2-Principles-of-Clear-Writing-法律英语写作资料

1DraftingLegalDocumentsPrinciplesofClearWriting1.Writeintheactivevoice.Theactivevoiceeliminatesconfusionbyforcingyoutonametheactorinasentence.Thisconstructionmakescleartothereaderwhoistoperformtheduty.

Thepassivevoicemakessentenceslongerandroundabout.Whoisresponsibleismuchlessobvious.Passiveverbshaveaformoftheverbtobeplusthepastparticipleofamainverb.amisarewaswerebebeenplusamainverbusuallyendinginenored.Examplesofpassiveverbs:wasreceived,isbeingconsidered,hasbeenselected.Thepassivevoicereversesthenatural,activeorderofEnglishsentences.Inthefollowingpassiveexamplethereceiveroftheactioncomesbeforetheactor.Passive:Theregulation[receiver]waswritten[verb]bythedrafter[actor].

Active:Thedrafter[actor]wrote[verb]theregulation[receiver].

Passiveconstructionsareconfusingwhenusedinregulations.Activesentencesmusthaveactors,butpassiveonesarecompletewithoutthem.Thematerialwillbedelivered.Bywhom?Thestartdateistobedecided.Bywhom?Thefiguresmustbeapproved.Bywhom?2Puttingtheactorbeforetheverbforcesyoutobeclearaboutresponsibility.Themessengerwilldeliverthematerial.Thecontractorwilldecidethestartdate.Theadministratormustapprovethefigures.Thepassivevoiceisappropriatewhentheactorisunknown,unimportant,orobvious.Thisdoesnotusuallyapplyinregulatorytext.Smallitemsareoftenstolen.Theapplicationshavebeenmailed.2.Useactionverbs.Avoidwordslikethis:Theyarecallednominals--nounswithverbsinside.Theyarehardtoreadandmakesentenceslonger.Actionverbsareshorterandmoredirect.

3.Usemustinsteadofshall.shallimposesanobligationtoact,butmaybeconfusedwithpredictionoffutureactionDON'TSAYSAYgiveconsiderationtoconsiderisapplicabletoappliestomakepaymentpaygiverecognitiontorecognizeisconcernedwithconcerns3willpredictsfutureactionmustimposesobligation,indicatesanecessitytoactshouldinfersobligation,butnotabsolutenecessitymayindicatesdiscretiontoactmaynotindicatesaprohibitionToimposealegalobligation,usemust.

Topredictfutureaction,usewill.

DON'TSAY:TheGovernorshallapproveit.

SAY:TheGovernormustapproveit.[obligation]

OR:TheGovernorwillapproveit.[futureaction]

4.Bedirect.Talkdirectlytoyourreaders.Usetheimperativemood.Regulationslendthemselvestothisstyle,especiallyprocedures,how-toinstructions,andlistsofduties.

Directnessavoidsthepassivevoice:

SAY:Signallcopies.

SAY:AttachacopyofyourW-2toyourreturn.

Thisstyleresultsinproceduresthatareshorter,crisper,andeasiertounderstand.

5.Usethepresenttense1.Aregulationofcontinuingeffectspeaksasofthetimeyouapplyit,notasofthetimeyoudraftitorwhenitbecomeseffective.Forthisreason,youshoulddraftregulationsinthepresenttense.Bydraftinginthepresenttense,youavoidcomplicatedandawkwardverbforms.

DON'TSAY:Thefinefordrivingwithoutalicenseshallbe$10.00.

SAY:Thefinefordrivingwithoutalicenseis$10.00.

1Obviouslyonlyincircumstanceswherethepresenttensecanbeused.46.Writepositively.Ifyoucanaccuratelyexpressanideaeitherpositivelyornegatively,expressitpositively.

DON'TSAY:TheGovernormaynotappointpersonsotherthanthosequalifiedbythePersonnelManagementAgency.

SAY:TheGovernormustappointapersonqualifiedbythePersonnelManagementAgency.

Anegativestatementcanbeclear.Useitifyou'recautioningthereader.

DON'TWALK
DON'TSMOKE
Butavoidseveralnegativesinonesentence.

DON'TSAY:Ademonstrationprojectwillnotbeapprovedunlessallapplicationrequirementsaremet.

SAY:Ademonstrationprojectwillbeapprovedonlyiftheapplicantmeetsallrequirements.

It'sbettertoexpressevenanegativeinpositiveform.DON'TSAYSAYnothonestdishonestdidnotrememberforgotdidnotpayanyattentiontoignoreddidnotremainatthemeetingleftthemeetingdidnotcomplywithorfailedtocomplywithviolated

7.Usethesingularnounratherthanthepluralnoun.Totheextentyourmeaningallows,useasingularnouninsteadofapluralnoun.Youwillavoidtheproblemof5whethertheruleappliesseparatelytoeachmemberofaclassorjointlytotheclassasawhole.

DON'TSAY:TheguardwillissuesecuritybadgestotheemployeeswhoworkinBuildingDandBuildingE.

SAY:TheguardwillissueasecuritybadgetoeachemployeewhoworksinBuildingDandeachemployeewhoworksinBuildingE.

unlessyoumean
TheguardwillissueasecuritybadgetoeachemployeewhoworksinbothBuildingDandBuildingE.(Thereareotherpossiblemeanings.)

8.Beconsistent.Don'tusedifferentwordstodenotethesamethings.Variationforthesakeofvariationhasnoplaceinregulationwriting.Usingasynonymratherthanrepeatingtheprecisetermyouintendjustconfusesthereader.

DON'TSAY:EachmotorvehicleownermustregisterhisorhercarwiththeAutomobileDivisionoftheMetropolitanPoliceDepartment.

SAY:EachautomobileownermustregisterhisorherautomobilewiththeAutomobileDivisionoftheMetropolitanPoliceDepartment.

Don'tusethesamewordtodenotedifferentthings.

DON'TSAY:Thetankhada200-gallontankforfuel.

SAY:Thetankhada200-gallonfuelcontainer.

9.Prefersimplewords.Governmentwritingshouldbedignified,butdoesn'thavetobepompous.Writingcanbedignifiedwhenthelanguageissimple,direct,andstrong.Tomakeyourwritingclearerandeasiertoread--andthusmoreeffective--preferthesimpleword.6DON'TSAYSAYconstruct,fabricatemakeinitiate,commencebeginterminateendutilizeusesubstantialportionlargepartafforded