NPOST Police Test Grammar and Spelling Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct?
- The witness provided a statement the officer recorded it verbatim.
- After the sergeant reviewed the files, he returned it to the records room.
- Each of the officers must check his or her equipment before a shift. (Correct answer)
- The detectives's theory was based on preliminary evidence.
Correct answer: Each of the officers must check his or her equipment before a shift.
This sentence correctly uses the singular pronoun 'his or her' to agree with the singular antecedent 'Each'. The other sentences contain errors: A is a run-on sentence, B has a pronoun-antecedent disagreement ('it' should be 'them' to agree with 'files'), and D uses an incorrect possessive form ('detectives's' should be 'detectives'').
Question 2: The collection of latent fingerprints from the crime scene ______ carefully documented by the forensics team.
- were
- are
- was (Correct answer)
- have been
Correct answer: was
The subject of the sentence is 'collection,' which is a singular noun. Therefore, it requires the singular verb 'was'. The prepositional phrase 'of latent fingerprints from the crime scene' does not change the singular nature of the subject.
Question 3: Which of the following sentences contains a spelling error?
- The officer was dispatched to a domestic disturbance.
- It is illegal to exceed the posted speed limit.
- The department will not tolerate unprofessional conduct.
- The suspect's story was not believeable to the investigators. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The suspect's story was not believeable to the investigators.
The word 'believeable' is misspelled. The correct spelling is 'believable'. The other sentences are spelled correctly.
Question 4: An officer must always adhere to the department's guiding ________.
- principals
- principles (Correct answer)
- princaples
- princepals
Correct answer: principles
The correct word is 'principles,' which refers to fundamental truths or rules of conduct. 'Principals' refers to the head of a school or a primary party in a transaction. The other options are misspellings.
Question 5: Which of the following is a complete and grammatically correct sentence?
- The officer, after he finished his shift and completed the paperwork.
- The patrol car swerved to avoid the debris, it came to a stop safely.
- Because the suspect invoked his right to remain silent.
- The dispatcher relayed the call to the nearest available unit. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The dispatcher relayed the call to the nearest available unit.
This is a complete sentence with a subject ('dispatcher') and a verb ('relayed') that expresses a complete thought. Option A is a sentence fragment. Option B is a comma splice (two independent clauses joined by only a comma). Option C is a subordinate clause and therefore a sentence fragment.
Question 6: The two ______ reports were filed at the end of the shift.
- officer's
- officers
- officers' (Correct answer)
- officers's
Correct answer: officers'
Since there are two officers, the noun must be plural ('officers'). To show that the reports belong to them, the possessive apostrophe must come after the 's'. 'Officer's' is singular possessive. 'Officers' is plural but not possessive. 'Officers's' is grammatically incorrect.
NPOST Police Test Grammar and Spelling Questions and Answers 1
Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct?