NYPD Written Expression Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following sentences is the most clearly and professionally written for a police report?
- The witness seemed pretty scared and told me the guy who ran off was sort of tall.
- Upon making contact, the witness stated that the perpetrator who absconded from the location was of a considerable height.
- The witness, who appeared visibly shaken, stated the suspect was 'about six feet tall.' (Correct answer)
- I interviewed the witness and it is my opinion that they were frightened by the tall suspect.
Correct answer: The witness, who appeared visibly shaken, stated the suspect was 'about six feet tall.'
This sentence is the most professional because it uses objective language ('visibly shaken') instead of subjective interpretation ('seemed pretty scared'), avoids jargon ('absconded', 'perpetrator'), and uses a direct quote for precision. Police reports should be factual and avoid personal opinions.
Question 2: An officer is writing a report and needs to list the items recovered from a suspect's vehicle. Which sentence uses punctuation correctly?
- The following items were recovered a wallet, a cellphone, and a set of keys.
- The following items were recovered: a wallet a cellphone and a set of keys.
- The following items, were recovered; a wallet, a cellphone, and a set of keys.
- The following items were recovered: a wallet, a cellphone, and a set of keys. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The following items were recovered: a wallet, a cellphone, and a set of keys.
A colon is used to introduce a list after an independent clause. Commas are then used to separate the individual items within the list. The other options use incorrect punctuation (a comma instead of a colon, missing commas between list items, or incorrect use of a semicolon).
Question 3: Which of the following sentences contains a spelling error?
- The officer advised the complainant to file a restraining order.
- The suspect's story was not credible and lacked any principle evidence. (Correct answer)
- It's necessary to secure the perimeter before the investigation begins.
- The stolen vehicle was a late-model sedan.
Correct answer: The suspect's story was not credible and lacked any principle evidence.
The word 'principle' (a fundamental truth or rule) is used incorrectly. The correct word is 'principal,' which means main or most important. 'Principal evidence' would refer to the main evidence.
Question 4: An officer writes the following in a report: 'The suspect was observed by me entering the building.' Which of the following is the best revision for clarity and conciseness?
- The suspect, who I saw, was entering the building.
- I observed the suspect entering the building. (Correct answer)
- It was observed by me that the suspect was entering the building.
- Entering the building was the suspect I saw.
Correct answer: I observed the suspect entering the building.
This sentence uses the active voice ('I observed'), which is more direct, concise, and easier to read than the passive voice ('was observed by me'). Active voice is preferred in modern police report writing for clarity and accountability.
Question 5: Read the following sentences from an officer's notes: 'The vehicle was a blue sedan. It was parked illegally. The vehicle had a broken taillight.' Which option best combines these facts into one clear, grammatically correct sentence?
- The vehicle was a blue sedan and it was parked illegally and it had a broken taillight.
- A blue sedan with a broken taillight was parked illegally. (Correct answer)
- Parked illegally, the blue sedan, it had a broken taillight.
- The vehicle, a blue sedan, was parked illegally, having a broken taillight.
Correct answer: A blue sedan with a broken taillight was parked illegally.
This sentence is the most concise and effectively combines the three pieces of information without being repetitive or grammatically awkward. It clearly identifies the subject (a blue sedan) and its attributes (broken taillight, parked illegally) in a fluid manner.
Question 6: A section of an incident report reads: 'Neither the victim nor the witnesses was able to provide a license plate number.' What is the grammatical error in this sentence?
- The verb tense is incorrect.
- There is a subject-verb agreement error. (Correct answer)
- The sentence is a run-on.
- There is no error in the sentence.
Correct answer: There is a subject-verb agreement error.
When 'neither/nor' is used to connect two subjects (the victim, the witnesses), the verb should agree with the subject closest to it. Since 'witnesses' is plural, the verb should be plural ('were') instead of singular ('was'). The correct sentence is: 'Neither the victim nor the witnesses were able to provide a license plate number.'
NYPD Written Expression Questions and Answers
Which of the following sentences is the most clearly and professionally written for a police report?