- Which of the following is the best revision of the sentence below?
"The reason the patient's discharge was delayed is because of the fact that we were waiting for the final lab results."
Answer: The patient's discharge was delayed because we were waiting for the final lab results.
When you encounter sentence revision questions on the HESI, you're being tested on your ability to identify and eliminate redundancy while maintaining clear, concise communication—a crucial skill in healthcare documentation.
The original sentence contains multiple redundant elements: "The reason...is because" creates a double causation structure, and "because of the fact that" is unnecessarily wordy. Effective medical writing requires precision and clarity.
Option A eliminates all redundancy while preserving the complete meaning. It uses a simple subject-verb-predicate structure: "The patient's discharge was delayed because we were waiting for the final lab results." This revision is direct, professional, and appropriately concise for medical documentation.
Option B retains the redundant "reason...is because" construction, which creates awkward double causation. Option C replaces one wordy phrase with another equally verbose one ("for the reason that"), and adds unnecessary words ("to come back"). Option D uses "being that," which is considered informal and inappropriate for professional healthcare communication.
The key difference is that Option A transforms a convoluted 19-word sentence into a clear 12-word sentence without losing any essential information. In healthcare settings, this type of concise communication prevents misunderstandings and ensures efficient information transfer.
For HESI writing questions, always choose the revision that eliminates wordiness while maintaining professionalism. Look for redundant phrases like "the reason...is because," "due to the fact that," or "being that"—these are common targets for revision questions.
- Which of the following is the best revision of the sentence below?
"The medical student reviewed the patient's history, examines the rash on his arm, and then consults with the attending physician."
Answer: The medical student reviewed the patient's history, examined the rash on his arm, and then consulted with the attending physician.
This question tests your understanding of parallel structure and verb tense consistency, which are essential skills for clear medical communication and documentation.
The original sentence contains a verb tense error that disrupts the flow of actions. When describing a sequence of completed actions, all verbs should maintain the same tense to show they occurred in the same time frame. The sentence describes three past actions the medical student performed, so all three verbs need to be in past tense.
Why C is correct: This option fixes the tense inconsistency by changing "examines" to "examined," making all three verbs past tense: "reviewed," "examined," and "consulted." This creates proper parallel structure and clearly indicates that all actions were completed in the past.
Why the other options fail: Option A converts everything to present tense, which would only be appropriate if describing ongoing or habitual actions, not a specific completed sequence. Option B uses past perfect "had reviewed" for the first action, which incorrectly suggests it happened before the other past actions, disrupting the chronological sequence. Option D keeps the original error, mixing past tense "reviewed" and "consulted" with present tense "examines."
Study tip: When you encounter verb tense questions on the HESI, look for consistency within the sentence or paragraph. If actions happen in the same time frame, they should use the same tense. Medical documentation requires precise, consistent language, so these grammar skills directly apply to your future healthcare career.
- Which revision best improves the sentence for clarity and grammatical accuracy? "Between you and I, the patient's prognosis appears more optimistic than what the initial assessment suggested."
Answer: Between you and me, the patient's prognosis appears more optimistic than the initial assessment suggested.
This question tests your understanding of pronoun case, specifically when to use subjective versus objective pronouns in prepositional phrases. When you encounter grammar questions involving pronouns after prepositions like "between," "with," or "for," always use the objective case.
The correct answer is D because it fixes both grammatical errors in the original sentence. First, "between" is a preposition that requires objective pronouns, so "between you and me" is correct—never "between you and I." Second, the phrase "than what the initial assessment suggested" is unnecessarily wordy and awkward. The cleaner construction is "than the initial assessment suggested," which directly compares the current prognosis to the initial assessment.
A corrects the pronoun error by using "me" instead of "I," but it retains the wordy "than what" construction, making it less clear than option D.
B keeps the incorrect subjective pronoun "I" after the preposition "between." While it does improve the comparison by removing "what," the pronoun error makes this choice grammatically wrong.
C uses "myself," which is a reflexive pronoun that should only be used when the subject performs an action on themselves. Here, there's no reflexive action, so "myself" is inappropriate. It also maintains the wordy "than what" phrasing.
