HESI A2 Grammar EX

Subject-Verb agreement

A subject must agree with its verb in number. A singular subject requires a singular verb (was). A plural subject requires a plural verb (were).

predicate

The part of the sentence that tells what the subject does or what is done to the subject. It includes the verb and all the words that modify the verb

direct object

The person or thing that is directly affected by the action of the verb. It answers the question WHAT or WHOM after a transitive verb. The students watched THE PROFESSOR distribute the examinations. THE PROFESSOR answers WHOM the students watched.

Number

is used when referring to individual, countable units. "The nurse had a number of charts to complete."

That

used to introduce essential clauses. An essential clause adds information to the sentence that is needed to make the sentence clear. (Do not use commas to set off an essential clause.) ex. The hospital that flooded last July is down the street; the other hospital is across town.

e.g.

(for example) I love to study chemistry, e.g., chemical reactions, atomic structure, and molar relationships.

i.e

(that is) specifies or explains (I love to study chemistry, i.e., the science dealing with composition and properties matter

phrase

A group of two or more words that acts as a single part of speech in a sentence. It lacks a predicate and a subject

sentence

A group of words that expresses a complete thought. Every sentence has a subject and a predicate. A DECLARATIVE sentence makes a statement. (I went to the store) AN INTERROGATIVE sentence asks a question. (Did you go to the store?) An EXCLAMATORY sentence makes an exclamation. (You went to the store!) An IMPERATIVE sentence makes a command or request. (Go to the store.) Many Imperative sentences do not seem to have subjects. Usually has an implied subject. For example, when we say "Stop that now" the subject of the sentence, you, is implied (You stop that now).

clause

A group of words that has a subject and a predicate

predicate nominative

A noun or pronoun that follows a linking verb and helps to explain or rename the subject. Professors are TEACHERS

noun

A word or group of words that names a person, place, or thing. COMMON noun: the general, not the particular, name of a person, place, or thing (nurse, hospital, syringe) PROPER noun: the official name of a person, place or thing. Proper nouns are capitalized. (Fred, Paris, Washington University) ABSTRACT noun: the name of a quality or a general idea (democracy, persistence) COLLECTIVE noun: represents a group of persons, animals, or things (family, flock, furniture)

interjection

A word or phrase that expresses emotion or exclamation. It does not have any grammatical connection to the other words in the sentence (YIKES, that test was hard. WHEW, that test was easy.)

verb

A word or phrase that is used to express an action or state of being. A verb is the critical element of a sentence. Verbs express time through a property called the tense. Present (Mary works), past (Mary worked), future (Mary will work). LINKING VERB: Some verb are known as "linking verbs" b/c they link, or join, the subject of the sentence to a noun, pronoun, or predicate adjective. A linking verb does not show action. Link or join the subject of the sentence to a noun, pronoun, or predicate adjective. Most common are forms of the verbs TO BE: am, is, are, was, were, being, been (That man IS my professor.). Sometimes verbs that relate to the 5 senses: look, sound, smell, feel, and taste (That exam LOOKS difficult.). Sometimes linking verb reflect a state of being: appear, seem, become, grow, turn, prove, and remain (The professor SEEMS tired.).

conjunction

A word that joins words, phrases, or clauses. Words that serve as COORDINATING conjunctions are: and, but, or, so, nor, for, and yet. ("The nurse asked to work the late shift, BUT her request was denied.) CORRELATIVE conjunctions work in pairs to join words or phrases (NEITHER the nurse NOR her assistant could read the physician's handwriting.) Neither/Nor and Either/Or

preposition

A word that shows the relationship of a noun or pronoun to some other word in the sentence. A compound preposition is a preposition that is made up of more than one word. A prepositional phrase is a group of words that begins with a preposition and ends with a noun/pronoun, which is called the object of the preposition. Sam left the classroom AT NOON. The students learned the basics OF GRAMMAR.

