Free teas-section-2-sentence-correction sample questions

Correct answer: The patient showed improved mobility, stable vital signs, and reduced pain.

This sentence correctly uses the serial (or Oxford) comma before the conjunction 'and' in a list of three or more items. In academic, technical, and medical writing, using the serial comma is standard practice because it prevents ambiguity and improves clarity. The other options either omit this crucial comma or place commas incorrectly.

Correct answer: The committee of ethical review, along with the hospital administrators, has approved the next phase of the study.

The subject of the sentence is 'committee,' which is a singular noun. The phrase 'along with the hospital administrators' is a parenthetical phrase that does not affect the number of the subject. Therefore, the singular verb 'has approved' is correct. In the other options: A's subject is 'collection' (singular), requiring 'is'. B's verb should agree with the closer subject 'assistants' (plural), requiring 'are'. C's subject is 'Each' (singular), requiring 'receives'.

Correct answers: The new medication has fewer side effects, it is also more effective than the previous treatment.; Covered in sterile dressing, the nurse checked the patient's wound for signs of infection.

This sentence is a comma splice, where two independent clauses are incorrectly joined by only a comma. It should be corrected with a semicolon, a period, or a coordinating conjunction.

This sentence contains a misplaced modifier. The introductory phrase 'Covered in sterile dressing' incorrectly modifies 'the nurse' when it should modify 'the patient's wound.' The sentence implies the nurse is covered in the dressing.

Correct answer: The charge nurse told the new intern that she would be responsible for the next shift's assignments.

This sentence contains an ambiguous pronoun reference. The pronoun 'she' could refer to either the 'charge nurse' or the 'new intern,' making the meaning unclear. To correct it, one would need to specify the person, for example: 'The charge nurse told the new intern, "You will be responsible..."'

Correct answer: False

The statement is false. Diseases named after a person (eponyms) are capitalized. The correct capitalization is 'Parkinson's disease,' with a capital 'P' because it is derived from the proper noun (Dr. James Parkinson). The version in the sentence, 'parkinson's disease,' is incorrectly capitalized.

Correct answer: The new policy will take effect on Monday; therefore, all staff should review the updated guidelines.

A semicolon is used correctly here to join two closely related independent clauses. The second clause begins with a conjunctive adverb ('therefore'), which is a common and correct use case for a semicolon. The other options misuse the semicolon where a colon, a comma, or no punctuation would be appropriate.

Correct answer: The lab technician collects the sample, places it in a sterile container, and delivered it to the pathology department.

This sentence contains an illogical tense shift. The first two verbs in the series, 'collects' and 'places,' are in the simple present tense, which is often used to describe a routine process. However, the final verb, 'delivered,' shifts to the simple past tense. For consistency and parallel structure, the final verb should also be in the present tense: 'delivers.'

Correct answer: The study, which began on January 1st, has enrolled fifty-two participants to date. Each of the subjects was given a comprehensive orientation, and they also signed an informed consent form. The primary side effect reported by participants is mild nausea; however, this symptom usually subsides within 24 hours. Having completed the initial screening process, the research team is now preparing for the next phase of data collection.

This option correctly identifies and fixes all errors in the original paragraph: (1) Subject-verb agreement is corrected ('study... has enrolled', 'Each... was', 'side effect... is'). (2) The comma splice is fixed by adding the conjunction 'and'. (3) A necessary comma is added after the introductory phrase 'Having completed the initial screening process'. This revision results in a grammatically correct and professional paragraph.

Correct answer: The hospital is proud of its commitment to patient safety; it's a top priority for all staff.

This sentence uses both words correctly. 'Its' is a possessive pronoun indicating that the commitment belongs to the hospital. 'It's' is a contraction of 'it is.' The first clause requires the possessive, and the second requires the contraction. The other options confuse these two common homophones.

Correct answer: The patient reported feeling bad and that he was breathing slowly.

This sentence is correct. 'Felt' is a linking verb that describes a state of being, so it must be followed by the adjective 'bad.' The verb 'breathing' is an action, so it must be modified by the adverb 'slowly.' The other options incorrectly pair adjectives with action verbs or adverbs with linking verbs.