210 English questions written for the TEAS 7, each with a rationale explaining why the correct answer is correct and why the others are not. Free, no account required. 10 examples are shown below.
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The answer: A — Change 'subsiding' to 'subsided' to maintain verb tense consistency Think of it this way: Look at the other verbs in this sentence: "was experiencing" (past progressive) and "received" (simple past). Everything happened in the past. "Subsiding" is a present participle — it doesn't fit the past-tense pattern of its companions in the compound predicate. Why A is right: The sentence contains a compound predicate (three actions linked by commas and "and"): (1) was experiencing, (2) received, and (3) the pain subsiding. The first two verbs are consistently in the past tense. But "subsiding" is a present participle — it breaks tense consistency. The correct verb is "subsided" (simple past), giving: "...received nitroglycerin, and the pain subsided within minutes." This makes all three verbs parallel in tense and grammatical structure. Why the others are wrong: - B (Semicolon after 'nitroglycerin'): A semicolon connects two independent clauses. "...received nitroglycerin" is not an independent clause (no separate subject for the second part would make sense here). Adding a semicolon would also not fix the tense inconsistency. - C (Change 'experiencing' to 'experienced'): "Was experiencing" is past progressive — a standard, grammatically acceptable way to describe a past continuous action. It doesn't need correction. - D (Colon after 'nitroglycerin'): Colons introduce lists, explanations, or elaborations — not a mid-predicate connector. Using a colon here would be grammatically incorrect. Remember: Parallel structure in compound predicates requires matching verb forms and tenses. Tense consistency rule: within a sentence describing one time period, all verbs should reflect the same tense (usually past in clinical documentation). Present participles (-ing forms) are NOT past tense and must be avoided when describing past events in formal writing unless functioning as part of a past progressive construction.
The answer: A — Receive Think of it this way: The rule has TWO parts: "i before e" (believe, friend) — AND "except after c" (receive). The question asks ONLY about the "except after c" part. Find the word where the LETTER C immediately precedes "ei." Why A is right: "Receive" — R-E-C-E-I-V-E. Look at the sequence: the letter C comes immediately before E-I (c-e-i). This is exactly the "except after c" scenario: a c appears BEFORE the ei combination, so you write "ei" (not "ie"). "Receive" follows the "except after c" rule perfectly — the C triggers the exception that causes the spelling to switch from "ie" to "ei." Why the others are wrong: - B ("Weird"): "Weird" uses "ei" but has NO letter c before those vowels. It is an exception to the general rule — not an example of the "except after c" part. Weird is a word that breaks both parts of the rule (no c before ei; it just uses ei without c influence). - C ("Friend"): "Friend" uses "ie" (not "ei") and has no c before the vowel combination. It follows the first part of the rule ("i before e") — not the "except after c" part. - D ("Believe"): "Believe" uses "ie" and has no c before the vowel combination. Like "friend," it follows the "i before e" part of the rule — not the "after c" exception. Remember: The "i before e, except after c" rule: Standard pattern: "ie" (believe, friend, piece, chief, niece). After C: "ei" (receive, deceive, conceive, perceive, ceiling, receipt). Exceptions and words that break the rule: weird, seize, neither, leisure, protein, foreign, eight, height, neighbor, weigh, vein. Pronunciation-based exception: when the "ei" combination makes an /ay/ sound → use ei (eight, weight, neighbor, freight, vein — these are not after c but still use ei).
The answer: B, D — "each student...his or her textbook" and "every nurse...his or her hands" Think of it this way: "Each" and "every" are SINGULAR indefinite pronouns — they refer to one person at a time, even though they imply a group. The pronouns that refer back to them must also be singular. Why B and D are right: - B ("Each student must bring HIS OR HER textbook"): "Each" = singular → the pronoun must also be singular. "His or her" = singular alternatives covering both possibilities. Correct agreement. ✓ - D ("Every nurse should wash HIS OR HER hands"): "Every" = singular → the pronoun must be singular. "His or her" is the grammatically correct singular pronoun here. ✓ Why A and C are wrong: - A ("Each student must bring THEIR textbook"): "Their" is a PLURAL pronoun. Using a plural pronoun with the singular indefinite pronoun "each" is a pronoun-antecedent disagreement. In traditional formal English grammar (what standardized tests test), this is incorrect. - C ("Every nurse should wash THEIR hands"): Same error — "their" is plural, but "every" is singular. In formal/academic writing, "his or her" is the grammatically correct choice for singular indefinite pronouns. Remember: Singular indefinite pronouns (always take singular pronouns): each, every, everyone, everybody, everything, anyone, anybody, anything, someone, somebody, something, no one, nobody, nothing, either, neither, one. Pattern: "Each of the students has his or her own stethoscope" (not "their"). Note: "They/their" as a singular gender-neutral pronoun is increasingly accepted in everyday use and by major style guides (AP Style, Chicago Manual). However, standardized tests typically still require "his or her" for formal pronoun-antecedent agreement with singular indefinite pronouns.
The answer: A, B, C — "The nurse who administered…"; "The nurse, who administered…"; "Whom should I contact…" Think of it this way: Substitute "he" or "him" to test who vs. whom. If "he" works → use "who" (subject). If "him" works → use "whom" (object). "Him" and "whom" both end in -m — that's the memory trick. Why A, B, and C are right: - A: "Who administered the medication" — substitute: "He/she administered the medication" ✓ = who (subject role). - B: Same clause in a non-restrictive (set-off with commas) position — still grammatically identical to A. ✓ - C: "Whom should I contact" → rearrange: "I should contact whom" → substitute: "I should contact him" ✓ = whom (object). Why D is wrong: "Who should I contact" → rearrange: "I should contact who" → substitute: "I should contact he" ✗ ("he" is wrong in object position). The correct form is "whom" (objective case). Remember: Who = subject (performs the action). Whom = object (receives the action, or follows a preposition). Test: "He/she" → who. "Him/her" → whom. Examples: "Who called?" (He called = subject). "To whom did you speak?" (I spoke to him = object). In informal speech "who" is often used in both positions, but formal writing requires "whom" as the object.
