PELLET B Writing Skills & Grammar Usage 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Select the sentence that uses commas correctly.
- The officer searched the vehicle, found the contraband, and placed the suspect under arrest. (Correct answer)
- The officer searched the vehicle found the contraband and placed the suspect under arrest.
- The officer, searched the vehicle, found the contraband and placed the suspect, under arrest.
- The officer searched the vehicle found, the contraband, and placed the suspect under arrest.
Correct answer: The officer searched the vehicle, found the contraband, and placed the suspect under arrest.
Option A correctly uses the Oxford comma in a three-item series.
The serial comma rule requires commas between items in a list.
Question 2: Which sentence correctly uses a semicolon?
- The suspect was apprehended at 2200 hours; the stolen property was recovered at the scene. (Correct answer)
- The suspect was apprehended; at 2200 hours the stolen property was recovered.
- The suspect; was apprehended at 2200 hours and the stolen property was recovered.
- The suspect was apprehended at 2200; hours the stolen property was recovered at the scene.
Correct answer: The suspect was apprehended at 2200 hours; the stolen property was recovered at the scene.
Option A correctly joins two related independent clauses.
Both clauses are complete thoughts connected by topic. The semicolon correctly links them.
Question 3: Choose the sentence with correct possessive form.
- The department's policy on overtime has been updated. (Correct answer)
- The departments policy on overtime has been updated.
- The departments' policy on overtime has been updated.
- The department policy's on overtime has been updated.
Correct answer: The department's policy on overtime has been updated.
One department's policy = singular possessive: department's.
Singular possessive: add 's to 'department.'
Question 4: Which correctly uses 'who' vs. 'whom'?
- The suspect whom the officer arrested was identified by two witnesses. (Correct answer)
- The suspect who the officer arrested was identified by two witnesses.
- The suspect whom arrested was identified by the officer and two witnesses.
- Whom arrested the suspect that was identified by two witnesses?
Correct answer: The suspect whom the officer arrested was identified by two witnesses.
'Whom' is correct as the object of 'arrested.'
The officer arrested whom (object). 'Who' is for subjects, 'whom' for objects.
Question 5: Identify correct use of 'affect' vs. 'effect.'
- The new training program will positively affect officer response times. (Correct answer)
- The new training program will positively effect officer response times.
- The new training program will have a positive affect on response times.
- The positive affect of the training program was noted.
Correct answer: The new training program will positively affect officer response times.
'Affect' is the verb meaning 'to influence.'
Option A correctly uses 'affect' as a verb. Options C and D incorrectly use 'affect' as a noun.
Question 6: Which demonstrates correct active voice for a report?
- I collected three shell casings from the parking lot. (Correct answer)
- Three shell casings were collected from the parking lot.
- The parking lot yielded three shell casings to collection.
- Collection of three shell casings from the parking lot occurred.
Correct answer: I collected three shell casings from the parking lot.
Active voice clearly identifies WHO performed the action.
'I collected' clearly documents who gathered the evidence. Passive voice omits the actor.
PELLET B Writing Skills & Grammar Usage 2
Select the sentence that uses commas correctly.