Ohio Civil Service Exam Reading Comprehension and Grammar 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Read the passage: 'Civil service applicants in Ohio must pass a written examination. Scores are ranked from highest to lowest, and positions are offered to candidates in rank order.' What determines who is offered a position first?
- Years of experience
- Date of application
- Examination score rank (Correct answer)
- Alphabetical order of last name
Correct answer: Examination score rank
The passage states positions are offered to candidates in rank order by examination score.
Question 2: Which of the following is a sentence fragment?
- The clerk filed the documents correctly.
- After the meeting ended. (Correct answer)
- Supervisors reviewed all applications.
- The deadline was extended by one week.
Correct answer: After the meeting ended.
'After the meeting ended' is a dependent clause without a main clause, making it a fragment.
Question 3: Choose the correct verb form: 'The committee ______ meeting every first Monday of the month.'
- are
- were
- is (Correct answer)
- have been
Correct answer: is
'Committee' is a collective noun treated as singular in American English, requiring 'is.'
Question 4: Read the notice: 'Parking permits must be renewed before the expiration date. Vehicles with expired permits are subject to ticketing and towing at the owner's expense.' What happens to vehicles with expired permits?
- They receive a warning before ticketing
- They are ticketed and may be towed at the owner's expense (Correct answer)
- They must be moved to a designated lot
- They lose parking privileges permanently
Correct answer: They are ticketed and may be towed at the owner's expense
The notice states that vehicles with expired permits are subject to ticketing and towing at the owner's expense.
Question 5: Which word is a synonym for 'mandatory' as used in government documents?
- Optional
- Required (Correct answer)
- Suggested
- Temporary
Correct answer: Required
'Mandatory' means required or obligatory, so 'required' is the correct synonym.
Question 6: Identify the sentence with correct subject-verb agreement:
- The list of requirements were updated last week.
- The list of requirements was updated last week. (Correct answer)
- The list of requirements have been updated last week.
- The list of requirements are updated last week.
Correct answer: The list of requirements was updated last week.
The subject is 'list' (singular), so it takes the singular verb 'was.'
Question 7: Read the sentence: 'The supervisor, along with her team, is responsible for completing the audit.' Why is 'is' used instead of 'are'?
- 'Team' is plural, so 'is' is wrong here
- The subject is 'supervisor' (singular), and 'along with her team' is a parenthetical phrase (Correct answer)
- Both 'is' and 'are' are equally correct
- 'Along with' makes the subject plural
Correct answer: The subject is 'supervisor' (singular), and 'along with her team' is a parenthetical phrase
Phrases like 'along with' do not change the grammatical subject; 'supervisor' remains singular, requiring 'is.'
Ohio Civil Service Exam Reading Comprehension and Grammar 3
Read the passage: 'Civil service applicants in Ohio must pass a written examination.
Scores are ranked from highest to lowest, and positions are offered to candidates in rank order.' What determines who is offered a position first?