TEAS Grammar and Punctuation Practice Test
Spelling, capitalization, punctuation, agreement and sentence structure. Here are 10 TEAS grammar and punctuation questions, each with the answer and the reason.
Updated by the Tigertest team. Matched to the ATI TEAS 7 blueprint and timing. Includes select-all-that-apply, fill-in and ordered-response items like the real exam; image hot spots are not modelled. Not affiliated with ATI.
- 1.
In the sentence "The new medication had a noticeable ___ on her blood pressure," which word correctly fills the blank?
- A.
affect
- B.
effect
- C.
effects
- D.
affects
Answer: B.After the article "a," the sentence needs a singular noun, and "effect" is the noun meaning a result. "Affect" is usually a verb meaning to influence, and the plural forms do not agree with "a."
- A.
- 2.
Which of the following is the correct plural form of the word "diagnosis"?
- A.
diagnosises
- B.
diagnosis'
- C.
diagnoses
- D.
diagnosies
Answer: C.Nouns of Greek origin ending in -is form the plural by changing -is to -es, as in analysis and analyses. Adding -es to the whole word, as in "diagnosises," is a common but incorrect overcorrection.
- A.
- 3.
Which of the following sentences shows correct capitalization of every word?
- A.
We visited Grand Canyon national park last Summer.
- B.
We visited grand canyon National Park last summer.
- C.
We visited the Grand Canyon National Park last Summer.
- D.
We visited Grand Canyon National Park last summer.
Answer: D.Every word in the official name of a specific park is capitalized, but seasons are common nouns and stay lowercase. Capitalizing "Summer" is the tempting error.
- A.
- 4.
Where should a comma be placed in the sentence "After the meeting ended the staff reviewed the new schedule"?
- A.
after "meeting"
- B.
after "staff"
- C.
after "ended"
- D.
after "reviewed"
Answer: C.A comma follows an introductory dependent clause, which here is "After the meeting ended." Placing it after "staff" would wrongly separate the subject from its verb.
- A.
- 5.
Which revision correctly punctuates "The lab opens at seven the first draw is at eight"?
- A.
The lab opens at seven, the first draw is at eight.
- B.
The lab opens at seven: and the first draw is at eight.
- C.
The lab opens at seven; and the first draw is at eight.
- D.
The lab opens at seven; the first draw is at eight.
Answer: D.A semicolon correctly joins two closely related independent clauses without a conjunction. Using only a comma creates a comma splice, and a semicolon should not be followed by "and."
- A.
- 6.
In the sentence "The ___ lounge was repainted last week," which word shows a lounge shared by several nurses?
- A.
nurses'
- B.
nurse's
- C.
nurses
- D.
nurses's
Answer: A.For a plural noun ending in s, the possessive adds only an apostrophe after the s. "Nurse's" shows ownership by a single nurse, and "nurses" without an apostrophe is not possessive.
- A.
- 7.
Which of the following sentences punctuates the quotation correctly?
- A.
The nurse said, "Take this pill with some water".
- B.
The nurse said, "Take this pill with water."
- C.
The nurse said "Take this pill with water."
- D.
The nurse said, "take this pill with water."
Answer: B.In American English, a comma introduces the quotation, the quoted sentence begins with a capital letter, and the period goes inside the closing quotation mark. Placing the period outside the quotation marks is the most common error.
- A.
- 8.
In the sentence "Each of the students ___ a stethoscope," which verb correctly completes it?
- A.
have
- B.
are carrying
- C.
own
- D.
has
Answer: D.The subject is "Each," which is singular, so it takes the singular verb "has." The plural noun "students" sits inside a prepositional phrase and does not control the verb.
- A.
- 9.
Which revision of "She checked the chart and calls the doctor" keeps the verb tense consistent?
- A.
She checked the chart and called the doctor.
- B.
She checked the chart and calling the doctor.
- C.
She checks the chart and called the doctor.
- D.
She had checked the chart and calls the doctor.
Answer: A.Both actions happened in the past, so both verbs should be in the simple past: "checked" and "called." The other options still mix tenses or use a participle that cannot serve as a main verb.
- A.
- 10.
Which revision of "The job requires lifting, charting, and to answer phones" uses parallel structure?
- A.
The job requires lifting, charting, and answering phones.
- B.
The job requires lifting, charting, and the answering of phones.
- C.
The job requires to lift, charting, and answering phones.
- D.
The job requires lifting, to chart, and answering phones.
Answer: A.Items in a series should share the same grammatical form, so all three should be gerunds ending in -ing. Mixing an infinitive like "to lift" with gerunds breaks the parallel structure.
- A.
Drill every grammar and punctuation question in the TEAS Grammar and Punctuation drill: questions you miss come back until you have mastered them. Then take a timed practice test with the English and Language Usage section in it.
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