Texas Civil Service Exam Grammar and Writing Ability 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence uses commas correctly?
- The report was long, detailed, and confusing. (Correct answer)
- The report, was long detailed and confusing.
- The report was long detailed, and confusing.
- The report was, long, detailed and confusing.
Correct answer: The report was long, detailed, and confusing.
Serial commas correctly separate three or more items in a list.
Question 2: Which word correctly completes the sentence: 'The officer _____ the suspect's alibi before making an arrest.'
- verified (Correct answer)
- verifyed
- verifyied
- verifed
Correct answer: verified
'Verified' is the correct past tense of 'verify'; the -fy ending changes to -fied.
Question 3: Which sentence contains a dangling modifier?
- Running to the scene, the evidence was collected quickly. (Correct answer)
- Running to the scene, the officer collected the evidence quickly.
- The officer, running to the scene, collected the evidence quickly.
- The officer collected the evidence quickly after running to the scene.
Correct answer: Running to the scene, the evidence was collected quickly.
In the first sentence, 'Running to the scene' incorrectly modifies 'evidence' rather than a person.
Question 4: Select the correctly punctuated sentence.
- The lieutenant asked whether the forms had been submitted. (Correct answer)
- The lieutenant asked, whether the forms had been submitted.
- The lieutenant asked whether, the forms had been submitted.
- The lieutenant asked: whether the forms had been submitted.
Correct answer: The lieutenant asked whether the forms had been submitted.
Indirect questions do not require a comma or colon before the subordinate clause.
Question 5: Which version of the sentence is most concise without losing meaning?
- Due to the fact that it was raining, the parade was cancelled.
- Because it was raining, the parade was cancelled. (Correct answer)
- On account of the rain that was falling, the parade was cancelled.
- In light of the rain, which was falling, the parade was cancelled.
Correct answer: Because it was raining, the parade was cancelled.
'Because' is more concise than 'due to the fact that' and conveys the same causal relationship.
Question 6: Which sentence uses the apostrophe correctly?
- The departments' budgets were reviewed annually. (Correct answer)
- The department's budgets were reviewed annually.
- The departments budgets' were reviewed annually.
- The departments budgets were reviewed annually.
Correct answer: The departments' budgets were reviewed annually.
'Departments'' (apostrophe after the s) shows possession for a plural noun.
Question 7: Choose the sentence that correctly uses 'fewer' vs. 'less.'
- There were less officers available during the holiday weekend.
- There were fewer officers available during the holiday weekend. (Correct answer)
- There were fewer manpower during the holiday weekend.
- There was fewer personnel available during the holiday weekend.
Correct answer: There were fewer officers available during the holiday weekend.
'Fewer' is used with countable nouns like 'officers,' while 'less' is used with uncountable quantities.
Texas Civil Service Exam Grammar and Writing Ability 2
Which sentence uses commas correctly?