NYC FREE NYC Civil Service Written Expression and Grammar Questions and Answers 2

Question 1

Which sentence uses the correct form of the verb?

Accepted Answer

The supervisor and the clerk were present at the meeting.

Answer

When two subjects are joined by 'and,' the plural verb 'were' must be used.

Question 2

Which sentence contains a correctly placed modifier?

Accepted Answer

Walking down the hall, the officer found the report.

Answer

The participial phrase 'Walking down the hall' must immediately precede the noun it modifies, which is 'the officer.'

Question 3

Select the sentence that uses punctuation correctly.

Accepted Answer

The employee, who transferred last month, works in Brooklyn.

Answer

A nonrestrictive clause ('who transferred last month') must be set off by commas on both sides.

Question 4

Which word correctly completes the sentence? 'The agency distributed the forms to _____ requested them.'

Accepted Answer

whomever

Answer

'Whomever' is correct because it functions as the object of the preposition 'to.'

Question 5

Which sentence is written in the active voice?

Accepted Answer

The inspector issued a violation notice.

Answer

In the active voice, the subject ('inspector') performs the action ('issued').

NYC - Civil Service Exam Practice Test