HESI A2 Grammar Exams — Grammar Practice Test For HESI A2

1. Select the correct word for the blank in the following sentence: The other day, Stan _____ reviewing his class notes in preparation for the final exam.

Answer: D

Explanation:

Stan began reviewing his class notes in preparation for the final exam.

The appropriate word to fill in the blank is "began," which is the past tense of "begin" and correctly indicates that Stan was reviewing his notes at a previous time.

A) begins

"Begins" is the present tense form of the verb "begin," which does not fit in the context of the sentence that describes a past action.

B) begun

"Begun" is the past participle form of "begin" and is typically used with auxiliary verbs. In this sentence, it cannot stand alone as the main verb, making it an incorrect choice.

C) begin

"Begin" is the base form of the verb and, like "begins," is present tense. It does not appropriately convey the timing of Stan’s action in the context of the sentence.

D) began

"Began" is the simple past tense of "begin," which accurately reflects that Stan had already started his review of class notes prior to the time the statement is made, making it the correct choice.

Conclusion

The correct answer, "began," effectively conveys that Stan was engaged in reviewing his class notes at a previous time, aligning perfectly with the sentence's context. All other options fail to provide the appropriate tense needed for the action described.

2. Select the correct word for the blank in the following sentence. Sharon felt _____ about how her speech had gone.

Answer: B

Explanation:

Sharon felt good about how her speech had gone.

Using "good" in this context correctly describes Sharon's positive feelings regarding her performance in the speech.

A) well

"Well" functions as an adverb, which means it modifies verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. In contrast, the blank requires an adjective to describe Sharon's feelings, making this choice incorrect.

B) good

"Good" is the proper adjective to express Sharon's positive emotions about her speech. It accurately conveys her satisfaction with her performance, making this the correct choice.

C) finely

"Finely" is also an adverb and would not be appropriate in this context. The sentence requires an adjective to describe how Sharon felt, thus rendering this option incorrect.

D) happily

"Happily" is an adverb that describes the manner in which an action is performed, not a feeling. Therefore, it does not fit grammatically or contextually in the blank, making this choice incorrect.

Conclusion

The word "good" is the only option that correctly fits the grammatical structure and meaning of the sentence, expressing Sharon's positive feelings about her speech. The other options either misapply the part of speech or do not convey the intended emotional response, solidifying "good" as the definitive choice.

3. Select the best word for the blank in the following sentence: My brother and ______ are going to the movies this weekend.

Answer: B

Explanation:

I

The correct word to fill in the blank in the sentence is "I." The sentence should read: "My brother and I are going to the movies this weekend," which conforms to standard English grammar rules for subject pronouns.

A) me

Using "me" in the sentence would be incorrect because "me" is an object pronoun. In this context, the correct pronoun must be in the subject form, as it is part of the subject of the sentence along with "my brother."

B) I

"I" is the correct choice because it is a subject pronoun that appropriately fits the structure of the sentence. When referring to oneself as part of a compound subject, "I" is the grammatically correct form to use.

C) Her

"Her" is also incorrect in this context because it is an object pronoun. Similar to "me," it does not serve as a subject in the sentence and would not make sense in this construction.

D) Him

"Him" is incorrect for the same reason as "me" and "her." It is an object pronoun and cannot be used as part of the subject of the sentence. The sentence requires a subject pronoun, making "him" an unsuitable choice.

Conclusion

"I" is definitively the correct answer as it is the only option that fits grammatically within the subject of the sentence. All other options, being object pronouns, fail to meet the requirements of the sentence structure, thereby confirming "I" as the only appropriate choice.

4. Choose the word that correctly replaces the quoted word in the sentence: 'Everyone enjoyed the film presented in the “Jones' “theater.'

Answer: B

Explanation:

The correct word to replace "Jones'" is "their".

In the context of the sentence, "their" correctly indicates possession, reflecting that the theater belongs to Jones.

A) theirs

The word "theirs" is a possessive pronoun used to indicate ownership but cannot be used to modify a noun directly. In this sentence, we need an adjective to describe the theater, making "theirs" unsuitable.

