Chapter 2 Communications Unit 4 Lesson 3 PDF

Unit 4 Report Writing Lesson 3 Mechanics Lesson Goal You will be able to use proper grammar and sentence structure to write a report. Think About This Officer Lee wrote the incident report, and this was the first sentence in the report: “I had seen them Inmates fighting at approximately roun...

Unit 4 Report Writing Lesson 3 Mechanics Lesson Goal You will be able to use proper grammar and sentence structure to write a report. Think About This Officer Lee wrote the incident report, and this was the first sentence in the report: “I had seen them Inmates fighting at approximately roun too o’clock.” What’s wrong with this sentence? How can this sentence be written free of mechanical errors? The content of a report is often seen as the most important element of a report. However, gram- mar, punctuation, and spelling are equally important elements of a quality report. Mechanical errors will distract from the message, may change the meaning of a sentence, and reflect poorly on the writer’s competence and professionalism. An effective, well-written report should be free of errors in sentence structure, grammar, and other writing mechanics. Standard vs. Non-standard English ✅ CO243.1. Understand the difference between standard and non-standard English Standard English refers to the form of language used when speaking and writing wherever English is spoken and understood. Non-standard English is casual or regional, may involve slang, and sometimes does not follow recognized grammatical rules or spelling. Always prepare reports using Standard English. Proper Grammar Proper grammar is defined by the rules and guidelines that govern a language’s usage and makes it possible for users to have the same understandings of its sounds and symbols. Be conscious of grammatical rules when writing reports. Recognizing the parts of speech and using them properly makes for streamlined and effective reports. Proper Sentence Structure A sentence is a group of words that contains a subject (a noun or pronoun), a verb (action), and usually an object (a noun or pronoun that is affected or receives action) that expresses a complete thought. The subject and verb in each sentence must agree in number. A singular subject must have a singular verb, and a plural subject must have a plural verb. Chapter 2 Communications / 65  Part of Description Example Speech Officer Andrew responded name of a person, place, or thing—inmate, noun to the disturbance in the cellblock, handcuff, officer dormitory. describes action or state of being—ran, The fire started in the verb walked, ordered, appeared, seemed laundry room. a substitute for a noun—I, me, she, her, he, The inmate said she was not pronoun him, it, you, they, them coming out of her cell. describes a noun or pronoun—large, The officer tried talking to the adjective dangerous, blue, burly upset inmate. describes, identifies, or quantifies a verb, Backup officers arrived quickly adverb adjective, or another adverb—easily, warmly, to assist with the situation. quickly, mainly, freely, often shows how something is related to another word or phrase and shows space, time, or The fire started in the garbage preposition logical relationship of an object to the rest can near the door. of the sentence—above, near, at, by, after, with, from word that joins other words, phrases, clauses The officer did not go to conjunction or sentences—and, as, since, but, or, because, work today, because he was so, until, while needed in court. The following are some examples of sentences with correct and incorrect structure: Example: “They are brothers” is correct since the subject, they, and the verb, are, are both plural. “They is brothers” is incorrect because the singular verb, is, does not agree with the plural subject, they. Use the correct verb tense. Example: Since officers write reports in the past tense, they should write, “And then, I saw the subject,” not “And then, I see the subject,” or “And then, I seen the subject.” ✅ CO243.2. Understand the importance of applying proper sentence structure when writing a report Understanding the parts that make up a simple sentence will help you write proper sentences. The subject of a sentence tells what or who performs an action; the verb states the action, exis- tence, or state of being of the subject. The object indicates what or who is affected or receives the action of the verb. 66 / Florida Basic Recruit Training Program (CO): Volume 1  John hit Monica. subject verb object A sentence fragment is a group of words that lacks a subject or verb or fails to express a complete thought. Avoid fragments such as “Witnessed a fight on the rec yard.” Because the sentence has no subject, it is unclear who witnessed the fight. “The knife on the floor next to the body” should be “the knife was lying on the floor next to the body,” or “I saw the knife lying on the floor next to the body.” Incorrect grammar and sentence structure can damage your credibility by affecting the accuracy and readability of your report. Correct Spelling and Capitalization ✅ CO243.3. Use proper spelling and capitalization rules when writing a report Spell words correctly in your reports. If you are using a computer to write a report, be sure to use the spellcheck feature, but remember that spellcheck does not always know whether you have used the correct word; it generally only knows if you have misspelled the word. Example: “The thief took there money” may not be flagged by spellcheck. Have another person proofread your report to ensure that you use the correct words. If you are unsure of the spelling of a word, consider using a different word. Example: Instead of “penitentiary,” an officer might use “prison.” Instead of “contusion,” an officer could use “bruise.” You can also use a dictionary to check your spelling when writing