HESI A2 — All Questions

Choose the correct sentence.

• a.The nurse and the doctor is both present.
• b.The nurse and the doctor were both present.✓
• c.The nurse and the doctor be both present.
• d.The nurse and the doctor was both present.

A compound subject joined by 'and' is plural and takes a plural verb. 'The nurse and the doctor' requires 'were,' not 'was.'

Select the sentence with correct subject-verb agreement.

• a.Each of the students have lockers.
• b.Each of the student have a locker.
• c.Each of the students has a locker.✓
• d.Each of the students have a locker.

The subject 'each' is singular, even when followed by a plural prepositional phrase. It therefore takes the singular verb 'has.'

Which sentence uses the apostrophe correctly?

• a.The patients chart is on the desk.
• b.The patient's chart is on the desk.✓
• c.The patients' chart's are ready.
• d.The patients chart's is ready.

A singular possessive is formed by adding an apostrophe plus s. 'The patient's chart' correctly shows that the chart belongs to one patient.

Choose the sentence with correct comma usage.

• a.Before the exam, we reviewed our notes carefully.✓
• b.Before the exam we reviewed, our notes carefully.
• c.Before, the exam we reviewed our notes carefully.
• d.Before the exam we reviewed our notes carefully.

An introductory phrase should be followed by a comma to separate it from the main clause. The comma correctly follows 'Before the exam.'

Which word correctly completes the sentence: 'The medication had a strong effect on ___ recovery.'

• a.they're
• b.there
• c.their✓
• d.they

The possessive pronoun 'their' shows ownership of the recovery. 'There' refers to place and 'they're' means 'they are,' so neither fits.

Choose the correct verb tense: 'Yesterday, the nurse ___ the patient's blood pressure.'

• a.checking
• b.will check
• c.checked✓
• d.checks

The word 'yesterday' signals a completed past action, which calls for the simple past tense. 'Checked' is the correct past-tense form.

Which sentence is free of errors?

• a.I and him studied together.
• b.Him and me studied together.
• c.He and I studied together.✓
• d.Me and him studied together.

Subjects of a sentence require subject pronouns. 'He and I' are both subject pronouns and are correct, while 'me' and 'him' are object forms.

Select the correctly punctuated sentence.

• a.We need the following supplies gloves, masks, and gowns.
• b.We need the following supplies; gloves, masks, and gowns.
• c.We need the following supplies: gloves, masks, and gowns.✓
• d.We need the following supplies: gloves masks and gowns.

A colon introduces a list after a complete sentence, and commas separate the items. The first option uses both correctly.

Choose the word that completes the sentence: 'She performed ___ than her classmate on the test.'

• a.good
• b.better✓
• c.best
• d.more good

When comparing two people, use the comparative form. 'Better' is the correct comparative of 'good,' while 'best' is used for three or more.

Which sentence uses 'its' and 'it's' correctly?

• a.Its raining, so bring its umbrella.
• b.It's raining, so bring it's umbrella.
• c.Its raining, so bring it's umbrella.
• d.It's raining, so bring its umbrella.✓

'It's' is a contraction of 'it is,' and 'its' is the possessive pronoun. The sentence correctly uses 'It's raining' and 'its umbrella.'

Identify the correctly written sentence.

• a.Neither the doctor nor the nurses am available.
• b.Neither the doctor nor the nurses is available.
• c.Neither the doctor nor the nurses be available.
• d.Neither the doctor nor the nurses are available.✓

In 'neither/nor' constructions, the verb agrees with the nearer subject. Because 'nurses' is plural, the verb should be 'are.'

Choose the sentence with correct capitalization.

• a.We visited the Pacific Ocean in july.
• b.We visited the Pacific Ocean in July.✓
• c.We visited the pacific ocean in July.
• d.we visited the pacific ocean in july.

Proper nouns and the names of months are capitalized. 'Pacific Ocean' and 'July' both require capital letters.

Which sentence avoids a double negative?

• a.I never saw nothing.
• b.I don't want no help.
• c.I didn't see anything.✓
• d.I didn't see nothing.

Standard English uses only one negative to express a negative idea. 'I didn't see anything' is correct, while the others combine two negatives.

Select the sentence with the correct pronoun.

• a.The gift was given to my sister and me.✓
• b.The gift was given to I and my sister.
• c.The gift was given to my sister and myself.
• d.The gift was given to my sister and I.

After a preposition like 'to,' use the object pronoun 'me.' 'To my sister and me' is correct because both are objects of the preposition.

