- Which sentence demonstrates correct subject-verb agreement with collective nouns?
Answer: The committee has reached its final decision regarding the new policy changes.
The correct answer is B. When a collective noun acts as a single unit, it takes singular verb 'has' and singular pronoun 'its.' Choice A treats the collective as plural throughout. Choice C mixes singular verb with plural pronoun. Choice D mixes plural verb with singular pronoun.
- Which of the following is a run-on sentence?
Answer: The shift change occurs at 7:00 AM the night crew leaves then.
Run-on sentences occur when two or more independent clauses (complete thoughts) are incorrectly joined without proper punctuation or connecting words. When you encounter these questions, look for sentences that jam multiple complete ideas together without the right "traffic signals" to guide readers.
Option B creates a run-on sentence because it contains three independent clauses crammed together: "The shift change occurs at 7:00 AM," "the night crew leaves," and an implied third clause with "then." These complete thoughts run into each other without proper separation, making the sentence confusing and grammatically incorrect.
Option A correctly uses a semicolon to join two related independent clauses, which is perfectly acceptable. The semicolon acts as a strong pause between "The pharmacy is closed for lunch" and "it will reopen at 1:00 PM."
Option C properly connects two independent clauses with a comma plus the coordinating conjunction "so." This follows the standard pattern for compound sentences and avoids the run-on error.
Option D uses a dependent clause ("Although the procedure was minor") followed by an independent clause ("the patient was still nervous"). Since the first part cannot stand alone as a complete thought, this creates a complex sentence, not a run-on.
Remember that independent clauses need proper punctuation (periods, semicolons) or conjunctions (and, but, so, etc.) to connect them correctly. When you see multiple complete thoughts pushed together without these tools, you've found your run-on sentence.
- Which sentence demonstrates correct use of who vs. whom?
Answer: The professor who teaches advanced mathematics is retiring this semester.
The correct answer is B. 'Who' is the correct subjective case pronoun serving as the subject of 'teaches.' Choice A incorrectly uses objective 'whom' as a subject. Choice C incorrectly uses 'whomever' as a subject. Choice D uses 'whoever' but this is awkward in this relative clause construction.
- Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct?
Answer: My colleague and I are presenting at the conference.
This question tests your understanding of pronoun case—specifically when to use subject pronouns (I, he, she, we, they) versus object pronouns (me, him, her, us, them) in compound subjects and objects.
When you have compound subjects or objects (two or more people), the same pronoun rules apply as if each person were mentioned separately. The key test is to remove the other person and see which pronoun sounds correct alone.
Option A is correct because "I" is the proper subject pronoun. If you remove "my colleague and," the sentence reads "I am presenting at the conference," which is grammatically correct.
Option B incorrectly uses "me," an object pronoun, as part of the subject. Test it alone: "Me are presenting" is clearly wrong. Additionally, it's considered more polite to mention yourself last in such constructions.
Option C misuses "myself," a reflexive pronoun that should only be used when the subject performs an action on themselves or for emphasis. You can't substitute "myself" for "I" in compound subjects.
Option D incorrectly uses "I" in a prepositional phrase. After the preposition "by," you need an object pronoun. Test it: "The presentation will be given by I" sounds wrong, while "The presentation will be given by me" is correct.
Remember this simple strategy: when dealing with compound subjects or objects, temporarily remove the other person from the sentence. The pronoun that sounds correct when standing alone is the right choice.
- Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct?
Answer: Walking down the hall, I heard the alarm sound loudly.
This question tests your understanding of dangling modifiers, a common grammar error that occurs when a descriptive phrase at the beginning of a sentence doesn't clearly connect to the subject that follows.
When you see introductory phrases starting with words like "having," "walking," "after," or "to," ask yourself: who or what is performing that action? The subject immediately after the comma must be the one doing the action described in the opening phrase.
Option B is correct because "I" logically performs the action of "walking down the hall." The sentence clearly states that the person walking heard the alarm, which makes perfect sense grammatically and logically.
Option A creates a dangling modifier because "the classroom" cannot finish an exam – only a person can. The opening phrase "Having finished the exam" needs a human subject, but instead we get an inanimate object.
