NYC Written Comprehension and Expression 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following best defines 'passive voice' in writing?
- A sentence in which the subject performs the action
- A sentence in which the subject receives the action (Correct answer)
- A sentence that expresses uncertainty or possibility
- A sentence that uses only present-tense verbs
Correct answer: A sentence in which the subject receives the action
In passive voice, the subject receives or is acted upon by the verb (e.g., 'The report was filed by the clerk').
Question 2: A notice states: 'Personnel are reminded that the use of city resources for personal purposes is strictly prohibited.' Which scenario clearly violates this notice?
- An employee uses her personal phone to make a private call during her lunch break.
- An employee prints a personal letter on a city printer during work hours. (Correct answer)
- An employee discusses personal plans with a coworker before the shift begins.
- An employee brings a personal laptop to read during her break.
Correct answer: An employee prints a personal letter on a city printer during work hours.
Using a city printer — a city resource — to print a personal letter is a direct violation of the prohibition on using city resources for personal purposes.
Question 3: Select the option that correctly uses a colon.
- Please bring the following: identification, completed forms, and payment. (Correct answer)
- The meeting will cover: budget, staffing, and policy changes.
- She excels at: writing, organizing, and presenting.
- The supervisor noted: that attendance was below expectations.
Correct answer: Please bring the following: identification, completed forms, and payment.
A colon is correctly used after a complete independent clause to introduce a list; options B, C, and D break the independent clause before a natural ending.
Question 4: Which word correctly completes the sentence: 'The new regulation will ________ the existing policy on overtime pay.'
- supersede (Correct answer)
- supercede
- superceed
- superseed
Correct answer: supersede
'Supersede' is the correct spelling, despite the common misspelling with a 'c'; it comes from the Latin 'supersedere.'
Question 5: Read the following passage: 'The inspector found three violations during the audit. First, fire exits were blocked. Second, safety logs were incomplete. Third, emergency equipment had not been tested.' What is the best one-sentence summary of this passage?
- Fire exits, logs, and equipment are all important for workplace safety.
- An audit revealed three violations: blocked exits, incomplete safety logs, and untested emergency equipment. (Correct answer)
- Inspectors should always check fire exits, safety logs, and emergency equipment.
- The inspector completed an audit and filed a report about the findings.
Correct answer: An audit revealed three violations: blocked exits, incomplete safety logs, and untested emergency equipment.
Option B captures all three specific violations and the audit context in one concise sentence without adding unsupported information.
Question 6: Which transition word best completes this sentence? 'The application was submitted on time; ________, it was rejected due to missing documents.'
- therefore
- furthermore
- nevertheless (Correct answer)
- similarly
Correct answer: nevertheless
'Nevertheless' correctly signals a contrast — the application was on time, but was rejected anyway, showing an unexpected result.
Question 7: An agency instruction reads: 'Requests submitted after the 15th of the month will be processed in the following month's cycle.' An employee submits a request on the 15th. When will it be processed?
- In the following month's cycle
- In the current month's cycle (Correct answer)
- The instruction does not cover this situation
- It depends on the type of request
Correct answer: In the current month's cycle
The rule specifies 'after the 15th,' so a request submitted on the 15th itself falls within the current cycle.
NYC Written Comprehension and Expression 4
Which of the following best defines 'passive voice' in writing?