Study tip: Remember that prepositions always take objective pronouns (me, him, her, us, them), never subjective ones (I, he, she, we, they). A quick test is to remove the other person: you'd say "between me" not "between I."
- Which of the following is the best revision of the sentence below?
"The specialist to who the patient was referred is a leading expert in endocrinology."
Answer: The specialist to whom the patient was referred is a leading expert in endocrinology.
This question tests your understanding of relative pronouns, specifically when to use "who" versus "whom" in formal writing. The key is recognizing that "whom" is the object form of "who," used when the pronoun receives the action of the verb or follows a preposition.
In the original sentence, "to who" is grammatically incorrect because "who" is the subject form of the pronoun, but here it follows the preposition "to." When a pronoun follows a preposition, you must use the object form "whom." Additionally, the sentence structure is clear and maintains proper formal tone expected in medical documentation.
Option C correctly uses "whom" after the preposition "to," creating the grammatically proper phrase "to whom the patient was referred." The sentence structure is also clear and professional.
Option A moves the preposition to the end ("referred to") but incorrectly uses "who" instead of "whom." Even when the preposition is moved, the pronoun is still functioning as an object and requires "whom."
Option B completely restructures the sentence and, while grammatically correct, changes the emphasis from the specialist to the patient, which may not match the intended meaning of the original.
Option D creates an awkward construction with "is who the patient was referred to," mixing tenses and creating unclear pronoun reference. The phrase also incorrectly uses "who" instead of "whom."
Remember: After prepositions (to, for, with, by), always use "whom," not "who." When in doubt, try substituting "him/her" - if it works, use "whom."
- Which of the following is the best revision of the sentence below?
"The patient reported a pain level of 8 out of 10 his breathing was shallow and rapid."
Answer: The patient reported a pain level of 8 out of 10, and his breathing was shallow and rapid.
This question tests your ability to identify and fix run-on sentences, a crucial skill for clear medical documentation. The original sentence contains two independent clauses (complete thoughts) that are incorrectly joined without proper punctuation, creating a run-on sentence.
The correct answer is B because it uses a comma followed by the coordinating conjunction "and" to properly connect the two related independent clauses. This structure follows the standard rule for joining independent clauses: comma + coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet). The word "and" is the appropriate conjunction here because both observations (pain level and breathing pattern) are simply being reported together without contrast or contradiction.
Option A fails because it attempts to join two independent clauses with only a comma, creating a comma splice error. This is grammatically incorrect and can confuse readers about where one thought ends and another begins.
Option C uses "but," which incorrectly suggests contrast between the pain level and breathing pattern. However, shallow, rapid breathing often accompanies high pain levels, so these observations complement rather than contrast each other.
Option D incorrectly places a semicolon before "and." When using a coordinating conjunction to join independent clauses, you need a comma, not a semicolon. Semicolons are used alone to separate independent clauses or before conjunctive adverbs like "however" or "therefore."
Remember: When you see two complete thoughts in healthcare writing, connect them with either a comma + coordinating conjunction, a semicolon alone, or separate them into two sentences. Clear sentence structure prevents miscommunication in patient care documentation.
- Choose the revision that best improves sentence clarity and correctness: "Each of the nurses were required to complete their continuing education credits before the deadline, which was important for maintaining certification."
Answer: Each nurse was required to complete continuing education credits before the deadline, which was important for maintaining certification.
The correct answer is D. The original has multiple issues: subject-verb disagreement ('each...were'), pronoun disagreement ('each...their'), and an ambiguous 'which' clause. Choice D fixes all problems by using singular 'nurse' with appropriate verb agreement and eliminating the pronoun issue entirely. Choice A fixes the verb but keeps the pronoun problem. Choice B fixes both agreement issues but is wordier and still has the ambiguous 'which.' Choice C changes the meaning by using 'all' instead of 'each' and retains the ambiguous reference.
- Which revision best enhances clarity and correctness? "The nurse administered the medication to the patient who was experiencing severe pain in the emergency room."
Answer: In the emergency room, the nurse administered the medication to the patient who was experiencing severe pain.
