NYC Civil Service Written Expression and Grammar Questions and Answers

Question 1

Choose the version of the sentence that is grammatically correct and most clearly written.

Accepted Answer

Each of the proposed city ordinances, which address issues from zoning to public health, is controversial.

Answer

The subject of the sentence is 'Each,' which is a singular pronoun. Therefore, it requires a singular verb, 'is.' The phrases 'of the proposed city ordinances' and 'which address issues...' modify the subject but do not change its number.

Question 2

A city inspector is writing a report. Which of the following sentences uses correct parallel structure?

Accepted Answer

The new policy requires employees to attend a safety seminar, complete a follow-up quiz, and submit a signed acknowledgment form.

Answer

This sentence correctly uses parallel structure by making all three items in the series infinitive verbs ('to attend,' '[to] complete,' and '[to] submit'). The other options mix different grammatical forms (gerunds, infinitives, clauses), which violates the rule of parallelism.

Question 3

Read the following sentence and determine if there is a grammatical error in the underlined portions.

'The director gave the new assignment to my colleague and I (A) because the project required (B) someone with our (C) specific set of skills (D).'

Accepted Answer

A

Answer

The error is in section (A). The pronoun 'I' is used as an object of the preposition 'to.' The objective case pronoun, 'me,' should be used instead. A simple way to check is to remove 'my colleague and,' which leaves the incorrect phrase 'gave the new assignment to I.'

Question 4

Which of the following sentences is punctuated correctly?

Accepted Answer

The sanitation department purchased new trucks; however, they will not be in service until next month.

Answer

This sentence correctly uses a semicolon to join two independent clauses connected by a conjunctive adverb ('however'). A comma must also follow the conjunctive adverb. Using only a comma before 'however' creates a comma splice.

Question 5

Which of the following sentences is the clearest and most logical combination of the ideas below?

'The city is launching a new recycling program. It aims to reduce landfill waste. The program will begin on June 1st.'

Accepted Answer

To reduce landfill waste, the city is launching a new recycling program, which will begin on June 1st.

Answer

This option correctly subordinates the information, creating a clear and concise sentence. It establishes the main idea (launching the program) and uses clauses to explain the purpose ('to reduce...') and the start date ('which will begin...'). Option A is a comma splice, while C and D are awkwardly constructed.

NYC - Civil Service Exam Practice Test

NYC - Civil Service Exam Practice Test

NYC Civil Service Written Expression and Grammar Questions and Answers