pronoun

A word that takes the place of a noun, another pronoun, or a group of words acting as a noun. The word or group of words to which a pronoun refers is called the antecedent. The STUDENTS wanted THEIR test papers graded and returned to THEM in a timely manner. The word STUDENTS is the antecedent of the pronouns THEIR and THEM. PERSONAL PRONOUN: Refers to a specific person, place, thing, or idea by indicating the person speaking (1st person), the person or people spoken to (2nd person), or any other person, place, thing, or idea being talked about (3rd person). Also, expresses number in that they are either singular or plural. WE (1st person plural) were going to ask YOU (2nd person singular) to give THEM (third person plural) a ride to the office. POSSESSIVE PRONOUN: A form of personal pronoun that shows possession or ownership. A possessive pronoun does not contain an apostrophe. That is MY book. That book is MINE. That is HIS book. That book is HIS.

adjective

A word, phrase, or clause that modifies a noun (the BIOLOGY book) or a pronoun (He is NICE). It answers what kind (a HARD test), which one (an ENGLISH test), how many (THREE tests), or how much (MANY tests). Verbs, pronouns, and nouns can act as adjectives. A type of verb form that functions as an adjective is a PARTICIPLE, which usually ends in -ing or -ed. Adjectives usually precede the noun or noun phrase that they modify (the absent-minded professor).

adverb

A word, phrase, or clause that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. Verb: The physician operates QUICKLY Adjective: The nurse wears VERY colorful scrubs Another Adverb: The student scored QUITE badly on the test

subject

A word/phrase/clause that names whom or what the sentence is about

Which of the following is an example of a correctly punctuated sentence? A. "What would you prefer to do on vacation - visit a museum or go on a walking tour?" asked my father. B "What would you prefer to do on vacation - visit a museum or go on a walking tour," asked my father. C "What would you prefer to do on vacation: visit a museum or go on a walking tour?," asked my father. D "What would you prefer to do on vacation: visit a museum or go on a walking tour," asked my father?

A. "What would you prefer to do on vacation - visit a museum or go on a walking tour?" asked my father. n this sentence, the question mark should go at the end of the sentence ("...walking tour?"). The correct answer is the only option that does this is. There is no need to have a comma following the question mark. In this context, either the colon or the dash would be acceptable.

Which word in the following sentence is a conjunction? In 1994, Dan Manion set the current record for a deep dive on air at 509 feet, but reported feeling strong effects of narcosis at such a depth. A. but B. on C. at D. for

A. but A "conjunction" is a word that joins together sentences, clauses, phrases, or words. The only conjunction in this sentence is the word, "but." "For" can be a conjunction, but in this sentence it is used as a preposition. "On" and "at" are prepositions.

Which word or phrase in the following sentence in the simple predicate? So many types of birthday cake put Cynthia at a loss. A. put B. put at a loss C. put Cynthia D. put Cynthia at a loss

A. put A simple predicate is the word that describes the verb in a sentence. In this case, the word "put."

May

May and might imply permission (You may leave early) or possibility (I may leave early).

Bad

An adjective before nouns (He is a bad teacher) and after link verbs (That smells bad) same as good vs well

Effect

As a noun it means "result or outcome": The chemotherapy had a strange effect (result) on me. As a verb it means "to bring about or accomplish": As a result of the chemotherapy, I was able to effect (bring about) a number of changes in my life

Which of the following sentences has correct subject-verb agreement? A. The ambulance, which had flashing red lights on top, were letting other vehicles on the road know to pull over. B. Either kale or spinach is a healthy vegetable to eat with dinner. C. One of the soccer players kick the ball farther than his other teammates. D. Several of the pieces of art was sold for above-average prices.

B. Either kale or spinach is a healthy vegetable to eat with dinner. This answer has proper subject-verb agreement. In the other choices, the singular "ambulance" disagrees with the plural "were." The singular "kick" does not agree with the singular "one." It should be "kicks." And the plural "several" does not agree with the singular "was."

Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct? A. Since the professor was excessively boring; many of his students fell asleep. B. Since the professor was excessively boring, many of his students fell asleep. C. Since the professor was excessively boring many of his students fell asleep. D. Since the professor was, excessively boring, many of his students fell asleep.

