WRITING MANUAL - Supreme Court - State of Ohio
WRITING MANUAL - Supreme Court - State of Ohio
WRITING MANUAL - Supreme Court - State of Ohio
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COMMONLY MISUSED WORDS AND PHRASES (CONT.)<br />
51. Verbal; oral. Verbal refers broadly to words, written or spoken: “The<br />
student’s essay amply demonstrated her verbal skills.” Oral is narrower<br />
and means spoken. For example, “The parties had an oral agreement to<br />
settle the case.”<br />
52. Verbiage. Verbiage means an excess <strong>of</strong> words with little value.<br />
53. Whether; whether or not. Use whether alone. For example, “The trial<br />
court had discretion to determine whether the defendant was telling the<br />
truth.” An exception applies when the whether clause is an adverb. For<br />
example, “The judge had decided in advance to disbelieve the<br />
defendant, whether or not the defendant was telling the truth.”<br />
The <strong>Supreme</strong> <strong>Court</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Ohio</strong> 121 Writing Manual