The correct answer is B. The original sentence has a misplaced modifier that suggests the patient was experiencing pain 'in the emergency room' rather than clarifying where the nurse administered medication. Choice B eliminates ambiguity by clearly placing 'in the emergency room' at the beginning to modify the entire action. Choice A adds commas but doesn't resolve the location ambiguity. Choice C still creates confusion about whether the pain or medication administration occurred in the ER. Choice D awkwardly interrupts the subject-verb relationship.
- Which of the following is the best revision of the sentence below?
"Walking into the patient's room, the empty IV bag was the first thing the nurse noticed."
Answer: Walking into the patient's room, the nurse first noticed the empty IV bag.
When you encounter sentence revision questions, you're being tested on your ability to identify and fix dangling modifiers - phrases that don't clearly connect to what they're supposed to describe.
The original sentence contains a dangling modifier: "Walking into the patient's room" appears to modify "the empty IV bag," which creates the illogical meaning that the IV bag was walking into the room. The modifier needs to be placed so it clearly describes the nurse's action.
Option B correctly fixes this problem by placing the modifier next to "the nurse," making it clear that the nurse is the one walking into the room. The sentence now has proper structure: the introductory phrase modifies the subject that immediately follows it, and the meaning is crystal clear.
Option A simply moves the modifier to the end but doesn't fix the core problem - it's still unclear who is walking. Option C uses passive voice ("was noticed") which creates awkward phrasing and doesn't clearly establish the nurse as the one doing the walking. Option D creates a sentence fragment with "The nurse, walking into the patient's room" followed by an incomplete construction that leaves the nurse hanging without a proper verb.
For HESI grammar questions, always check that modifying phrases are placed next to the words they're meant to describe. When you see an opening phrase followed by a comma, make sure the subject immediately after the comma is what's actually performing the action described in that opening phrase.
- Which of the following is the best revision of the sentence below?
"The ethics committee, which is comprised of doctors and nurses, meet every Tuesday to discuss complex cases."
Answer: The ethics committee, which is comprised of doctors and nurses, meets every Tuesday to discuss complex cases.
When you encounter grammar questions about subject-verb agreement, focus on identifying the true subject of the sentence and ensuring the verb matches its number (singular or plural).
In this sentence, the subject is "The ethics committee," which is a singular collective noun. Even though the committee contains multiple people (doctors and nurses), the word "committee" itself is singular and requires a singular verb. The phrase "which is comprised of doctors and nurses" is a non-restrictive clause that provides additional information but doesn't change the subject. Since this describes a habitual action, the simple present tense "meets" is correct.
Looking at the incorrect options: Choice A changes "is" to "are" in the relative clause, which creates disagreement between the singular subject "committee" and the plural verb "are." Choice B changes the subject to "members," making it plural, but then incorrectly uses "comprised" without "of" - the correct phrase is either "comprised of" or "composed of." Choice C uses the past continuous tense "was meeting," which suggests an ongoing action in the past rather than a regular, recurring event that continues to happen.
The correct answer is D because it maintains proper subject-verb agreement with the singular "committee" and "meets," uses the correct relative pronoun construction, and employs the appropriate tense for habitual actions.
For HESI grammar questions, always identify the main subject first, ignore intervening phrases, and ensure your verb agrees with that subject's number. Collective nouns like "committee," "team," and "group" are typically singular in American English.
- Which of the following is the best revision of the sentence below?
"The new medication had a positive affect on the patient, but the side affects were numerous."
Answer: The new medication had a positive effect on the patient, but the side effects were numerous.
This question tests your understanding of the commonly confused word pairs "affect/effect" and "affects/effects." When you encounter these words on the HESI, remember that "affect" is typically a verb (an action), while "effect" is typically a noun (a thing or result).
In the original sentence, you need to identify two errors. First, "positive affect" should be "positive effect" because we're describing a beneficial result (noun), not an action. The medication produced a positive outcome. Second, "side affects" should be "side effects" because side effects are unwanted results or consequences (nouns), not actions.
Looking at the answer choices: Choice A corrects only the first error, changing "affect" to "effect" in the first part but leaving "side affects" incorrect. Choice B makes the sentence worse by changing "had a positive affect" to "effected the patient positively," which creates awkward phrasing, and still leaves "side affects" wrong. Choice C corrects only the second error, fixing "side effects" but leaving "positive affect" incorrect. Only choice D corrects both errors properly: "positive effect" (the beneficial result) and "side effects" (the unwanted consequences).
