Having a solid understanding of grammar is crucial when undertaking the Philippine Civil Service Exam. Proper grammar ensures clarity in communication, allowing candidates to effectively convey their ideas in written form. It demonstrates professionalism and attention to detail, which are highly valued traits in civil service roles. Additionally, accurate grammar usage reflects a candidate’s competence and respect for the language, which is essential for roles that involve drafting policies, reports, and official correspondence. Ultimately, possessing strong grammar knowledge not only enhances one’s chances of success in the exam but also prepares individuals for the demands of administrative positions where clear communication is paramount.
In the “Grammar and Correct Usage” section of the Civil Service Exam, honing specific foundational skills and concepts typically taught in ninth-grade grammar classes is very important. To assist you in preparing for your exam, here is a quiz tailored to assess your proficiency in grammar. Just like the “IS vs ARE” quiz, answering this test will help you evaluate your grasp of various linguistic elements, including phrases, clauses, colons, and semicolons. Mastery of fundamental punctuation rules serves as a stepping stone toward grappling with more intricate grammatical concepts. Furthermore, as you progress, you’ll find yourself incorporating a broader range of vocabulary (which is also included in the CSE) and adeptly selecting the appropriate word forms. This quiz elucidates the distinctive features of ninth-grade grammar, serving as a guide as you review for the exam.
Fill-in-the-Blanks CSE Grammar Mock Test
This quiz elucidates the distinctive features of ninth-grade grammar, serving as a guide as you review for the exam. Take your time and read these Civil Service Exam Grammar exercises carefully.
1. We were all so excited for the match, we couldn’t relax or ______.
- stand up c. turned up
- calm down d. get up e. get out
2. Mila got fed up ______ feeding the dog.
- on c. with
- by d. from e. to
3. I’m warning you. You ______ be late or Mr. Jone will be really angry.
- ought to c. better not
- should d. didn’t have to e. don’t
4. It’s ______ to get plenty of exercise and eat a healthy diet.
- debatable c. sensible
- consumable d. fascinating e. surprising
5. I don’t mind ______. I’m not in a hurry.
- waiting c. to wait
- waited d. wait e. None of the options
6. The Junior-Senior party ended at midnight and we didn’t ______ home until 1.00 am!
- get in c. get out
- get down d. turn up e. get back
7. “I’m not afraid of snakes,” said Patricia. “______,” replied Johanna.
- either am I c. so am I
- either do I d. neither did I e. neither am I
8. Marc’s jacket and jeans ______ quality blue denim.
- are made on c. are made of
- are made off d. is made of e. are made out
9. Marco and I ______ a guild with our friends.
- meet up c. sat up
- set up d. turn up e. create up
10. The best-tasting coffee is ______ in this cafeteria.
- sell c. sell
- sold d. seling e. None of the options
11. I was so ______ I went to bed at eight o’clock! I couldn’t keep myself awake.
- sensible c. fresh
- tired d. worried e. energetic
12. _____ Sarah and Becky _____ to your school?
- did – go c. was – go
- do – went d. do – go e. are – gone
13. Prescy and I have been friends since we were children and we ______ really well.
- get along c. got over
- got up d. get in e. get on
14. Minerva ______ to her Walkman in her room at the moment.
- listens c. was listening
- were listening d. is listening e. listen
15. What was your friend doing when we ______ her a while ago?
- see c. meet
- seen d. met e. meeting
16. Nina ______ be elated. She won the chess match.
- needs to c. could
- can’t d. didn’t have to e. must
17. Last night there was a ______ on TV about life in South East Asia.
- picture c. orbit
- documentary d. science fiction e. communication
18. I ______ buy any tickets. Myrna bought them all yesterday.
- may c. can’t
- don’t have to d. shouldn’t e. have to
19. One day, Jason ______ with the idea of forming a rock band with three of our friends.
- came out c. came in
- came down d. came over e. came up
20. We’re very ______ about your debut party on Saturday! We’re sure it’s going to be awesome!
- eager c. surprised
- exciting d. scared e. excited
21. This magazine is so ______ I can’t stop reading it. It’s fantastic!
- depressing c. long
- boring d. exciting e. excited
22. It was last Friday when we _____ in the park when we saw Mrs. Salcedo with another man.
- was running c. we’re running
- were ran d. run e. were running
23. Precious ______ home late on Thursdays because she plays tennis after school.
- is getting c. gone
- got d. gets e. get
24. Who’s that? It ______ be Daniel. He’s on leave.
- can’t c. will
- can d. is not e. will be
25. Jenny hurt herself when she ______ her bicycle.
- fell in c. fell down
- fell off d. fell out e. fall out
Once you are done answering this practice test, you can click any of the social media buttons below for the answers to be revealed. Alternatively, you can wait until the countdown reaches zero.
