Sentence Structure: How People Really Speak
Updated: 08/12/24
Humans do not always speak with perfect grammar. While transcribing, you might find yourself lost in long, winding passages as a speaker meanders their way through a grammatically incorrect sentence. It's your role, as the transcriber, to balance capturing this in a readable, clear way that reflects the speech pattern accurately.
Here's an example - one common rule we "break" in speech is in using the conjunction “and” repeatedly. In writing, this would continue a sentence. When transcribing, focus on the rhythm of the actual speech. If a speaker stops and then begins a new sentence with “and,” treat it as such:
Speaker: We were looking for something to eat. And I guess we were really hungry because we ate everything in the fridge.
Capitalize it, and treat it as the start of a new sentence. We don’t want a transcript to read like one giant run on sentence:
❌ I went to the store and then we got some milk actually I forgot to mention that Jim was with us but he isn’t involved in this at all really we were just going there to get the milk but Jim wanted to come.
✅ I went to the store and then we got some milk. Actually, I forgot to mention that Jim was with us. But he isn’t involved in this at all. Really, we were just going there to get the milk, but Jim wanted to come.
You might find yourself using commas often, to indicate sentence rhythm, but you should be careful not to overuse them.
As always, the balance between readability and accuracy relies on you, the transcriber. Find the sweet spot and when in doubt, transcribe how you hear it!
NOTE: For more in depth information and tips on Punctuation, check out that article here.
Misused Words
[sic]
This is used to indicate that a quote is being transcribed exactly as it appeared in the original document, including any errors. For example, if a witness or attorney accidentally uses the wrong word, such as "perpetrator" instead of "victim" or “prescribe” instead of “subscribe”, the transcriber may use [sic] to indicate that the error was in the original quote and not introduced by the transcriber. This can help avoid confusion when others review the case's written documents.
Examples of when to use [sic] with commonly misused words in this context:
The speaker meant to say “prescription”, but misspoke and used the word “subscription”. Here, we still transcribe “subscription” and add [sic]:
The speaker meant to say “arthritis”, but misspoke and used the word “arthritic”. Here, we still transcribe “arthritic” and add [sic]:
The speaker meant to say “inferred”, but misspoke and used the word “implied”. Here, we still transcribe “implied” and add [sic]:
NOTE: When in doubt, transcribe how you hear it. Try not to overuse this notation.
Transcribing full verbatim involves capturing everything exactly as it is spoken, including misusing or misstating words. Use [sic] immediately after a word to indicate that it was transcribed as spoken, even if it's incorrect.
Example of when the Digital Reporter misstates the court case name, “Bob Smith versus Pizza Hut Store #15648 and Tri-State Area Food Group”
✅ Correct
❌ Incorrect
NOTE: If the speaker makes a mistake regarding the court case number or name, please refer to the information tab and context of the exhibits to ensure that it is incorrectly stated before adding [sic] after the inaccuracy.
NOTE: [sic] is used only the first time a speaker mispronounces or misuses a word to indicate that the error is intentional and not a mistake by the transcriber. After the initial use, you would transcribe the mispronunciation as is without adding "[sic]" again for subsequent occurrences of the same error. This approach helps avoid unnecessary repetition while still alerting the reader to the initial error.
Example of when not to use [sic]:
NOTE: [sic] is not for the mispronunciation of words or if a speaker has an accent. [sic] is used if the word that is said is not correct in the context of the sentence.