For HESI success, remember this simple rule: if you can substitute "influence" for the word, use "affect" (verb). If you can substitute "result" for the word, use "effect" (noun). Practice identifying whether the sentence needs an action word or a thing word.
- Which of the following is the best revision of the sentence below?
"The nurse handed the anxiolytic medication to the agitated patient that was in a small, brown vial."
Answer: The nurse handed the anxiolytic medication, which was in a small, brown vial, to the agitated patient.
This question tests your understanding of misplaced modifiers, a common grammar error that can create confusion about which words relate to each other in a sentence. The original sentence contains a misplaced modifier: "that was in a small, brown vial" appears to describe "the agitated patient" rather than "the anxiolytic medication."
Option A correctly fixes this problem by placing the descriptive phrase "which was in a small, brown vial" immediately after "anxiolytic medication," making it clear that the medication, not the patient, is in the vial. The comma placement and use of "which" creates proper grammatical structure while maintaining clarity.
Option B creates ambiguity because "in a small, brown vial" could still be interpreted as modifying either the medication or the patient, though it's less confusing than the original. However, it's not as grammatically precise as option A.
Option C creates a comma splice error by incorrectly joining two independent clauses with just a comma. This violates basic sentence structure rules and would be marked incorrect on grammar assessments.
Option D simply moves the misplaced modifier to a different position but doesn't fix the fundamental problem. The phrase "that was in a small, brown vial" still appears to modify "patient" rather than "medication."
When you encounter modifier questions on the HESI, always identify what the descriptive phrase is meant to modify, then check if it's placed as close as possible to that word. Misplaced modifiers are frequent test topics because they're common errors in healthcare documentation.
- Select the most effective revision for clarity and correctness: "Due to the fact that the patient was experiencing adverse reactions, the medication dosage was reduced by the attending physician immediately."
Answer: Because the patient was experiencing adverse reactions, the attending physician immediately reduced the medication dosage.
When you encounter sentence revision questions on the HESI, you're being tested on two key principles: eliminating wordiness and using active voice for clarity. These skills are essential for clear medical communication.
The most effective revision eliminates unnecessary phrases and puts the subject (the attending physician) in an active position. Option B accomplishes both goals perfectly. It replaces the wordy phrase "due to the fact that" with the concise "because," and it uses active voice by making the physician the subject who performs the action. The word order "immediately reduced" also flows more naturally than placing "immediately" at the end.
Let's examine why the other options fall short. Option A improves the wordiness by using "because" instead of "due to the fact that," but it keeps the awkward passive construction "the medication dosage was reduced by the attending physician immediately," which sounds clunky and places emphasis on the dosage rather than the decision-maker. Option C attempts active voice but uses the awkward phrase "due to the patient experiencing," which creates unclear grammar. Option D maintains the original wordy phrase "due to the fact that" and places it awkwardly at the end of the sentence, making the causal relationship less clear.
For HESI writing questions, remember this pattern: look for the option that combines concise language with active voice. Active voice typically follows the structure of subject-verb-object and makes medical writing clearer by identifying who took what action. Eliminate options with wordy phrases like "due to the fact that" when simpler alternatives like "because" exist.
- Which of the following is the best revision of the sentence below?
"After the physical therapy session, the patient reported that his knee felt good and that he could walk more easy."
Answer: After the physical therapy session, the patient reported that his knee felt well and that he could walk more easily.
This question tests your understanding of proper adjective and adverb usage in healthcare communication. When you encounter grammar questions on the HESI, focus on identifying whether descriptive words are modifying nouns (use adjectives) or verbs (use adverbs).
The sentence contains two key grammatical issues. First, "felt good" versus "felt well" - when describing physical condition or health status, "well" is the correct choice because it refers to the state of health, while "good" describes general quality or mood. Second, "more easy" should be "more easily" because you need an adverb to modify the verb "walk."
Looking at each option: Choice A incorrectly keeps "more easy" instead of the proper adverbial form. Choice B correctly fixes the adverb issue with "more easily" but uses "good" instead of "well" when describing physical health status. Choice D creates a non-existent word "goodly" - this isn't proper English. Choice C correctly addresses both problems by using "well" for the health condition and "easily" as the proper adverb form.