Option C has the same problem: "the diagnosis" cannot review a patient's chart. A doctor or medical professional does the reviewing, but "diagnosis" appears as the subject instead.
Option D suffers from a similar error: instruments don't prepare for surgery on their own. Someone (likely medical staff) prepares for surgery by sterilizing instruments, but the sentence structure makes it seem like the instruments are doing the preparing.
Study tip: When you spot an introductory phrase ending with a comma, immediately check that the subject right after the comma can logically perform the action described in that phrase. If not, you've found a dangling modifier error.
- Which sentence demonstrates correct use of conditional statements?
Answer: If she had studied harder, she would have passed the examination.
The correct answer is B. Past perfect 'had studied' is correct in the if-clause of a past unreal conditional. Choice A incorrectly uses 'would have' in both clauses. Choice C mixes present perfect inappropriately with past conditional. Choice D illogically mixes future and past conditional forms.
- Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct?
Answer: The lead surgeon and her team are preparing for the complex operation.
This question tests subject-verb agreement, specifically when dealing with compound subjects joined by "and." When you encounter sentences with multiple subjects, you need to determine whether they require a singular or plural verb.
The correct answer is C because "The lead surgeon and her team" creates a compound subject that requires the plural verb "are." When two or more subjects are connected by "and," they typically form a plural subject that needs a plural verb, regardless of whether the individual parts are singular or plural.
Let's examine why the other options are incorrect:
Option A uses the singular verb "is" with the compound subject "The doctor and the physician's assistant." Since these are two separate people joined by "and," the plural verb "are" is required.
Option B makes the same error, pairing the compound subject "Proper diet and regular exercise" with the singular verb "is." These two distinct concepts joined by "and" need the plural verb "are."
Option D incorrectly uses "was" with the compound subject "The warmth and the humidity." Even though both parts of this compound subject are singular nouns, when joined by "and," they create a plural subject requiring "were."
Remember this key rule: compound subjects joined by "and" almost always take plural verbs, even when each individual subject is singular. The exception occurs only when the compound subject refers to a single entity (like "peanut butter and jelly" referring to one type of sandwich). When in doubt on the TEAS, choose the plural verb with "and" combinations.
- Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct?
Answer: Each of the student nurses must have his or her clinical forms signed.
This question tests subject-pronoun agreement, specifically with indefinite pronouns like "each." When you encounter sentences with words like "each," "every," "either," or "neither," remember that these are grammatically singular, even when they refer to groups.
The key principle here is that "each" is always singular, so it requires a singular pronoun. Even though "each of the student nurses" refers to multiple people, the subject "each" is treated as one individual at a time. Therefore, you need a singular pronoun to maintain agreement.
Choice C is correct because "his or her" provides a singular pronoun that covers all genders appropriately. This traditional construction maintains grammatical consistency with the singular subject "each" while being inclusive.
Choice A is incorrect because "their" is plural, creating a disagreement with the singular "each." While "their" as a singular pronoun is becoming more accepted in casual usage, formal grammar rules—which the TEAS follows—still require singular pronouns with "each."
Choice B is wrong because "her" assumes all student nurses are female, which may not be accurate and is unnecessarily restrictive.
Choice D commits the same error as choice A by using the plural "their" with singular "each." The additional phrase "by a supervisor" doesn't fix the fundamental pronoun disagreement.
For the TEAS, remember that indefinite pronouns like "each," "every," "either," "neither," "anyone," and "everyone" are always singular and require singular pronoun agreement, even when the context involves multiple people.
- Which sentence contains a correctly placed modifier?
Answer: Walking through the park today, I noticed the flowers seemed particularly beautiful.
The correct answer is C. The participial phrase 'Walking through the park today' correctly modifies 'I,' the person doing the walking. Choices A, B, and D all contain misplaced modifiers that create illogical meanings, suggesting the flowers are walking.
- Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct?
Answer: Either the pharmacist or the assistants will check their inventory levels.
This question tests subject-verb agreement with compound subjects joined by correlative conjunctions like "either...or" and "neither...nor." When you encounter these constructions, the verb must agree with the subject closest to it, and pronouns must have clear, logical antecedents.
Choice A is correct because "either the pharmacist or the assistants" follows the proximity rule—the verb "will check" agrees with "assistants" (plural), which is closest to the verb. The pronoun "their" logically refers back to whichever group will be doing the checking, making sense in context.
