Civil Service Grammar and Correct Usage Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The new regulations will significantly ______ the agency's daily operations, and the primary ______ will be an increase in required documentation.
- effect, affect
- effect, effect
- affect, affect
- affect, effect (Correct answer)
Correct answer: affect, effect
'Affect' is a verb meaning 'to influence or impact'. 'Effect' is a noun meaning 'a result or consequence'. The regulations will influence (affect) the operations, and the result (effect) will be more documentation.
Question 2: Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct?
- The committee gave the award to whomever completed the project first.
- The consultant, whom the board hired, delivered an impressive report. (Correct answer)
- Whom is responsible for logging the incoming mail?
- We are looking for an assistant who we can depend on.
Correct answer: The consultant, whom the board hired, delivered an impressive report.
Whom' is the correct objective pronoun to use here because it is the object of the verb 'hired' (the board hired whom). In the other options, 'whoever' should be used in A, 'Who' should be used in C, and 'whom' should be used in D (we can depend on whom).
Question 3: The public briefing was postponed due to technical difficulties ___ the keynote speaker was delayed by traffic.
- difficulties; furthermore, the (Correct answer)
- difficulties, the
- difficulties: the
- difficulties, and the
Correct answer: difficulties; furthermore, the
A semicolon is used to connect two closely related independent clauses. 'Furthermore' is a conjunctive adverb that logically connects the two ideas, and it is correctly preceded by a semicolon and followed by a comma.
Question 4: Which of the following sentences contains a misplaced modifier?
- To be approved, your application must be filled out completely.
- Speaking from experience, the veteran officer offered sound advice.
- The report was placed on the manager's desk, which was completed yesterday. (Correct answer)
- Eagerly awaiting the news, the candidates refreshed the webpage constantly.
Correct answer: The report was placed on the manager's desk, which was completed yesterday.
The modifier 'which was completed yesterday' is misplaced. It incorrectly suggests that the manager's desk was completed yesterday, rather than the report. The phrase should be placed closer to 'report' to be clear (e.g., 'The report, which was completed yesterday, was placed...').
Question 5: A new administrative assistant's duties include managing schedules, the ordering of supplies, and to answer the main phone line.
- duties include to manage schedules, ordering supplies, and answering the main phone line.
- duties include managing schedules, to order supplies, and to answer the main phone line.
- duties are the management of schedules, ordering supplies, and to answer the main phone line.
- duties include managing schedules, ordering supplies, and answering the main phone line. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: duties include managing schedules, ordering supplies, and answering the main phone line.
This sentence requires parallel structure for the list of duties. The correct answer uses the gerund form (-ing) for all three items in the list: managing, ordering, and answering. The other options mix different grammatical forms (infinitives, nouns), breaking the parallel structure.
Question 6: If the department's budget ______ larger, we would be able to upgrade all the office computers.
- is
- were (Correct answer)
- was
- has been
Correct answer: were
This sentence describes a hypothetical or contrary-to-fact situation, which requires the subjunctive mood. For the verb 'to be' in the subjunctive mood, 'were' is used for all subjects (I, he, she, it, we, they).
Civil Service Grammar and Correct Usage Questions and Answers 1
The new regulations will significantly ______ the agency's daily operations, and the primary ______ will be an increase in required documentation.