HESI A2 GRAMMAR STUDY GUIDE SUMMER 2026/2027 |
Complete Questions & Answers | Aligned with Elsevier
Standards | Pass Guaranteed - A+ Graded
SECTION 1: PARTS OF SPEECH (Questions 1–10)
Question 1
In the sentence "The exhausted nurse carefully administered the medication to the
elderly patient before dawn," which word functions as an adverb?
A. exhausted
B. nurse
C. carefully
D. elderly
Answer:
C. carefully [CORRECT]
Rationale: "Carefully" is an adverb because it modifies the verb "administered,"
answering the question how the nurse administered the medication. "Exhausted" and
"elderly" are adjectives modifying nouns ("nurse" and "patient"), and "nurse" is a
common noun. On the HESI, adverbs often end in "-ly" and modify verbs, adjectives,
or other adverbs—always ask how, when, where, or to what extent.
Question 2
Identify the conjunction in the following sentence: "The patient was anxious, yet she
cooperated fully during the examination."
A. was
B. yet
,C. during
D. fully
Answer:
B. yet [CORRECT]
Rationale: "Yet" is a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet,
so) joining two independent clauses. "Was" is a linking verb, "during" is a preposition,
and "fully" is an adverb. HESI tip: Coordinating conjunctions join grammatically equal
elements; subordinating conjunctions (because, although, since) introduce
dependent clauses.
Question 3
Which of the following sentences contains a collective noun used as a plural?
A. The jury reaches its verdict unanimously.
B. The team has won the championship three times.
C. The committee are divided on the proposed policy change.
D. The audience was captivated by the speaker's presentation.
Answer:
C. The committee are divided on the proposed policy change. [CORRECT]
Rationale: "Committee" is a collective noun used plurally here because the members
are acting as individuals ("divided" implies disagreement among members). In A, B,
and D, the collective nouns act as singular units. HESI frequently tests this distinction:
singular when the group acts as one unit, plural when members act individually.
Question 4
In the sentence "Dr. Martinez, who specializes in cardiology, will perform the surgery on
Monday," what part of speech is "who"?
A. Relative pronoun
B. Interrogative pronoun
,C. Demonstrative pronoun
D. Indefinite pronoun
Answer:
A. Relative pronoun [CORRECT]
Rationale: "Who" is a relative pronoun introducing the dependent clause "who
specializes in cardiology," which modifies "Dr. Martinez." Interrogative pronouns ask
questions ("Who is coming?"), demonstratives point out specific nouns ("this, that"),
and indefinites refer to nonspecific persons or things ("someone, anyone"). HESI tip:
Relative pronouns (who, whom, whose, which, that) always introduce adjective
clauses.
Question 5
Which sentence correctly uses a linking verb?
A. The patient walked slowly to the examination room.
B. The test results seem encouraging to the medical team.
C. The surgeon performed the operation with precision.
D. The nurse administered the medication at noon.
Answer:
B. The test results seem encouraging to the medical team. [CORRECT]
Rationale: "Seem" is a linking verb connecting the subject "results" to the predicate
adjective "encouraging." Linking verbs (am, is, are, was, were, be, been, seem, appear,
become, feel, look, smell, sound, taste) do not show action but link the subject to a
description or identity. The other options use action verbs. HESI tip: If you can
substitute a form of "be" and the sentence still makes sense, it's likely a linking verb.
Question 6
In the sentence "Each of the student nurses must complete their clinical rotation before
graduation," which underlined word is used incorrectly?
, A. Each
B. student
C. their
D. graduation
Answer:
C. their [CORRECT]
Rationale: "Each" is a singular indefinite pronoun, so the singular possessive
pronoun "his or her" (or "his/her") is required, not the plural "their." This is a
pronoun-antecedent agreement error. "Student" is an adjective modifying "nurses,"
and "graduation" is a noun. HESI heavily tests singular indefinite pronouns (each,
either, neither, everyone, anybody) requiring singular pronouns.
Question 7
Which word in the following sentence is a preposition? "The medication was placed
on the counter beside the patient's chart."
A. placed
B. on
C. beside
D. Both B and C
Answer:
D. Both B and C [CORRECT]
Rationale: Both "on" and "beside" are prepositions showing the relationship
between nouns/pronouns and other words. "On" shows position relative to
"counter," and "beside" shows position relative to "chart." "Placed" is a verb. HESI tip:
Prepositions often indicate location, direction, time, or relationship; common
examples include about, above, across, after, against, along, among, around, at,
before, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, beyond, by, during, except, for,
from, in, inside, into, like, near, of, off, on, onto, opposite, outside, over, past,
regarding, since, through, throughout, till, to, toward, under, underneath, unlike,
until, up, upon, with, within, without.