Choose the correctly spelled word to complete: 'The patient needs to ___ the form before surgery.'

• a.receeve
• b.receive✓
• c.recieve
• d.receve

The word follows the spelling rule 'i before e except after c.' Because it follows a c, the correct spelling is 'receive.'

Which sentence is a complete sentence, not a fragment?

• a.Running quickly down the long hallway.
• b.After the shift ended late.
• c.Because the alarm sounded loudly.
• d.The nurse answered the call.✓

A complete sentence needs a subject and a verb and expresses a full thought. 'The nurse answered the call' has both, while the others are fragments.

Choose the correct homophone: 'Please place the chart over ___.'

• a.theyre
• b.there✓
• c.they're
• d.their

'There' refers to a place or location, which fits this sentence. 'Their' is possessive and 'they're' means 'they are.'

Select the sentence that corrects the run-on: 'The test was hard I still passed.'

• a.The test was hard I still passed.
• b.The test was hard I, still passed.
• c.The test was hard, I still passed.
• d.The test was hard; I still passed.✓

Two independent clauses can be joined by a semicolon. 'The test was hard; I still passed' correctly fixes the run-on, while a comma alone would create a comma splice.

Which sentence uses an adverb correctly?

• a.The nurse spoke quiet and calm words loud.
• b.The nurse spoke quietness to the patient.
• c.The nurse spoke quietly to the patient.✓
• d.The nurse spoke quiet to the patient.

An adverb modifies a verb and often ends in -ly. 'Quietly' correctly describes how the nurse spoke, while 'quiet' is an adjective.

Choose the sentence with correct parallel structure.

• a.She likes read, write, and to jog.
• b.She likes reading, to write, and jogging.
• c.She likes to read, writing, and to jog.
• d.She likes reading, writing, and jogging.✓

Parallel structure requires items in a list to share the same grammatical form. All three items appear as -ing gerunds: reading, writing, and jogging.

Which word correctly completes the sentence? 'The box of sterile gloves ___ on the top shelf.'

• a.are
• b.is✓
• c.were
• d.have been

The subject is box, which is singular; the phrase of sterile gloves only describes it and cannot change the verb. Are, were and have been are all plural forms that agree with gloves rather than with the true subject.

Which word correctly completes the sentence? 'Each of the nurses ___ completed the training module.'

• a.has✓
• b.have
• c.are
• d.were

Each is always singular, so it takes has no matter how many nurses follow it. Have and were agree with the plural noun in the prepositional phrase, and are cannot be paired with a past participle like completed.

Which word correctly completes the sentence? 'Neither the surgeon nor the residents ___ available this afternoon.'

• a.is
• b.was
• c.are✓
• d.has been

With neither and nor, the verb agrees with the subject closer to it, and residents is plural. Is, was and has been would be correct only if the nearer subject were singular, as in neither the residents nor the surgeon is available.

Which sentence shows correct verb agreement in a sentence beginning with 'there'?

• a.There is several reasons for the delay.
• b.There have several reasons for the delay.
• c.There be several reasons for the delay.
• d.There are several reasons for the delay.✓

In a sentence beginning with there, the verb agrees with what follows it, and reasons is plural, so are is required. Is agrees with a singular noun, while have and be in these forms are not grammatical here at all.

Which word correctly completes the sentence? 'A list of approved medications ___ posted in the break room.'

• a.was✓
• b.were
• c.have
• d.are being

The subject is list, a singular noun, so the singular past form was is needed. The plural medications sits inside a prepositional phrase and never controls the verb, which is what makes were and are being tempting but wrong.

Which sentence uses the correct pronoun after the preposition 'to'?

• a.The schedule was sent to Maria and I.
• b.The schedule was sent to Maria and myself.
• c.The schedule was sent to Maria and me.✓
• d.The schedule was sent to I and Maria.

After a preposition the object pronoun me is required; test it by dropping Maria, which leaves sent to me. Myself is a reflexive form that can only be used when the same person is also the subject of the sentence.

Which sentence uses the correct pronoun after 'between'?

• a.This matter is between you and I.
• b.This matter is between you and myself.
• c.This matter is between you and me.✓
• d.This matter is between yourself and I.

Between is a preposition, so both pronouns after it must be object forms, giving you and me. The form I is a subject pronoun, and the reflexive forms myself and yourself need a matching subject earlier in the sentence.

Which sentence avoids an unclear pronoun reference?

