20 Novembre 2024

Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 83 – General English vs Legal English 1

Legal English for Notaries - By Federnotizie

General English vs Legal English 1

Transcript:

Legal English often differs from general English in the meanings and the plural forms of some words. Here are a few key concepts which you should be aware of.

1. Damage vs. Damages

General English:

Damage is uncountable and refers to harm (danno) or destruction.

“The flood (alluvione) caused extensive damage (danni ingenti) to the roads.”
“The damage to the car was repaired quickly.”
Remember: We say “The damage was bad” (I danni erano gravi).

Legal English:

Damages (il risarcimento del danno) refers to monetary compensation for harm or injury (lesione) and the singular does not exist with this meaning.

“The claimant (attore) received £10,000 in damages for the breach (violazione) of contract.”
“The court denied punitive damages, awarding only compensatory damages.”
Remember: We say “Damages were awarded to the victim”.

2. Person vs. People vs. Persons

General English:

Person refers to an individual; people is the plural.

“Only one person attended the meeting.”
“The park was filled with people enjoying the sunny day.”
Remember: We say “The people are here” (Le gente è qui).

Legal English:

Person includes individuals and legal entities (la persona sia giuridica sia fisica). Persons specifies individuals or entities in legal contexts (le persone giuridiche e fisiche).

“The law applies to any person conducting business in this jurisdiction.”
“All persons named in the lawsuit must appear in court.”

3. Money vs. Monies/Moneys

General English:

Money is uncountable and singular.

“The money is in the safe.”
“I need to withdraw (prelevare) some money for the weekend.”
Remember: We say “The money is here” (I soldi sono qui).

Legal English:

Monies/Moneys – can be used interchangeably – and refers to specific sums or amounts from different sources.

“The monies should be transferred to the seller.”
“The agreement specifies how the moneys should be distributed among the creditors.”

4. Property vs. Properties

General English:

Property refers to real estate or ownership in general.

“She inherited a piece of property from her parents.”
“That property is located in a quiet neighbourhood (quartiere).”

Legal English:

Property includes tangible and intangible assets. Properties refers to specific rights (1) or multiple real estate holdings (2).

(1) “The artist’s intellectual property is protected by copyright law.”
(2) ”The real estate company manages multiple properties in the city.”

5. Right vs. Rights

General English:

Right means correctness or entitlement (l’avere il diritto).

“He has the right to express his opinion.”
“That answer is not right.”

Legal English:

Rights refers to enforceable legal entitlements.

“The tenant has rights under the lease agreement.”
“Human rights are fundamental freedoms protected by law.”

6. Good vs. Goods

General English:

Good refers to moral correctness or benefit.

“She always tries to do good in her community.”
“This book is good for learning about history.”

Legal English:

Goods refers to movable, tangible items in commerce.

“The Sale of Goods Act applies to this transaction.”
“The goods were damaged during shipping.”
Remember: We say “The goods were delivered” (La merce è stata consegnata).

Thank you very much, and see you next time for more Peter’s Pills to improve your legal English.


See more about countable and uncountable nouns here: “Countable and uncountable Nouns” (.PDF by David Armando Morales Enríquez at the Universidad Veracruzana).

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