B) their

The word "their" is a possessive adjective that appropriately modifies the noun "theater," indicating that it belongs to Jones. This makes it the correct choice for replacing "Jones'" in the sentence.

C) there's

The word "there's" is a contraction of "there is" or "there has," which does not fit the context of the sentence. It does not convey possession, which is necessary for this replacement.

D) there

The word "there" is an adverb used to indicate a place, which does not apply to the context of indicating ownership of the theater. Thus, it cannot replace "Jones'" in this sentence.

Conclusion

The selection of "their" as the replacement word is correct because it effectively conveys the intended meaning of possession in the context of the sentence. Other options fail to provide the necessary grammatical function or context, confirming that "their" is the only appropriate choice.

5. Select the word or phrase that will make the sentence grammatically correct: ............. thought the movie was very good.

Answer: B

Explanation:

We thought the movie was very good.

Using "we" correctly completes the sentence, indicating that the speaker is referring to themselves and others in a collective opinion about the movie.

A) us

"Us" cannot be used as the subject of the sentence, as it is an object pronoun. The subject form needed here is "we," which appropriately denotes who is expressing the opinion about the movie.

B) we

"We" is the correct subject pronoun for this sentence. It appropriately indicates that the speaker and at least one other person are the ones sharing the thought about the movie being very good.

C) them

"Them" is an object pronoun and cannot serve as the subject of the sentence. Using "them" would imply that the speaker is referring to another group, which does not fit the context of expressing a personal opinion.

D) ourselves

"Ourselves" is a reflexive pronoun, which is not suitable as the subject of the sentence. It implies that the action reflects back on the subject, and in this case, it does not appropriately convey the intended meaning regarding the movie.

Conclusion

The option "we" is definitively the correct choice as it functions as the subject pronoun needed to express the collective opinion about the movie. All other options fail to fulfill the grammatical requirement of the sentence, either due to being object pronouns or reflexive pronouns that do not fit in the context provided.

6. Which phrase is incorrect in the sentence: After soon he arrived in the U.S.A, he met the woman who was to become his wife.

Answer: B

Explanation:

After soon is incorrect in the sentence.

The phrase "After soon" is not a grammatically correct expression in English. The correct phrase should simply be "Soon after," which indicates that an event happened shortly after another.

A) Was

The word "was" is correctly used in the sentence to denote the past tense of the verb "to be." It appropriately links the subject "the woman" with the action of becoming his wife.

B) After soon

"After soon" is incorrect as it does not follow standard English syntax. The proper phrase is "Soon after," which effectively conveys the intended timeline of events.

C) Become

The verb "become" is used correctly in the sentence. It conveys the transition of the woman into the role of his wife, aligning well with the context of the sentence.

D) Arrived

The verb "arrived" is also correctly utilized in the past tense, indicating the action of arriving in the U.S.A. It accurately represents a completed action relevant to the sequence of events.

Conclusion

The phrase "After soon" is the only incorrect option in the sentence, as it fails to adhere to grammatical conventions. All other options, including "was," "become," and "arrived," are used correctly and effectively contribute to the overall meaning of the sentence. Thus, "After soon" stands out as the only error.

7. Select the word or phrase that makes this sentence grammatically correct: The hospital is located ______ the top of the hill.

Answer: A

Explanation:

The hospital is located at the top of the hill.

The correct preposition to complete the sentence is "at," which is not listed among the choices. However, "on" is often used in similar contexts, so it may be considered correct in a more colloquial sense.

A) of

The option "of" does not grammatically fit the context of the sentence. The phrase "at the top of" is the correct usage, and "of" does not convey the intended meaning of location.

B) off

The option "off" is also incorrect as it implies separation or distance from something, which does not fit the context of the hospital's location. The sentence needs a preposition that indicates the hospital's position.

C) in

Using "in" would imply that the hospital is inside a particular area or space, which does not accurately describe its location relative to the hill. Therefore, this option is not suitable for this context.

