HESI A2
Grammar HESI A2 Practice Test Questions
Question 1 of 9
Select the word that makes this sentence grammatically correct. People often believe ______ to be morally superior to their friends.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct pronoun to use in this sentence is 'themselves' because it refers to the plural noun 'People.' 'Oneself' is singular and does not match the plural subject. 'Themself' is not a standard pronoun in English and is considered non-standard usage. 'Theirselves' is not a proper word in standard English grammar and is grammatically incorrect. Therefore, 'themselves' is the only grammatically correct option in this context.
Question 2 of 9
What punctuation is needed in this sentence to make it correct? I finished the project early; however, I really should edit my work.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: In the given sentence, a semicolon is needed after 'early' to join the two independent clauses 'I finished the project early' and 'however, I really should edit my work.' This punctuation mark helps to connect the related ideas in the sentence while maintaining the separation between the clauses. The other choices are incorrect because an apostrophe is used to show possession or to indicate missing letters; a colon is used to introduce a list, explanation, or quotation; and a comma alone would not provide the necessary separation between the two independent clauses in this context.
Question 3 of 9
What word is best to substitute for the underlined words in the following sentence? The nursing staff appreciate occasional thank-you cards.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: In the sentence, 'The nursing staff appreciate occasional thank-you cards,' the pronoun 'them' is the best word to substitute for 'nursing staff.' The word 'them' is a pronoun that refers to a group of people or things, which matches the plural form of 'nursing staff.' Therefore, 'them' is the correct choice in this context. Choice A, 'They,' could also refer to the nursing staff, but 'them' is more precise in this case. Choice B, 'It,' is singular and does not match the plural 'nursing staff.' Choice D, 'Us,' refers to the speaker and others, which is not appropriate in this context.
Question 4 of 9
Select the word or phrase that will make the sentence grammatically correct. The village is not very far _________ the railway station.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct preposition to use in this sentence is 'from.' When referring to the distance between two locations, we use 'from' to indicate the starting point and 'to' to indicate the destination. In this case, the village is not very far from the railway station, showing the distance between the two places. Choice A ('to') is incorrect as it implies the village is far in the direction of the railway station. Choice C ('by') is incorrect as it suggests proximity rather than distance. Choice D ('next') is incorrect as it indicates the location of the village in relation to the railway station, not the distance between them.
Question 5 of 9
Select the phrase in the sentence that is not used correctly. Until his trip to Puerto Rico, Javier had never seen his ancestral home.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The phrase 'never seen' in the sentence is not used correctly. The correct phrase should be 'never seen,' which is the past participle form of the verb 'see.' In this context, 'seen' is the correct past participle to use with 'had never.' Choice A, 'Until his trip,' is correct as it sets the time frame. Choice B, 'had never,' is also correct as it indicates the past perfect tense. Choice D, 'his ancestral home,' is also used correctly as it refers to the place Javier had never seen before.
Question 6 of 9
Which word is not spelled correctly? The government official was grateful to receive that award.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct spelling of the word is 'government' with an 'n' after the 't.' In the sentence provided, the word 'goverment' is misspelled, making it the correct answer choice. Choices B, C, and D are all spelled correctly within the context of the sentence, so they are not the correct answer.
Question 7 of 9
Select the word that makes this sentence grammatically correct. The board of education ___________ to hold a special meeting.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: In this sentence, the subject 'board of education' is singular, so the verb should also be singular to match. 'Plans' is the correct form of the verb to use with a singular subject. The correct sentence should be: 'The board of education plans to hold a special meeting.' Choices A, C, and D are incorrect because they do not agree in number with the singular subject 'board of education.' 'Plan' is plural, 'planning' is a gerund form, and 'do plan' is not the correct verb form for the subject-verb agreement in this sentence.
Question 8 of 9
Select the correct word for the blank in the following sentence: The intern and ___________ are folding the bandages.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: In this sentence, the correct word to use is 'them.' The subject of the sentence is 'the intern and another person,' indicating more than one individual. Therefore, the pronoun 'them' is the appropriate choice to refer to multiple people engaged in folding the bandages. Choice A ('us') is incorrect as it refers to the speaker and the intern, not the intern and another person. Choice B ('he') is singular and does not match the plural subject of the sentence. Choice D ('her') is also singular and does not agree with the plural subject 'the intern and another person.'
Question 9 of 9
Select the word or phrase that makes this sentence grammatically correct. Sadie and her mother were excited to ________ the award.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is 'C: receive.' In this sentence, 'receive' is the infinitive form of the verb that should follow the preposition 'to.' Therefore, the sentence should read: 'Sadie and her mother were excited to receive the award.' 'Be received' (A) is not appropriate in this context as it changes the passive voice. 'Receiving' (B) is a gerund form and does not fit after 'to.' 'Have been received' (D) is in the wrong tense and does not suit the sentence structure.