# How can I add spacing and alignment within and to an array of text?

How can I take a text array such as this:

$\left. \begin{array}{l} \textrm{Commonwealth}\\ \textrm{vs}\\ \textrm{Person on Trial} \end{array} \right\} \textrm{A matter of Debt}$

Which produces this:

And force it to align to the left side of the page instead of being centered?

Additionally, how can I move the textrm vs' further to the right so that it aligns below the lettern' in `Commonwealth'?

Any help very greatly appreciated!

• Is it supposed to be within an equation? Apr 13 '20 at 20:56
• No, this is not an equation. The array is being used strictly for the tall right curly brace which is a common element in old legal documents I'm transcribing. Apr 13 '20 at 20:59
• just use \$ not \[ so it is at the left and use tabular not array so the entries are text. Apr 13 '20 at 21:00
• Sorry to be dense but could you show an mwe for that? Apr 13 '20 at 21:11
• Then you don't need an equation. There are other tools Apr 13 '20 at 21:14

A very simple solution with a tabular and package delarray:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[showframe]{geometry}
\usepackage{delarray}

\begin{document}
\mbox{}

\noindent
\begin{tabular}.{@{}c@{\,}}\}
Commonwealth\\
vs\\
Person on Trial
\end{tabular}A matter of Debt

\end{document}

• Awesome! Thanks Bernard! Apr 13 '20 at 21:23
• ooh delarray I'd forgotten about that, who wrote that? Apr 13 '20 at 22:05
• @DavidCarlisle: Guess who? (said Droopy) ;o) Apr 13 '20 at 22:24