October 2026 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. Read the full guide 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. Read the full guide 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. Read the full guide 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. Read the full guide 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. Read the full guide 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. Read the full guide 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. Read the full guide

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. Read the full guide 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. Read the full guide 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. Read the full guide 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. Read the full guide Topic sentences A topic sentence states the paragraph's single main point, usually first, and every other sentence in the paragraph supports it. Read the full guide Concluding statements A conclusion closes the argument by restating the point in light of the evidence given. It introduces no new information. Read the full guide Common grammatical mistakes Subject-verb agreement, shifting verb tense mid-passage, double negatives and misplaced modifiers account for most errors tested here. Read the full guide

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. Read the full guide Latin prefixes Latin and Greek prefixes carry most medical vocabulary: pre- before, post- after, inter- between, intra- within, sub- under, trans- across. Read the full guide Synonyms Synonyms share meaning but rarely connotation. Choose the one that fits the register and the surrounding sentence, not simply the closest dictionary match. Read the full guide Homophones Homophones sound alike and are spelled differently: principal and principle, complement and compliment, affect and effect, patience and patients. Read the full guide 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. Read the full guide 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. Read the full guide 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. Read the full guide