For HESI grammar questions, remember that healthcare writing demands precision. "Well" specifically relates to health and physical condition, while "good" is more general. Also, when modifying action verbs like "walk," you need adverbs (often ending in -ly), not adjectives. Practice identifying whether you're describing a person's condition (adjective) or how they perform an action (adverb) to master these distinctions.
- Which of the following is the best revision of the sentence below?
"Each of the vials containing the new vaccine have to be kept at a specific temperature."
Answer: Each of the vials containing the new vaccine has to be kept at a specific temperature.
When you encounter grammar questions on the HESI exam, pay close attention to subject-verb agreement, especially with phrases that can obscure the true subject of the sentence.
The correct answer is A because "each" is always a singular subject, requiring the singular verb "has." Even though "vials" appears in the prepositional phrase "of the vials," the word "each" remains the subject of the sentence. The phrase "of the vials containing the new vaccine" is just describing which items we're talking about, but it doesn't change the fact that "each" is singular.
Looking at the wrong answers: B changes the subject from "each" to "all," which does require the plural verb "have" - but this changes the meaning of the sentence from focusing on individual vials to the collective group. C creates a new error by using "has" with the plural subject "vials." D keeps the original subject-verb disagreement and adds an unnecessary tense change to "have been," which suggests completed action rather than an ongoing requirement.
The key trap here is that the prepositional phrase "of the vials" places a plural noun right next to the verb, making "have" sound correct to your ear. However, subjects are never found within prepositional phrases.
Remember this rule: When "each" is the subject, always use singular verbs, regardless of what plural nouns appear in nearby prepositional phrases. Cross out prepositional phrases mentally to identify the true subject-verb relationship.
- Which revision most effectively improves clarity and grammatical accuracy? "Having worked the night shift for three consecutive weeks, fatigue and irritability affected the nurse's performance significantly."
Answer: Having worked the night shift for three consecutive weeks, the nurse experienced fatigue and irritability that significantly affected performance.
The correct answer is C. The original sentence has a dangling modifier—'fatigue and irritability' didn't work the night shift. Choice C corrects this by making 'the nurse' the subject who performed the action and experienced the consequences. Choice A still has a dangling modifier with passive voice. Choice B fixes the modifier issue but changes the intended meaning by suggesting the fatigue occurred after rather than as a result of the work. Choice D creates an unclear relationship between the modifier and an incomplete thought.
- Which of the following is the best revision of the sentence below?
"Its important for the hospital to maintain it's accreditation with the regulatory agency."
Answer: It's important for the hospital to maintain its accreditation with the regulatory agency.
When you encounter grammar questions on the HESI exam, apostrophe usage with "its" versus "it's" is frequently tested because it's one of the most common errors in written English.
The key to mastering this concept is understanding that "it's" is always a contraction meaning "it is" or "it has," while "its" is the possessive form meaning "belonging to it." To check which form you need, substitute "it is" into the sentence—if it makes sense, use "it's"; if not, use "its."
In this sentence, we need "It's" at the beginning because "It is important for the hospital..." makes perfect sense. However, we need "its accreditation" (without an apostrophe) because the accreditation belongs to the hospital—it's possessive, not a contraction.
Choice A incorrectly uses "It's" in both places. While the first usage is correct, "it's accreditation" would mean "it is accreditation," which doesn't make grammatical sense.
Choice B incorrectly uses "Its" at the beginning. "Its important" would mean "it is important" needs to be "It's important."
Choice C correctly uses "It's" (contraction) at the beginning and "its" (possessive) for accreditation. This is the proper combination.
Choice D changes the sentence structure unnecessarily and creates awkward phrasing while also misusing "its."
Remember this rule: "It's" = "it is" (contraction with apostrophe), "its" = possessive (no apostrophe). This pattern appears frequently on standardized exams, so always do the substitution test when you're unsure.
- Which revision best improves the clarity and correctness of the following sentence? "The patient's symptoms, including nausea, dizziness, and fatigue, which had persisted for several days, was concerning to the healthcare team."
Answer: The patient's symptoms, including nausea, dizziness, and fatigue, which had persisted for several days, were concerning to the healthcare team.
