← TEAS Grammar & Usage Mastery

TEAS Nursing School Admission Test Study Guide

Key concepts, definitions, and exam tips organized by topic.

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TEAS Grammar & Usage Mastery — Study Guide


Overview

Grammar and usage questions on the TEAS exam test your ability to identify and correct errors in sentence structure, punctuation, word choice, and agreement. Mastery of these concepts is essential for demonstrating reading and writing competency required in healthcare programs. This guide organizes all key concepts by category with definitions, examples, tips, and a final review checklist.


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Parts of Speech


Summary

Understanding parts of speech means knowing not just what a word is, but what job it performs in a sentence. Words can shift roles depending on context, so focus on function over form.


Key Concepts


  • • Adverb: Modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. Often ends in -ly (e.g., quickly, very, well). Ask yourself: How? When? Where? To what extent?
  • • Transitive verb: Requires a direct object to complete its meaning (e.g., She carried the bag — "bag" is the object).
  • • Intransitive verb: Does not take a direct object (e.g., She slept). No receiver of the action is needed.
  • • Gerund: A verb form ending in -ing that functions as a noun (e.g., Swimming is great exercise). Distinguished from a present participle, which acts as an adjective.
  • • Nominative (subjective) case pronouns: Used as sentence subjects — I, he, she, we, they, who.
  • • Appositive: A noun or noun phrase that renames the noun beside it. If nonessential, set it off with commas (e.g., Dr. Smith, the cardiologist, reviewed the chart).

    • Key Terms

  • • Direct object — the noun receiving the action of a transitive verb
  • • Nominative case — pronoun form used for subjects
  • • Objective case — pronoun form used for objects
  • • Gerund — an -ing verb form acting as a noun
  • • Appositive — a renaming noun phrase placed next to another noun

    • Watch Out For

    > ⚠️ Gerund vs. Participle: Swimming is fun (gerund — noun) vs. The swimming child laughed (participle — adjective). Both end in -ing but serve different grammatical roles.


    > ⚠️ Pronoun case errors are extremely common. Do not use I, he, she after prepositions. Between you and me is correct — NOT between you and I.


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    Sentence Structure


    Summary

    A grammatically complete sentence must contain a subject and a predicate (verb) and express a complete thought. Structural errors like fragments, run-ons, and misplaced modifiers are heavily tested on the TEAS.


    Key Concepts


  • • Sentence fragment: Missing a subject, verb, or complete thought. Correct by adding the missing element or attaching it to a complete sentence.

    • - ❌ Running down the hall.

    - ✅ She was running down the hall.


  • • Run-on sentence: Two or more independent clauses joined improperly. Fix with:

    • 1. A period (two separate sentences)

    2. A semicolon (;)

    3. A comma + coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS)


  • • Compound sentence punctuation: Use a comma before the coordinating conjunction when joining two independent clauses.

    • - FANBOYS: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So


  • • Misplaced modifier: A word or phrase placed too far from what it modifies, creating unintended meaning.

    • - ❌ She almost drove her kids to school every day. (implies she rarely drove)

    - ✅ She drove her kids to school almost every day.


  • • Parallel structure: Words or phrases in a series must use the same grammatical form.

    • - ❌ She likes reading, writing, and to run.

    - ✅ She likes reading, writing, and running.


    Key Terms

  • • Independent clause — a group of words with a subject and verb that can stand alone
  • • Dependent clause — cannot stand alone; begins with a subordinating conjunction
  • • FANBOYS — coordinating conjunctions: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so
  • • Misplaced modifier — a modifier positioned too far from the word it describes
  • • Parallel structure — consistent grammatical form within a list or comparison

    • Watch Out For

    > ⚠️ Dangling modifiers are a related trap: Walking into the room, the lights were bright. The lights were not walking — restructure so the subject of the modifier appears right after the comma: Walking into the room, she noticed the bright lights.


    > ⚠️ A semicolon cannot be used with a coordinating conjunction. Use one OR the other — not both.


