APCAT Written Communication Accuracy 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence demonstrates correct use of quotation marks in a police report?
- The suspect stated, "I wasn't there".
- The suspect stated, "I wasn't there." (Correct answer)
- The suspect stated "I wasn't there."
- The suspect stated; "I wasn't there."
Correct answer: The suspect stated, "I wasn't there."
In Canadian and American style, the period is placed inside the closing quotation mark, and a comma follows the attribution phrase.
Question 2: Identify the sentence with an error in verb tense consistency.
- The constable approached the vehicle and asked the driver for identification.
- The constable approached the vehicle and asks the driver for identification. (Correct answer)
- The constable had approached the vehicle before backup arrived.
- The constable will approach the vehicle and request identification.
Correct answer: The constable approached the vehicle and asks the driver for identification.
Mixing past tense 'approached' with present tense 'asks' creates an inconsistent and incorrect verb tense shift.
Question 3: Which sentence uses 'its' and 'it's' correctly?
- Its important that the report reflects it's findings accurately.
- It's important that the report reflects its findings accurately. (Correct answer)
- Its important that the report reflects its findings accurately.
- It's important that the report reflects it's findings accurately.
Correct answer: It's important that the report reflects its findings accurately.
'It's' is a contraction for 'it is,' while 'its' is the possessive form; option B uses both correctly.
Question 4: Select the correct number usage in a formal police report.
- The officer arrived at 2 AM and interviewed 3 witnesses.
- The officer arrived at 2 a.m. and interviewed three witnesses. (Correct answer)
- The officer arrived at two AM and interviewed 3 witnesses.
- The officer arrived at two a.m. and interviewed 3 witnesses.
Correct answer: The officer arrived at 2 a.m. and interviewed three witnesses.
In formal writing, numbers below ten are typically spelled out, and time designations use lowercase 'a.m.' with periods.
Question 5: Which sentence is an example of a run-on sentence?
- The suspect ran; officers gave chase.
- The suspect ran, so officers gave chase.
- The suspect ran officers gave chase. (Correct answer)
- The suspect ran, and officers gave chase.
Correct answer: The suspect ran officers gave chase.
Option C joins two independent clauses with no punctuation or conjunction, creating a run-on (fused) sentence.
Question 6: Which sentence correctly applies formal register for a written police report?
- The guy took off and we couldn't catch him.
- The male fled the area and eluded officers. (Correct answer)
- He bolted and we lost him real quick.
- The dude ran away and the cops couldn't grab him.
Correct answer: The male fled the area and eluded officers.
Option B uses formal, professional language ('male,' 'fled,' 'eluded officers') appropriate for an official police document.
Question 7: Which sentence correctly uses a hyphen?
- The off duty officer witnessed the incident.
- The off-duty officer witnessed the incident. (Correct answer)
- The off - duty officer witnessed the incident.
- The offduty officer witnessed the incident.
Correct answer: The off-duty officer witnessed the incident.
When a compound modifier like 'off-duty' comes before a noun, a hyphen is used to link the two words.
APCAT Written Communication Accuracy 5
Which sentence demonstrates correct use of quotation marks in a police report?