PELLET B Test Writing Error Identification Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An officer is proofreading their incident report. Which of the following sentences contains a spelling error?
- The suspect's vehicle was impounded pending further investigation.
- The evidence was properly sealed and submitted to the forensics lab.
- The officer's primary responsibility is to ensure public safety.
- We recieved a description of the perpetrator from two witnesses. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: We recieved a description of the perpetrator from two witnesses.
The word 'received' is misspelled as 'recieved'. A common spelling rule is 'i before e, except after c', which applies here.
Question 2: Identify the sentence that uses an apostrophe incorrectly.
- The two officers' reports were submitted simultaneously.
- The car lost it's front tire during the pursuit. (Correct answer)
- Who's going to process the evidence at the scene?
- The victim couldn't identify the suspect's face.
Correct answer: The car lost it's front tire during the pursuit.
The word 'it's' is a contraction for 'it is'. The possessive pronoun is 'its'. The sentence requires the possessive form to show the tire belongs to the car: 'its front tire'.
Question 3: Which of the following sentences from a field report contains a subject-verb agreement error?
- Each of the suspects were read their Miranda rights. (Correct answer)
- The team of detectives is working on several cold cases.
- There are multiple pieces of evidence to consider.
- The chief, along with the captains, has approved the new policy.
Correct answer: Each of the suspects were read their Miranda rights.
The subject of the sentence is 'Each,' which is a singular pronoun. Therefore, the verb must also be singular ('was') to agree with the subject. The prepositional phrase 'of the suspects' does not change the fact that the subject is singular.
Question 4: An officer is writing about an interaction between a suspect and a witness. Which sentence is unclear due to an ambiguous pronoun?
- The victim identified the suspect in a photo lineup.
- The suspect dropped the wallet, and the officer recovered it.
- After the suspect spoke with the witness, he left the scene. (Correct answer)
- Officer Jones and his partner secured the perimeter.
Correct answer: After the suspect spoke with the witness, he left the scene.
The pronoun 'he' is ambiguous because it is unclear whether it refers to the suspect or the witness. A clearer sentence would specify who left, such as, 'After speaking with the witness, the suspect left the scene.'
Question 5: Which of the following should be revised because it is a sentence fragment, not a complete sentence?
- The officer interviewed the witness at the station.
- Forensics processed the evidence carefully.
- Stop right there!
- While the suspect was running through the alley. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: While the suspect was running through the alley.
This is a sentence fragment because it is a dependent clause that does not express a complete thought. It starts with a subordinating conjunction ('While') but lacks an independent clause to finish the idea (e.g., 'While the suspect was running through the alley, he dropped the stolen purse.').
Question 6: From the options below, select the sentence that contains an error in word usage.
- First, the officer secured the scene, than he called for backup. (Correct answer)
- The detective advised the suspect of his right to an attorney.
- The suspect's story was too incredible to be believed.
- The investigation revealed that two separate individuals were involved.
Correct answer: First, the officer secured the scene, than he called for backup.
The word 'than' is a conjunction used for comparisons (e.g., 'more than'). The word 'then' is an adverb used to indicate a sequence of events or time. The sentence describes a sequence of actions, so the correct word is 'then'.
PELLET B Test Writing Error Identification Questions and Answers 1
An officer is proofreading their incident report.
Which of the following sentences contains a spelling error?