APCAT English Grammar and Structure 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which option identifies the correct sentence structure? 'Although exhausted from the night shift, the officer completed the report.'
- Simple sentence
- Compound sentence
- Complex sentence (Correct answer)
- Compound-complex sentence
Correct answer: Complex sentence
The sentence has one independent clause and one dependent clause ('Although exhausted from the night shift'), making it a complex sentence.
Question 2: Which sentence correctly uses a hyphen?
- The off-duty officer witnessed the incident. (Correct answer)
- The officer-was off duty when the call came in.
- It was a well known suspect in the area.
- The high-ly trained officer responded first.
Correct answer: The off-duty officer witnessed the incident.
Compound modifiers before a noun (off-duty) are hyphenated; the hyphen is not used when the modifier follows the noun.
Question 3: Select the sentence that is written in the active voice.
- The crime scene was processed by the forensic team.
- Mistakes were made during the investigation.
- The forensic team processed the crime scene efficiently. (Correct answer)
- The report had been submitted before the deadline.
Correct answer: The forensic team processed the crime scene efficiently.
Active voice places the doer (forensic team) as the subject performing the action (processed), making the sentence direct.
Question 4: Which sentence uses the subjunctive mood correctly?
- If I was the sergeant, I would change the schedule.
- If I were the sergeant, I would change the schedule. (Correct answer)
- If I am the sergeant, I will change the schedule.
- If I be the sergeant, I would change the schedule.
Correct answer: If I were the sergeant, I would change the schedule.
The subjunctive mood uses 'were' (not 'was') for hypothetical or contrary-to-fact conditions.
Question 5: Identify the sentence that incorrectly shifts verb tense.
- The officer arrived at the scene and secured the perimeter.
- She interviewed the witness and submits the report the next day. (Correct answer)
- He called dispatch, waited for backup, and then entered the building.
- The detective reviewed the evidence and filed the charges.
Correct answer: She interviewed the witness and submits the report the next day.
Option B shifts from past tense ('interviewed') to present tense ('submits'), creating an inconsistent tense shift.
Question 6: Which sentence uses quotation marks correctly?
- The sergeant said, 'submit your reports by 0800'.
- The sergeant said, "Submit your reports by 0800." (Correct answer)
- The sergeant said "submit your reports by 0800".
- The sergeant said: 'Submit your reports by 0800.'
Correct answer: The sergeant said, "Submit your reports by 0800."
Direct quotations use double quotation marks, capitalize the first word of the quote, and place the period inside the closing marks.
Question 7: Which sentence correctly uses 'fewer' versus 'less'?
- There were less officers on duty during the holiday.
- She had less than five minutes to complete the report.
- He made fewer mistakes on the written test this time. (Correct answer)
- The department received less applications this year.
Correct answer: He made fewer mistakes on the written test this time.
'Fewer' is correct for countable nouns (mistakes), while 'less' is used for uncountable quantities.
APCAT English Grammar and Structure 5
Which option identifies the correct sentence structure? 'Although exhausted from the night shift, the officer completed the report.'