UDEE - Uniformed Division Entrance Officer Writing and Grammar Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An officer is writing a report about a witness's behavior. Which of the following statements is the most objective and suitable for the report?
- The witness refused to provide a statement and frequently looked towards the door. (Correct answer)
- The witness was clearly nervous and probably hiding something.
- The witness had a suspicious attitude and was not helpful at all.
- I believe the witness was being deceptive because he wouldn't make eye contact.
Correct answer: The witness refused to provide a statement and frequently looked towards the door.
Official reports must be based on objective, factual observations. Stating that the witness refused to provide a statement and looked towards the door describes specific, observable actions. The other options express subjective opinions, assumptions, or beliefs ('clearly nervous', 'suspicious attitude', 'I believe'), which are inappropriate for a report.
Question 2: Clear and effective police reports are typically written in the active voice. Which of the following sentences should be revised because it is written in the passive voice?
- Officer Miller secured the crime scene perimeter.
- The stolen property was discovered in the suspect's vehicle by me. (Correct answer)
- The complainant provided a detailed description of the perpetrator.
- I interviewed three witnesses at the location.
Correct answer: The stolen property was discovered in the suspect's vehicle by me.
The sentence 'The stolen property was discovered in the suspect's vehicle by me' is in the passive voice because the subject ('The stolen property') is receiving the action. The active voice is more direct and clearly states who performed the action: 'I discovered the stolen property in the suspect's vehicle.' The other sentences are all in the active voice.
Question 3: Which of the following sentences is the most clearly and concisely written for an official report?
- It was at that point in time that the individual was observed by me as he proceeded to make his exit from the building.
- The individual, who appeared to be in a hurry, was seen leaving the building.
- I observed the individual exit the building. (Correct answer)
- Subsequent to my arrival, the aforementioned individual effectuated a departure from the premises.
Correct answer: I observed the individual exit the building.
The sentence 'I observed the individual exit the building' is the most clear and concise option. It uses simple, direct language and the active voice. The other options are wordy, use unnecessary jargon ('effectuated a departure'), or are written in the less-direct passive voice.
Question 4: An officer is proofreading a report narrative. Which of the following sentences contains a grammatical error, specifically a comma splice?
- The suspect was read his rights; he requested a lawyer.
- After searching the area, officers located the missing evidence.
- The witness was cooperative and provided a written statement.
- The alarm was activated at 0200, the first unit arrived at 0205. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The alarm was activated at 0200, the first unit arrived at 0205.
The sentence 'The alarm was activated at 0200, the first unit arrived at 0205' contains a comma splice. A comma splice occurs when two independent clauses (complete sentences) are joined together with only a comma. This error can be corrected by using a period, a semicolon, or a comma followed by a conjunction (e.g., '...at 0200, and the first...').
Question 5: Which of the following sentences contains a spelling error?
- The officer was assigned to conduct surveillance on the warehouse.
- The incident occurred within the designated perimeter.
- It is necessary to file a seperate report for the recovered property. (Correct answer)
- The defendant's behavior was consistently aggressive.
Correct answer: It is necessary to file a seperate report for the recovered property.
The word 'seperate' is misspelled; the correct spelling is 'separate'. This is a common spelling error. All other words in the sentences are spelled correctly.
Question 6: Which sentence uses apostrophes correctly to show possession?
- Both officers' statements were consistent with the video evidence. (Correct answer)
- The three witness's stories did not match.
- Its important to log all evidence properly.
- The patrol cars' tires were all replaced last month.
Correct answer: Both officers' statements were consistent with the video evidence.
The phrase 'Both officers' statements' correctly uses a plural possessive apostrophe (s'). 'officers' is plural, and the apostrophe goes after the 's' to show possession. 'witness's' is an incorrect plural possessive (should be witnesses'). 'Its' is possessive, while 'It's' is a contraction for 'it is'. 'cars'' is redundant; 'cars'' should be 'cars'.
UDEE - Uniformed Division Entrance Officer Writing and Grammar Questions and Answers 1
An officer is writing a report about a witness's behavior.
Which of the following statements is the most objective and suitable for the report?