Communication & PRQuestion 147 of 200
Which question is open-ended and best suited to gathering an account from a witness?
a.'Can you describe what you saw, in your own words?'
b.'Did the man have a knife?'
c.'Was the car blue?'
d.'Are you sure it happened at 9 PM?'
Explanation
Open-ended questions invite a narrative response and reduce the risk of leading the witness. 'Describe what you saw' (a) yields information the officer might not have known to ask about. Closed-ended yes/no questions (b, c, d) are useful later to confirm specific details but, asked first, can suggest answers and contaminate the account. The BSIS-recommended interview pattern is funnel-style: start broad and open, then narrow with specific clarifying questions, then close with confirmation.
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