The correct answer is A. The main issue is subject-verb disagreement: the plural subject 'symptoms' requires the plural verb 'were,' not 'was.' Choice A fixes this error while maintaining proper punctuation and meaning. Choice B incorrectly uses 'that' instead of 'which' for a non-restrictive clause and keeps the wrong verb. Choice C adds unnecessary em dashes but retains the incorrect verb. Choice D removes 'had' but still has the subject-verb disagreement.
- Which revision best enhances the sentence's clarity and grammatical correctness? "While preparing the sterile field, the surgical instruments needed to be arranged in a specific order according to the procedure."
Answer: While preparing the sterile field, the surgical team needed to arrange the instruments in a specific order according to the procedure.
The correct answer is A. The original sentence has a dangling modifier—the surgical instruments aren't preparing the sterile field. Choice A corrects this by providing a clear subject ('the surgical team') who performs the action. Choice B doesn't fix the dangling modifier and creates unclear timing. Choice C uses passive voice throughout, making the sentence less direct and still somewhat unclear about who performs the action. Choice D changes the sentence structure significantly and creates redundancy with 'required that...needed.'
- Which of the following is the best revision of the sentence below?
"The new diet requires patients to consume less carbohydrates and less calories per day."
Answer: The new diet requires patients to consume fewer carbohydrates and fewer calories per day.
This question tests your understanding of when to use "fewer" versus "less" with different types of nouns - a common grammar rule that appears frequently on standardized exams.
The key principle is that "fewer" is used with countable nouns (things you can count individually), while "less" is used with uncountable nouns (things measured as quantities or masses). Both "carbohydrates" and "calories" are countable nouns - you can count individual carbohydrates and individual calories - so both require "fewer."
Answer D correctly uses "fewer" with both "carbohydrates" and "calories," making it grammatically proper. The sentence flows naturally and follows standard English usage rules.
Answer A mixes the usage incorrectly by pairing "less carbohydrates" (wrong) with "fewer calories" (correct). Since carbohydrates are countable, this creates a grammatical error in the first part of the sentence.
Answer B makes the opposite mistake, correctly using "fewer carbohydrates" but incorrectly using "less calories." This creates inconsistency and a grammar error with "calories."
Answer C attempts to avoid the issue entirely by restructuring with "less in carbohydrates and calories," but this creates awkward, unclear phrasing that doesn't properly convey the intended meaning about reducing intake amounts.
Study tip: Remember the counting test: if you can put a number in front of the noun (like "5 carbohydrates" or "100 calories"), use "fewer." If it's a mass or quantity you measure rather than count (like "less water" or "less time"), use "less." This distinction appears regularly in grammar sections.
- Which of the following is the best revision of the sentence below?
"The pre-operative checklist involves confirming the patient's identity, to mark the correct surgical site, and checking for allergies."
Answer: The pre-operative checklist involves confirming the patient's identity, marking the correct surgical site, and checking for allergies.
When you encounter grammar questions about lists or series, you're being tested on parallel structure - the principle that items in a list must follow the same grammatical pattern. This creates clarity and flow in professional writing, which is essential in healthcare communication.
The original sentence mixes different verb forms: "confirming" (gerund), "to mark" (infinitive), and "checking" (gerund). This inconsistency makes the sentence awkward and harder to read.
Answer A correctly fixes this by using all gerunds: "confirming," "marking," and "checking." This creates perfect parallel structure where each item in the list follows the same grammatical pattern. The sentence flows smoothly and clearly communicates the three essential pre-operative steps.
Answer B incorrectly mixes infinitives and gerunds ("to confirm," "marking," "to check"), creating an inconsistent pattern that's just as problematic as the original. Answer C combines three different forms: a gerund ("confirming"), a noun phrase ("the marking"), and an infinitive ("to check"), making it the most grammatically inconsistent option. Answer D attempts to fix the parallel structure but adds the unnecessary word "also" and uses "the checking" (which sounds unnatural) instead of simply "checking."
For HESI grammar questions, always scan lists for parallel structure. When you see items connected by commas and "and," make sure each item uses the same grammatical form - all gerunds, all infinitives, or all nouns. This pattern appears frequently on the exam and is crucial for clear healthcare documentation.
