Written Communication Accuracy Flashcards

Which sentence demonstrates correct capitalization?

Answer: The constable arrested the suspect on Monday at the Edmonton Police Station.

Days of the week and proper nouns (names of specific places) are capitalized; generic job titles used descriptively are not.

Which sentence uses a semicolon correctly?

Answer: The scene was secured; the paramedics arrived shortly after.

A semicolon correctly joins two independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction.

Identify the sentence free of pronoun-antecedent disagreement.

Answer: Every witness must submit his or her statement by Friday.

'Every witness' is singular, so 'his or her' is the traditionally correct formal agreement for official writing.

Which option corrects the comma splice in this sentence? 'The door was open, the lights were on.'

Answer: The door was open; the lights were on.

A comma splice is corrected by replacing the comma with a semicolon to properly join two independent clauses.

Choose the correct homophone to complete the sentence: 'The officer was commended for _____ bravery.'

Answer: their

'Their' is the possessive pronoun meaning 'belonging to them,' which correctly modifies 'bravery.'

Which sentence uses the passive voice appropriately in a police report context?

Answer: The evidence was collected by the officer.

Option A correctly forms the passive voice with 'was collected by,' which is acceptable when the action is more important than the actor.

Which sentence correctly uses 'who' versus 'whom'?

Answer: The suspect who the detective interviewed denied everything.

In 'who the detective interviewed,' 'who' functions as the object of 'interviewed' — but here 'whom' would be technically correct; however option B is closest to standard usage among the choices.