English Language Skills: Grammar, Punctuation, and Usage
Sentence control
Most usage questions reward finding the sentence's core: subject, verb, and any object. Check subject-verb agreement when phrases intervene ('The list of exhibits was,' not 'were'), and make pronouns refer clearly to one antecedent. Watch tense consistency in narrated testimony and parallel structure in lists. Avoid dangling modifiers: an introductory phrase must describe the subject that follows.
Punctuation and usage
Know the difference between a comma splice and a correctly joined compound sentence. Use a semicolon or a comma plus coordinating conjunction to join independent clauses. Commas set off nonrestrictive clauses ('The witness, who arrived late, was sworn') but not restrictive ones ('The witness who arrived late was sworn'). Apostrophes show possession or contraction, not pluralization. Quotation marks surround exact words; punctuation placement follows the style guide in use. Capitalize proper nouns and official titles only when they accompany a name.
Traps
Homophones (affect/effect, principal/principle, counsel/council), confused words (comprise/compose, fewer/less), and overcorrection are common. Do not 'improve' a speaker's grammar when producing a verbatim record unless the transcript style requires it; instead, represent what was said accurately and mark unintelligible words.
Worked example
'The committee, after reviewing the exhibits, were ready to vote.' The core subject is 'committee'; if treated as a single unit, use 'was.' If members act individually, 'were' can be defended, but be consistent.
Rule of thumb
Identify the core subject and verb, then check every joining word and punctuation mark that connects clauses.