Session 1

Title: “Shoptalk, Grammar and Punctuation”

Ethics, grammar, and punctuation for Court Reporters: 5 hours

Presenter: Sue McDuffie, CSR

This program covers how to handle various situations that arise, such as:

• • When to go on and off the record in depositions and court proceedings
  • How to handle interrupting proceedings
  • What to do when you can’t hear or understand
  • Responding to clients’ challenges to transcripts
  • Appropriate procedures when doing research
  • Interacting with pro se parties and nonparties
  • Billing clients and collecting money owed properly
  • Punctuating difficult and poorly said sentences and passages

(including an in-depth review of all punctuation marks)

• Handling verbatim issues (stutters, use of sic, accents, and so forth)
• Using quotation marks with quoted or possible quoted passages
• Depicting audiotaped and videotaped materials in transcripts
• Dealing with issues related to the use of translators
• Using parentheticals correctly and effectively
• Review of homonyms

Session 2

Title: “Grammar and Punctuation Made Easy for Court Reporters” 3 hours

Presenter: Carrie Pique, CSR

Carrie shows how to master grammar and punctuation for the working reporter by learning how to easily differentiate between commonly misused words; e.g. passed or past, affect or effect. She will also cover how to correctly punctuate while not over-punctuating.

After taking this course, you will glean a better understanding of how to put together a well-read, properly-punctuated transcript. You can have fun while working on a transcript without stressing out if you have the proper working tools and possess a great understanding of grammar and punctuation. Everyone needs a refresher.

Specific Topics:

• Learn how to properly research material, such as in research books
• Learn how to not be too dependent on Google
• Hyphenation. Is it one word or two?
• Commonly misused words