TEAS Grammar & Punctuation Mastery: Complete Study Guide
Overview
This study guide covers the essential grammar and punctuation concepts tested on the TEAS exam, including sentence structure, parts of speech, punctuation rules, and common grammar errors. Mastering these topics requires recognizing correct sentence construction, applying punctuation rules precisely, and avoiding the tricky word-choice and agreement errors that frequently appear on standardized tests.
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Sentence Structure
Summary
A grammatically correct sentence requires a subject, a verb, and a complete thought. Understanding how clauses combine — and how modifiers function — is critical for identifying errors and constructing clear sentences.
Key Concepts
- Incorrect: She studied hard she passed the exam.
- Correct: She studied hard, so she passed the exam.
- Incorrect: Running down the hallway quickly.
- Correct: She ran down the hallway quickly.
- Incorrect: Running down the street, the rain soaked my clothes. (The rain wasn't running.)
- Correct: Running down the street, I got soaked by the rain.
Key Terms
⚠️ Watch Out For
> - Run-ons disguised as long sentences: A sentence can be long and still be correct — it's the missing punctuation between independent clauses that creates a run-on, not length alone.
> - Fragments disguised as sentences: Phrases beginning with subordinating conjunctions (because, although, since) are dependent clauses and are fragments if they stand alone.
> - Dangling modifiers: Always ask, Who is performing the action in the opening phrase? That person must be the subject of the main clause.
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Parts of Speech & Usage
Summary
Correct usage depends on selecting the right pronoun case, matching subjects with verbs, and understanding how linking verbs work with adjectives versus adverbs. Irregular forms of adjectives and distinctions between verb types are also commonly tested.
Key Concepts
- She administered the medication. ("the medication" = direct object)
- She slept. (nothing receives the action)
- Who = subject pronoun (replaces he/she) → Who called the patient?
- Whom = object pronoun (replaces him/her) → To whom was the note addressed?
- Trick: Substitute he/she or him/her — if him/her fits, use whom.
- The team of nurses was ready. ("team" is the singular subject)
- She felt bad. ✅ (not badly — bad describes she, not felt)
| Base | Comparative | Superlative |
|------|-------------|-------------|
| good | better | best |
| bad | worse | worst |
| many/much | more | most |
| little | less | least |
Key Terms
⚠️ Watch Out For
> - Collective nouns like team, staff, committee, and jury are singular in American English — always use a singular verb.
> - Don't confuse adverbs and adjectives after linking verbs: If you can substitute is or was for the verb and the sentence still makes sense, use an adjective (She felt bad → She was bad about the mistake).
> - Who/Whom trick: Mentally rearrange the sentence — Whom did she call? → She called him → use whom.
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Punctuation Rules
Summary
Punctuation marks control the pace, clarity, and meaning of sentences. The most frequently tested marks on the TEAS are commas, semicolons, colons, and apostrophes. Knowing exactly when to use each — and when not to — is essential.
Key Concepts
- Joins two closely related independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction.
- She studied all night; she passed the exam.
- Used before conjunctive adverbs (however, therefore, moreover, consequently) that link two independent clauses. A comma follows the adverb.
- She was tired; however, she completed the shift.
- Placed after a complete independent clause to introduce a list, explanation, quotation, or elaboration.
- She needed three things: rest, fluids, and medication.
- Rule: The material before the colon must be able to stand alone as a sentence.
- Before a FANBOYS conjunction joining two independent clauses ✅
- Do NOT use a comma before a conjunction joining only two words, two phrases, or two dependent clauses ❌
- Use commas to set off nonrestrictive (nonessential) clauses — information that is extra, not essential to meaning.
- Dr. Lee, who is on call tonight, will see the patient. (commas needed)
- The nurse who is on call will see the patient. (no commas — essential to identify which nurse)
- Oxford (serial) comma: The comma before the final item in a list of three or more.
- She brought scrubs, a stethoscope, and her badge. (prevents ambiguity)
- Singular possessive: Add 's → the nurse's badge
- Plural possessive (ends in -s): Add only ' after the s → the nurses' station
- Plural possessive (does not end in -s): Add 's → the children's ward
- Contractions: Apostrophe replaces missing letters → it's = it is/it has
Key Terms
⚠️ Watch Out For
> - Semicolons vs. commas: A comma alone (without a coordinating conjunction) between two independent clauses creates a comma splice — a common error. Use a semicolon or add a FANBOYS conjunction.
> - Colon placement: The clause before the colon must be a complete sentence. She needed: rest and fluids ❌ is incorrect because "She needed" is incomplete.
> - Its vs. It's: Its never uses an apostrophe for possession. If you can substitute it is or it has, use it's. If not, use its.
> - Nonrestrictive vs. restrictive clauses: Ask, "Would removing this clause change who or what we're talking about?" If yes → no commas (restrictive). If no → commas needed (nonrestrictive).
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Common Grammar Errors
Summary
Certain word-choice and agreement errors appear repeatedly on the TEAS. These include pronoun-antecedent agreement, easily confused word pairs, and subject-verb agreement with intervening phrases. Learning the traditional rules and noting where modern usage has evolved is important for test success.
Key Concepts
- Everyone is a singular indefinite pronoun → traditionally requires his or her
- Their is now widely accepted as a gender-neutral singular pronoun in contemporary usage
- Know both rules for the exam — the TEAS may test the traditional standard
| Word | Part of Speech | Meaning | Example |
|------|---------------|---------|---------|
| Affect | Verb (usually) | To influence | The drug affects heart rate. |
| Effect | Noun (usually) | A result/outcome | The effect was immediate. |
- Memory trick: Affect = Action (verb); Effect = End result (noun)
- Its = possessive pronoun (The hospital updated its policy.)
- It's = contraction of it is or it has (It's been a long shift.)
- Phrases like along with, as well as, in addition to, together with do not change the subject.
- The doctor, along with her nurses, is reviewing the chart. (subject = doctor, singular)
- Nauseous (traditional) = causing nausea (The smell was nauseous.)
- Nauseated = feeling nausea (The patient was nauseated.)
- Modern usage widely accepts nauseous to mean feeling sick — know both for test purposes
Key Terms
⚠️ Watch Out For
> - Intervening phrases are traps: The box of medications was (not were) on the counter. Always identify the true subject by mentally crossing out the prepositional phrase.
> - Affect/Effect exceptions: Effect can occasionally be a verb meaning to bring about (to effect change), and affect can be a noun in psychology. The TEAS primarily tests the standard noun/verb distinction.
> - Possessive pronouns never use apostrophes: its, his, her, their, your, whose — none of these take apostrophes. Apostrophes in pronouns always signal contractions (it's, they're, you're, who's).
> - Don't confuse your and you're, or their/there/they're: These are frequent distractors on standardized tests.
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Quick Review Checklist
Use this checklist to confirm you are ready for TEAS grammar and punctuation questions:
Sentence Structure
Parts of Speech & Usage
Punctuation Rules
Common Grammar Errors
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Tip: For the TEAS, when in doubt between two answer choices, ask yourself: "What is the true subject?" and "Is this verb/modifier clearly and logically connected to that subject?" These two questions resolve the majority of grammar questions on the exam.