B. Since the professor was excessively boring, many of his students fell asleep. This sentence is made up of an independent clause and a dependent clause. There should be a comma separating the two clauses. No other punctuation is necessary.

Select the best word for the blank in the following sentence. The actors' performances powerfully _____ the audience. A. effected B. affected C. were effecting D. were affecting

B. affected "Effected" means executed, produced, or brought about. "Affected" means made an impact on. It is the past tense of the verb form of affect, which means to impact.

Which of the following phrases follows the rules of capitalization? A. Meredith's Uncle B. my sister Cheryl C. her Great-Aunt D. grandma Beth

B. my sister Cheryl Unless it is being used as a title, the familial adjective should be in lowercase, so it is correct to write "sister" in lowercase. "Grandma" is being used as a title so should be capitalized. "Uncle" and "Great-Aunt: should be lowercase because they are not being used as titles.

dependent clause

Begins with a subordinating conjunction (after, because, before, until, since, when) and does not express a complete thought and therefore cannot stand alone as a sentence. (The professor distributed the examinations AS SOON AS THE STUDENTS WERE SEATED). When a sentence begins with a dependent clause, use a comma to set it apart from the independent clause. A dependent clause is a group of words with a noun and a verb. It does not express a complete thought so it is not a sentence and can't stand alone.

Which of the following is an example of a simple sentence? A. The movie about the comic book superhero. B. The movie about the comic book superhero that I watched last Friday night was very entertaining. C. The movie about the comic book superhero had never interested me until last week. D. The movie about the comic book superhero fascinated me, but it bored my best friend.

C. The movie about the comic book superhero had never interested me until last week. A simple sentence contains one subject and one verb.

In the following sentence, what is the indirect object? The mountain climber tossed the Sherpa the rope. A The mountain climber B tossed C. the Sherpa D. the rope

C. the Sherpa The indirect object is the recipient of the direct object. The direct object receives the action of the verb. Here, the verb is "tossed." What is being tossed? The rope. So, "the rope" is the direct object. Who is the recipient of the rope? The answer: the Sherpa. This is the indirect object.

Can

Can and could imply ability or power (I can make an A in that class).

Pronoun Case

Case: The form of a noun or pronoun that indicates its relation to the other words in a sentence. There are 3 cases: Nominative, objective, possessive.

Take

Conveys action away from the speaker- to carry from near place to a distant place "Please take your textbooks home"

Bring

Conveys action toward the speaker- to carry from distant place to a near place. "Please bring your textbooks to class"

Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct? A. The professor sought advise from a colleague. B. To advice the President, the Joint Chiefs of Staff must be well-informed. C. A good advicer is essential in order to have a successful academic career. D. My parents give me excellent advice when I am making a difficult decision.

D. My parents give me excellent advice when I am making a difficult decision. Advice is a noun meaning "an opinion given with the intention of helping." Advise is a verb meaning "to give counsel or advice."

Comma in a compound sentence

Each independent clause has a subject and a predicate and can stand along as a sentence. when 2 independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction AND, BUT, OR, or NOR place a comma before the conjunction

independent clause

Expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence (THE PROFESSOR DISTRIBUTED THE EXAMINATIONS as soon as the students were seated.).

predicate adjective

Follows the linking verb and helps to explain the subject. My professors are WONDERFUL

Eliminate Euphemisms

Harsh, blunt, or offensive. Instead of saying they are dead you say they have passed away.

Eliminate Sexism

It is not longer appropriate to say he/him when referring to a hypothetical person. The doctor as he or the nurse as she. Use firefighter instead of fireman. The doctors helped their patients- incorrect because their is a plural pronoun that is being used in a place of a singular noun- The patients are helped by their doctor.

Less

Refers to degree or amount- things in bulk or in the abstract- and is used with singular nouns (Fewer patients mean less work for the staff) Less is also used when referring to numeric or statistical terms (It's less than 2 miles to school. He scored less than 90 on a test. She spent less than $400 for this class. I am less than 5 ft tall.

Further

Refers to figurative distance and means "to a greater degree" or "to a greater extent" : I will have to study further to make better grades. It also means moreover (Further/Furthermore, let me tell you something) and "in addition to" : The student had nothing further to say.

