Written Communication and Grammar Flashcards
6 cards from real Frontline National Test practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Written Communication and Grammar flashcards as text
Which of the following sentences from an incident report is punctuated correctly?
Answer: After an extensive search of the area, officers were unable to locate the suspect.
This sentence correctly uses a comma to separate the introductory clause ('After an extensive search of the area') from the main clause ('officers were unable to locate the suspect'). This is a standard rule for clarity in writing.
You are reviewing a fellow officer's report and find the following sentence. Which version is grammatically correct? 'A collection of recovered pieces of evidence ______ placed in the evidence locker.'
Answer: was
The subject of the sentence is the singular noun 'collection,' not the plural noun 'pieces.' Therefore, the singular verb 'was' is required to agree with the subject. The prepositional phrase 'of recovered pieces of evidence' does not change the subject.
For an official law enforcement report, which of the following sentences is written in the most clear, direct, and effective style?
Answer: I placed the suspect in handcuffs.
This sentence uses the active voice ('I placed'), which is the preferred style for report writing because it is clear, concise, and unambiguously states who performed the action. The other options use the passive voice, which can be wordy and obscure the person performing the action.
Which of the following sentences uses the words 'affect' and 'effect' correctly?
Answer: The primary effect of the new lighting was a decrease in crime, which should positively affect community relations.
This sentence correctly uses 'effect' as a noun meaning 'result' or 'outcome,' and 'affect' as a verb meaning 'to influence.' This is the most common and standard usage for these two words.
An officer is writing a report about a multi-officer response. Which sentence uses pronouns correctly?
Answer: Sgt. Jones gave the commendations to my partner and me.
In this sentence, 'my partner and me' are the objects of the preposition 'to.' 'Me' is the correct objective case pronoun. A simple way to check is to remove 'my partner and'; the sentence would correctly read 'Sgt. Jones gave the commendations to me,' not 'to I.'
An officer writes the following sentence in a report: 'The suspect ran across the street and he jumped over a fence and then he hid behind a car.' Which of the following is the BEST revision for clarity and conciseness?
Answer: The suspect ran across the street, jumped over a fence, and then hid behind a car.
This revision correctly uses parallel structure ('ran... jumped... hid') to create a concise, clear, and grammatically correct sentence. It eliminates the repetitive 'and he' construction, making the report more professional and easier to read.