Written Communication Skills Flashcards

An officer must write a general occurrence report about a stolen bicycle. Which information is LEAST essential to include?

Answer: The victim's opinion of who likely stole it

Opinions and speculation are not factual and should not be included as evidence in a report.

Which of the following sentences correctly uses the word 'affect' versus 'effect'?

Answer: The injury affected the suspect's ability to walk.

'Affect' is typically a verb meaning to influence; 'effect' is typically a noun meaning a result.

In the context of RCMP written communication, what is the purpose of using headers and subheadings in longer reports?

Answer: To help readers navigate sections and locate information quickly

Headers and subheadings improve navigability and allow readers to find relevant sections without reading the entire document.

Which of the following is the correct spelling?

Answer: Occurrence

'Occurrence' is spelled with double 'c' and double 'r' — a word commonly misspelled in police reports.

An officer writes: 'Me and my partner responded to the call.' What correction is needed?

Answer: Change 'Me and my partner' to 'My partner and I'

'My partner and I' is correct because 'I' is used as a subject pronoun, and listing yourself last is proper convention.

What is the main risk of using abbreviations without explanation in an official police report?

Answer: Readers unfamiliar with the abbreviation may misinterpret the document

Undefined abbreviations can confuse courts, lawyers, or other agencies who read the report.

Which of the following sentences uses parallel structure correctly?

Answer: The officer interviewed the victim, collected evidence, and wrote a report.

Parallel structure requires that verbs in a series share the same tense and form.