California POST Test Sentence Clarity 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence is written most clearly for a police report?
- The suspect, who was tall, ran away after the officer, who had arrived, shouted.
- After the officer shouted, the tall suspect fled the scene. (Correct answer)
- Running away was done by the suspect after shouting occurred by the officer.
- The suspect ran, and the officer shouted, and this happened at the scene.
Correct answer: After the officer shouted, the tall suspect fled the scene.
A clear sentence states the main action directly without unnecessary clauses or passive constructions.
Question 2: Which revision best improves clarity in this sentence: 'The vehicle was observed by the deputy to be moving at a high rate of speed'?
- The vehicle, observed by the deputy, moved at a high rate of speed.
- The deputy observed the vehicle moving at a high rate of speed. (Correct answer)
- Moving at a high rate of speed, the vehicle was observed by the deputy.
- At a high rate of speed, the vehicle was moving, observed by the deputy.
Correct answer: The deputy observed the vehicle moving at a high rate of speed.
Converting passive voice to active voice makes the sentence clearer and more direct.
Question 3: Which sentence contains a misplaced modifier?
- The officer found the stolen wallet behind the dumpster.
- Running down the alley, the officer spotted the suspect.
- Covered in mud, the officer found the suspect's jacket. (Correct answer)
- The detective interviewed the witness in the parking lot.
Correct answer: Covered in mud, the officer found the suspect's jacket.
The phrase 'Covered in mud' incorrectly modifies 'officer' when it should modify 'jacket'.
Question 4: Which sentence uses parallel structure correctly?
- The officer secured the scene, interviewing witnesses, and wrote the report.
- The officer secured the scene, interviewed witnesses, and wrote the report. (Correct answer)
- The officer secured the scene, to interview witnesses, and writing the report.
- The officer had secured the scene, interviewed witnesses, and is writing the report.
Correct answer: The officer secured the scene, interviewed witnesses, and wrote the report.
Parallel structure requires that all items in a series use the same grammatical form.
Question 5: Which word, if inserted in the blank, makes this sentence clearest: 'The witness left the scene ___ she saw the accident'?
- before
- after (Correct answer)
- and
- so
Correct answer: after
Choosing 'after' clarifies the chronological relationship between the witness seeing the accident and leaving the scene.
Question 6: Which sentence is clearest and most concise?
- Due to the fact that it was raining, the officer's visibility was reduced.
- The officer's visibility was reduced because it was raining. (Correct answer)
- It was raining and so the officer could not see very well at all.
- Rain was falling and this caused a reduction in the officer's ability to see.
Correct answer: The officer's visibility was reduced because it was raining.
Replacing wordy phrases like 'due to the fact that' with 'because' makes sentences more concise and clear.
Question 7: Which sentence correctly avoids a dangling modifier?
- Approaching the intersection, the traffic light turned red.
- While driving, the radio was turned off by the officer.
- After reviewing the evidence, the detective formed a suspect list. (Correct answer)
- Upon arriving at the scene, the crowd had already gathered.
Correct answer: After reviewing the evidence, the detective formed a suspect list.
A dangling modifier occurs when the modifying phrase does not logically connect to the subject performing the action.
California POST Test Sentence Clarity 2
Which sentence is written most clearly for a police report?