NPOST Reading & Grammar 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Choose the sentence with correct apostrophe use.
- The officers badge was missing.
- The officer's badge was missing. (Correct answer)
- The officers' badge was missing for one officer.
- The officers badge's was missing.
Correct answer: The officer's badge was missing.
A singular possessive uses apostrophe-s: "officer's."
Question 2: Which sentence uses the correct verb tense for a completed past action?
- The witness has gave a statement.
- The witness gave a statement. (Correct answer)
- The witness give a statement.
- The witness giving a statement.
Correct answer: The witness gave a statement.
"Gave" is the correct simple past tense of "give."
Question 3: In the sentence "The vehicle, which was speeding, ran the light," what is the nonessential clause?
- The vehicle
- which was speeding (Correct answer)
- ran the light
- the light
Correct answer: which was speeding
"Which was speeding" is set off by commas as a nonessential clause.
Question 4: Which word best completes the sentence: "The officer remained ___ during the tense standoff"?
- calmly
- calm (Correct answer)
- calmness
- calming
Correct answer: calm
After a linking verb like "remained," use the adjective "calm."
Question 5: Read: "Despite the rain, the search continued." What does "despite" signal?
- Cause
- Contrast (Correct answer)
- Time order
- Addition
Correct answer: Contrast
"Despite" signals contrast between the rain and the continued search.
Question 6: Which sentence has correct capitalization?
- officer Reyes filed the Report on tuesday.
- Officer Reyes filed the report on Tuesday. (Correct answer)
- Officer reyes filed the Report on Tuesday.
- officer reyes filed the report on tuesday.
Correct answer: Officer Reyes filed the report on Tuesday.
Proper nouns (name, day) and the sentence start are capitalized; "report" is not.
Question 7: What can you infer from: "The keys were still in the ignition, and the engine was warm"?
- The car had been parked for hours.
- The car was used recently. (Correct answer)
- The car was out of fuel.
- The car was abandoned long ago.
Correct answer: The car was used recently.
A warm engine and keys in the ignition imply recent use.
NPOST Reading & Grammar 3
Choose the sentence with correct apostrophe use.