Frontline National Test Written Communication and Grammar 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence uses commas correctly with a nonrestrictive clause?
- The officer who filed the report was promoted.
- The report, which was filed last Tuesday, was approved. (Correct answer)
- The report which was filed last Tuesday was approved.
- The officer, who filed the report was promoted.
Correct answer: The report, which was filed last Tuesday, was approved.
Nonrestrictive clauses (extra information not essential to the sentence) must be set off with commas on both sides.
Question 2: What is the best way to handle abbreviations the first time they appear in a formal document?
- Use only the abbreviation and define it in a glossary at the end.
- Avoid abbreviations entirely in formal writing.
- Spell out the full term followed by the abbreviation in parentheses. (Correct answer)
- Use the abbreviation without explanation if it is widely known.
Correct answer: Spell out the full term followed by the abbreviation in parentheses.
Standard practice is to write the full term first, then provide the abbreviation in parentheses for subsequent use.
Question 3: Which of the following is an example of parallel structure?
- She likes running, to swim, and hiking.
- He was responsible for training, to supervise, and evaluations.
- The report must be accurate, complete, and submitted on time. (Correct answer)
- The task involves planning, to execute, and reviewing.
Correct answer: The report must be accurate, complete, and submitted on time.
Parallel structure requires the same grammatical form for items in a series — here, all three are adjectives.
Question 4: Which sentence correctly uses 'fewer' versus 'less'?
- There were less officers available for the shift.
- We have less than five minutes remaining.
- She made less errors on her second attempt.
- There are fewer options available this quarter. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: There are fewer options available this quarter.
'Fewer' is used with countable nouns (options), while 'less' is used with uncountable quantities.
Question 5: When writing a memo, what information should appear in the header?
- Introduction, body, and conclusion sections
- To, From, Date, and Subject lines (Correct answer)
- Salutation, body, and closing signature
- Title page, table of contents, and references
Correct answer: To, From, Date, and Subject lines
A standard memo header includes To, From, Date, and Subject to orient the reader before the body.
Question 6: Which sentence uses 'its' and 'it's' correctly?
- The department submitted it's annual report.
- Its important to proofread before submitting.
- The agency reviewed it's procedures thoroughly.
- The team updated its training manual last month. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The team updated its training manual last month.
'Its' (no apostrophe) is the possessive form; 'it's' is the contraction of 'it is.'
Question 7: Which revision best improves this wordy sentence: 'Due to the fact that the officer was present, the situation was resolved.'?
- Due to the officer's presence, the situation was able to be resolved.
- Because the officer was present, the situation was resolved. (Correct answer)
- The fact that the officer was there meant the situation got resolved.
- Owing to the fact of the officer's presence, resolution occurred.
Correct answer: Because the officer was present, the situation was resolved.
'Because' replaces the wordy phrase 'due to the fact that,' making the sentence concise and direct.
Frontline National Test Written Communication and Grammar 5
Which sentence uses commas correctly with a nonrestrictive clause?