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 separation a game bird?
fragment

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

name time poem?

5. Does carmine (adj.) mean wordly purplish-red untroubled?

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?

II
1. cumbersome-unwieldy - difficult to use or handle or manage because of size or
weight or shape;
2 grievous-of great gravity or crucial import; requiring serious thought; "grave responsibilities";
"faced a grave decision in a time of crisis"; "a grievous fault"; "heavy matters of state"; "the
weighty matters to be discussed at the peace conference"
grave, weighty, heavy
3.-Particle-an extremely small piece of matter; speck-Also called corpuscle.
4. Epithet-a descriptive word or phrase added to or substituted for a person's name
``Lackland'' is an epithet for King John
5. carmine- a vivid red colour, sometimes with a purplish tinge
6. Placate-To allay the anger of, especially by making concessions; appease.- He smiled,
and made a gesture intended to placate me.- to stop (an angry person) feeling angry He
placated her with an apology
7. recoil-To fall back; return:- to draw back in fear, horror, or disgust to recoil from the sight
of blood
8. vitriolic-harsh or corrosive in tone; "an acerbic tone piercing otherwise flowery prose";
"a barrage of acid comments"; "her acrid remarks make her many enemies"; "bitter words";
"blistering criticism"; "caustic jokes about political assassination, talk-show hosts and medical
ethics"; "a sulfurous denunciation"; "a vitriolic critique"-of a substance, especially a strong
acid; capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action
9. writhe-To twist, as in pain, struggle, or embarrassment.-
10. Jaunty-sprightly, self-confident, and cheerful; brisk a jaunty step-