Civil Service Test Questions

Grammar and Vocabulary

Test yourself with grammar and vocabulary questions similar to the questions you'll
find on a civil service test.

Add apostrophes where they're needed in the following:

1. Tennessee Williams play

2. two cents worth

3. three days wait

4. Its a shame.

5. a pennys worth

6. Whose car is it?

7. The change was OKd.

8. dos and donts

9. others dreams

10. the company and its employees

Answers: 1. Williams' or Williams's; 2. cents'; 3. days'; 4. It's; 5. penny's; 6. Whose

(no apostrophe needed); 7. OK'd; 8. do's and don'ts; 9. others'; 10. its (no
apostrophe needed)

Select the correct meaning for each of the following words:

Does cumbersome (adj.) wedge-

1. cumulative unwieldy?
mean shaped

2. Does grievous (adj.) mean hard to bear repellent kept safe?

3. Does particle (n.) mean a tiny a

a game bird?
fragment separation

4. Does epithet (n.) mean a disparaging a period of an epic

name time poem?

5. Does carmine (adj.) mean purplish-

wordly untroubled?
red

6. Does placate (v.) mean to appease to assign to vex?

7. Does recoil (v) mean to
to remember to fall back
reimburse?

8. Does vitriolic (adj.) mean extremely

visible necessary
caustic?

Does writhe (v.) mean to make to treat

9. to desire?
movements twisting roughly

10. Does jaunty (adj.) mean sprightly resentful golden?

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