Verbal Expression (Writing Ability) on the NCJOSI-2

Writing ability is the ability to put information into writing that other people will understand exactly as you meant it. A police report may be read by supervisors, prosecutors, defense attorneys and juries, so a confusing sentence can cause real problems.

This page explains what these questions ask of you, gives you one to try, and covers the errors that show up most often.

What the questions ask you to do

Writing questions usually test whether you can recognize clear, correct written English. You might be asked which sentence is written most clearly and correctly, which word is misspelled, or which version of a report sentence has no errors.

Most of these questions come down to a small set of rules: complete sentences, correct punctuation, words that agree with each other, and descriptions attached to the right person or thing.

Try a practice question

This question is original practice content written by Badge & Hose. Every name, place and rule in it is fictional.

Which sentence is written without any errors?

  1. Each of the three witnesses were interviewed at the scene before noon.
  2. Each of the three witness's was interviewed at the scene before noon.
  3. Each of the three witnesses was interviewed at the seen before noon.
  4. Each of the three witnesses was interviewed at the scene before noon.
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: Each of the three witnesses was interviewed at the scene before noon.

The subject of this sentence is "each," which is singular, so it takes the singular verb "was." "Witnesses" is spelled as a plain plural, and "scene" is the right word for a place where something happened.

The other sentences each contain one error. "Each … were" pairs a singular subject with a plural verb. "Witness's" uses an apostrophe, which shows possession, where a simple plural is needed. "Seen" is a form of "see," not a place.

A method for writing questions

  1. Find the subject and verb

    Ask who did what. In a correct sentence, you can find them easily, and nothing strange comes between them, like a single stray comma.

  2. Check what each description is attached to

    A phrase at the start of a sentence describes whatever comes right after the comma. If that is the wrong person or thing, the sentence is wrong.

  3. Count the complete thoughts

    Two complete thoughts need a period, a semicolon, or a joining word like "and" or "but." A comma alone isn't enough.

  4. Choose the clearest correct option

    If two choices seem correct, pick the one a reader would understand on the first read. In report writing, clear beats fancy.

Common mistakes

Being fooled by words between the subject and verb. In "each of the three witnesses," the subject is "each," not "witnesses."

Missing misplaced descriptions. Sentences like "Running down the alley, the gun fell out of his pocket" are some of the most commonly tested errors.

Ignoring commas. A single comma can decide the answer. Look for commas that split a subject from its verb or that join two complete sentences.

Mixing up similar words. Pairs like "their/there/they're," "affect/effect" and "then/than" are easy to miss when you read quickly.

Practice more writing questions

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