Legal and Administrative Style

Level 6

Official texts pack information before the noun and repeat fixed formulas: Lege honen 3. artikuluan xedatutakoaren arabera (in accordance with what is laid down in Article 3 of this law).

How It Works

1. Participle chains. A participle with -tako describes a noun, and it can become a noun itself:

  • xedatu (lay down) → xedatutakoa (what has been laid down) → xedatutakoaren arabera (according to what has been laid down)
  • deialdi honetan aurreikusitako dirulaguntzak (the grants provided for in this call)
  • aurkeztu beharreko agiriak (the documents that must be submitted)

See also -riko participles and long noun phrases.

2. Fixed formulas.

  • ... -(r)en arabera (in accordance with): see -(r)en arabera.
  • indarrean egon / jarri (be / come into force)
  • hala badagokio (where applicable)
  • Lege hau Euskal Herriko Agintaritzaren Aldizkarian argitaratu eta biharamunean jarriko da indarrean.

3. Duties without a named doer. Official texts often use the impersonal with beharko: Eskabideak hilabeteko epean aurkeztu beharko dira. (Applications must be submitted within one month.)

4. Numbers. A dot after a number makes it an ordinal: 3. artikulua is read hirugarren artikulua (Article 3). See ordinals -garren.

5. Clear writing. Modern style guides ask for shorter sentences and active verbs where possible. See noun-heavy formal style.

Tip: Read a long official phrase from the end. The last noun is the head, and everything before it describes it.

Examples (5)

  1. Lege hau Euskal Herriko Agintaritzaren Aldizkarian argitaratu eta biharamunean jarriko da indarrean.

    This law will come into force on the day after it is published in the Official Gazette of the Basque Country.

    argitaratu eta means "after it is published"; indarrean jarri means "come into force".

  2. Lege honen 3. artikuluan xedatutakoaren arabera, eskabideak hilabeteko epean aurkeztu beharko dira.

    In accordance with what is laid down in Article 3 of this law, applications must be submitted within one month.

    xedatutakoaren arabera: participle + -tako + -a + genitive + arabera.

  3. Deialdi honetan aurreikusitako dirulaguntzak ordaintzeko, beharrezkoa da agiri guztiak aurkeztea.

    To pay the grants provided for in this call, all the documents must be submitted.

    aurreikusitako describes dirulaguntzak.

  4. Aurkeztu beharreko agiriak oinarri hauen eranskinean zerrendatzen dira.

    The documents to be submitted are listed in the annex to these rules.

    aurkeztu beharreko means "that must be submitted".

  5. Hala badagokio, interesdunari jakinaraziko zaio.

    Where applicable, the person concerned will be notified.

    hala badagokio is a fixed formula. jakinaraziko zaio names no one who does the notifying.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving out the dot that makes a number an ordinal.

    Lege honen 3 artikuluan
    Lege honen 3. artikuluan

    With the dot, 3. artikulua is "Article 3" (hirugarren artikulua). Without it, 3 artikulu means "three articles".

  • Putting a bare participle before a noun.

    Legean xedatu baldintzak
    Legean xedatutako baldintzak

    A participle that describes a following noun needs -tako (or -(r)iko): xedatutako baldintzak, "the conditions laid down".

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Legal and Administrative StyleLevel 6

Learn This First

Administrative writing combines noun-heavy phrasing, reference formulas and impersonal statements.

Words in This Pattern

arabera