Choice B violates subject-verb agreement. With "neither the manager nor the employees," the verb should agree with "employees" (plural), so it should be "have completed," not "has completed." Additionally, "their" creates pronoun agreement issues with the singular "manager."
Choice C has a pronoun agreement error. "The director and the chief of staff" creates a compound subject requiring a plural pronoun, but "his" is singular. It should be "their presentation" since both people are involved.
Choice D breaks the proximity rule. "Either the nurses or the lead technician" should take a singular verb agreeing with "technician" (the closer subject), so it should be "must submit his or her report," not "their report."
Remember: with "either...or" and "neither...nor," make the verb agree with the nearest subject, and ensure pronouns logically match their antecedents. These constructions are common TEAS traps, so always identify what's closest to the verb.
- Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct?
Answer: You should perform the procedure as I showed you.
This question tests your understanding of when to use "like" versus "as" in comparisons and expressions. The key distinction is that "like" should introduce noun comparisons, while "as" introduces clause comparisons or shows manner/method.
Answer choice D is correct because "as" properly introduces a clause showing how the procedure should be performed. The phrase "as I showed you" contains a subject ("I") and verb ("showed"), making it a complete clause that requires "as" rather than "like."
Let's examine why the other options are problematic. Choice A uses "like" before the clause "he used to," but since this contains a subject and verb, it should use "as" instead. Choice B incorrectly uses "like" in "felt like she was going to faint" - this construction should use "as if" or "as though" because it introduces a clause describing the nature of her feeling. Choice C uses "like" before "the storm will pass quickly," another complete clause that requires "as" for proper grammar.
The general rule is straightforward: use "like" when comparing nouns (e.g., "She runs like the wind") and "as" when introducing clauses or showing manner. In formal writing, avoid using "like" as a conjunction to introduce clauses.
For TEAS success, remember that questions about "like" versus "as" often appear in the grammar section. When you see these words in answer choices, immediately check whether they're followed by just a noun or by a complete clause with subject and verb - this will guide you to the correct choice.
- Which of the following is a complete sentence?
Answer: The patient rested comfortably after the procedure.
Questions about complete sentences test your ability to identify independent clauses that can stand alone as complete thoughts. A complete sentence must have both a subject and a predicate, and it cannot be a fragment or dependent clause.
Option C, "The patient rested comfortably after the procedure," is correct because it contains all the elements of a complete sentence. It has a clear subject ("the patient"), a verb ("rested"), and expresses a complete thought that doesn't leave you waiting for more information. The phrase "after the procedure" adds detail but doesn't make the sentence dependent.
Option A begins with "While," which creates a dependent clause. This subordinating conjunction makes the entire statement incomplete—it sets up an expectation that something else happened during this time, but never delivers that information. Option B contains a subject ("the chart") but lacks a main verb. The phrase "which contained all the patient's vital information" is a relative clause that describes the chart, but the sentence never tells you what the chart did or what happened to it. Option D starts with "Because," another subordinating conjunction that creates a dependent clause requiring additional information to complete the thought.
When identifying complete sentences on the TEAS, watch out for subordinating conjunctions like "while," "because," "although," and "when" at the beginning of answer choices—these often signal sentence fragments. Also check that each option has both a subject performing an action and a verb, and that the thought feels complete when you read it aloud.
- Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct?
Answer: The medical ethics committee has reached its decision.
This question tests your understanding of subject-verb agreement with collective nouns, a common challenge on the TEAS English exam. When you encounter sentences with groups or organizations as subjects, you need to determine whether the collective noun is acting as a single unit or as individual members.
"The medical ethics committee" is a collective noun that represents one unified body making decisions together. In American English, collective nouns like "committee," "team," "board," or "jury" typically take singular verbs when the group acts as one entity. Since committees make official decisions as a single unit, "committee" requires the singular verb "has" and the singular pronoun "its."
Let's examine why the other options fail: Option A uses "have" (plural verb) with "its" (singular pronoun), creating disagreement between the verb and pronoun. Option B uses both "have" and "their" (both plural), treating the committee as individual members rather than a unified body, which is incorrect for formal decision-making contexts. Option D uses "are reaching" (plural verb) with "its" (singular pronoun), again mixing plural and singular forms incorrectly.