CSE GRAMMAR AND CORRECT USAGE ANSWER KEYS
Here are the answers to our Civil Service Exam Fill-in-the-Blanks Grammar exercise:
1. b. calm down
Explanation: The sentence implies that the speaker and others were excited about the match and couldn’t relax. “Calm down” is the appropriate phrase to indicate the opposite of being excited or agitated. The other options do not fit the context of the sentence.
2. c. with
Explanation: “Fed up with” is a common English expression meaning to be annoyed or frustrated by something. So, the correct phrase is “Mila got fed up with feeding the dog.” The other prepositions do not fit the context of the sentence.
3. c. better not
Explanation: This sentence is expressing a warning or a recommendation to avoid being late. The phrase “better not” is used to convey a strong suggestion or warning against a particular action. So, the correct sentence would be: “I’m warning you. You better not be late or Mr. Jones will be really angry.” The other options don’t convey the appropriate sense of warning or recommendation in this context.
4. c. sensible
Explanation: The sentence is suggesting a reasonable or practical course of action. “Sensible” means having or showing good sense or judgment; therefore, it fits well in this context. The other options do not convey the appropriate meaning in the context of promoting a healthy lifestyle.
5. a. waiting
Explanation: The structure “don’t mind” is typically followed by a gerund (-ing form of a verb) or a noun. Therefore, the correct form here is “waiting.” The phrase “I don’t mind waiting” indicates that the speaker is okay with waiting and suggests patience. The other options do not fit grammatically with the phrase “don’t mind.”
6. e. get back
Explanation: “Get back” is used to indicate returning to a place, in this case, returning home. So the sentence should read, “The Junior-Senior party ended at midnight and we didn’t get back home until 1.00 am!” The other options do not convey the intended meaning of returning home.
7. e. neither am I
Explanation: In this context, both Patricia and Johanna agree that they are not afraid of snakes. “Neither am I” is the appropriate response because it mirrors the structure of the original statement “I’m not afraid of snakes,” by using the negation “neither” followed by the subject pronoun and the verb “to be” conjugated accordingly. Therefore, Johanna’s response would be: “Neither am I,” indicating her agreement with Patricia’s statement.
8. c. are made of
Explanation: When describing the material from which something is made, we use the preposition “of.” So, in this case, the correct phrase is “are made of quality blue denim.” The other options do not use the correct preposition to convey the intended meaning.
9. b. set up
Explanation: When forming or establishing something, especially an organization like a guild, the appropriate phrasal verb to use is “set up.” Therefore, the correct sentence is “Marco and I set up a guild with our friends.” The other options do not convey the correct action of establishing or creating something.
10. b. sold
Explanation: In this sentence, we’re referring to the coffee being available for purchase or consumption in the cafeteria. Therefore, the correct verb to use is “sold,” which is the past participle form of “sell” when describing something available for sale. So, the correct sentence is: “The best-tasting coffee is sold in this cafeteria.” The other options are either misspelled or grammatically incorrect.
11. b. tired
Explanation: The sentence indicates that the person went to bed early because they were feeling a certain way. Given the context provided, the word that best fits this scenario is “tired,” as it reflects a feeling of exhaustion or fatigue, leading to the decision to go to bed early. Therefore, the correct sentence is: “I was so tired I went to bed at eight o’clock! I couldn’t keep myself awake.” The other options do not fit the context of feeling the need to go to bed early due to exhaustion.
12. a. did – go
Explanation: In this sentence, the correct auxiliary verb to use in the past tense is “did,” and the main verb should be in its base form, which is “go.” Therefore, the correct sentence structure is: “Did Sarah and Becky go to your school?” This follows the standard form for forming questions in the past tense in English. The other options do not follow the correct grammatical structure for forming past-tense questions.
13. a. get along
Explanation: The phrase “get along” is a common idiomatic expression that means to have a good relationship or to have a good rapport with someone. Therefore, the correct sentence is: “Prescy and I have been friends since we were children and we get along really well.” The other options do not convey the intended meaning of having a good relationship.
