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

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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Legal English – Sommario delle Lezioni

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

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 82 – Next of kin

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 81 – File, Register and Enrol

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 80 – Securities

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 79 – Legatee vs Devisee

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 78 – Adverse possession

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 77 – Probate

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 76 – File a deed vs Record a deed

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 75 – Allotting shares, Issuing shares and Placing shares

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 74 – Personal Representatives

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 73 – Essential Elements of a Contract

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 72 – Types of cases: Cornerstone and Milestone cases

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 71 – Types of cases: Landmark cases

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 70 – Specific performance

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 69 – Wills

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 68 – Notice

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 67 – Bonds vs Debentures

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 66 – Person Persons People

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 65 – Financial Reporting Words

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 64 – Representations and Warranties

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 63 – Machine translations

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 62 – Legal Timelines

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 61 – Liens

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 60 – Test your Legal English

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 59 – Appurtenent vs In gross

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 58 – Building societies and Banks

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 57 – Valid, void and voidable contracts

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 56 – Rescission

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 55 – Golden expressions

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 54 – Pre-emption right vs Right of first refusal

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 53 – What do we mean by “agent” of a company?

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 52 – Voting at a meeting

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 51 – Contracts vs Deeds

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 50 – Executive and Non-Executive Directors

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 49 – Transfer of shares vs transmission of shares

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 48 – They, them, their for singular nouns

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 47 – Jointly and severally

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 46 – Invoice words

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 45 – Quotation

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 44 – Gazumping and Gazundering

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 43 – English words that the English do not understand

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 42 – Easement vs Profit à prendre

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 41 – er, -or and -ee names

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 40 – The Objects Clause

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 39 – When is Latin hot, and when is it not?

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 38 – Default

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 37 – Company Agent

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 36 – Injunction (false freind)

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 35 – Mortgage

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 34 – Freehold, Leasehold and Commonhold estates

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 33 – Transferor, Transferee and Transmittee

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 32 – Tax evasion, tax mitigation and tax avoidance

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 31 – Numbers

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 30 – Ordinary resolutions vs special resolutions

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 29 – AGM vs EGM

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 28 – A going concern

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 27 – Collocations: Violate, breach, break, disobey and infringe

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 26 – Company meeting words

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 25 – Mortgagor vs Mortgagee

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 24 – Fixed charges vs Floating charges

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 23 – Doctrine

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 22 – Construe

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 21 – Sign vs Execute

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 20 – The closing statement

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 19 – Writing Business Emails

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 18 – Limited companies

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 17 – Annual Accounts

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 16 – Meetings

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 15 – Attorney-at-law vs Attorney-in-fact

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 14 – Here and there compounds

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 13 – Subject Matter

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 12 – The clear days rule

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 11 – Shareholder, Member or Holder of shares?

• Legal English: Peter’s Pills – Lesson 10 – Competition Law

• Legal English: Peter’s Pills – Lesson 9 – Lasting Power of Attorney

• Legal English: Peter’s Pills – Lesson 8 – Guardianship

• Legal English: Peter’s Pills – Lesson 7 – Damage vs Damages

• Legal English: Peter’s Pills – Lesson 6 – Legal Doublets

• Legal English: Peter’s Pills – Lesson 5 – Escrow

• Legal English: Peter’s Pills – Lesson 4 – Memorandum of Association vs Articles of Association

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