PPAER Written Communication Skills 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An officer is writing an incident report about a domestic disturbance. Which of the following best describes the appropriate tone?
- Sympathetic and emotional toward the victim
- Objective and factual without personal opinion (Correct answer)
- Accusatory toward the suspected aggressor
- Informal to make the report more relatable
Correct answer: Objective and factual without personal opinion
Police reports must be objective and factual, avoiding personal opinions or emotional language that could bias the record.
Question 2: Which sentence uses the active voice correctly?
- The suspect was apprehended by Officer Davis.
- The report was completed by the detective.
- Officer Davis apprehended the suspect. (Correct answer)
- The evidence was collected at the scene.
Correct answer: Officer Davis apprehended the suspect.
Active voice places the subject performing the action first, making writing clearer and more direct.
Question 3: When documenting witness statements in a police report, an officer should:
- Paraphrase all statements to make them easier to read
- Record exact quotes whenever possible and note they are direct quotes (Correct answer)
- Summarize statements and omit minor details
- Combine similar statements from multiple witnesses into one
Correct answer: Record exact quotes whenever possible and note they are direct quotes
Recording exact quotes preserves accuracy and evidentiary value; paraphrasing or combining statements can alter meaning.
Question 4: An officer writes: 'The vehicle was a red, 2018, four-door sedan.' What is the grammatical term for the commas used in this sentence?
- Oxford commas
- Serial commas separating a list
- Commas after introductory clauses
- Commas separating coordinate adjectives (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Commas separating coordinate adjectives
Commas between coordinate adjectives (each independently modifying the noun) separate equal modifiers describing the same noun.
Question 5: Which of the following is the most precise and appropriate way to describe a suspect's location in a report?
- The suspect was somewhere near the back of the building.
- The suspect was located approximately 20 feet north of the rear exit door. (Correct answer)
- The suspect was hiding out back.
- The suspect was in the general area behind the structure.
Correct answer: The suspect was located approximately 20 feet north of the rear exit door.
Precise measurements and directional references provide legally useful, verifiable details that vague descriptions cannot.
Question 6: Which word correctly completes this sentence: 'The officer was unsure _____ the suspect had fled north or south.'
- weather
- whether (Correct answer)
- wether
- whither
Correct answer: whether
'Whether' introduces an alternative or indirect question, making it the correct choice in this context.
Question 7: A report states: 'Upon arrival I observed the front door was ajar, the lights were on and I could hear shouting from inside.' What is the primary error?
- Use of first person
- Missing commas after 'arrival' and before 'and I' (Correct answer)
- Use of passive voice
- Overly technical language
Correct answer: Missing commas after 'arrival' and before 'and I'
A comma is needed after the introductory phrase 'Upon arrival' and before the final independent clause 'and I could hear shouting from inside.'
PPAER Written Communication Skills 2
An officer is writing an incident report about a domestic disturbance.
Which of the following best describes the appropriate tone?