The correct answer is C because it maintains consistency with "has" (singular verb) and "its" (singular pronoun), properly treating the committee as one decision-making entity.
For TEAS success, remember this rule: collective nouns representing unified groups (committees, boards, teams making collective decisions) take singular verbs and pronouns in formal contexts. Watch for consistency between verbs and pronouns—they must both be singular or both be plural.
- Which sentence contains a correctly punctuated quotation?
Answer: "I believe," said the professor, "that this theory requires further investigation."
The correct answer is B. In interrupted quotations, commas are needed after the first part of the quote and after the attribution. Choice A omits the comma after 'professor.' Choice C omits the comma after 'believe.' Choice D incorrectly capitalizes 'That' in the continuation.
- Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct?
Answer: The lab results are ready; the doctor will review them shortly.
This question tests your understanding of how to properly connect two independent clauses—complete thoughts that could stand alone as sentences.
Choice A correctly uses a semicolon to join two related independent clauses: "The lab results are ready" and "the doctor will review them shortly." A semicolon is perfect here because both clauses are complete thoughts that are closely related in meaning. The semicolon creates a stronger connection than a period while maintaining proper grammar.
Choice B creates a run-on sentence by joining two independent clauses with no punctuation at all. This is called a fused sentence and is grammatically incorrect. You cannot simply place two complete thoughts next to each other without proper punctuation or connecting words.
Choice C uses a comma to connect two independent clauses, creating what's called a comma splice. A comma alone is too weak to properly join two complete thoughts—you need either a semicolon, a period, or a comma plus a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, etc.).
Choice D starts correctly with a comma and the coordinating conjunction "and," but then continues with "he will call you" after another comma. This creates an awkward three-part construction that's grammatically incorrect. The pronoun "he" also creates unclear reference since "doctor" wasn't the subject of the previous clause.
When you see sentences with multiple clauses on the TEAS, always check: Are these complete thoughts? How are they connected? Remember that independent clauses need strong punctuation (semicolons or periods) or coordinating conjunctions with commas to join them properly.
- Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct?
Answer: Of the two treatment options, this one is the more effective.
This question tests your understanding of comparative and superlative adjectives, specifically when to use each form based on the number of items being compared.
When comparing exactly two items, you should use the comparative form (adding "-er" or using "more"). When comparing three or more items, you use the superlative form (adding "-est" or using "most"). Since this question involves "two treatment options," the comparative form is required.
Answer D correctly uses "more effective" to compare the two treatment options. This follows the rule that comparative adjectives are used when distinguishing between exactly two items.
Answer A incorrectly uses "most effective," which is the superlative form. Since only two options are being compared, the superlative is grammatically wrong here. Answer B makes the same error, using "most effective" instead of the required comparative form, despite correctly using "between" (which signals two items). Answer C attempts to create a superlative by adding "-est" to "effective," but "effective" forms its superlative as "most effective," not "effectivest." Even if the form were correct, a superlative would still be wrong since only two items are being compared.
Remember this pattern: two items = comparative (-er/more), three or more items = superlative (-est/most). Watch for signal words like "between" (indicates two) and "among" (indicates more than two) to help you identify how many items are being compared and choose the appropriate adjective form.
- Which of the following sentences demonstrates correct parallel structure?
Answer: The patient was instructed to rest, to drink fluids, and to avoid strenuous activity.
Parallel structure means using the same grammatical form for items in a series or list. When you see sentences with multiple actions connected by "and" or "or," check that each element follows the same pattern.
Let's examine the correct answer first. Choice B uses three infinitive phrases in a row: "to rest," "to drink fluids," and "to avoid strenuous activity." All three elements follow the same "to + verb" structure, creating perfect parallel construction.
Now let's see why the other options fail. Choice A starts correctly with "to rest" and "to drink fluids" but then switches to a gerund form with "avoiding strenuous activity." This breaks the parallel pattern by mixing infinitives with a gerund. Choice C also mixes forms—it has "to rest," then shifts to the gerund "drinking fluids," then back to the infinitive "to avoid strenuous activity." This inconsistency disrupts the flow and creates grammatical error. Choice D uses three different structures: the gerund "resting," the infinitive "to drink fluids," and another gerund "avoiding strenuous activity." While it's consistent with gerunds for the first and third items, the middle infinitive breaks the pattern.
