TEAS 7 English and Language Usage Study Guide

Complete sentences

A complete sentence needs a subject, a verb and a complete thought. A fragment is missing one of those; a run-on joins two independent clauses without correct punctuation.

Two complete thoughts joined by only a comma is a comma splice. Fix it with a full stop, a semicolon, or a comma plus a conjunction.

Compound and simple sentences

A simple sentence has one independent clause. A compound sentence joins two with a coordinating conjunction, and a complex sentence attaches a dependent clause to an independent one.

Punctuation

Commas separate items and set off introductory or non-essential elements. Semicolons join related independent clauses, colons introduce lists or explanations, and dashes mark an abrupt break.

A comma after an introductory phrase is nearly always correct. A comma between a subject and its verb nearly never is.

The rules of capitalization

Capitalise the first word of a sentence, proper nouns, titles used before a name, days, months, and the significant words in titles. Seasons and general job descriptions stay lower case.

The rules of apostrophe

Apostrophes mark possession or contraction, never a plural. Singular possession adds apostrophe-s; plural nouns already ending in s take the apostrophe alone.

Its is possessive and it's means it is. This distinction appears on almost every form of the exam.

Plural spellings

Most plurals add s or es, but words ending in consonant-y change to ies, some ending in f change to ves, and irregulars change form entirely. Medical terms often follow Latin patterns.

Learn the clinical irregulars: one nucleus, many nuclei; one diagnosis, many diagnoses; one bacterium, many bacteria.

Spelling and grammar

Expect commonly confused pairs and standard usage: their, there and they're; to, too and two; affect as a verb and effect as a noun; then for time and than for comparison.

Parts of speech

Nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions and interjections. A word's part of speech depends on its job in the sentence, not on the word itself.

Pronouns

Pronouns must agree with their antecedent in number and person, and take the right case: subjective for subjects, objective for objects, possessive for ownership.

Remove the other person from the sentence to test case. "Gave it to Maria and I" becomes "gave it to I", which is audibly wrong.

Dangling modifiers

A modifier must sit next to the thing it describes. When it does not, the sentence attaches it to the wrong noun and says something unintended.

If a sentence opens with a descriptive phrase, the next noun must be the thing being described.

Coherence in writing

Coherent writing moves in a logical order and signals each move with transitions such as however, therefore, in addition and as a result. Every sentence should connect to the one before it.

Topic sentences

A topic sentence states the paragraph's single main point, usually first, and every other sentence in the paragraph supports it.

Concluding statements

A conclusion closes the argument by restating the point in light of the evidence given. It introduces no new information.

Common grammatical mistakes

Subject-verb agreement, shifting verb tense mid-passage, double negatives and misplaced modifiers account for most errors tested here.

Ignore the words between subject and verb. In "the box of samples is heavy", the subject is box, not samples.

Affixes

Prefixes attach to the front of a root and suffixes to the end, changing meaning or part of speech. Knowing common affixes lets you decode words you have never met.

Clinical affixes recur constantly: hyper- above, hypo- below, -itis inflammation, -ectomy removal, brady- slow, tachy- fast.

Latin prefixes

Latin and Greek prefixes carry most medical vocabulary: pre- before, post- after, inter- between, intra- within, sub- under, trans- across.

Synonyms

Synonyms share meaning but rarely connotation. Choose the one that fits the register and the surrounding sentence, not simply the closest dictionary match.

Homophones

Homophones sound alike and are spelled differently: principal and principle, complement and compliment, affect and effect, patience and patients.

Stages of the writing process

Prewriting, drafting, revising, editing and publishing. Revising changes content and structure; editing corrects grammar, spelling and punctuation, and comes later.

Academic thesis

A thesis states one arguable claim the rest of the piece defends. A statement of fact nobody would dispute is a topic, not a thesis.

Citations in academic papers

Citations credit sources and let a reader verify them. Nursing programmes generally use APA, which pairs an author-date in-text citation with a full reference list.