NTN Police Report Writing & Grammar 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An officer writes: 'The suspect, along with his two associates, were arrested at the scene.' What is the grammatical error?
- Incorrect verb tense
- Subject-verb disagreement (Correct answer)
- Misplaced modifier
- Dangling participle
Correct answer: Subject-verb disagreement
The subject 'suspect' is singular, so the verb should be 'was arrested,' not 'were arrested.'
Question 2: Which sentence uses the past tense correctly in a police report?
- The victim states she was walking home.
- The victim stated she was walking home. (Correct answer)
- The victim stated she is walking home.
- The victim states she is walking home.
Correct answer: The victim stated she was walking home.
Police reports describe completed past events, so both the reporting verb and the subordinate clause should use past tense.
Question 3: A report states: 'Responding to the call, the vehicle was found abandoned.' What is wrong with this sentence?
- Incorrect punctuation
- Dangling modifier (Correct answer)
- Wrong verb tense
- Passive voice misuse
Correct answer: Dangling modifier
The participial phrase 'Responding to the call' should modify the officer, not the vehicle, creating a dangling modifier.
Question 4: Which word correctly completes the sentence: 'The officer searched the alley _____ found no evidence'?
- but
- and (Correct answer)
- however
- although
Correct answer: and
'And' is the correct coordinating conjunction to join two independent clauses in this context.
Question 5: In a police report, which phrase best replaces the vague statement 'the item was large'?
- the item was very large
- the item was enormous
- the item measured approximately 4 feet by 2 feet (Correct answer)
- the item appeared to be bigger than normal
Correct answer: the item measured approximately 4 feet by 2 feet
Specific measurements provide objective, verifiable information rather than subjective descriptions.
Question 6: An officer writes: 'Neither the witnesses nor the suspect was cooperative.' Is this correct?
- No, should be 'were cooperative'
- Yes, the verb agrees with the nearest subject (Correct answer)
- No, 'cooperative' should be 'cooperating'
- Yes, 'neither/nor' always takes plural verb
Correct answer: Yes, the verb agrees with the nearest subject
With 'neither/nor,' the verb agrees with the subject closest to it; 'suspect' is singular, so 'was' is correct.
Question 7: Which sentence is written in appropriate third-person perspective for a police report?
- I observed the suspect fleeing northbound.
- This officer observed the suspect fleeing northbound. (Correct answer)
- We observed the suspect fleeing northbound.
- One observed the suspect fleeing northbound.
Correct answer: This officer observed the suspect fleeing northbound.
Many agencies require officers to refer to themselves as 'this officer' to maintain a formal, objective tone.
NTN Police Report Writing & Grammar 2
An officer writes: 'The suspect, along with his two associates, were arrested at the scene.' What is the grammatical error?