UDEE Officer Writing and Grammar Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An officer writes the following sentence in an incident report: 'The suspect, who was wearing a dark blue hoodie, was seen by the reporting officer climbing over the perimeter fence.' Which of the following revisions best improves this sentence for a police report?
- A dark blue hoodie was worn by the suspect seen climbing the perimeter fence.
- The suspect was wearing a dark blue hoodie and was seen climbing over the perimeter fence.
- I saw the suspect, who was wearing a dark blue hoodie, climb the perimeter fence. (Correct answer)
- The perimeter fence was being climbed by a suspect in a dark blue hoodie.
Correct answer: I saw the suspect, who was wearing a dark blue hoodie, climb the perimeter fence.
This sentence is the best revision because it uses the active voice ('I saw'), which is clear, direct, and takes responsibility for the observation. It is more concise and impactful than the original passive voice construction ('was seen by').
Question 2: Which of the following sentences, intended for a formal memo, is grammatically correct?
- Each of the officers' need to submit their timecards by Friday.
- The chief, along with the two captains, are attending the conference.
- A review of procedures and policies are scheduled for next week.
- Neither the access card nor the backup keys were found at the scene. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Neither the access card nor the backup keys were found at the scene.
This sentence is correct. When 'neither/nor' is used, the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. In this case, 'keys' is plural, so the plural verb 'were' is correct.
Question 3: An officer is writing notes for a report and wants to describe a driver's behavior. Which of the following sentences uses the most precise and objective language?
- The driver seemed nervous and was obviously trying to hide something.
- The driver's hands were visibly shaking, and he avoided eye contact. (Correct answer)
- The driver acted suspiciously and had a guilty look on his face.
- The driver's strange behavior made me believe he was breaking the law.
Correct answer: The driver's hands were visibly shaking, and he avoided eye contact.
This sentence is the most objective and precise. It states observable facts ('hands were visibly shaking,' 'avoided eye contact') rather than making subjective interpretations ('seemed nervous,' 'acted suspiciously,' 'guilty look'). Effective report writing relies on documenting facts, not drawing conclusions.
Question 4: Select the sentence that correctly uses punctuation.
- The vehicle, a blue sedan was parked illegally.
- The officer checked the building's entrances; all were secure. (Correct answer)
- The three suspects' storys did not match.
- Its important to follow procedure at all times.
Correct answer: The officer checked the building's entrances; all were secure.
This sentence correctly uses a semicolon to join two closely related independent clauses. A semicolon can be used in place of a period when the two sentences are linked thematically.
Question 5: An officer needs to complete the following sentence in a property log: 'The new screening protocol had a significant _______ on the time it takes to process visitors.' Which word correctly completes the sentence?
- affect
- affects
- effect (Correct answer)
- effects
Correct answer: effect
'Effect' is the correct choice because the sentence requires a noun meaning 'a result' or 'an influence.' 'Affect' is typically a verb meaning 'to influence.' The protocol had a result (an effect) on processing times.
Question 6: Which of the following sentences should be included in a professional incident report?
- I collared the perp as he tried to rabbit from the scene.
- The subject's vehicle was going way too fast for this area.
- The individual stated that he resides at 123 Main Street. (Correct answer)
- We got the call at about 10 p.m. and rolled out immediately.
Correct answer: The individual stated that he resides at 123 Main Street.
This sentence uses formal, neutral, and precise language suitable for a legal document. It avoids slang ('collared the perp', 'rabbit'), subjective judgments ('way too fast'), and informal phrasing ('We got the call', 'rolled out').
UDEE Officer Writing and Grammar Questions and Answers
An officer writes the following sentence in an incident report: 'The suspect, who was wearing a dark blue hoodie, was seen by the reporting officer climbing over the perimeter fence.' Which of the following revisions best improves this sentence for a police report?