Nursing Elites

1. She is a fierce competitor, and nothing is going to keep her from running that marathon despite a hamstring injury. Which of the following describes the grammar problem in the sentence above?

• A. Poor diction
• B. Ambiguous word choice
• C. Tense disagreement
• D. Inappropriate transition word choice

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C, tense disagreement. The sentence contains a tense disagreement between 'was' and 'is.' 'She is a fierce competitor' and 'nothing is going to keep her' are in the present tense, while 'was going to keep her' should also be in the present tense to maintain consistency. Choices A, B, and D are incorrect because the issue in the sentence is related to verb tense, not diction, word choice, or transition words.

2. What is the main verb tense in the following sentence? 'She had already left before I arrived.'

• A. Present tense
• B. Past tense
• C. Future tense
• D. Past perfect tense

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is 'D, Past perfect tense.' In the sentence provided, the verb 'had left' is in the past perfect tense. The past perfect tense is used to indicate an action that was completed before another past action, which in this case is 'arrived.' Therefore, the main verb tense in the sentence is past perfect. Choices A, B, and C are incorrect because the sentence does not contain present, past, or future tense verbs as the main verb. Instead, the main verb 'left' is in the past perfect tense, showing an action completed before another past event.

3. Which of the following represents the correct plural form of the word 'syllabus'?

• A. Syllabus
• B. Syllaba
• C. Syllabi
• D. Syllabis

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The correct plural form of 'syllabus' is 'syllabi.' In English, when a word ends in -us, the plural form is often changed to -i. Therefore, 'Syllabi' is the correct plural form. Choice A, 'Syllabus,' is the singular form, not the plural. Choice B, 'Syllaba,' does not follow the standard pluralization rule for words ending in -us. Choice D, 'Syllabis,' is an incorrect plural form that does not follow the standard English pluralization rules.

4. What literary device is used in the phrase 'a heart of gold'?

• A. Metaphor
• B. Simile
• C. Hyperbole
• D. Personification

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A, Metaphor. A metaphor is a figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things by stating that one thing is another. In the phrase 'a heart of gold,' the good nature of a person is being directly compared to gold, indicating that the person is kind, valuable, and precious, much like gold. This comparison is not using 'like' or 'as,' which would make it a simile, but rather it is a direct assertion, making it a metaphor. Simile involves comparing two things using 'like' or 'as,' which is not present in this phrase. Hyperbole is an exaggeration, which is not the case here. Personification gives human qualities to non-human entities, which is also not occurring in 'a heart of gold.'

5. Which of the following sentences is written in the active voice?

• A. John threw the ball.
• B. The ball was thrown by John.
• C. The ball had been thrown by John.
• D. The ball is thrown by John.

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is B: 'John threw the ball.' Active voice sentences have the subject performing the action, which is the case in this sentence where 'John' is the subject performing the action 'threw.' Choices A, C, and D are in passive voice where the subject receives the action rather than performing it.

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