Ohio Civil Service Exam Grammar and Written Expression 4

Question 1

Which sentence uses the correct pronoun-antecedent agreement?

Accepted Answer

Everyone must submit his or her report by Friday.

Answer

The indefinite pronoun 'everyone' is singular; in formal writing, 'his or her' is the traditionally correct reference.

Question 2

Select the sentence that correctly uses a comma after an introductory element.

Accepted Answer

After reviewing the file, the clerk closed it.

Answer

A comma follows an introductory prepositional or participial phrase to separate it from the main clause.

Question 3

Which sentence avoids wordiness?

Accepted Answer

Because it was raining, we postponed the event.

Answer

'Because' is a concise substitute for wordy phrases like 'due to the fact that.'

Question 4

Identify the sentence with a misplaced modifier.

Accepted Answer

The director only approved two requests.

Answer

Placing 'only' before 'approved' modifies the verb, but the intended meaning is that only two requests were approved.

Question 5

Choose the word that best fits: 'The new policy will ______ the old procedures.'

Accepted Answer

supersede

Answer

'Supersede' means to replace or take the place of something; it is commonly misspelled with 'cede.'

Ohio Civil Service Exam Practice Test