LAPD - Los Angeles Police Department Writing Clarity and Grammar Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following sentences is the clearest and most appropriate for a police report?
- The suspect, who seemed to be agitated, was pacing back and forth and was looking around nervously near the vehicles in the parking lot.
- I observed the suspect pacing back and forth near the vehicles in the parking lot. His fists were clenched and he was scanning the area. (Correct answer)
- The suspect was acting in a suspicious manner in the parking lot where the cars were, and his behavior made me think he was going to do something.
- It was observed that the suspect was moving in an erratic way near the cars in the lot, causing concern.
Correct answer: I observed the suspect pacing back and forth near the vehicles in the parking lot. His fists were clenched and he was scanning the area.
The correct sentence is written in the first-person, active voice ('I observed...'). It states objective facts (pacing, clenched fists, scanning) without making subjective conclusions like 'agitated' or 'suspicious manner'. Police reports require clear, objective, and factual descriptions of events.
Question 2: Identify the sentence that contains a grammatical error.
- Officer Ramirez and I responded to the scene.
- The witness described the vehicle in great detail.
- Each of the reports were filed before the end of the shift. (Correct answer)
- The evidence was properly collected and secured.
Correct answer: Each of the reports were filed before the end of the shift.
The error is in subject-verb agreement. The subject of the sentence is 'Each,' which is singular. Therefore, the verb should also be singular ('was'), not plural ('were'). The correct sentence would be: 'Each of the reports was filed before the end of the shift.'
Question 3: An officer is writing a report about a traffic collision. Which sentence uses the correct grammar and word choice?
- The driver said their were no injuries, but the passenger complained of neck pain.
- Its a two-door sedan, and it's color is dark blue.
- The vehicle lost its front bumper in the collision. (Correct answer)
- The two drivers began to loose there tempers at the scene.
Correct answer: The vehicle lost its front bumper in the collision.
This sentence correctly uses 'its' as a possessive pronoun. 'It's' is a contraction for 'it is.' The other options contain common errors: 'their' should be 'there,' 'It's' is used incorrectly for the possessive 'its,' and 'loose' (not tight) should be 'lose' (to misplace), while 'there' should be 'their'.
Question 4: Which of the following statements is written in the preferred active voice for a police report?
- The suspect was apprehended by Officer Chen at 1430 hours.
- The firearm was found under the driver's seat of the vehicle.
- Officer Chen apprehended the suspect at 1430 hours. (Correct answer)
- The Miranda rights were read to the suspect.
Correct answer: Officer Chen apprehended the suspect at 1430 hours.
This sentence is in the active voice, where the subject ('Officer Chen') performs the action ('apprehended'). This is the preferred style for police reports as it clearly identifies who performed the action. The other options are in the passive voice, which can be less clear.
Question 5: An officer needs to document a witness's statement. Which of the following is the most clearly and correctly written sentence?
- The witness stated that, 'He saw the man run out of the store.'
- The witness stated, "He seen the man run out of the store."
- The witness stated that he saw the man run out of the store. (Correct answer)
- The witness stated, he saw the man run out of the store and he was carrying a bag.
Correct answer: The witness stated that he saw the man run out of the store.
This sentence correctly reports the witness's statement using indirect discourse. It is grammatically sound and clear. Option A uses an unnecessary comma. Option B uses incorrect grammar ('seen' instead of 'saw'). Option D is a run-on sentence that needs a conjunction or to be split into two sentences.
Question 6: Choose the sentence that is grammatically correct and most concise for an official report.
- At that point in time, we made the decision to effect an arrest of the individual.
- Upon arrival, the location was secured by me and my partner.
- We arrived at the residence, conducted a search, and found the stolen property. (Correct answer)
- It was determined by responding officers that the suspect had already fled from the scene prior to our arrival.
Correct answer: We arrived at the residence, conducted a search, and found the stolen property.
This sentence is clear, concise, and written in the active voice. It uses simple, direct language to describe a sequence of events. The other options are wordy ('at that point in time'), use passive voice ('was secured by me'), or contain redundancies ('fled from the scene prior to our arrival'). Effective report writing avoids unnecessary jargon and wordiness.
LAPD - Los Angeles Police Department Writing Clarity and Grammar Questions and Answers 1
Which of the following sentences is the clearest and most appropriate for a police report?