HESI A2
HESI A2 Grammar Practice Exam
1. Select the word that makes the following sentence grammatically correct. Having ___________ one pill at bedtime, the patient was able to sleep for eight hours.
- A. took
- B. take
- C. taking
- D. taken
Correct answer: C
Rationale: The correct word to use in this sentence is 'taking' to show the continuous aspect of the action. The sentence should read: 'Having taking one pill at bedtime, the patient was able to sleep for eight hours.' 'Taking' is the present participle form of the verb 'take,' which is appropriate in this context to indicate the ongoing action of taking a pill at bedtime. Choice A, 'took,' is incorrect as it is the simple past tense, not suitable for this sentence's structure. Choice B, 'take,' is the base form of the verb, which does not fit the sentence's requirement for a participle. Choice D, 'taken,' is the past participle form, which is also unsuitable for showing the ongoing action required in this context.
2. What word is best to substitute for the underlined words in the following sentence? The doctor and I went over the doctor’s and my notes.
- A. his
- B. their
- C. our
- D. mine
Correct answer: C
Rationale: The word 'our' is the best substitute for the underlined words 'the doctor’s and my' in the sentence. Using 'our' indicates joint possession, making the sentence more concise and natural. Choice A, 'his', is singular possessive and does not reflect the joint ownership implied by the sentence. Choice B, 'their', is plural possessive and does not align with the singular subjects 'the doctor and I'. Choice D, 'mine', is possessive for the first person singular pronoun and does not convey the shared ownership of the notes by both individuals.
3. What punctuation is needed in the following sentence to make it correct? The days seem long, but the nights seem even longer.
- A. Period
- B. Comma
- C. Colon
- D. Apostrophe
Correct answer: B
Rationale: The sentence needs a comma before the conjunction 'but' to correctly join the two independent clauses 'The days seem long' and 'the nights seem even longer.' This comma helps to create a clear separation between the contrasting ideas in the sentence. Choice A (Period) is incorrect because a period would create two separate sentences rather than connecting them. Choice C (Colon) is incorrect as colons are used to introduce lists, explanations, or quotations. Choice D (Apostrophe) is incorrect as it is not needed in this sentence.
4. Select the word in the following sentence that is not used correctly. On departing, the patient complimented her therapist and counselor.
- A. departing
- B. complimented
- C. therapist
- D. counselor
Correct answer: C
Rationale: The word 'therapist' in the sentence is used correctly. However, the word 'councilor' is misspelled and should be 'counselor' to refer to a mental health professional providing therapy services. The correct term should have an 's' after 'counselor,' making it 'counselor' instead of 'councilor.' Therefore, the word 'councilor' is the one not used correctly in the sentence.
5. What punctuation is needed in the following sentence to make it correct? In addition to the hospital's regularly scheduled festivities, the custodians celebrate with a party of their own.
- A. Period
- B. Comma
- C. Apostrophe
- D. Semicolon
Correct answer: B
Rationale: The correct punctuation needed in the sentence is a comma. A comma should be placed after 'festivities' to separate the two independent clauses in the sentence: 'In addition to the hospital's regularly scheduled festivities' and 'the custodians celebrate with a party of their own.' The comma helps in improving the clarity and structure of the sentence by indicating a pause between the clauses. Choice A, 'Period,' is incorrect because a period would create two separate sentences rather than connecting the related clauses. Choice C, 'Apostrophe,' is incorrect as there is no need for an apostrophe in this context. Choice D, 'Semicolon,' is incorrect because a semicolon is used to join closely related independent clauses, which is not the case in the given sentence.
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