Ohio Civil Service Exam Grammar and Written Expression 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence correctly uses an apostrophe?
- The departments' policies were updated. (Correct answer)
- The departments policies' were updated.
- The departments's policies were updated.
- The department's' policies were updated.
Correct answer: The departments' policies were updated.
For a plural noun already ending in 's,' add only an apostrophe after the 's' to show possession.
Question 2: Identify the correct sentence.
- Between you and I, the deadline is tomorrow.
- Between you and me, the deadline is tomorrow. (Correct answer)
- Between you and myself, the deadline is tomorrow.
- Between I and you, the deadline is tomorrow.
Correct answer: Between you and me, the deadline is tomorrow.
The preposition 'between' requires object pronouns; 'me' is the correct object form, not 'I' or 'myself.'
Question 3: Which option corrects the run-on sentence: 'The officer filed the report it was submitted on time.'?
- The officer filed the report, it was submitted on time.
- The officer filed the report; it was submitted on time. (Correct answer)
- The officer filed, the report it was submitted on time.
- The officer filed the report it, was submitted on time.
Correct answer: The officer filed the report; it was submitted on time.
A semicolon properly separates two independent clauses that are closely related in meaning.
Question 4: Which word correctly completes the sentence: 'The committee will ______ the proposal next week.'?
- revue
- review (Correct answer)
- revu
- reveiw
Correct answer: review
'Review' means to examine or assess something; the other options are misspellings or unrelated words.
Question 5: Select the passive voice sentence.
- The manager approved the budget.
- The budget was approved by the manager. (Correct answer)
- The manager will approve the budget.
- The manager has approved the budget.
Correct answer: The budget was approved by the manager.
Passive voice is formed with 'to be' + past participle; the subject receives rather than performs the action.
Question 6: Choose the correctly capitalized sentence.
- The Governor signed the bill into law.
- The governor signed the bill into law. (Correct answer)
- The governor signed the Bill into law.
- The Governor signed the Bill into law.
Correct answer: The governor signed the bill into law.
A title like 'governor' is capitalized only when used directly before a name, not as a general reference.
Question 7: Which sentence demonstrates parallel structure?
- She likes reading, to jog, and cooking.
- She likes reading, jogging, and cooking. (Correct answer)
- She likes to read, jogging, and cook.
- She likes reading, jogging, and to cook.
Correct answer: She likes reading, jogging, and cooking.
Parallel structure requires all items in a series to use the same grammatical form; here, all are gerunds (-ing).
Ohio Civil Service Exam Grammar and Written Expression 3
Which sentence correctly uses an apostrophe?