Incorrect Verb Forms
One of the most common grammatical errors you are likely to encounter is the use of incorrect verb forms. Because some nonstandard verb forms have been accepted in various dialects and informal speech, these
incorrect verb forms might even sound correct to you. Here are some examples of commonly used—but incorrect—verb forms, along with correct usage.
Incorrect: I been watching that show since I was little.
Correct: I have been watching that show since I was little.
Incorrect: She seen her friends down at the pool.
Correct: She saw her friends down at the pool.
Incorrect: They was on the opposite side of the street from the accident.
Correct: They were on the opposite side of the street from the accident.
Incorrect: He done a great job cleaning out the garage.
Correct: He did a great job cleaning out the garage.
Subject-Verb Agreement
One type of error you are very likely to encounter on a nursing exam is an error of agreement between the subject and verb of a sentence. Put simply, singular subjects require singular verb forms, and plural subjects require plural verb forms. It sounds simple—and most of the time, it is simple. Here are two examples:
Reyna has a degree in accounting.
(Reyna is a single person, so the singular verb has is used.) The three interns have degrees in art.
(The three interns form a plural subject, so the plural verb have is used.)
Sometimes, however, another noun might get in the way and make things confusing. Look at this example:
The guy with three parrots was hanging out in the quad.
Three parrots appears immediately before the verb, but the three parrots are not the subject of the sentence—the guy is the subject. Therefore, the verb must be singular.
How about a situation where a single noun refers to a group of people?
Words like these, such as team, committee, or family, are known as collective nouns. Even though a committee could have 30 members, it is still only one committee, and it therefore requires a singular verb.
Example:The 15-member crew has a competition next week.
Some sentences have compound subjects. If the subjects are connected by the word and, then they require a plural verb, even if both subjects are singular.
Example:Paul and Laura are going to the party.
If two or more singular subjects are connected by words like nor or or, the verb should be singular.
Example:Neither Patsy nor Sam is working tonight.
In cases where one subject is singular and one subject is plural, and the subjects are connected by nor or or, match the verb to the nearer of the subjects.
Example:Either the honor students or the swim team is going to receive the extra fund-raising cash.
Pronoun Usage
Just as a verb must agree with the subject of a sentence, a pronoun must agree with the noun that it replaces. Also, pronouns can replace nouns other than the subject. A singular noun must be replaced with a singular pronoun, while a plural noun requires a plural pronoun. Review the pronoun tables shown earlier in this chapter under “Parts of the
Sentence,” and remember: Subject pronouns are used to replace the subject in a sentence or clause, and object pronouns are used in the predicate of a sentence or clause. Using this knowledge about pronouns, identify which of the two sentences below is correct:
Her and Jaime went to the cafeteria together.
She and Jaime went to the cafeteria together.
The pronoun in question is either her or she. Because the pronoun in this example serves as part of the subject of the sentence, a subject pronoun must be used. Therefore, the correct sentence is the second sentence.
Who/Whom
This distinction is a tricky one for many people. In spoken speech, whom rarely makes an appearance, and when it does, it’s sometimes used incorrectly by people attempting to sound “correct.” Who and whom are actually pronouns, and they are used mainly (though not always) to form questions; like other pairs of pronouns, one is considered a subject
pronoun (who) and one is considered an object pronoun (whom). One simple rule can help you remember when to use whom: If you can replace the word in question with him, her, we, them, or us in the sentence or clause, use whom. Try applying this rule to the sentence below:
(Who/Whom) do you believe regarding the car accident?
Think about how you would answer this question. Would you respond by saying “I believe her” or “I believe she”? “I believe her” is the correct response, which means whom is the correct pronoun to use in the sentence.
That/Which
This is another tricky distinction, since spoken speech is often structured differently from written speech and this problem arises less often. Both that and which are used to introduce clauses. Here’s the key difference:
That is used to introduce restrictive clauses, while which is used to introduce nonrestrictive clauses. What does this mean? That is used when the clause is an essential part of the sentence, and which is used when the clause is not essential to the meaning of the sentence. Here are some examples:
The sedan that was parked in the driveway belonged to Nancy. (The clause “that was parked in the driveway” is essential, because it specifies which sedan is being discussed.)
The sedan, which was metallic green, was parked in the driveway. (The clause “which was metallic green” is not essential; it merely provides additional information about the sedan. If you removed the clause from the sentence, the meaning of the sentence would not be altered.)
If you’re having trouble recognizing restrictive versus nonrestrictive clauses, here’s another method that works quite well: If the clause is set off from the rest of the sentence with commas, use which. If the clause is not set off from the rest of the sentence with commas, use that.
i.e. or e.g.?
The abbreviations i.e. and e.g. are common in written text, particularly in technical material, so it’s important to understand the difference between the two. Here’s an easy way to distinguish between them: i.e. can be replaced by the phrase “in other words,” while e.g. can be replaced by
“for example.” If you are unsure which abbreviation to use, try inserting one of these two phrases instead, and the answer should become clear.
Here are some examples:
There are many good reasons for the current lunch policy (e.g., safety, convenience, etc.).
The voter registration form was mailed without a completed signature—
i.e., it was invalid.
Note that when either i.e. or e.g. is used, it must be followed by a comma, as shown in the preceding examples.
Between/Among
Both between and among are prepositions that cover similar ground.
Both can be used to express location, choice, or distribution. Between is used with two things, while among is used with three or more things. The key here is that between is used when referring to separate and distinct things, while among refers to things without clear distinction or separation because they make up a group. Here are some examples:
The choice between a station wagon and a sport utility vehicle can be a difficult one.