a report by hand. Whichever method you choose to check your spelling, use it consistently during the entire evaluation process of the report. Refer to the commonly misspelled words table for the correct spelling of some commonly misspelled words. Commonly Misspelled Words absence approximately delinquent negligence sheriff accessory argument deposition occasionally statute accident barbiturate disciplinary occurred surveillance accomplice colonel en route omitted suspicious acquittal committed grievance possession trial aggravate conscious incoherent receive unconscious alleged conspicuous license seize unnecessary amphetamine contraband lieutenant separate vicious apprehend convenience maintenance sergeant which Chapter 2 Communications / 67 Some agencies recommend or require the use of all capital letters in reports. When not using all capitals, the following capitalization rules apply: 1. Capitalize the names of people, cities, states, and streets. “I spoke with the victim, Greg Alexander, at his house on 999 Monroe Street in Tallahassee, Florida.” 2. Capitalize the names of specific organizations and buildings. “The neighborhood meeting will be held at the city hall.” (non-specific) “The Oakbrook Neighborhood Association meeting will be held at the Tallahassee City Hall.” (specific) 3. Capitalize days, months, and holidays. “Independence Day is on Saturday, July 4th.” 4. Capitalize geographic locations but not directions. “She is from the South.” (specific region or location) “I drove south on Monroe Street.” (direction) 5. Capitalize titles of professionals only when names are used. “I spoke to the inmate to explain the situation.” (inmate not named) “I spoke to Inmate Smith to explain the situation.” (inmate named) 6. Capitalize brand names. “Mr. Jones says that his Smith & Wesson revolver was stolen.” Homophones Homophones are words that are easily confused in use and spelling. They sound the same but have different spellings and meanings. Examples include: accept except two too to they’re their there right write rite wright site sight cite its it’s 68 / Florida Basic Recruit Training Program (CO): Volume 1  seen scene knot not naught night knight ad add aisle I’ll isle buy by bye know no raised razed rain reign rein seas sees seize principle principal personal personnel where wear were ware weather whether ordinance ordnance Proper Punctuation ✅ CO243.4. Use proper punctuation when writing a report Improper punctuation can result in confusing or even misleading reports. The comma is prob- ably the most misused punctuation mark, and they should be not inserted whenever the writer desires a pause. There are specific rules covering the use of commas: 1. Use a comma to separate two complete sentences joined by a coordinating conjunction. There are seven coordinating conjunctions: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so—sometimes remembered as “fanboys.” I met with the victim, and she gave me a statement. (Correct) I met with the victim, she gave me a statement. (Incorrect) If the two complete sentences are not joined by a coordinating conjunction, use a semi- colon or period to separate them. I met with the victim, she gave me a statement. (Incorrect) I met with the victim; she gave me a statement. (Correct) I met with the victim. She gave me a statement. (Correct) Chapter 2 Communications / 69  2. Use a comma after an introductory clause (a group of words with a subject and verb). When the alarm sounded, the officer ran to his post. 3. Use a comma to separate items in a series of three or more items. The victim said his digital camera, television, DVD player, radio, and computer were stolen. 4. Use a comma to separate non-restrictive (unimportant) phrases in a sentence. A phrase is a group of words that forms a grammatical unit, though not necessarily a complete sentence; it is considered non-restrictive when it can be omitted without disturbing the correctness of the grammar. The fingerprints, which I found on the window, belong to the victim. 5. Use a comma between two or more adjectives when they separately describe the same noun. The inmate used a small, metal object to cut his own arm. Do not place a comma between two or more adjectives if the phrase does not make sense when you reverse the order of the adjectives or when you add “and” between the adjectives. He threw the white toaster oven at me. (You wouldn’t say: “He threw the toaster white oven at me” or “he threw the white and toaster oven at me.”) 6. Use a comma to introduce a quote. When I confronted her, she said, “I’m going to burn this place down.” 7. Use commas when writing dates in the month-day-year sequence and when writing addresses. The first robbery occurred on January 12, 2019, at 345 Monroe Street, Talla- hassee, Florida. Apostrophes and Quotation Marks Other common punctuation to be aware of are apostrophes and quotation marks. Below are a few rules to keep in mind: 1. An apostrophe is used to show possession or to create a contraction. Possession means that certain objects or qualities belong to a person or thing. An officer’s size and skill are factors to consider in making a decision to use force. 2. A contraction is the result of combining two words. Contractions should not be used in reports except when documenting a direct quote. 70 / Florida Basic Recruit Training Program (CO): Volume 1  Inmate Smith does not want Officer Jones to search his cell. “You don’t need to check my cell,” Smith yelled. 3. Sometimes, a person’s exact words may be used in an incident report. If using a direct quote, you must place quotation marks around the person’s words. An example of a direct quote is: Inmate Smith said, “Go ahead and search.” 4. Quotation marks are not used when paraphrasing or summarizing a person’s statement. Inmate Smith told me to search his cell. Chapter 2 Communications / 71