DELPOE Grammar and Spelling 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence is most appropriate for a formal police report?
- Me and my partner seen the suspect flee the scene.
- My partner and I saw the suspect flee the scene. (Correct answer)
- My partner and me seen the suspect flee.
- The suspect was saw by my partner and I.
Correct answer: My partner and I saw the suspect flee the scene.
'My partner and I' is the correct subject pronoun, and 'saw' is the correct past tense of 'see.'
Question 2: Which word is spelled correctly?
- Suspeckt
- Suspeck
- Suspect (Correct answer)
- Susppect
Correct answer: Suspect
'Suspect' is spelled with 'su-s-p-e-c-t,' ending with a 'ct' consonant cluster.
Question 3: Choose the correctly spelled word: The officer had to _______ whether to pursue the suspect.
- desied
- decidde
- decide (Correct answer)
- decied
Correct answer: decide
'Decide' is the correct spelling, ending in '-ide.'
Question 4: Which sentence correctly uses a semicolon?
- The officer arrived; quickly and assessed the scene.
- The officer arrived on scene; she immediately called for backup. (Correct answer)
- The officer; arrived and assessed the scene quickly.
- The scene was chaotic, the officer remained; calm.
Correct answer: The officer arrived on scene; she immediately called for backup.
A semicolon correctly joins two independent clauses: 'The officer arrived on scene' and 'she immediately called for backup.'
Question 5: Which of the following is the correct plural of 'testimony'?
- Testimonys
- Testimonyes
- Testimonies (Correct answer)
- Testimones
Correct answer: Testimonies
Words ending in a consonant + 'y' form plurals by changing 'y' to 'ies': testimony → testimonies.
Question 6: Which sentence contains a subject-verb agreement error?
- The officers were on patrol when the call came in.
- Neither the sergeant nor the officers was available. (Correct answer)
- The evidence collected at the scene supports the charges.
- Each of the recruits was required to pass the physical test.
Correct answer: Neither the sergeant nor the officers was available.
With 'neither...nor,' the verb agrees with the closer subject; 'officers' is plural, so the verb should be 'were,' not 'was.'
DELPOE Grammar and Spelling 2
Which sentence is most appropriate for a formal police report?