POST Written Communication and Grammar 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following sentences correctly uses a colon?
- The officer: noticed three items missing.
- The report included the following: a witness statement, photographs, and a diagram. (Correct answer)
- Evidence was: collected and labeled.
- The suspect: ran north on Main Street.
Correct answer: The report included the following: a witness statement, photographs, and a diagram.
A colon is used after a complete independent clause to introduce a list or additional information.
Question 2: When writing a use-of-force report, why is specific, factual language critical?
- To impress supervisors with vocabulary
- To support legal defensibility and accurate review of the incident (Correct answer)
- To make the report longer and more detailed
- To match the tone of media reports
Correct answer: To support legal defensibility and accurate review of the incident
Specific factual language in use-of-force reports ensures accountability and withstands scrutiny in legal and administrative review.
Question 3: Which word is spelled correctly in the context of law enforcement reports?
- Recieve
- Occurance
- Corroborate (Correct answer)
- Persue
Correct answer: Corroborate
'Corroborate' is spelled correctly; the others contain common misspellings.
Question 4: An officer's report reads: 'Having arrived at the scene, the evidence was immediately visible.' This is an example of:
- Correct use of the past perfect tense
- A dangling modifier (Correct answer)
- An effective passive construction
- An objective observation
Correct answer: A dangling modifier
The participial phrase 'Having arrived at the scene' dangles because it implies the evidence arrived, not the officer.
Question 5: Which format is most appropriate for listing multiple items in a formal police report?
- Slashes between items (knife/gun/phone)
- A bulleted or numbered list, or items separated by commas in a clear sentence (Correct answer)
- All items in parentheses
- Items written in ALL CAPS
Correct answer: A bulleted or numbered list, or items separated by commas in a clear sentence
Formal reports use standard list formatting or clearly punctuated sentences to enumerate multiple items for readability.
Question 6: Which sentence is written in the correct tense for documenting a past event in a report?
- The suspect runs toward the vehicle.
- The officer will secure the scene.
- The witness stated she heard three gunshots. (Correct answer)
- Dispatch is notifying all units.
Correct answer: The witness stated she heard three gunshots.
Police reports documenting past events should use past tense consistently, as in 'stated' and 'heard.'
Question 7: What is the best way to handle an acronym's first use in a formal report?
- Use only the acronym throughout
- Spell out the full term followed by the acronym in parentheses (Correct answer)
- Place the acronym in quotation marks
- Use the acronym only in headings, not the narrative
Correct answer: Spell out the full term followed by the acronym in parentheses
Standard practice is to write the full term with the acronym in parentheses on first use, then use the acronym alone afterward.
POST Written Communication and Grammar 5
Which of the following sentences correctly uses a colon?