NYC Written Comprehension and Expression 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A supervisor asks you to draft a memo informing staff that the office will close at 3 PM on Friday due to a building inspection. Which opening sentence is most appropriate?
- Please be advised that the office will close at 3 PM this Friday for a scheduled building inspection. (Correct answer)
- Hey everyone, we're shutting down early on Friday because of some inspection thing.
- The building people are coming Friday so you all need to leave by 3.
- Friday closing at 3 PM is happening due to inspection purposes being scheduled.
Correct answer: Please be advised that the office will close at 3 PM this Friday for a scheduled building inspection.
The first option uses professional tone, clear language, and includes all necessary details concisely.
Question 2: Read the following sentence: 'The report, which was submitted by the analyst who works in the downtown office, contained several errors that required immediate correction.' What is the main subject of this sentence?
- The analyst
- The report (Correct answer)
- The downtown office
- The errors
Correct answer: The report
The main subject is 'the report' — the clauses beginning with 'which' and 'who' are subordinate modifiers.
Question 3: Which sentence uses punctuation correctly?
- The officer filed the report however, the supervisor rejected it.
- The officer filed the report; however, the supervisor rejected it. (Correct answer)
- The officer filed the report; however the supervisor rejected it.
- The officer filed the report, however the supervisor rejected it.
Correct answer: The officer filed the report; however, the supervisor rejected it.
A semicolon before 'however' and a comma after it is the correct punctuation for a conjunctive adverb joining two independent clauses.
Question 4: A civil service notice states: 'Eligibility for the benefit is contingent upon submission of required documentation no later than the specified deadline.' What does 'contingent upon' mean in this context?
- Guaranteed regardless of
- Dependent on (Correct answer)
- In addition to
- Prohibited without
Correct answer: Dependent on
'Contingent upon' means dependent on a condition — the benefit will only be granted if the documentation is submitted on time.
Question 5: Which of the following correctly uses the word 'its' versus 'it's'?
- The department submitted it's annual report on time.
- Its important to follow the new procedure.
- The agency updated its website last week. (Correct answer)
- The committee made it's final decision yesterday.
Correct answer: The agency updated its website last week.
'Its' (no apostrophe) is the possessive pronoun; 'it's' (with apostrophe) is a contraction of 'it is.'
Question 6: You receive a written complaint containing the sentence: 'Me and my colleague was denied access to the meeting.' How should this be corrected?
- My colleague and me were denied access to the meeting.
- My colleague and I were denied access to the meeting. (Correct answer)
- I and my colleague was denied access to the meeting.
- Me and my colleague were denied access to the meeting.
Correct answer: My colleague and I were denied access to the meeting.
Use the subject pronoun 'I' (not 'me') and put the other person first; the plural subject requires 'were.'
Question 7: A passage states: 'Despite the inclement weather, all essential personnel reported to their posts without exception.' Which word is closest in meaning to 'inclement'?
- Unpredictable
- Severe (Correct answer)
- Early
- Scheduled
Correct answer: Severe
'Inclement' describes harsh or severe weather conditions such as heavy rain, snow, or extreme cold.