When you encounter parallel structure questions on the TEAS, look for series of actions and verify that each item uses the exact same grammatical form. Whether it's all infinitives, all gerunds, or all simple verb forms doesn't matter—consistency is key. This pattern appears frequently in healthcare writing, so mastering it will serve you well.
- Which of the following sentences uses the subjunctive mood correctly?
Answer: If I were the head nurse, I would change the scheduling policy.
When you encounter questions about verb moods, you're being tested on whether you can identify the subjunctive mood, which expresses hypothetical, contrary-to-fact, or wishful situations. The subjunctive mood has specific grammatical rules that differ from regular indicative mood.
The correct answer is D because it properly uses "were" instead of "was" in a hypothetical conditional statement. In subjunctive mood, you always use "were" for all persons (I, he, she, it, we, they) when expressing contrary-to-fact conditions that begin with "if." Since the speaker is not actually the head nurse, this is a hypothetical situation requiring the subjunctive.
Option A incorrectly uses "was" instead of "were" in the same type of hypothetical conditional statement. This is the most common error with subjunctive mood—using indicative "was" when subjunctive "were" is required.
Option B contains a different subjunctive error. After verbs like "require," "demand," or "suggest," the subjunctive uses the base form of the verb. It should read "that every employee complete" (not "completes") the training module.
Option C makes the same "was/were" mistake as option A. In wishes about contrary-to-fact situations, you need "I wish I were" rather than "I wish I was."
Remember this pattern: if you see "if" statements about hypothetical situations or wishes, look for "were" regardless of the subject. Also watch for base verb forms after words like "require," "suggest," or "recommend." The TEAS often tests these two most common subjunctive constructions.
- Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct?
Answer: Neither the doctor nor the nurses were available to comment.
This question tests subject-verb agreement with correlative conjunctions, specifically "neither...nor" constructions. When you encounter these paired conjunctions, the verb must agree with the subject closest to it.
In "neither...nor" sentences, the verb agrees with the noun or pronoun that follows "nor." Here, "nurses" (plural) follows "nor," so you need the plural verb "were." This makes option B correct: "Neither the doctor nor the nurses were available to comment."
Option A uses "was," which would only be correct if the singular noun came after "nor" (like "Neither the nurses nor the doctor was available"). Since "nurses" is plural and comes after "nor," "was" creates a subject-verb disagreement.
Option C uses "is," which is present tense rather than past tense, and it's also singular when it should be plural to match "nurses."
Option D uses "has been," which is singular and doesn't agree with the plural "nurses" that follows "nor."
Remember this key rule: with "neither...nor" (and "either...or"), the verb always agrees with the subject closest to it—the one that comes after "nor" or "or." If that subject is plural, use a plural verb; if it's singular, use a singular verb. This proximity rule overrides the fact that you might have multiple subjects in the sentence.
- Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct?
Answer: The list of required items is on the bulletin board.
This question tests subject-verb agreement, specifically when prepositional phrases separate the subject from its verb. When you encounter sentences with phrases like "of required items" between the subject and verb, you need to identify the true subject to choose the correct verb form.
The subject of this sentence is "list," which is singular. The phrase "of required items" is a prepositional phrase that describes what kind of list, but it doesn't affect the verb agreement. Since "list" is singular, it requires the singular verb "is." Therefore, "The list of required items is on the bulletin board" is grammatically correct.
Option A uses "are," which is a plural verb that doesn't agree with the singular subject "list." Students often make this mistake because "items" (plural) appears right before the verb, but "items" is the object of the preposition "of," not the subject. Option B makes the same error with "were," using a plural past tense verb instead of matching the singular subject. Option D uses "have been," another plural verb form that incorrectly treats "items" as the subject rather than recognizing that "list" governs the verb agreement.
Remember this key strategy: when prepositional phrases come between a subject and verb, mentally cross out or ignore the prepositional phrase to identify the true subject. The verb must always agree with the actual subject of the sentence, not with nouns that appear in intervening phrases. This pattern appears frequently on grammar tests.