The answer: A — Conjunction Think of it this way: "That" introduces an entire dependent clause — "the patient needed immediate care" — which acts as the object of the verb "explained." A word that connects a dependent clause to a main clause is a subordinating conjunction. Why A is right: In "The physician explained THAT the patient needed immediate care," the word "that" connects the independent clause ("The physician explained") to the dependent noun clause ("the patient needed immediate care"). This "that" functions as a subordinating conjunction (also called a complementizer) — it introduces the noun clause that acts as the object of the verb "explained." Ask: "The physician explained WHAT?" → "that the patient needed immediate care" (the noun clause is the direct object). Why the others are wrong: - B (Pronoun): "That" can be a pronoun when it replaces a noun ("I saw the X-ray — THAT was the problem"). In this sentence, "that" does not replace any noun — it introduces a clause. - C (Adjective): "That" can be a demonstrative adjective when it modifies a noun ("THAT medication caused the reaction"). Here, "that" is followed by a subject + predicate ("the patient needed immediate care"), not a noun. So it is not functioning as an adjective here. - D (Adverb): Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. "That" is not modifying any of these here — it is introducing a noun clause, which is a conjunction function. Remember: "That" can be multiple parts of speech: Conjunction (complementizer): "She said THAT he was sick" — introduces noun clause. Pronoun (demonstrative): "THAT is my stethoscope" — replaces/refers to a noun. Adjective (demonstrative): "THAT patient needs attention" — modifies a noun. Relative pronoun: "The medication THAT I ordered" — introduces relative clause modifying "medication." Context always determines the part of speech.
The answer: A — determine Think of it this way: 'Determine' means to find out or establish something with certainty, which fits the scientific context of analyzing composition. Why A is right: 'Determine' is precise and implies a definitive conclusion based on evidence, appropriate for an archaeologist's work. Why the others are wrong: - B ('guess'): Implies uncertainty, which is not precise. - C ('think'): Too vague; suggests an opinion rather than a conclusion. - D ('figure out'): Informal and less precise than 'determine' for formal writing. Remember: In academic or scientific contexts, use precise verbs like 'determine,' 'identify,' or 'establish' instead of informal or vague alternatives.
The answer: A — Consequently Think of it this way: The second sentence is a logical result of the first, so a cause-effect transition is needed. Why A is right: "Consequently" indicates that the conclusion (treatment ineffective) is a direct result of the finding (no significant difference). Why the others are wrong: - B (Nevertheless): Indicates contrast, but here the second sentence follows logically, not in opposition. - C (Moreover): Adds additional information, but the conclusion is a result, not an addition. - D (Similarly): Indicates similarity, which doesn't fit because the conclusion is derived from the finding. Remember: Use "consequently" or "therefore" to show cause-effect relationships. "Nevertheless" shows contrast, "moreover" adds information, and "similarly" shows comparison.
The answer: B — Liver Think of it this way: "Hepatitis" is inflammation of the liver, so hepat/o must mean liver. Why B is right: The combining form hepat/o is derived from the Greek word "hepar," meaning liver, and is used in terms like hepatitis (inflammation of the liver) and hepatomegaly (enlargement of the liver). Why the others are wrong: - A (Kidney): The root for kidney is nephr/o, as in nephrology. - C (Stomach): The root for stomach is gastr/o, as in gastritis. - D (Heart): The root for heart is cardi/o, as in cardiology. Remember: Associate "hepat" with "hepatic" (relating to the liver) — both start with "hep."
The answer: C — resulting from medical intervention Think of it this way: The sentence defines it right after the word—'meaning it was caused by medical treatment itself.' That's a definition context clue. Why C is right: The phrase 'caused by medical treatment itself' is a direct definition of iatrogenic. The context clue provides the meaning explicitly. Why the others are wrong: - A (genetic in origin): The sentence specifies 'caused by medical treatment,' not genetics. - B (caused by a virus): This is unrelated to medical treatment; the clue points to treatment as the cause. - D (improving with rest): The word 'caused' indicates a negative effect, not improvement. Remember: When you see a comma followed by 'meaning' or 'that is,' the sentence is giving you a definition clue for the unfamiliar word.
The answer: A — Using too many words; wordy Think of it this way: The contrast clue 'unlike' tells you 'verbose' is the opposite of 'concise and direct', so it means using more words than needed. Why A is right: The sentence uses a contrast clue with 'unlike' to show that the professor's lecture is the opposite of 'concise and direct'. 'Verbose' means using or expressed in more words than are needed, making it the correct definition. Why the others are wrong: - B (Extremely loud and forceful): While a verbose lecture might be tiresome, 'verbose' specifically refers to wordiness, not volume or forcefulness. - C (Highly technical and academic): The sentence mentions 'unnecessary details,' not necessarily technical jargon, so this is not supported by context. - D (Carefully organized and structured): This would be the opposite of verbose; a verbose lecture is typically rambling and unorganized. Remember: 'Verbose' = wordy or long-winded. Use the contrast clue: if something is 'not concise,' it is likely verbose.
