Writing Ability Flashcards

Which sentence correctly uses 'their,' 'there,' and 'they're'?

Answer: The officers found their vehicle over there.

'Their' shows possession, 'there' indicates location, and 'they're' is a contraction of 'they are.'

An officer writes: 'I seen the vehicle flee northbound on Main Street.' What should be corrected?

Answer: 'seen' should be 'saw'

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

Which principle is most important when organizing information in a police report?

Answer: Chronological or logical order

Reports organized chronologically or logically are easiest for courts and other officers to follow.

Which sentence is free of spelling errors?

Answer: The perpetrator fled the premises immediately.

All other options contain misspellings of 'perpetrator,' 'premises,' or 'immediately.'

An officer reports: 'I contacted Smith, Jones, and Williams, they all confirmed the story.' What error is present?

Answer: Comma splice

A comma splice joins two independent clauses with only a comma; a semicolon or period is required.

Which word is the correct choice? 'The officer ______ the evidence carefully.'

Answer: documented

'Documented' is the correct past tense of 'document'; the other options are not standard English words.

Which of the following is an example of objective language in a report?

Answer: The suspect's hands were trembling and his voice was shaking.

Objective language describes observable, measurable behaviors rather than interpretations or conclusions.