NTN Police Report Writing & Grammar 3

Question 1

A report reads: 'The complainant said that she seen the suspect enter the store.' What error is present?

Accepted Answer

Wrong verb form (seen instead of saw)

Answer

'Seen' requires a helping verb; the correct past tense form here is 'saw.'

Question 2

Which of the following represents the BEST way to record a witness statement in a report?

Accepted Answer

Witness Jones stated, 'He ran down Oak Street toward Main.'

Answer

Direct quotes with the speaker identified provide specific, attributable information in a police report.

Question 3

What does 'chronological order' mean in the context of report writing?

Accepted Answer

Recording events in the order they occurred in time

Answer

Chronological order means presenting events sequentially as they happened, which aids clarity and reconstruction.

Question 4

An officer writes: 'The car was blue, it was parked on Elm Street.' This is an example of a:

Accepted Answer

Comma splice

Answer

A comma splice occurs when two independent clauses are joined only with a comma, without a coordinating conjunction.

Question 5

Which word choice is most appropriate for a formal police report?

Accepted Answer

The subject fled the area rapidly.

Answer

Police reports require formal, professional language; 'subject fled the area rapidly' is precise and objective.

(NTN Police) National Testing Network Police Test Practice Test