Select the phrase that will make the following sentence grammatically correct. Before I had finished supper, James ___________.

Questions 34

HESI A2

HESI A2 Test Bank

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

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.

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.

Question 3 of 9

Which word is not spelled correctly in the context of the following sentence? The principal role of this clinic has to do with the provision of convenient care.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: In this context, 'principle' is spelled incorrectly. The correct word should be 'principal,' which means main or primary. 'Principle' refers to a fundamental truth or belief. Choice B, 'role,' is correctly spelled. Choice C, 'provision,' is also spelled correctly. Choice D, 'convenient,' is spelled correctly as well. Therefore, the correct answer is A as it is the only word spelled incorrectly in the context of the sentence.

Question 4 of 9

Select the phrase or clause that is misplaced in the following sentence: At a presentation, he informed us about the dangers of drugs and alcohol in the auditorium.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The phrase 'in the auditorium' is misplaced in the sentence because it suggests that the dangers of drugs and alcohol were in the auditorium, which is not the intended meaning. It would make more sense for this phrase to come immediately after 'he informed us' to indicate where the presentation took place. Choices A, B, and C are all correctly placed within the sentence, providing necessary information about the context and topic of the presentation.

Question 5 of 9

Which word is used incorrectly in the following sentence? That is the doctor whose diploma is hung on the partition.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The word 'whose' in the sentence should be 'whose.' 'Whose' is the correct possessive form used to indicate that the diploma belongs to the doctor. 'Who's' is a contraction for 'who is' or 'who has,' which does not make sense in this context. The other words in the sentence - 'That,' 'hung,' and 'partition' are all used correctly in the sentence.

Question 6 of 9

What punctuation is needed in the following sentence to make it correct? The days seem long, but the nights seem even longer.

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.

Question 7 of 9

Which word or phrase fits best in the following sentence? Cathy asked many questions the first time she ___________ at the hospital.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct word to use in this sentence is 'volunteered' as it indicates an action that Cathy did in the past. The sentence suggests that Cathy was engaging in volunteering at the hospital for the first time, so the past tense form 'volunteered' is the most appropriate choice. Choice B ('volunteering') is incorrect because it is the present participle form and does not fit the past tense context of the sentence. Choice C ('was volunteered') is passive voice and implies that someone else made Cathy volunteer, which is not the intended meaning. Choice D ('volunteer') is incorrect as it is the base form of the verb and does not match the past tense requirement of 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.

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