Complete Questions & Answers | Aligned with Elsevier
Standards | Pass Guaranteed - A+ Graded
SECTION 1: PARTS OF SPEECH (Questions 1–10)
Question 1
In the sentence "The exhausted nurse carefully administered the medication to the
elderly patient before dawn," which word functions as an adverb?
A. exhausted
B. nurse
C. carefully
D. elderly
Answer:
C. carefully [CORRECT]
Rationale: "Carefully" is an adverb because it modifies the verb "administered,"
answering the question how the nurse administered the medication. "Exhausted" and
"elderly" are adjectives modifying nouns ("nurse" and "patient"), and "nurse" is a
common noun. On the HESI, adverbs often end in "-ly" and modify verbs, adjectives,
or other adverbs—always ask how, when, where, or to what extent.
Question 2
Identify the conjunction in the following sentence: "The patient was anxious, yet she
cooperated fully during the examination."
A. was
B. yet
,C. during
D. fully
Answer:
B. yet [CORRECT]
Rationale: "Yet" is a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet,
so) joining two independent clauses. "Was" is a linking verb, "during" is a preposition,
and "fully" is an adverb. HESI tip: Coordinating conjunctions join grammatically equal
elements; subordinating conjunctions (because, although, since) introduce
dependent clauses.
Question 3
Which of the following sentences contains a collective noun used as a plural?
A. The jury reaches its verdict unanimously.
B. The team has won the championship three times.
C. The committee are divided on the proposed policy change.
D. The audience was captivated by the speaker's presentation.
Answer:
C. The committee are divided on the proposed policy change. [CORRECT]
Rationale: "Committee" is a collective noun used plurally here because the members
are acting as individuals ("divided" implies disagreement among members). In A, B,
and D, the collective nouns act as singular units. HESI frequently tests this distinction:
singular when the group acts as one unit, plural when members act individually.
Question 4
In the sentence "Dr. Martinez, who specializes in cardiology, will perform the surgery on
Monday," what part of speech is "who"?
A. Relative pronoun
B. Interrogative pronoun
,C. Demonstrative pronoun
D. Indefinite pronoun
Answer:
A. Relative pronoun [CORRECT]
Rationale: "Who" is a relative pronoun introducing the dependent clause "who
specializes in cardiology," which modifies "Dr. Martinez." Interrogative pronouns ask
questions ("Who is coming?"), demonstratives point out specific nouns ("this, that"),
and indefinites refer to nonspecific persons or things ("someone, anyone"). HESI tip:
Relative pronouns (who, whom, whose, which, that) always introduce adjective
clauses.
Question 5
Which sentence correctly uses a linking verb?
A. The patient walked slowly to the examination room.
B. The test results seem encouraging to the medical team.
C. The surgeon performed the operation with precision.
D. The nurse administered the medication at noon.
Answer:
B. The test results seem encouraging to the medical team. [CORRECT]
Rationale: "Seem" is a linking verb connecting the subject "results" to the predicate
adjective "encouraging." Linking verbs (am, is, are, was, were, be, been, seem, appear,
become, feel, look, smell, sound, taste) do not show action but link the subject to a
description or identity. The other options use action verbs. HESI tip: If you can
substitute a form of "be" and the sentence still makes sense, it's likely a linking verb.
Question 6
In the sentence "Each of the student nurses must complete their clinical rotation before
graduation," which underlined word is used incorrectly?
, A. Each
B. student
C. their
D. graduation
Answer:
C. their [CORRECT]
Rationale: "Each" is a singular indefinite pronoun, so the singular possessive
pronoun "his or her" (or "his/her") is required, not the plural "their." This is a
pronoun-antecedent agreement error. "Student" is an adjective modifying "nurses,"
and "graduation" is a noun. HESI heavily tests singular indefinite pronouns (each,
either, neither, everyone, anybody) requiring singular pronouns.
Question 7
Which word in the following sentence is a preposition? "The medication was placed
on the counter beside the patient's chart."
A. placed
B. on
C. beside
D. Both B and C
Answer:
D. Both B and C [CORRECT]
Rationale: Both "on" and "beside" are prepositions showing the relationship
between nouns/pronouns and other words. "On" shows position relative to
"counter," and "beside" shows position relative to "chart." "Placed" is a verb. HESI tip:
Prepositions often indicate location, direction, time, or relationship; common
examples include about, above, across, after, against, along, among, around, at,
before, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, beyond, by, during, except, for,
from, in, inside, into, like, near, of, off, on, onto, opposite, outside, over, past,
regarding, since, through, throughout, till, to, toward, under, underneath, unlike,
until, up, upon, with, within, without.