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    Punctuation & Mechanics


    Summary

    Punctuation controls meaning, rhythm, and clarity. The TEAS tests your ability to apply rules for commas, semicolons, colons, apostrophes, and commonly confused contractions.


    Key Concepts


  • • Semicolon (;): Joins two closely related independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction.

    • - The patient was stable; the nurse updated the chart.


  • • Colon (:): Placed after a complete independent clause to introduce a list, explanation, or quotation.

    • - The nurse needed three supplies: gloves, gauze, and tape.

    - ❌ Do NOT use a colon directly after a verb or preposition.


  • • Apostrophes for possession:

    • | Noun Type | Rule | Example |

    |---|---|---|

    | Singular | Add 's | the nurse's bag |

    | Plural ending in s | Add ' only | the nurses' lounge |

    | Irregular plural (no s) | Add 's | the children's ward |


  • • Comma after introductory elements: Always use a comma after an introductory clause or phrase.

    • - After the surgery was complete, the doctor spoke with the family.


  • • Its vs. It's:

    • - Its = possessive pronoun (The hospital updated its policy.)

    - It's = contraction for it is or it has (It's time for the shift change.)


    Key Terms

  • • Independent clause — complete thought with subject and verb
  • • Contraction — two words shortened with an apostrophe (e.g., it's = it is)
  • • Possessive pronoun — shows ownership without an apostrophe (e.g., its, their, whose)
  • • Introductory clause — a dependent clause at the beginning of a sentence

    • Watch Out For

    > ⚠️ Its/It's is the #1 apostrophe trap. Possessive pronouns NEVER use apostrophes: its, their, whose, your — no apostrophes needed.


    > ⚠️ A colon must follow a complete sentence. ❌ The supplies were: gloves, gauze, and tape is incorrect because "The supplies were" is not a complete clause.


    > ⚠️ Do not confuse semicolons and colons: semicolons link two independent clauses; colons introduce information that follows a complete clause.


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    Subject-Verb & Pronoun Agreement


    Summary

    Agreement rules require subjects and verbs — and pronouns and their antecedents — to match in number (singular/plural) and sometimes gender. These rules become tricky with collective nouns, indefinite pronouns, and compound subjects.


    Key Concepts


  • • Compound subjects with or/nor: The verb agrees with the closest subject.

    • - Neither the doctors nor the nurse was available. (nurse = singular → was)


  • • Indefinite pronouns: The following are always singular: everyone, nobody, each, someone, anyone, everybody, no one, either, neither.

    • - Everyone is required to sign in.


  • • Pronoun-antecedent agreement: A pronoun must match its antecedent in number and gender.

    • - ❌ Each student must bring their textbook. (each is singular; their is plural)

    - ✅ Each student must bring his or her textbook.


  • • Collective nouns (American English): Treated as singular.

    • - The team was celebrating its victory.

    - Common collective nouns: team, staff, committee, class, group, jury


  • • Pronoun case after prepositions: Use objective case (her, him, me, them, whom) after prepositions.

    • - ❌ The award was given to she and I.

    - ✅ The award was given to her and me.


    Key Terms

  • • Antecedent — the noun a pronoun refers back to
  • • Collective noun — a word representing a group treated as a single unit
  • • Indefinite pronoun — a pronoun referring to a nonspecific person or thing
  • • Nominative case — I, he, she, we, they, who (used for subjects)
  • • Objective case — me, him, her, us, them, whom (used for objects)

    • Watch Out For

    > ⚠️ "Their" with singular indefinite pronouns is increasingly used in everyday speech but is still considered incorrect on standardized tests. Use his or her with singular antecedents like each, everyone, nobody.


    > ⚠️ When testing pronoun case, try the substitution trick: remove one pronoun at a time. The award was given to I sounds wrong → use me. This trick also works for who/whom — substitute he for who, him for whom.


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    Word Choice & Common Errors


    Summary

    Certain word pairs are frequently confused because they sound similar or share related meanings. These are prime targets on the TEAS. Learn them as pairs, not in isolation.


