1.
Professional Sentences for
Police Reports: Part II
by Jean Reynolds, Ph.D.

2.
Today we’re
going to look at
two advanced
types of
professional
sentences.

3.
You might be
surprised to see
how easy they are
to learn...

4.
…and to use in your
police reports.

5.
Let’s look at the
first one:
Sentences with
semicolons.

6.
Semicolons are like periods.
That’s almost all you have to know!

7.
And there’s one more thing. Don’t use a
capital letter after a semicolon...unless the
word or name needs a capital letter.

8.
Here are more examples.
Are you see starting to see how
semicolons work?

9.
Semicolons are
easy once you
understand them!

10.
Remember: You can almost always
change a period to a semicolon.
(Be sure to decide whether or not you
need a capital letter.)

11.
You can write more elaborate sentences with
words like however and therefore. Use a
period or a semicolon—it’s your choice.

12.
Here are more examples. (Notice that
“I’m” requires a capital “I.”)

13.
Compare these sentences.
Are you feeling more confident about
semicolons?

14.
And here’s something you
probably didn’t hear in
school: There’s no special
rule for when to use a
semicolon.
You can almost always
choose either a period or
a semicolon.
Either is correct.

15.
Let’s go on to
sentences with
interrupters.

16.
An “interrupter” is something that interrupts a
sentence.
Read this sentence aloud. Can you hear the
interrupter?

17.
Read these sentences aloud. Can you
hear the interrupter in each one?

18.
Read your
sentences aloud,
and trust your ear.
It will help you
identify
interrupters.

19.
Now let’s look at punctuation. (It’s
easy!) An interrupter needs two
commas—one to lower your voice, and
one to raise it.

20.
“Who” and “which”
are often found in
interrupter sentences.

21.
Here are some interrupters with “who”
and “which.” (Notice there are two
commas.)

22.
But if the interrupter is placed at the end of
a sentence, use just one comma. (The period
will bring your voice back up.)

23.
Try reading these sentences aloud. Can
you hear your voice go down and back
up?

24.
Now you know two
advanced sentence
patterns. Practice
them often, and
incorporate them
into your writing.
They are powerful
professional tools.

25.
You can learn more about professional
sentence patterns at
www.YourPoliceWrite.com.

26.
Everything there is free, and no
registration is needed:
www.YourPoliceWrite.com.

27.
And if you’re
looking for a
low-cost,
practical book…

28.
Criminal Justice
Report Writing is
available from
www.Amazon.com for
just $19.95.
View a free sample
online.

29.
A discount price is
available for class sets
(minimum five books).
Send your request to
jreynoldswrite @
aol.com

30.
An e-book edition is
available from
www.Smashwords.com
for only $9.99.

31.
A free Instructor’s
Manual is available on
request: Send an e-
mail to jreynoldswrite
at aol.com.