphenate adverbs. Looking at it, I can see the logic behind hyphenating "agreed upon" but I just don't think I've done it. It's very clear that way, no confusion, no misreading.

How's that for a nonanswer? :)

LeAnne, are you coming up to Portland for Mark K's seminar on the 21st? I've regisitered for it.

"Adverbs, words ending in -ly, are not hyphenated when compounded with other modifiers: a highly rated bank, a partially refunded ticket, publicly held securities."
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/compounds.htm

I would hyphenate "agreed-upon schedule," so I guess you could do "mutually agreed-upon schedule.

To keep this site organized to make it easy for people to refer back to, I'm trying to do categories of discussions. I started a discussion on hyphens, and you can find a link to it in the first section at the top.

Marla, I saw that link right after I posted my comment. I'll remember that in the future.

Brenda, I don't know anything about the Mark K seminar. Where can I get details?

Just emailed you!

If you don't have "Morson's English Guide for Court Reporters," you should definitely get it. It gives all the "rules," lots of examples, and even has punctuation exercises (with answers) at the back of the book. Personally I don't know why it isn't a required textbook in CR schools.

I'm not sure this is the right section, but here's my question:

Impact 1 and Impact 2?? It looks weird to me. Should it be impact one and impact two??

I haven't done a PI case in so long, I don't remember what I do. I'm so used to doing Page 1, Paragraph 1, Section ~ blah, blah, that I automatically capped impact and did the number but now it looks funny!
Thanks :)

Are you talking about two hits on the car? lower case, written out numbers. Don't give them importance they don't deserve. :)

:) yeah, they keep talking about which felt stronger, impact one or impact two. You're right, not that important to be capped ~ plus, like I said, it looks weird and makes me pause every time I read it. Of course, I'm sure the attys just glance right by it as I'm overanalyzing ~ oh, well, that's our job and curse as reporters LOL!!
Thanks!
p.s. I just wrote to you in the LS blog ~ I probably should have emailed you or left it on your page ~ sorry!

No problem! Figured people considering the LS might wonder about that too.

Wendy, they all looked okay to me.
kathy

I can just imagine the witness pointing (indicating).

Ditto. I'd leave them all alone.

Ditto. Leave as is.

Spelling -- Anyone heard of a term: Silvan or Sylvan? It's in regard to grading prior to building. Means they don't fully grade flat but grade with the topography in mind, keeping hills and slopes and such. Have had no luck finding the spelling. Thanks.

I found this in the on-line dictionary:
sylvan
wooded - covered with growing trees and bushes etc; "wooded land"; "a heavily wooded tract"

Ooh, that's a good question, Dawn. Sorry I can't help you. Try posting it in the Word Help group. Someone might be able to help you there. Plus, when you do get the answer, someone else might benefit from it. Add it to the construction discussion: http://www.csrnation.com/group/wordhelp/forum/topics/construction-defect

Thanks for the help! (Why couldn't I find it that quickly??)

I have a question. The attorney is reading from an exhibit and asking the witness, do you know what that means. The exhibit is written exactly like this:

"And completed around the first of June (maintain the words around, or
similar wording)"

The attorney reads it like this:
"and completed around the first of June parenthesis maintain the words
around or similar wording close paren"

How do I punctuate that? I am thinking of two ways, let me know on suggestions. Option 1 or 2 or do you have an option 3?

1. And completed around the first of June, parenthesis, maintain the words around, or similar wording, close paren.
2. And completed around the first of June, parenthesis (maintain the words around, or similar wording) close paren.
HELP.

The attorney is adding the punctuation from the document for your benefit so I would use the punctuation (open and close parens) rather than the words.

Yeah. I got that he was doing it for my benefit, but just wasn't sure if I absolutely had to put in what he actually said. I didn't want to be put on the spot later or anything.

Okay. So I can write it in my transcript as is written in the exhibit with the punctuation and not worry about actually writing out the words. That would make it a lot easier. Got it. Thanks, Phil!

