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Trial judges, therefore, are charged with the duty to “state and explain to the jury ‘in clear and intelligible language the rules of law applicable to the ■ issues of fact upon which their verdict is to be based.’ ” Rawson v. Bradshaw, 125 N.H. 94, 99 (1984) (quoting Poulin v. Provost, 114 N.H. 263, 264 (1974)).

“A trial judge’s primary duty in charging the jury is to clarify the issues of the case, and to assist the jury in understanding the questions to be resolved.” State v. Bird, 122 N.H. 10, 15, 440 A.2d 441, 443 (1982); see Poulin v. Provost, 114 N.H. 263, 264, 319 A.2d 296, 297 (1974).

Johnston v. Lynch, 133 N.H. 79, 89, 574 A.2d 934, 940 (1990); Poulin v. Provost, 114 N.H. 263, 264, 319 A.2d 296, 297 (1974).

Instructions are adequate if, taken as a whole, “[they] fairly present[] the case to the jury in such a manner that no injustice was done to the legal rights of the litigants.” Poulin v. Provost, 114 N.H. 263, 264, 319 A.2d 296, 298 (1974).

A jury charge is adequate if, “taken as a whole, ‘it fairly presents] the case to the jury in such a manner that no injustice [is] done to the legal rights of the litigants.’” Rawson v. Bradshaw, 125 N.H. 94, 100, 480 A.2d 37, 41 (1984) (quoting Poulin v. Provost, 114 N.H. 263, 264, 319 A.2d 296, 297 (1974)).

State v. Brown, 128 N.H. 606, 615, 517 A.2d 831, 837 (1986); Poulin v. Provost, 114 N.H. 263, 265, 319 A.2d 296, 298 (1974).

Thus, while the instructions could have been more comprehensive, and while timely and properly focused objections could have been helpful in suggesting appropriate detail, the charge was not misleading in emphasizing the disputed issue of intent, and we therefore see no reversible error.

“The general purpose of the trial court’s charge to the jury is to state and explain to them in clear and intelligible language the rules of law applicable to the issues of fact upon which their verdict is to be based.” Poulin v. Provost, 114 N.H. 263, 264, 319 A.2d 296, 297 (1974).

It is elementary that a claim of erroneous jury instruction must be evaluated by reading the instruction in the context of the whole charge.

Poulin v. Provost, 114 N.H. 263, 264, 319 A.2d 296, 297 (1974); Cyr v. Sanborn, 101 N.H. 245, 250, 140 A.2d 92, 96 (1958).

The purpose of the trial court’s charge is to state and explain to the jury, in clear and intelligible language, the rules of law applicable to the case.

The general purpose of a trial court’s charge is to state and explain to the jury “in clear and intelligible language the rules of law applicable to the issues of fact upon which their verdict is to be based.” Poulin v. Provost, 114 N.H. 263, 264, 319 A.2d 296, 297 (1974); Cyr v. Sanborn, 101 N.H. 245, 250, 140 A.2d 92, 96 (1958).

Poulin v. Provost, 114 N.H. 263, 264, 319 A.2d 296, 297-98 (1974); Faust v. General Motors Corp., supra at 686, 377 A.2d at 889.

Kennedy v. Ricker, 119 N.H. 826, 409 A.2d 778 (1979); Poulin v. Provost, 114 N.H. 263, 319 A.2d 296 (1974).

In deciding such a claim, we inquire whether the charge, as given, adequately set out the applicable law.

The test of the adequacy of the charge is whether it fairly presented the case to the jury in such a manner that no injustice was done to the legal rights of the litigants.” Poulin v. Provost, 114 N.H. 263, 264, 319 A.2d 296, 297 (1974) (citations omitted).

An examination of the charge as a whole indicates that the jury were properly instructed “in clear and intelligible language [explaining] the rules of law applicable to the issues of fact upon which their verdict [was] to be based.” Poulin v. Provost, 114 N.H. 263, 264, 319 A.2d 296, 297 (1974).

Viewing the record and the charge as a whole we hold that the defendant did not suffer any prejudice from the alleged shortcomings of the charge.

We hold that the charge presented the case to the jury in such a manner that no injustice was done to the legal rights of the plaintiffs.

West v. Railroad, 81 N.H. 522, 533, 129 A. 768, 773 (1925); Davis v. State, 94 N.H. 321, 52 A.2d 793 (1947); Poulin v. Provost, 114 N.H. 263, 264, 319 A.2d 296, 297 (1974).

“The issue presented is whether the charge as a whole was such that it may have led the jury to return wrong verdicts.” Poulin v. Provost, 114 N.H. 263, 264, 319 A.2d 296, 298 (1974).

Poulin v. Provost, *539 114 N.H. 263, 319 A.2d 296 (1974); Quint v. Porietis, 107 N.H. 463, 225 A.2d 179 (1966).