Verbal Ability Reviewer - Part 36

Practice 20 Verbal Ability questions for the Civil Service Exam (CSE), each with the correct answer and an explanation.

20 questions80% passing markFree

Part 36 of our Verbal Ability reviewer has 20 practice questions in the style of the Civil Service Exam. Answer them in order, read the explanation after each one, and check your score against the 80% passing mark at the end. Questions and choices are reshuffled every time you retake the part.

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Sample questions from Part 36

Here are a few questions from this part. Take the full test to answer all 20 and get your score.

Sample question 1

Classify the sentence: Whoever submits the report late will be penalized, as the memo clearly states.

  • compound
  • simple
  • complex
  • compound-complex
Answer: complex
"Whoever submits the report late" is a noun clause serving as the subject and "as the memo clearly states" is a dependent clause; there is only one independent clause, so the sentence is complex.

Sample question 2

Which sentence has no dangling modifier?

  • Walking into the office, the telephone was ringing loudly.
  • Having completed the audit, the team submitted the report to the director.
  • After finishing the audit, the report went to the director.
  • Having completed the audit, the report was submitted to the director.
Answer: Having completed the audit, the team submitted the report to the director.
The opening phrase must describe the subject that follows. Only the team, not the report or the telephone, could have completed the audit or walked into the office.

Sample question 3

Choose the best revision of: "The permit was approved on Monday, the contractor began work on Tuesday."

  • The permit was approved on Monday, and then, the contractor began work on Tuesday, and
  • The permit was approved on Monday the contractor began work on Tuesday.
  • The permit was approved on Monday, the contractor, began work on Tuesday.
  • The permit was approved on Monday; the contractor began work on Tuesday.
Answer: The permit was approved on Monday; the contractor began work on Tuesday.
The original is a comma splice. Two independent clauses may be joined by a semicolon (or by a comma plus a coordinating conjunction).

Sample question 4

Which group of words is a sentence fragment?

  • Was the bridge repaired last year?
  • Repair the bridge before the rainy season.
  • Although the bridge was repaired last year.
  • The bridge was repaired last year.
Answer: Although the bridge was repaired last year.
"Although..." begins a subordinate clause that cannot stand alone; the other options are complete statements, a command, and a question.

Sample question 5

Choose the best revision of: "The clerk handed the documents to the supervisor that were stamped."

  • To the supervisor, the clerk handed the documents that was stamped.
  • The clerk handed the stamped documents to the supervisor.
  • The clerk, that were stamped, handed the documents to the supervisor.
  • The clerk handed the documents to the stamped supervisor.
Answer: The clerk handed the stamped documents to the supervisor.
The modifier should sit next to the word it describes. "Stamped" describes the documents, not the supervisor.

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