Training module (SI): Drafting long textual amendments with Quoted Structure

In this module, you will learn how to insert and edit Quoted Structures in order to draft textual amendments containing new provisions.

Tutorial

Quoted Structures are used to draft textual insertions which insert or substitute a new provision in the amended document.

For amendments that only insert or substitute text within a provision - “inline” - but do not add any new provisions, you should use Quoted text, not Quoted Structures - see Training module (SI): Drafting inline textual amendments with Quoted Text.

For example, you would use a Quoted Structure to draft the following (note the dashed line around the inserted provision):

To insert a Quoted structure, you should:

place your cursor in the provision which introduces the textual amendment and do any of the following:
- press Enter and select Quoted structure
- right-click in the Editor and select Insert Quoted Structure
- from the Insert menu in the toolbar, select Insert Quoted Structure
- use keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Q
Select a starting element and adjust any other settings in the dialogue box.
Click Insert.

Please ensure you select the correct Starting element. It is currently not possible to change it after you have created the Quoted Structure.

To edit a Quoted structure, you should either:

right-click on the Quoted Structure and select Update Quoted Structure Properties; or
with your cursor in the Quoted Structure, select Insert > Update Quoted Structure Properties.

(NB: you can skip this if you covered it in the module on Quoted Text:) Review Quoted Text | How-to-insert-a-quoted-structure-immediately-after-a-quoted-text. This is important if you want to draft a textual amendment that starts with an inline insertion, but then adds new provisions, as in the example below:

in the video linked below, watch:

Creating textual insertions using Quoted Structure (0:05)
Textual insertions that start inline (4:05) (NB: you can skip this if you have covered it in Training module (SI): Drafting inline textual amendments with Quoted Text )
Textual insertions that include higher-level provisions than the Starting Element (5:49)
Inserting provisions after a Quoted Structure (7:18)

The video on Using Quoted Text for inline textual amendments is covered in the module on Quoted Text.

For detailed information on Quoted Structures, including the various properties of a Quoted Structure, see Quoted structures.

Before you start the exercises, you will need a document ready and open in the Editor.

If you already have a document ready, you can move on to the exercises below.

If you don’t have a document ready, follow the steps below.

How to create a new project

Log in to the Lawmaker Training environment (link here).
From the Dashboard, create a new project. (See Creating a new project for details.)
Select the document type that you are most likely to work with. For Sub-type, select Regulations (for convenience).
Give it a memorable title such as[Your name] - Training project.
From the Project tab for your new document, select Document Actions > Import from legislation.gov.uk. (See Import legislation from www.legislation.gov.uk for details.)
Give the document a clear Version Description, e.g., the name of this Training module.
Import one of the following documents, depending on your document type:
- Northern Ireland Statutory Rules: The Horticulture Pilot Scheme Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025
- Welsh Statutory Instruments: The Healthy Eating in Schools (Nutritional Standards and Requirements) (Maintained Primary Schools) (Wales) Regulations 2025
- Scottish Statutory Instruments: The Sheep Carcase (Classification and Price Reporting) (Scotland) Regulations 2025
- (UK) Statutory Instruments: The Merchant Shipping (Marine Equipment) Regulations 2025
Open the new document in the Editor.

Draft the following provision. (Don’t worry about getting the text exactly right but focus on the structure and formatting.)

Instructions to insert a quoted structure

Insert a new regulation (or Article, Rule etc.) in your document using Enter > Regulation;
Fill in the heading and the first line. At the end of the first line, enter an em-dash by inserting two en-dashes.
Insert a quoted structure by pressing Enter > Quoted Structure (or alternative methods provided above).
In the Insert Quoted Structure module, fill in:
- Document type: choose the type of document which is being amended (for this exercise, select the type of document with which you will be most frequently working).
- Starting element: select Definition.
- Leave Indent Level as None
- Leave Start / End quotes as “ ”
- Following text: insert a full stop.
- If the document type is a WSI, tick Language and select English. Otherwise, leave language unticked.
Click Insert.
Fill in the ‘Defined term’ and ‘text’ placeholders.
With your cursor in the definition, press Enter > Definition to insert another definition.
Again fill in the placeholders.
Generate a PDF and check.

Edit your Quoted Structure to look like the following.

Instructions to edit a Quoted Structure

Click Right-click > Update Quoted Structure Properties
Change the following:
- Indent level: None → 2
- Start / End quotes: “ ” → < >
- Following text: change the full stop to a semicolon
Click Update
Generate a PDF and check.

Edit your quoted structure and add another so that your textual insertion looks like the following:

Instructions to add an adjacent Quoted Structure with a higher-level starting element

Edit the first Quoted Structure by clicking Right-click > Update Quoted Structure Properties, then:
- Change the End Quotes: > → None
- Clear the following text field.
- Click Update.
Right-click on the first Quoted Structure and click Insert Adjacent Quoted Structure
Fill in the window:
1. Document type: same as previous (should be set by default)
2. Starting element: select Paragraph (1)
3. Indent level: 2 (should be set by default)
4. Start quote: set to None
5. End quote: set to >
6. Following text: insert a full stop.
7. (If you selected a language previously, this should be set to English by default.)
Click Insert.
Fill in the placeholder, including the blank number element. Use Enter to add Paragraph (a) elements and fill these out until the Quoted structure is complete.

Draft the following new Regulation:

See the instructions below if you are unsure how to add Quoted Structure, which is covered in a different module.

Instructions to draft a textual amendment starting inline

Insert a new Regulation (or Article, etc.) by placing your cursor in a Regulation and pressing Enter > Regulation.
Fill in the heading and the first Paragraph. Add a second paragraph using Enter> Paragraph (1) and fill it in up to “insert”.
Press Enter > Quoted text
Type in “; and”
To remove the end quotation mark, Right click > Update quoted text properties
Change the end quote from ” to None, then click Update.
With your cursor in the Quoted text, press Ctrl + Q
In the insert Quoted Structure window, ensure the correct document type is selected, then select as starting element Paragraph (a). Change the starting quotation mark from “ to None. In following text, insert a full stop.
Press Insert.
Fill in the number and the provision.