Identifying Writing Errors Flashcards

Which sentence contains a spelling error common in police reports? A) The officer persued the suspect on foot for two blocks. B) The officer pursued the suspect on foot for two blocks. C) The officer observed the suspect flee on foot. D) The suspect evaded the officer near the intersection.

Answer: The officer persued the suspect on foot for two blocks.

'Persued' is a misspelling; the correct spelling is 'pursued,' meaning followed in order to catch.

Identify the error in the following sentence: 'The evidence, including the knife and the gloves, were submitted to the lab.' A) 'evidence' should be plural. B) The verb should be 'was' not 'were.' C) A comma is not needed after 'evidence.' D) 'submitted' should be 'submitting.'

Answer: The verb should be 'was' not 'were.'

The subject is 'evidence' (singular), not 'knife and gloves'; the intervening phrase does not change the subject, so the verb must be 'was.'

Which sentence incorrectly uses a hyphen? A) The well-known suspect was apprehended at the border. B) The officer conducted a follow-up interview. C) The suspect was well known in the neighborhood. D) The officer delivered a well-written, clearly-organized report.

Answer: The officer delivered a well-written, clearly-organized report.

'Clearly-organized' should not be hyphenated because 'clearly' is an adverb ending in '-ly' modifying 'organized'; adverb + adjective compounds with '-ly' adverbs are not hyphenated.

Choose the option with the correct pronoun-antecedent agreement: A) Each officer must submit their timesheet by Friday. B) Each officer must submit his or her timesheet by Friday. C) Each officer must submit its timesheet by Friday. D) Each officers must submit their timesheet by Friday.

Answer: Each officer must submit his or her timesheet by Friday.

'Each' is singular, requiring singular pronouns; 'his or her' is the formally correct singular agreement in standard written English.

Which sentence uses 'who' vs. 'whom' correctly? A) The suspect who the officer arrested had a prior record. B) The suspect whom fled the scene was apprehended later. C) Whom called the dispatcher at 2 a.m.? D) The officer who filed the report was commended.

Answer: The officer who filed the report was commended.

In option D, 'who' correctly functions as the subject of the relative clause 'who filed the report.'

Identify the sentence fragment: A) The patrol car was parked outside. B) After reviewing all the evidence collected at the scene. C) The detective submitted a thorough report. D) Witnesses corroborated the officer's account.

Answer: After reviewing all the evidence collected at the scene.

Option B is a subordinate clause beginning with 'After'; it lacks an independent main clause and therefore is a fragment, not a complete sentence.

Which sentence has an error in capitalization? A) The California Department of Justice issued new guidelines. B) Officer Martinez filed the report with the Sheriff's Department. C) The judge reviewed the case before the trial. D) The Suspect was read his Miranda Rights at the scene.

Answer: The Suspect was read his Miranda Rights at the scene.

'Suspect' is a common noun and should not be capitalized mid-sentence unless it begins a sentence or is part of a proper title.