• a.When Jan spoke with Maria, she was already upset.
• b.When Jan spoke with Maria, Maria was already upset.✓
• c.When Jan spoke with her, she was already upset.
• d.When she spoke with Maria, she was already upset.

Naming the person removes any doubt about who was upset. In each of the other versions she could refer to either woman, and a pronoun with two possible antecedents is ambiguous even when the writer knows what was meant.

Which sentence is correct?

• a.To who should I give the completed form?
• b.To whom should I give the completed form?✓
• c.To whomever should I give the completed form?
• d.Who should I give the completed form to whom?

Whom is the object form, and here it is the object of the preposition to. Who is the subject form, whomever adds an unneeded ending, and the last version uses both words for the same role.

Which word correctly completes the sentence? '___ chart is lying open on the desk?'

• a.Who's
• b.Whos
• c.Whose's
• d.Whose✓

Whose shows possession and asks which person the chart belongs to. Who's is a contraction of who is, which would produce who is chart, and the remaining spellings are not words.

Which sentence keeps a consistent verb tense?

• a.She walked into the room and saw the patient sitting up.✓
• b.She walked into the room and sees the patient sitting up.
• c.She walks into the room and saw the patient sitting up.
• d.She has walked into the room and sees the patient sat up.

Both actions happened at the same time in the past, so both verbs should be past tense. Mixing walked with sees, or walks with saw, shifts the time frame in the middle of a single sentence.

Which sentence uses the correct verb form after 'should'?

• a.He should of gone to the clinic sooner.
• b.He should have went to the clinic sooner.
• c.He should have gone to the clinic sooner.✓
• d.He should of went to the clinic sooner.

The correct form is should have, and the past participle of go is gone. Should of only imitates the sound of the contraction should've, and went is the simple past, which cannot follow have.

Which word correctly completes the sentence? 'Please ___ down until the dizziness passes.'

• a.lay
• b.laid
• c.lie✓
• d.lain

Lie means to recline and takes no object, which is what this sentence needs. Lay means to place something and requires an object, while laid and lain are past forms that do not fit a present-tense instruction.

Which word correctly completes the sentence? 'Please ___ the chart on the counter when you are finished.'

• a.lie
• b.lain
• c.lied
• d.lay✓

Lay means to put something down and takes an object, and here the object is the chart. Lie means to recline and cannot take an object, lain is a past participle, and lied means told an untruth.

Which sentence uses 'fewer' and 'less' correctly?

• a.Less patients were admitted this week, so there is fewer paperwork.
• b.Fewer patients were admitted this week, so there is fewer paperwork.
• c.Fewer patients were admitted this week, so there is less paperwork.✓
• d.Less patients were admitted this week, so there is less paperwork.

Fewer is used for things that can be counted one by one, such as patients, and less is used for quantities that cannot, such as paperwork. Each of the other sentences reverses one or both of those rules.

Which sentence uses 'good' or 'well' correctly?

• a.She did good on the practice test.
• b.She did very good on the practice test.
• c.She did well on the practice test.✓
• d.She done well on the practice test.

Well is the adverb needed to describe how she performed; good is an adjective and cannot modify the verb did. 'She done well' also uses done without a helping verb, which is not standard English.

Which sentence corrects the misplaced modifier in 'Running down the hall, the cart was knocked over by the aide.'?

• a.The cart, running down the hall, was knocked over by the aide.
• b.Running down the hall, the cart was knocked by the aide over.
• c.The cart was knocked over, running down the hall, by the aide.
• d.Running down the hall, the aide knocked over the cart.✓

An introductory participial phrase must describe the subject that follows it, and only a person can run down a hall. Every other version still leaves the cart doing the running, or simply moves words without fixing who is running.

Which sentence corrects the dangling modifier in 'After reviewing the chart, the medication was given.'?

• a.After reviewing the chart, the medication was given by the nurse.
• b.The medication was given, after reviewing the chart.
• c.After the chart was reviewing, the nurse gave the medication.
• d.After reviewing the chart, the nurse gave the medication.✓

The opening phrase needs a subject that can actually review a chart, so the nurse must come first. Keeping the passive construction leaves the medication doing the reviewing, and the last version reverses the verb into an ungrammatical form.

Which sentence correctly punctuates the introductory clause?

• a.After the surgery was over the family met with the physician.
• b.After the surgery was over, the family met with the physician.✓
• c.After the surgery, was over the family met with the physician.
• d.After, the surgery was over the family met with the physician.

An introductory dependent clause is followed by a comma, and the clause ends at over. Leaving the comma out runs the two clauses together, and the other placements cut the introductory clause in the middle.

