CJBAT Written Expression — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence is written most clearly and correctly for an official incident report?
- The suspect fled northbound on Main Street after the officer ordered him to stop. (Correct answer)
- After being told to stop by the officer, the suspect, he ran north on Main Street.
- The suspect, fleeing northbound, Main Street, after stop order by officer.
- On Main Street, northbound fleeing occurred after the suspect was stopped by order.
Correct answer: The suspect fled northbound on Main Street after the officer ordered him to stop.
Option A is clear, grammatically correct, and follows subject-verb-object order appropriate for official reports. Option B has a pronoun redundancy ('suspect, he'), Option C is a fragment, and Option D uses passive/awkward phrasing that obscures who did what.
Question 2: An officer writes: 'Me and my partner responded to the scene at 10:45 PM where the victim, she was found unconscious.' Which revision is correct?
- My partner and I responded to the scene at 10:45 PM, where the victim was found unconscious. (Correct answer)
- My partner and me responded to the scene at 10:45 PM where the victim she was found unconscious.
- Me and my partner responded to the scene at 10:45 PM, the victim found unconscious.
- I and my partner responded to the scene at 10:45 PM where victim was unconscious found.
Correct answer: My partner and I responded to the scene at 10:45 PM, where the victim was found unconscious.
The correct subject pronoun is 'I' not 'me' (test by removing 'my partner': 'I responded' is correct). 'Victim, she' is a pronoun redundancy. Option A corrects both errors and flows correctly as an official statement.
Question 3: Which version of the following sentence is best suited for an official police report?
- At approximately 2:15 AM, the complainant reported that her vehicle had been broken into. (Correct answer)
- The lady called around 2 in the morning saying somebody busted into her car.
- Complainant's car got broken into, she called at like 2 AM.
- Around 2 AM the car belonging to the victim was busted into, she called to report.
Correct answer: At approximately 2:15 AM, the complainant reported that her vehicle had been broken into.
Police reports require formal, precise language. Option A uses 'approximately' for time, identifies the person by their role ('complainant'), uses passive construction appropriately, and avoids slang. The other options use informal language ('lady', 'busted', 'like 2 AM') unsuitable for official documents.
Question 4: A correctional officer needs to document a cell inspection. Which sentence correctly reports the finding?
- During the inspection of Cell 14B at 0900 hours, one unauthorized cell phone was discovered beneath the mattress. (Correct answer)
- Cell 14B was inspected by me at 9 in the morning and there was a phone under the mattress which shouldn't have been there.
- I found a phone in cell 14B this morning it was under the mattress unauthorized.
- Under the mattress in 14B, a phone, unauthorized, found during morning inspection.
Correct answer: During the inspection of Cell 14B at 0900 hours, one unauthorized cell phone was discovered beneath the mattress.
Option A uses military time (appropriate for correctional facilities), identifies the specific cell, specifies what was found and exactly where, and labels it as 'unauthorized' — all elements of a complete, professional report entry. The other options use informal language, are run-ons, or are fragments.
Question 5: Which sentence contains a grammatical error that would be unacceptable in an official law enforcement report?
- The officer whom responded to the call secured the perimeter. (Correct answer)
- The officer who responded to the call secured the perimeter.
- The perimeter was secured by the officer who responded to the call.
- Upon responding to the call, the officer secured the perimeter.
Correct answer: The officer whom responded to the call secured the perimeter.
'Whom' is used for objects of a verb or preposition; 'who' is used for subjects. In this sentence, the pronoun is the subject of 'responded,' so 'who' is correct. Option A uses 'whom' incorrectly, making it grammatically wrong for an official document.
Question 6: An officer must write a description of a suspect for a BOLO (Be On the Lookout) bulletin. Which version is most effective?
- Suspect is described as a male, approximately 6'1", 190 lbs., wearing a gray hoodie and blue jeans, last seen heading westbound on Oak Avenue. (Correct answer)
- The guy is tall and heavy, wearing gray stuff, he went west somewhere on Oak Avenue.
- Male suspect, tall, gray hoodie, Oak Avenue westbound, heavy set, blue jeans.
- A man who is around 6 feet, heavy, in gray and jeans, was last seen going towards the west on Oak.
Correct answer: Suspect is described as a male, approximately 6'1", 190 lbs., wearing a gray hoodie and blue jeans, last seen heading westbound on Oak Avenue.
A BOLO must be precise and organized: gender, specific measurements, clothing description, and last known direction of travel. Option A provides exact height and weight, specific clothing colors, and a precise street with direction. The other options are vague, fragmented, or too informal to be actionable for responding officers.
CJBAT Written Expression
Which sentence is written most clearly and correctly for an official incident report?