Nursing Elites

1. Which word is used incorrectly in the following sentence? Everybody pretends to do so, but few truly understand the essay.

• A. pretends
• B. truly
• C. understand
• D. essay

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The word 'understand' should be used instead of 'understands' to maintain subject-verb agreement. In this sentence, 'few' is a plural subject, requiring the plural verb 'understand' rather than 'understands.' The corrected sentence reads, 'but few truly understand the essay.' Choice A, 'pretends,' is used correctly in the sentence. Choice B, 'truly,' is also used appropriately. Choice D, 'essay,' is also correctly used in the sentence.

2. What punctuation is needed in this sentence to make it correct? Take this fast-acting cough medicine after your next meal.

• A. Period
• B. Comma
• C. Colon
• D. Hyphen

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: 'Period'. The sentence 'Take this fast-acting cough medicine after your next meal.' is a complete sentence and requires a period at the end to indicate a full stop. A comma (Choice B) is not suitable here as it would create a comma splice. A colon (Choice C) is not needed as there is no introductory clause or list following it. A hyphen (Choice D) is used to join compound words or for other specific purposes, not to end a sentence.

3. What word is best to substitute for the underlined words in the following sentence? Several nursing students stayed behind after class, but the instructor advised the students to ask questions during office hours.

• A. them
• B. him
• C. they
• D. those

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The word 'they' is the best substitute for the underlined words in the sentence because it refers to the plural noun 'nursing students' and is used to indicate the subject of the sentence. Using 'they' maintains subject-verb agreement and clarity in the sentence. Choice A 'them' is incorrect as it is used for objects, not subjects. Choice B 'him' is singular and does not agree with the plural noun 'nursing students.' Choice D 'those' is also incorrect as it refers to objects, not the subject of the sentence.

4. What punctuation is needed in the following sentence to make it correct? In addition to the hospital's regularly scheduled festivities, the custodians celebrate with a party of their own.

• A. Period
• B. Comma
• C. Apostrophe
• D. Semicolon

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct punctuation needed in the sentence is a comma. A comma should be placed after 'festivities' to separate the two independent clauses in the sentence: 'In addition to the hospital's regularly scheduled festivities' and 'the custodians celebrate with a party of their own.' The comma helps in improving the clarity and structure of the sentence by indicating a pause between the clauses. Choice A, 'Period,' is incorrect because a period would create two separate sentences rather than connecting the related clauses. Choice C, 'Apostrophe,' is incorrect as there is no need for an apostrophe in this context. Choice D, 'Semicolon,' is incorrect because a semicolon is used to join closely related independent clauses, which is not the case in the given sentence.

5. What word is best to substitute for the underlined words in the following sentence? The doctor and I went over the doctor’s and my notes.

• A. his
• B. their
• C. our
• D. mine

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The word 'our' is the best substitute for the underlined words 'the doctor’s and my' in the sentence. Using 'our' indicates joint possession, making the sentence more concise and natural. Choice A, 'his', is singular possessive and does not reflect the joint ownership implied by the sentence. Choice B, 'their', is plural possessive and does not align with the singular subjects 'the doctor and I'. Choice D, 'mine', is possessive for the first person singular pronoun and does not convey the shared ownership of the notes by both individuals.

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