Which sentence correctly places the comma before a conjunction joining two clauses?

• a.The results came back quickly but, the physician had already left.
• b.The results came back quickly, but, the physician had already left.
• c.The results came back quickly but the physician, had already left.
• d.The results came back quickly, but the physician had already left.✓

When a coordinating conjunction such as but joins two complete sentences, the comma goes before the conjunction. Placing it after but, doubling it, or dropping it in front of a subject all misplace the pause.

Which sentence uses a semicolon correctly?

• a.The ward was quiet; every patient was asleep.✓
• b.The ward was quiet; and every patient was asleep.
• c.The ward was quiet; because every patient was asleep.
• d.The ward was quiet, every patient was asleep.

A semicolon joins two independent clauses that could each stand alone. Adding and after it makes the semicolon unnecessary, because introduces a dependent clause that needs a comma instead, and the last version is a comma splice.

Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

• a.The exam was difficult, however, she passed on her first attempt.
• b.The exam was difficult; however she passed on her first attempt.
• c.The exam was difficult; however, she passed on her first attempt.✓
• d.The exam was difficult however; she passed on her first attempt.

However linking two independent clauses needs a semicolon before it and a comma after it. Using commas on both sides creates a comma splice, and moving the semicolon after however separates it from the clause it introduces.

Which sentence uses the colon correctly?

• a.Bring the following items: identification, insurance card and a list of medications.✓
• b.Bring the following: items identification, insurance card and a list of medications.
• c.Bring: identification, insurance card and a list of medications.
• d.Bring the following items, identification: insurance card and a list of medications.

A colon follows a complete statement and introduces the list that explains it. Splitting the phrase following items, putting a colon straight after a verb, or burying the colon inside the list all break that rule.

Which sentence shows correct plural possession?

• a.The nurse's station was moved to the second floor.
• b.The nurses' station was moved to the second floor.✓
• c.The nurses's station was moved to the second floor.
• d.The nurses station was moved to the second floor.

A plural noun already ending in s takes only an apostrophe after it, giving nurses' station for a station shared by several nurses. Nurse's would mean a single nurse, nurses's is never correct, and omitting the apostrophe removes the possession altogether.

Which of the following is a sentence fragment?

• a.The laboratory was closed on Sunday.
• b.Because the laboratory was closed on Sunday.✓
• c.The laboratory closed early, so the sample waited.
• d.Closed on Sunday, the laboratory reopened Monday.

Because turns the group of words into a dependent clause with no main clause to attach to, so it cannot stand alone. The other three each contain a subject and a verb that make a complete statement.

Which sentence corrects the run-on 'The monitor alarmed the nurse responded immediately.'?

• a.The monitor alarmed, so the nurse responded immediately.✓
• b.The monitor alarmed, the nurse responded immediately.
• c.The monitor alarmed the nurse, responded immediately.
• d.The monitor alarmed the nurse responded, immediately.

Two independent clauses need a comma plus a joining word, or a semicolon, or a full stop. A comma by itself makes a comma splice, and the last two versions simply drop a comma into the middle of a clause without separating them.

Which sentence uses their, there and they're correctly?

• a.They're leaving their charts over there on the counter.✓
• b.Their leaving there charts over they're on the counter.
• c.There leaving their charts over they're on the counter.
• d.They're leaving there charts over their on the counter.

They're is the contraction of they are, their shows possession, and there points to a place. Each incorrect version swaps at least two of the three, which changes the meaning into nonsense.

Which word correctly completes the sentence? '___ going to need a second signature on that form.'

• a.Your
• b.Yours
• c.You're✓
• d.Youre

You're is the contraction of you are, which is what the sentence needs before going. Your shows possession, yours is a possessive pronoun standing alone, and the last spelling is missing its apostrophe.

Which sentence uses accept and except correctly?

• a.Everyone accept the night staff will except the new schedule.
• b.Everyone except the night staff will except the new schedule.
• c.Everyone accept the night staff will accept the new schedule.
• d.Everyone except the night staff will accept the new schedule.✓

Accept is a verb meaning to receive or agree to, while except is a preposition meaning apart from. The other versions use one word in place of the other, leaving the sentence without a working verb or without a working preposition.

Which word correctly completes the sentence? 'Lack of sleep can ___ a student's concentration.'

• a.effect
• b.affects
• c.affect✓
• d.effected

Affect is the verb meaning to influence, and a verb is what follows the helping word can. Effect is normally the noun for the result, and the inflected forms affects and effected cannot follow can.