Unit 8: English for Legal Purposes

Index:

Aims and Objectives

In this unit you will learn and practise vocabulary related to legal terms.

You will practise the following skills and functions:

The grammar focus of this unit is:

Vocabulary

declaración jurada
apelación
sumario
ladrón
caso
corporativo
tribunal
daños
escritura
acusado/demandado
divorcio
pruebas
culpable
encarcelación
inocente
juez
judicial
jurado
ley
abogado
legal
legislativo
homicidio involuntario
hipoteca
asesino
notario
delito
precedente
proceso
trámites
fiscal
derechos
sentencia
abogado
citación
testimonio
robo
ladrón
arrestar
acusar
alegar
codificar
perpetrar
interrogar
decretar
demandar
tribunal
veredicto
testamento
testigo

Exercises

Section 1: Vocabulary Practice

Exercise 1: Test Yourself

Exercise Help

Fill in the correct translation for each of the terms below.

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Section 2: Listening Comprehension

Exercise 1: Multiple Choice Questions

Exercise Help

Chose the correct answer.

Recording: show transcript
This exercise can be also done purely aurally/orally:
  1. How does Michelle's friend know that she has a new job?
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  2. How did Michelle get a job as a legal secretary?
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  3. What did Michelle have to do to get the job ?
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  4. What sort of work does she do?
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  5. Who supervises her work?
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice Questions

Exercise Help

Chose the correct answer.

Recording: show transcript
This exercise can be also done purely aurally/orally:
  1. Where is Jack going?
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  2. What has Jack done wrong?
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  3. What do blind stenographers use?
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  4. Who does Jack work for?
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  5. What sort of documents does he prepare.?
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?

Exercise 3: Multiple Choice Questions

Exercise Help

Chose the correct answer.

Recording: show transcript
This exercise can be also done purely aurally/orally:
  1. Why was the man in court?
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  2. What did the thief steal?
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  3. What was the magistrate's verdict?
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  4. How did the defendant remove his arm?
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  5. Did the defendant go to prison for the crime?
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?

Exercise 4: Multiple Choice Questions

Exercise Help

Chose the correct answer.

Recording: show transcript
This exercise can be also done purely aurally/orally:
  1. Who sued whom?
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  2. What happened?
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  3. What did the accident report say?
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  4. When the officer arrived at the scene what did he do?
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  5. Why did the officer shoot the horse?
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?

Section 3: General Comprehension

Exercise 1: True/False Statements

Exercise Help

For each of the statements below, choose True or False.

This exercise can be also done purely aurally/orally:
  1. To work as a legal secretary you must specialise in legal terminology.


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  2. A legal secretary prepares legal papers.


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  3. A legal secretary's work is very boring.


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  4. A court recorder works in a court room.


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  5. A court recorder doesn't use a stenography machine.


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  6. To be a court recorder you must be certified.


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  7. There are special stenography machines for the visually impaired.


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  8. A court recorder doesn't need a high speed on the stenography machine.


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  9. Witnesses give testimony.


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  10. Private detectives are sometimes used in divorce cases.


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Exercise 2: Sentence Completion

Exercise Help

Speaking Practice. Complete the sentences you hear, using the example as a model.

Press Play to listen to the instructions:

Section 4: Grammar Practice

Exercise 1: Transformation

Exercise Help

In this exercise, change the sentences from Active to Passive. All the sentences are in the Present.

This exercise can be also done purely aurally/orally:
Example:

The lawyer supervises her.
She is supervised by the lawyer.

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Exercise 2: Transformation

Exercise Help

In this exercise, change the sentences from Active to Passive. All the sentences are in the Past.

This exercise can be also done purely aurally/orally: