3.1 Subject-Verb Agreement & Pronoun Case/Reference in Reports

3.1 Subject-Verb Agreement & Pronoun Case/Reference in Reports

In law enforcement incident reporting, clarity and precision are non-negotiable legal standards. An incident report is not merely an internal administrative document; it is a legal record that may be entered into evidence, examined by prosecutors, scrutinized by defense attorneys, and read by judges and juries. Grammatical errors, particularly subject-verb agreement mismatches and ambiguous pronoun references, undermine the professional credibility of the reporting officer and can introduce dangerous ambiguities into criminal proceedings. On the California POST Entry-Level Law Enforcement Test Battery (PELLETB), the Writing subtest rigorously evaluates your ability to identify and correct errors in agreement, pronoun case, and pronoun reference.

1. Fundamentals of Subject-Verb Agreement in Police Reporting

At its core, subject-verb agreement requires that a singular subject take a singular verb and a plural subject take a plural verb. While this principle seems simple, complex sentence structures common in incident narratives often obscure the true grammatical subject.

Interrupted Subjects and Intervening Phrases

One of the most frequent traps on the PELLETB involves interrupted subjects, where prepositional phrases or parenthetical expressions separate the subject from the verb. Phrases introduced by expressions such as along with, as well as, together with, in addition to, including, or accompanied by do not change the number of the main subject.

• Incorrect: Officer Ramirez, along with two sheriff's deputies, were dispatched to the scene.
• Correct: Officer Ramirez, along with two sheriff's deputies, was dispatched to the scene.

Explanation: The subject is "Officer Ramirez" (singular). The phrase "along with two sheriff's deputies" is an intervening prepositional modifier and does not make the subject plural.

Compound Subjects

When two or more subjects are connected by coordinating conjunctions, specific agreement rules apply:

1. Subjects joined by and: Compound subjects joined by and almost always take a plural verb.
   • Example: Deputy Vance and Sergeant Miller were conducting a premises check.
2. Subjects joined by or, nor, either...or, or neither...nor: The verb must agree with the subject closest to it.
   • Example A: Neither the patrol officers nor the sergeant was aware of the stolen vehicle. (Sergeant is singular).
   • Example B: Neither the sergeant nor the patrol officers were aware of the stolen vehicle. (Patrol officers is plural).

Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns refer to non-specific persons or things. On the PELLETB, distinguishing between singular and plural indefinite pronouns is critical.

• Always Singular: each, every, everyone, everybody, someone, somebody, anyone, anybody, no one, nobody, either, neither.
  • Incorrect: Each of the suspects were carrying a concealed weapon.
  • Correct: Each of the suspects was carrying a concealed weapon.
• Always Plural: both, few, many, several.
  • Correct: Both of the officers were wearing body-worn cameras.
• Variable (depends on context): all, any, more, most, none, some. If the pronoun refers to a singular count or mass noun, use a singular verb; if it refers to plural items, use a plural verb.
  • Example: All of the evidence was cataloged. (Evidence is a mass noun).
  • Example: All of the shell casings were cataloged. (Shell casings is plural).

Collective Nouns in Law Enforcement

Collective nouns refer to groups of individuals, such as department, squad, unit, team, jury, crowd, or dispatch. In official police writing:

• When the group acts as a single unified entity, use a singular verb.
  • Example: The SWAT unit has secured the perimeter.
• When members of the group act as individuals doing separate actions, use a plural verb (or rephrase for clarity).
  • Example: The squad were putting on their helmets. (Better: The squad members were putting on their helmets.)

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2. Pronoun Case Mechanics: Nominative, Objective, and Possessive

Pronouns replace nouns, and their form (case) depends on their grammatical role in the sentence. The three cases are nominative (subjective), objective, and possessive.

Nominative vs. Objective Case Traps

A frequent error occurs in compound subjects or objects. To determine the correct case, temporarily drop the other noun from the phrase.

• Incorrect: Sergeant Miller assigned the building search to Deputy Lee and I.

  • Test: Drop "Deputy Lee and" -> "Sergeant Miller assigned the building search to I." (Incorrect prepositional object).
  • Correct: Sergeant Miller assigned the building search to Deputy Lee and me.

• Incorrect: Deputy Torres and him responded to the commercial burglary.

  • Test: Drop "Deputy Torres and" -> "Him responded to the burglary." (Incorrect subject case).
  • Correct: Deputy Torres and he responded to the commercial burglary.

The Who vs. Whom Rule

Who is nominative (subject); whom is objective (object). Apply the He/Him Rule to quickly select the correct form on the PELLETB:

• Substitute he (or she) -> use who.

• Substitute him (or her) -> use whom.

• Example 1: The officer (who/whom) wrote the citation arrived at 0800 hours.

  • Test: He wrote the citation. Therefore, use who. -> The officer who wrote the citation...

• Example 2: The suspect (who/whom) Officer Davis detained had two outstanding warrants.

  • Test: Officer Davis detained him. Therefore, use whom. -> The suspect whom Officer Davis detained...

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3. Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement & Unambiguous References

A pronoun must agree in number, person, and gender with its antecedent (the noun it replaces). Furthermore, the reference must be crystal clear to prevent factual ambiguity in court.

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

Singular antecedents require singular pronouns. Indefinite pronouns such as everyone, each, or every officer are singular.

• Incorrect: Every officer must submit their report before the end of shift.
• Correct: Every officer must submit his or her report before the end of shift.
• Best Practice (Plural): All officers must submit their reports before the end of shift.

Eliminating Ambiguous Pronoun References

Ambiguous references occur when a pronoun could refer to more than one preceding noun. In police reporting, this is a critical clarity flaw.

• Ambiguous: Officer Jenkins told Suspect Miller that he was going to jail.

  • Problem: Who is he? Officer Jenkins or Suspect Miller?

• Clear: Officer Jenkins told Suspect Miller, "You are going to jail."

• Clear: Officer Jenkins informed Suspect Miller that Miller was under arrest and would be transported to jail.

• Ambiguous: The vehicle struck the telephone pole, but it was not damaged.

  • Problem: Does it refer to the vehicle or the telephone pole?

• Clear: Although the vehicle struck the telephone pole, the pole sustained no visible damage.

Avoiding Vague Pronoun References (They, It, This)

Never use unreferenced pronouns like they or it to describe unspecified sources of information.

• Vague: They told me the suspect ran into the park.
• Precise: A bystander, identified as Witness Jane Doe, stated that the suspect ran east into the park.

By adhering strictly to subject-verb agreement, applying correct pronoun case, and ensuring unambiguous antecedent references, your report narratives will maintain the highest professional clarity and legal integrity required for California law enforcement.