Farther

Refers to measurable distance "The walk to class is much farther than I expected"

Fewer

Refers to numbers- things that can be counted or numbered- and is used with plural nouns. (The professor has fewer students in his morning class than he has in his afternoon class

Between

Shows relationship involving two persons or things. "I sit between Holly and Jo in class" or to compare one person or thing with an entire group. "Whats the difference between this book and other grammar books?" OR to compare two things in a group if each is considered individually. "I can't decide between the chemistry class, the biology class, and the anatomy and physiology class.

Amount

Used when referring to things in bulk. "The nurse had a huge of amount of paperwork"

indirect object

The person or thing that is indirectly affected by the action of the verb. A sentence can have an indirect object only if it has a direct object. Indirect objects come between the verb and the direct object. An indirect object answers the question TO WHOM, TO WHAT, or FOR WHAT after an action verb. The professor gave HIS CLASS the test results. His class comes between the verb (gave) and the direct object (test results) and it answers the question whom.

Which word in the following sentence is the subject? The opera singer's solo had a profound impact on the audience.

The subject of a sentence is the person, place, thing, or idea that is doing or being something. Ask yourself: what "had" an impact? The answer is the "solo." That must be the subject.

Select the best word for the blank in the following sentence. Neither of the flower bouquets ____ as full as the one we ordered last year. A. are B. is C. were D. being

The verb in a "neither/nor" sentence agrees with the noun or pronoun closest to it. However, since "nor" is missing from this sentence, that makes "neither" the subject. It is singular and should take the singular verb "is."

Which word from the following sentence is a noun? The real Ichabod Crane was a military officer who met Washington Irving in 1814 at Fort Pike.

The word "Pike" is a noun since it is a place. The words "was" and "met" are verbs. The word "who" is a pronoun.

Teach

To give or impart knowledge (I will teach you how to convert decimals to fractions)

Lay

To put or place. The principle parts are: lay, laid, and laying. Forms of lay ARE followed by a direct object. ex. I lay the book on the table I laid the book on the table yesterday I have laid the book on the table before I I am laying the book on the table now.

Learn

To receive or acquire knowledge (I am going to learn all that I can about Nursing)

Lie

To recline or rest. The principle parts of the verb are: lie, lay, lain, and lying. Forms of lie are NEVER followed by a direct object ex: I lie down to rest I lay down yesterday to rest I had lain down to rest I was lying on the sofa To determine lay/lie substitute place, placed, or placing, if it makes sense lay is correct if not lie is correct

Run-On Sentence

Two or more complete sentences written as if they were one sentence.

Badly

Use as an adverb to modify an action verb (The student behaved badly in class) SAME as good vs well HINT: Do not use Badly (or other adverbs) when using linking verbs that have to do with senses. Say "You felt bad" to say "You felt badly" implies that something was wrong with your sense of touch. Say "The mountain air smells wonderful" to say "The mountain air smells wonderfully" implies that the air has a sense of smell that is used in a wonderful manner

Good

Use good before nouns (He did a good job), and after linking verbs (She smells good).

Among

Use to show a relationship involving more than two persons or things being considered as a group. "The professor will distribute the textbooks among the students.

Who

Use who or whoever if he, she, they, I, or we can be substituted in the who clause. ex. Who passed the chemistry test? He/She/They/I passed the chemistry test

Whom

Use whom or whomever if him, her, them, me, or us can be substituted as the object of the verb To whom did the professor give the test? He gave the test to him/her/them/me/us

Which

Used to introduce nonessential clauses. A nonessential clause adds information to the sentence but is not necessary to make the meaning of the sentence clear (Use commas to set off a nonessential clause) ex. The hospital, which flooded last July, is down the street.

Well

When modifying a verb, use the adverb well (She plays softball well), It is used as an adjective only when describing someones health (She is getting well)

Affect

When used as a verb it means to influence or change; The chemo therapy affected (changed) my daily routine. When used as a noun, affect is an emotional response or disposition. The troubled teenager with the flat affect (disposition) attempted suicide.