Texas Civil Service Exam Writing and Grammar 5

Question 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'who' vs. 'whom'?

Accepted Answer

To whom should I address this complaint?

Answer

'Whom' is correct when it functions as the object of a preposition (here, 'to whom').

Question 2

Which of the following is an example of jargon that should be avoided in public-facing civil service documents?

Accepted Answer

Per the aforementioned statutory provisions heretofore referenced, compliance is mandatory.

Answer

Plain language guidelines require avoiding legal jargon and overly complex phrasing in documents meant for the public.

Question 3

Which sentence correctly uses a hyphen?

Accepted Answer

The well-known officer received an award.

Answer

A compound modifier (well-known) is hyphenated when it appears before the noun it modifies.

Question 4

Select the sentence with correct subject-verb agreement.

Accepted Answer

A list of violations was submitted to the board.

Answer

The subject is 'list' (singular), not 'violations,' so the singular verb 'was' is correct.

Question 5

Which transition word best shows contrast between two ideas in a report?

Accepted Answer

Nevertheless

Answer

'Nevertheless' introduces a contrasting idea despite what was said before, unlike 'furthermore' (addition) or 'therefore/consequently' (result).

Texas Civil Service Exam Practice Test