I would probably punctuate it this way: "And completed around the first of June," parenthesis "maintain the words around or similar wording" close paren.

It's a toughy. I'm interested in knowing what others would do.

I use the symbols. He read exactly what is on the page; using the symbols, you are putting down exactly what he said. How else could he have said it and reflected that the phrase should be surrounded by parentheses? When someone reads from a page and dictates the commas or periods, they certainly don't expect to find the words in the transcript anymore than they would in a letter they've dictated.

Sounds good, Brenda and Phil. Totally makes sense.

I punctuate the same as Dorothy. I understand what Brenda is saying and it makes sense re dictating, but as a reporter I put in every word spoken.

I put in the () and leave out the words. You are putting in every word spoken, but you're using symbols instead of words. I think it makes it easier to read for the attorneys also.

I think the same logic applies for parens as for quotes. From Morson's re: quotes: "The reporter must decide if the context requires the actual marks or the actual words....In any event, do not use both the words and the punctuation."

Thanks, Rosalie. I put in every word, also. I think putting quotation marks around the sentence is safer, thereby breaking it up for readibility without eliminating words. Paren symbols always make me a little nervous unless perhaps I could see the actual document itself....and still, even so.
Otherwise, I think it should be verbatim.

and I remember from school -so very long ago- that
I was taught when they dicate or say the
word 'comma' you
write the word 'comma.'

kathy

Kathy, that's exactly why I asked this question, and it's bugging me so badly. I am only 8 months out of school, so that teaching is still very fresh in my mind. I'm so confused . . . .

To amend my prior answer, you could also precede the passage with the parenthetical [as read]: and then include the words of punctuation. In that case, I would not use quotation marks.

Good idea, Phil. So many times I've done heavy lit where the attorneys and witnesses are reading from documents, verbally putting in punctuation. Drives me nuts! When I first began reporting and I had to take dictation for a summary report after a deposition, I would of course leave out verbal punctuation instruction. However, I think your suggestion sounds good. Quotation marks can get mucky looking, too. But I probably would put in the parenthetical (as read) only if the attorney or witness read maybe just one time, quoting a document. What do you think?

I always use the punctuation marks rather than the words. There's a fine line between verbatim and making life difficult for the reader. The attorney is reading the punctuation verbatim; therefore, we should be as true to the document as possible (even if you don't have the document). If you did have the document, I would qoute the document verbatim, using the punctuation marks used in the quote whether they're said or not. The intention is to help the reader know precisely what the document said.
So I'd do this: "And completed around the first of June (maintain the words around or similar wording)."

Hi Marla,
The reason why I mentioned referring to a document and not being comfortable with putting in parentheticals as a verbal punctuation instruction by the attorney during the quoting of material is because I actually have had situations arise where attorneys have inadvertently put the parentheticals in the wrong place, whether by inserting them as an afterthought or otherwise.
The words "period" or "comma" I would probably still leave out as it's pretty evident what they mean and where they go.
Just siding on caution, that's all.
I think we're all right on this, though
Hey, how was the outing!
Still aloha'ng (is that even a word? lol) for a week.

You are in Hawaii right now and you still can't pull yourself away from reporting? Oh, you poor thing. Put that laptop down and go outside and have fun!

The outing was a lot of fun. So many great people came. Hope to see you at the next one!!

It's still a little early here. I'll be heading out in a bit to Kapoulei and then the Dole plantation for pineapple this afternoon. I guess I am addicted to reporting! Shesh!
Let me know if I can bring something back for you
Yes, I hope to be at the next outing!
Aloha for now.

Pineapple, please. Lots of pineapple. There is NO greater pineapple in the world than there in Hawaii. Have fun!!

Done! Pineapple it is

How would you punctuate this? I've gotten split results in answers on another site.

A. All totaled probably about 3 days.

All totaled, probably about three days.

Are you sure it isn't "all told"?

Thanks, Marla. That's how I had it. I had others tell me to uses dashes there.

Sure. I believe this site explains it well. Click here.