Free POST Writing Ability Questions and Answers

Question 1

Which of the following sentences is written the clearest?

Accepted Answer

Tom began his shift by filling his service car with gas and buying a cup of coffee.

Answer

Explanation:
The second phrase suggested that Tom put a cup of coffee in his service car by failing to give a verb to the second item in the list, which was the list of things he did to start his shift. Each item in a list of this kind needs to have a suitable verb.

Question 2

Which of the following sentences is written the clearest?

Accepted Answer

The team budget is inflated now because of purchases like the new printer.

Answer

Explanation:
The first sentence is very complex. While phrases like "along the lines of" and "at this point in time" make sense, they inflate the sentence and make it harder for the reader to understand. "Along the lines of" and "at this point in time" have been swapped out for "now" and "like," respectively, in the improved version, with no change in meaning.

Question 3

Which of the following sentences is written the clearest?

Accepted Answer

As Mark received his diploma, his instructor called him his best student ever.

Answer

Explanation:
In the second sentence, it appears that the diploma was given to the instructor instead of Mark. This is made explicit in the introductory clause of the right version. Furthermore, the incorrect version includes the vague statement "best student he had ever had," which is better phrased as "best student ever."

Question 4

Which of the following sentences is written the clearest?

Accepted Answer

Greg filled his notepad with interesting comments from the neighbors and onlookers while he was collecting evidence.

Answer

Explanation:
The first sentence is written as though the evidence was being gathered by the notepad. The subject is clear in the second sentence.

Question 5

Which of the following sentences is written the clearest?

Accepted Answer

Sometimes, the guys he ran into in the locker room bragged about their fancy cars.

Answer

Explanation:
It is impossible to know from the second sentence whether "sometimes" refers to the bragging or the guys in the locker room. In other words, the reader cannot determine if the speaker sometimes saw these people or if they occasionally bragged about their vehicles. The message is clear in the first sentence.

POST - Peace Officer Standards and Training Practice Test

POST - Peace Officer Standards and Training Practice Test

Free POST Writing Ability Questions and Answers