    Commonly Confused Words


    | Pair | Rule | Example |

    |---|---|---|

    | Affect / Effect | Affect = verb (to influence); Effect = noun (a result) | Stress can affect recovery. The medication had a calming effect. |

    | Fewer / Less | Fewer = countable nouns; Less = uncountable/mass nouns | Fewer patients; less time |

    | Who / Whom | Who = subject (nominative); Whom = object (objective) | Who called? / To whom did you speak? |

    | Lay / Lie | Lay = to place something (needs an object); Lie = to recline (no object) | Lay the chart down. / The patient was lying in bed. |

    | Its / It's | Its = possessive; It's = it is/it has | See Punctuation section above |


    Deeper Look: Lay vs. Lie


    | Verb | Present | Past | Past Participle | Meaning |

    |---|---|---|---|---|

    | Lie (intransitive) | lie | lay | lain | to recline |

    | Lay (transitive) | lay | laid | laid | to place something |


  • • The patient was lying in bed. ✅ (no object — use lie)
  • • Please lay the equipment on the table. ✅ (object = "equipment" — use lay)

    • Key Terms

  • • Transitive — requires a direct object
  • • Intransitive — does not take a direct object
  • • Countable noun — can be counted individually (patients, pills, hours)
  • • Mass/uncountable noun — cannot be counted individually (water, time, pain)

    • Watch Out For

    > ⚠️ Affect/Effect exceptions exist: Effect can be a verb meaning "to bring about" (to effect change), and affect can be a psychology noun. For the TEAS, default to affect = verb, effect = noun.


    > ⚠️ The lay/lie confusion is extremely common. The past tense of lie is lay (She lay in bed yesterday), which is often confused with the present tense of lay. Memorize the full conjugation table above.


    > ⚠️ Fewer vs. Less: If you can count it, use fewer. Ask yourself: fewer apples? yes. fewer water? no → use less water.


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    Quick Review Checklist


    Use this checklist before your exam to confirm you can confidently handle each concept:


    Parts of Speech

  • • [ ] Identify adverbs and the words they modify
  • • [ ] Distinguish transitive from intransitive verbs
  • • [ ] Recognize gerunds (verb + -ing functioning as a noun)
  • • [ ] Use nominative case pronouns correctly as subjects
  • • [ ] Punctuate appositives correctly with commas

    • Sentence Structure

  • • [ ] Identify and correct sentence fragments
  • • [ ] Identify and correct run-on sentences (3 methods)
  • • [ ] Place commas correctly before FANBOYS in compound sentences
  • • [ ] Identify and correct misplaced and dangling modifiers
  • • [ ] Apply parallel structure in lists and comparisons

    • Punctuation & Mechanics

  • • [ ] Use semicolons to join related independent clauses
  • • [ ] Use colons correctly after a complete clause
  • • [ ] Apply apostrophe rules for singular, plural, and irregular possessives
  • • [ ] Place commas after introductory clauses/phrases
  • • [ ] Distinguish its (possessive) from it's (contraction)

    • Subject-Verb & Pronoun Agreement

  • • [ ] Apply the "closest subject" rule with or/nor
  • • [ ] Treat indefinite pronouns (everyone, each, nobody) as singular
  • • [ ] Match pronouns to singular antecedents correctly
  • • [ ] Treat collective nouns as singular in American English
  • • [ ] Use objective case pronouns after prepositions

    • Word Choice & Common Errors

  • • [ ] Distinguish affect (verb) from effect (noun)
  • • [ ] Use fewer with countable nouns; less with mass nouns
  • • [ ] Apply who for subjects; whom for objects
  • • [ ] Correctly conjugate and use lay vs. lie
  • • [ ] Apply the substitution trick (he/she → who; him/her → whom)

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    Tip: Review two categories per study session and practice writing original example sentences for each rule. Active recall — not just re-reading — is the most effective preparation strategy.

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