HESI A2
HESI A2 Grammar Practice Exam Questions
Question 1 of 9
Select the phrase that will make the following sentence grammatically correct. Before I had finished supper, James ___________.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The sentence starts with 'Before I had finished supper,' indicating that the action of James texting you on your cell phone had occurred before the completion of another past action (finishing supper). The past perfect tense 'had texted' is used to express an action that happened before another action in the past, making the sentence grammatically correct. Choice A is incorrect because it uses the present continuous tense, which is not suitable for indicating an action that occurred before finishing supper. Choice C is incorrect as it uses the simple present tense, which does not convey the sequence of events correctly. Choice D is incorrect as it presents the present continuous tense, which is not appropriate for the context of the sentence.
Question 2 of 9
Select the word that makes the following sentence grammatically correct. One out of four doctors ___________ to this plan.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: In the sentence 'One out of four doctors,' the subject is 'One,' which is singular. Therefore, the verb that follows should also be singular. The correct verb form in this case is 'subscribes,' not 'subscribe' or any other form. This subject-verb agreement rule ensures that the sentence is grammatically correct. Choice A 'subscribe' is incorrect as it is in the plural form and does not agree with the singular subject. Choice C 'subscribing' is in the gerund form and does not function as the main verb of the sentence. Choice D 'are subscribed' is in the passive voice and does not match the active voice required in this sentence.
Question 3 of 9
Select the word that makes the following sentence grammatically correct. One of the students ___________ completed the course.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct word to use in this sentence is 'has' because 'One of the students' is singular, so it should be followed by a singular verb. The word 'has' is the correct singular form of the verb in this context. Choice A 'have' is plural, Choice C 'are' is also plural, and Choice D 'is' does not agree in number with the subject 'students'. Therefore, 'has' is the only correct choice here.
Question 4 of 9
Which word is used incorrectly in the following sentence? The professor was once an intern in this hospital back in the 1980s.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: In the given sentence, the word 'once' is used incorrectly. The original sentence implies that the professor was an intern in the hospital at a specific time in the past, not just once. The word 'formerly' would imply that the professor used to be an intern but is no longer. Therefore, 'once' is the incorrect word choice in this context. The other options ('professor,' 'intern,' 'hospital') are all used correctly in the sentence.
Question 5 of 9
What punctuation is needed in the following sentence to make it correct? Because of a major accident on the freeway, the emergency room was overcrowded.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct sentence should be: 'Because of a major accident on the freeway, the emergency room was overcrowded.' A comma is needed after 'freeway' to separate the introductory dependent clause from the independent clause that follows. Choice A (Period) is incorrect as it would create two separate sentences. Choice C (Exclamation point) is incorrect as there is no exclamation in the sentence. Choice D (Semicolon) is incorrect as it is used to separate closely related independent clauses.
Question 6 of 9
What word is best to substitute for the underlined words in the following sentence? The nurse left the room to look for the paperwork she had misplaced.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The word 'her' is the best substitute for the underlined words 'the nurse' in the sentence. This substitution avoids redundancy and provides clarity by referring back to the nurse as a third-person singular pronoun, maintaining coherence and avoiding ambiguity. 'He' (choice B) and 'his' (choice C) are incorrect as they do not align with the gender of the nurse in the sentence. 'It' (choice D) is also incorrect as it does not refer appropriately to a person.
Question 7 of 9
Which word is not used correctly in the context of the following sentence? Does your grimace infer that you loathed the performance?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The word 'infer' is used incorrectly in the sentence. 'Infer' means to deduce or conclude something based on evidence and reasoning, while in the sentence, the speaker is actually asking if the grimace suggests that the person hated the performance. The correct word that should be used in this context is 'imply' or 'suggest.' 'Grimace' (choice A), 'loathed' (choice C), and 'performance' (choice D) are all used appropriately in the sentence.
Question 8 of 9
Select the phrase that makes the following sentence grammatically correct. There is a fountain ______ the driveway and the main entrance.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct preposition to use in this sentence to indicate the position of the fountain in relation to the driveway and the main entrance is 'between.' 'Between' conveys that the fountain is positioned centrally or in the middle of the driveway and the main entrance, making it the most suitable phrase to complete the sentence correctly. The other options do not accurately describe the fountain's position between two distinct locations, making them grammatically incorrect choices for this sentence.
Question 9 of 9
Which of the following words fits best in the following sentence? ___________ the emergency room was not busy last night, the head nurse still did not let anyone end her shift early.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The word 'although' is the best fit in the sentence because it indicates a contrast between the fact that the emergency room was not busy last night and the head nurse's decision not to let anyone end her shift early. 'Although' sets up a contrast by acknowledging the first part of the sentence while introducing the surprising or unexpected information that follows. Choices A, B, and C do not provide the appropriate contrast needed in this context. 'Because' implies causation, 'Provided that' implies a condition for something to happen, and 'As if' implies a comparison rather than a contrast.