D) on

The option "on" can be considered correct in informal contexts, as people often say something is "on the top of the hill." However, the most precise and widely accepted phrasing is "at the top of the hill."

Conclusion

While "on" might be acceptable in informal usage, the best choice for grammatical accuracy would be "at." Options A, B, C, and D all fail to provide the correct preposition needed for the sentence. Hence, while "on" is the closest fit, it does not achieve the grammatical precision that "at" would provide.

8. Which phrase is NOT USED CORRECTLY? The client's hospital stay was prolonged do to a superinfection.

Answer: A

Explanation:

Do to is NOT USED CORRECTLY

The phrase "do to" is incorrect in this context and should be replaced with "due to," which is the proper phrase used to indicate causation or reason.

A) Do to

This phrase is incorrectly used in the statement. The correct expression is "due to," which indicates the cause of the prolonged hospital stay. "Do to" is a common misspelling and does not convey the intended meaning.

B) Stay was

The phrase "stay was" is correctly used in this context. It accurately describes the state of the client's hospital stay, indicating it was prolonged. There are no grammatical or contextual issues with this phrase.

C) Client's

The term "client's" is also correctly used here, as it appropriately denotes possession, referring to the hospital stay of the client. This phrase is grammatically sound and contextually accurate.

D) Superinfection

The word "superinfection" is used correctly in the context of medical terminology. It refers to an infection that occurs on top of another infection, which is relevant to the client's prolonged hospital stay. There are no errors associated with this term.

Conclusion

The phrase "do to" is definitively incorrect and should be replaced with "due to" to convey the intended meaning of causation. All other options are used correctly within the context of the statement, making "do to" the only phrase that does not fit grammatically or contextually.

9. Identify the incomplete sentence.

Answer: C

Explanation:

While they were sleeping.

The phrase "While they were sleeping." is an incomplete sentence because it introduces a dependent clause that requires an independent clause to form a complete thought.

A) He wept.

This option is a complete sentence consisting of a subject ("He") and a verb ("wept"), expressing a complete thought. Therefore, it does not qualify as an incomplete sentence.

B) Everything worked out all right.

This choice is also a complete sentence, with a subject ("Everything") and a predicate ("worked out all right"), conveying a full idea. Thus, it is not an incomplete sentence.

C) While they were sleeping.

This option is an incomplete sentence because it begins with a subordinating conjunction ("While") and lacks an independent clause to complete the thought. It leaves the reader expecting additional information.

D) Babies are soft, cute, and cuddly.

This statement is a complete sentence with a subject ("Babies") and a predicate that describes them, making it a fully formed thought. Therefore, it does not meet the criteria for an incomplete sentence.

Conclusion

The choice "While they were sleeping." is definitively the correct answer as it presents an incomplete thought that requires further information to be understood. In contrast, all other options are complete sentences that express clear and standalone ideas, thus failing to meet the criteria of being incomplete.

10. Economics--------------my least favorite subject at school.

Answer: B

Explanation:

Economics is my least favorite subject at school.

In this sentence, the correct verb form to use with the singular noun "Economics" is "is," indicating a state of being.

A) Am

"Am" is the first-person singular form of the verb "to be" and is used with the subject "I." It is incorrect in this context as the subject is "Economics," which requires a third-person singular form.

B) Is

"Is" is the appropriate third-person singular form of the verb "to be," making it the correct choice for this sentence. It correctly agrees with the singular noun "Economics," effectively conveying that it is the speaker's least favorite subject.

C) Are

"Are" is the plural form of the verb "to be" and is used with plural subjects or the pronoun "you." In this case, it is incorrect because "Economics" is a singular subject.

D) Been

"Been" is the past participle form of the verb "to be," typically used in perfect tenses. It does not fit in this context, as the sentence requires a present tense verb to express the current opinion about the subject.

Conclusion

The correct answer is "is," as it properly matches the singular subject "Economics" and communicates the current sentiment of the speaker. All other options fail to provide the correct verb form or tense needed for this sentence construction.