HESI A2 Grammar Practice Exam

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Comma. In the sentence "The days seem long, but the nights seem even longer," a comma is needed before the coordinating conjunction "but" to separate the two independent clauses. This comma helps clarify the relationship between the two contrasting ideas. Choices A, C, and D are incorrect because a period would create two short, choppy sentences, a colon is not needed for this context, and an apostrophe is used for possession or contractions, which are not relevant in this sentence.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: between. The preposition "between" is used to show the relationship of two distinct objects or areas. In this case, the sentence is referring to the fountain being located in the space separating the driveway and the main entrance. The prepositions "among," "by way of," and "in conjunction with" do not convey the same meaning as "between" in this context. "Among" is used for three or more objects, "by way of" implies a pathway or route, and "in conjunction with" indicates a cooperative or combined action. Therefore, "between" is the most appropriate choice for the sentence provided.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: boys'. In this sentence, the possessive form of "boys" should be "boys's" to indicate that the pranks belonged to the four boys. The incorrect use of the apostrophe after "boys" in choice C makes it the misspelled word. "Everyone" (choice A), "fraternity" (choice B), and "sophomoric" (choice D) are spelled correctly in the context of the sentence.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: taking. In this sentence, "taking" is the present participle form and is used to show an ongoing action that occurred before the main action (patient sleeping). "Having taken" would imply the action of taking the pill occurred before the patient slept. The other choices are incorrect because: A: "took" is simple past tense, not fitting the structure of the sentence. B: "take" is the base form, not showing the correct tense or form. D: "taken" is the past participle form, but it doesn't convey the ongoing action needed in this context.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D: his. In this sentence, "Mr. Menotti's wife" indicates possession, meaning the belongings belong to Mr. Menotti. Therefore, the possessive pronoun "his" is the most appropriate choice to replace the underlined words. Choosing A (her) would imply the belongings belong to the wife, not Mr. Menotti. Using B (him) would suggest that the wife collected Mr. Menotti himself, not his belongings. Option C (he) is a subject pronoun and does not indicate possession, so it is not suitable in this context.