NTN Police Report Writing & Grammar 2

Question 1

An officer writes: 'The suspect, along with his two associates, were arrested at the scene.' What is the grammatical error?

Accepted Answer

Subject-verb disagreement

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

The victim stated she was walking home.

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

Dangling modifier

Answer

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'?

Accepted Answer

and

Answer

'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'?

Accepted Answer

the item measured approximately 4 feet by 2 feet

Answer

Specific measurements provide objective, verifiable information rather than subjective descriptions.

(NTN Police) National Testing Network Police Test Practice Test