14. d. is listening
Explanation: The sentence describes an action that is currently happening. In English, to indicate present continuous tense, we use the verb “to be” conjugated with the present participle form of the main verb. So, the correct form is “is listening.” Therefore, the correct sentence is: “Minerva is listening to her Walkman in her room at the moment.”
15. d. met
Explanation: The sentence is asking about a past action that occurred when the speaker met the friend. Therefore, the correct verb to use is the past tense form “met.” The correct sentence is: “What was your friend doing when we met her a while ago?” The other options do not fit the past tense context of the sentence.
16. e. must
Explanation: The sentence implies a logical deduction based on evidence. Since Nina won the chess match, it is reasonable to infer that she must be elated (very happy). “Must” is used for strong deductions or conclusions based on evidence. Therefore, the correct sentence is: “Nina must be elated. She won the chess match.” The other options do not convey the intended meaning of strong inference based on evidence.
17. b. documentary
Explanation: A “documentary” is a non-fictional film or television program that provides a factual report on a particular subject, in this case, life in Southeast Asia. Therefore, the correct sentence is: “Last night there was a documentary on TV about life in South East Asia.” The other options do not fit the context of a factual program about life in a specific region.
18. c. can’t
Explanation: The sentence indicates that the speaker didn’t buy the tickets because Myrna bought them yesterday. “Can’t” is used to express inability or impossibility, indicating that the speaker didn’t have the opportunity to buy the tickets because they were already purchased by Myrna. Therefore, the correct sentence is: “I can’t buy any tickets. Myrna bought them all yesterday.” The other options do not accurately convey the meaning of inability or impossibility in this context.
19. e. came up
Explanation: The phrase “came up with” means to think of or create an idea, plan, or solution. In this context, Jason generated the idea of forming a rock band with three friends. Therefore, the correct sentence is: “One day Jason came up with the idea of forming a rock band with three of our friends.” The other options do not convey the meaning of generating an idea or plan.
20. e. excited
Explanation: The sentence indicates a feeling of anticipation or enthusiasm about the debut party. “Excited” is the appropriate word to convey this feeling. Therefore, the correct sentence is: “We’re very excited about your debut party on Saturday! We’re sure it’s going to be awesome!” The other options do not fit the context of expressing anticipation or enthusiasm.
21. d. exciting
Explanation: The sentence indicates that the speaker finds the magazine captivating and enjoyable, causing them to continue reading it without wanting to stop. “Exciting” is the appropriate word to convey this feeling of enthusiasm and interest. Therefore, the correct sentence is: “This magazine is so exciting I can’t stop reading it. It’s fantastic!” The other options do not fit the context of expressing enthusiasm or interest in the magazine.
22. e. were running
Explanation: The sentence describes an action that was happening in the past at a specific moment (last Friday) when another event occurred (seeing Mrs. Salcedo with another man). This situation calls for the past continuous tense, which is formed using “were” + present participle (-ing form of the verb). Therefore, the correct sentence is: “It was last Friday when we were running in the park when we saw Mrs. Salcedo with another man.”
23. d. gets
Explanation: The sentence describes a habitual action that Precious regularly performs on Thursdays, which is coming home late because she plays tennis after school. In this case, the correct form of the verb is “gets” in the simple present tense, to indicate a routine or habitual action. Therefore, the correct sentence is: “Precious gets home late on Thursdays because she plays tennis after school.”
24. a. can’t
Explanation: The sentence implies a deduction based on the information provided (Daniel being on leave), suggesting that it’s not possible for the person in question to be Daniel. “Can’t” is used to express impossibility or strong doubt. Therefore, the correct sentence is: “Who’s that? It can’t be Daniel. He’s on leave.”
25. b. fell off
Explanation: The phrase “fell off” is commonly used to indicate that someone fell from a higher position to a lower one, which aligns with the context of falling from a bicycle. Therefore, the correct sentence is: “Jenny hurt herself when she fell off her bicycle.” The other options do not accurately convey the action of falling from a bicycle.
We hope you got at least 20 correct answers in our CSE Fill-in-the-Blanks Grammar exercise. If you need more review materials about the grammar part of the Civil Service Exam, just click on this BEAUTIFUL LINK. <<<
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