The English and Language Usage section covers three areas: conventions of standard English, knowledge of language, and using language and vocabulary to express ideas in writing. In practice that means grammar, punctuation, spelling, sentence structure, matching tone to audience, and working out word meanings from context and word parts. Each rule below comes with a fast test you can run in your head. Try each question before opening the solution.
Question 1 - Subject-verb agreement
The results of the patient's blood test ____ ready for review.
- A. is
- B. are
- C. was
- D. has been
Show the solution
Find the true subject by stripping out the prepositional phrase "of the patient's blood test." What is ready? The results.
"Results" is plural, so it takes the plural verb "are."
Answer: B. are
The noun closest to the blank - "test" - is the trap. Cross out prepositional phrases and the real subject is usually obvious.
Question 2 - Pronoun case
The charge nurse asked Maria and ____ to cover the late shift.
- A. I
- B. me
- C. myself
- D. mine
Show the solution
Remove "Maria and" and test the sentence: "The charge nurse asked me to cover the late shift." "Asked I" is clearly wrong.
The pronoun is the object of "asked," so it takes the object form, "me."
Answer: B. me
"Myself" is only correct when the subject is also doing the action to itself - "I asked myself." It is never a more polite way to say "me."
Question 3 - Punctuation between clauses
- A. The shift ended at seven, however, the report took another hour.
- B. The shift ended at seven; however, the report took another hour.
- C. The shift ended at seven however; the report took another hour.
- D. The shift ended at seven however the report took another hour.
Show the solution
Both halves are complete sentences: "The shift ended at seven" and "the report took another hour." Two independent clauses cannot be joined by a comma alone.
When a transition word like "however" joins them, the pattern is semicolon before, comma after.
Answer: B. The shift ended at seven; however, the report took another hour.
Choice A is a comma splice - the single most common punctuation error on the test. If you could put a period where the comma is, a comma is not enough.
Question 4 - Spelling
- A. recieve
- B. seperate
- C. occurrence
- D. accomodate
Show the solution
"Occurrence" has a double c, a double r and ends in -ence.
The others should be receive (e before i after c), separate (a in the middle) and accommodate (double c and double m).
Answer: C. occurrence
The TEAS favors a short list of commonly misspelled words. Keep your own list of the ones you get wrong and review it the week before the exam.
Question 5 - Sentence types
Although the clinic opened late, the waiting room filled quickly, and the staff stayed past closing.
- A. Simple
- B. Compound
- C. Complex
- D. Compound-complex
Show the solution
Count the clauses. "The waiting room filled quickly" and "the staff stayed past closing" are both independent - each could stand alone.
"Although the clinic opened late" is dependent - it cannot stand alone.
Two or more independent clauses plus at least one dependent clause make a compound-complex sentence.
Answer: D. Compound-complex
Compound means two independent clauses. Complex means one independent plus a dependent. Have both, and it is compound-complex.
Question 6 - Word parts
- A. A fast heart rate
- B. A slow heart rate
- C. An enlarged heart
- D. Heart inflammation
Show the solution
Split the word: brady- means slow, and cardia refers to the heart.
A slow heart rate. The opposite is tachycardia, where tachy- means fast.
Answer: B. A slow heart rate
A handful of prefixes and roots unlock hundreds of medical terms: brady- (slow), tachy- (fast), hypo- (below), hyper- (above), -itis (inflammation), -megaly (enlargement).
Question 7 - Context clues
The patient was so lethargic that he could barely keep his eyes open during the assessment.
- A. Anxious
- B. Sluggish and drowsy
- C. Confused
- D. Uncooperative
Show the solution
The clue is the result: he could barely keep his eyes open. The word must describe extreme tiredness or low energy.
Anxious, confused and uncooperative could all describe a patient, but none of them explains struggling to stay awake.
Answer: B. Sluggish and drowsy
Look for what the sentence says happened because of the word. "So ... that" constructions hand you the definition.
Question 8 - Formal register
- A. Hey, just checking if you got my stuff for the application.
- B. I am writing to confirm that my application materials were received.
- C. Did my application go through or what?
- D. So I sent my application a while back - any news??
Show the solution
A professional email to someone you do not know calls for formal register: complete sentences, no slang, no casual openers, and standard punctuation.
Only B meets all of those while still stating the request clearly.
Answer: B. I am writing to confirm that my application materials were received.
Formal does not mean wordy. B is short - it just avoids slang ("stuff," "or what"), casual openers ("Hey," "So") and doubled punctuation.
Bringing it together
Notice how many of these came down to a quick test rather than a memorized rule: cross out the prepositional phrase, drop the other person from the pronoun pair, ask whether a period could replace the comma, count the independent clauses, read what the sentence says happened. At one minute per question, those tests are what keep you on pace. Learn the handful of medical prefixes too - they pay off here and again in Science.
Want a full set of TEAS practice?
Our ATI TEAS practice course covers all four sections - Reading, Math, Science, and English and Language Usage - with a worked explanation behind every answer, weighted the way the real exam is.
All four TEAS sections - Reading, Math, Science, and English and Language Usage - are covered in the full ATI TEAS practice course, with a worked solution on every question.