NYC NYC Civil Service Written Expression and Grammar Questions and Answers 3

Question 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'who' versus 'whom'?

Accepted Answer

Who did you speak with about the complaint?

Answer

Whom filed the initial report?

Answer

To who should I address this memo?

Answer

Whom is responsible for this error?

Question 2

Identify the sentence that contains a dangling participle.

Accepted Answer

Having read the memo, the policy was understood by the officer.

Answer

Having read the memo, the officer understood the new policy.

Answer

The officer, having read the memo, understood the new policy.

Answer

After reading the memo, the officer understood the new policy.

Question 3

Which word correctly completes this sentence? 'The agency will _____ new personnel next month.'

Accepted Answer

accept

Answer

except

Answer

adapt

Answer

adopt

Question 4

Which of the following sentences avoids wordiness?

Accepted Answer

The report's tardiness upset the supervisor.

Answer

Due to the fact that the report was late, the supervisor was upset.

Answer

Owing to the lateness in the arrival of the report, the supervisor was very upset.

Answer

Because of the fact that the report arrived late, the supervisor became upset.

Question 5

Which sentence uses apostrophes correctly?

Accepted Answer

The departments' budgets are overdue.

Answer

The department's budget's are overdue.

Answer

The departments budget's are overdue.

Answer

The department's budgets' are overdue.

Question 6

Which sentence is written in the most formal, professional tone appropriate for a civil service report?

Accepted Answer

The accounting personnel made significant errors in the financial figures.

Answer

The guy in accounting messed up the figures real bad.

Answer

Accounting really blew it with those numbers again.

Answer

There were some big mistakes made by the accounting team, like always.