She had to choose from among the available options.
The cat was hiding among the shrubs and trees.
Note that in the third example, shrubs and trees are not separate and distinct things—they are groups of things.
Comma Usage
When it comes to punctuation, the comma is perhaps the most misused mark of all. This is not surprising, since commas are useful in so many different situations and are governed by so many specific rules. Here are a few of the most important rules to remember regarding comma usage.
Use a comma:
• Before a coordinating conjunction when connecting two independent clauses.
Example:I like to fish, and I like to spend time on the water.
• Between items in a series when there are more than two items.
Example:She bought balloons, candles, streamers, and a cake.
• Before and after a nonrestrictive clause.
(Sometimes, parentheses or dashes can be used instead.)
Example:The mayor, who was a big fan of Winston Churchill, decided that the statue should remain.
• Between two or more adjectives used with the same noun.
Example:The fearsome, hairy beast lunged toward them.
Do not use a comma:
• Between two complete sentences without a coordinating conjunction.
If there is no coordinating conjunction, the sentences should be separated by a period.
Incorrect:I went to the grocery store across town, my favorite yogurt was not in stock.
Correct: I went to the grocery store across town. My favorite yogurt was not in stock.
• Between the final adjective and noun when two or more adjectives
modify the same noun.
Incorrect:The steaming, wheezing, machine sputtered along the track.
Correct: The steaming, wheezing machine sputtered along the track.
Style Issues
The HESI exam also covers a handful of style issues that should be avoided by writers. If you’re taking the HESI exam, you might encounter questions that ask about examples of these style issues. These are the particular writing style issues that should be avoided:
Clichés. Clichés are informal, overused expressions that most native speakers understand but that lack precision and may prove confusing to nonnative speakers. Some examples include “his bark was worse than his bite” and “I slept like a log.” Although clichés are colorful, in standard speech and writing they should be eliminated in favor of clearer and more precise terms.
Euphemisms. Euphemisms are words or expressions meant to stand in for other terms that might be considered vulgar, upsetting, or offensive.
For example, the phrase passed away is used in place of the word died.
In most cases, euphemisms should be avoided because they can be ambiguous and lack the precision of the terms they replace.
Profanity. Profanity and insults should always be avoided in professional communication, except in rare instances where you might be required to transcribe the exact words that a person used (such as in an incident report).
Sexist language. Sexist language generally shows gender bias through word choice. For example, if the head of a committee is called the
chairman, it is assumed that the position can only be held by an adult male. Similarly, if a term such as garbage man is used to refer to a
hypothetical garbage collector, rather than an actual, specific person who is male, then the language is sexist. Avoid using gender-specific terms whenever possible, and mention gender only when the information is necessary.
Textspeak. Textspeak, or conversational use of terms that arise in the context of text messaging, has become far more common in everyday language with the rise of smartphones. For the exam, remember that many terms that might be acceptable in text messages, including acronyms such as OMG or BRB, remain unacceptable in professional communication.
Now that you have read the lessons and strategies for Vocabulary, Spelling, and Grammar, test how much you learned by answering the following review questions.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
The following questions are not meant to mimic actual test questions.
Instead, these questions will help you review the concepts and terms covered in this chapter.
1. True or False? Determining a word’s charge is an effective strategy for spelling questions.
2. Synonym questions test your knowledge of words with:
(A) Similar meanings.
(B) Opposite meanings.
(C) Similar spellings.
(D) Alternative spellings.
3. Tacit most nearly means:
(A) Official.
(B) Tactile.
(C) Unstated.
(D) Charming.
4. True or False? In spelling, if the final syllable has no accent, you do not double the consonant when adding the suffix -ing.
5. Fill in the blank. The rule is: i before e, except after c, ____________________________.
6. True or False? To figure out a word’s charge to answer antonym questions, you should always look for an answer choice that has the same charge as the question.
7. Ghastly most nearly means:
(A) Fun.
(B) Lazy.
(C) Torrid.
(D) Awful.
8. Acute means the opposite of:
(A) Conspicuous.
(B) Relevant.
(C) Aloof.
(D) Dull.
9. Malicious means the opposite of:
(A) Hurtful.
(B) Mild.
(C) Refined.
(D) Benevolent.
10. Choose the word that is misspelled:
(A) Regulation.
(B) Catergory.
(C) Conflagration.
(D) Incident.
REVIEW ANSWERS
1. False. You should determine a word’s charge (deciding whether a word is positive, negative, or neutral) in order to find a synonym or antonym of a word.
2. (A) Synonyms test your knowledge of words with similar meanings.
3. Tacit most nearly means “unstated.”
4. True. For example, benefit becomes benefiting.
5. The rule is: i before e, except after c, except when it sounds like a as in neighbor and weigh.
6. False. Because you are looking for the opposite of the word in the question, you should look for a word with an opposite word charge among the answer choices.
7. (D) Ghastly most nearly means “awful.”
8. (D) Dull is the opposite of acute.
9. (D) Malicious is the opposite of benevolent.
10. (B) The correct spelling is category.
Chapter Five: Writing Review
The Kaplan Nursing Admission Test contains a section labeled Writing.
Although you are not required to do any writing for it, this section assesses your ability to understand and apply the basic mechanics of writing. Skill areas include how to organize and develop a written
passage, the best way to structure a paragraph, and how to correct basic mistakes involving writing mechanics. Some of the questions in the
Writing section may address spelling and grammar issues; these topics are reviewed in Chapter Four: Vocabulary, Spelling, and Grammar Review, and are not covered here.