HESI Grammar

HESI Grammar

The HESI Grammar section requires that students are able to answer a variety of questions based on English grammar rules and knowledge. Here's some additional information on the HESI Grammar section.

Tips for Preparing for the HESI Grammar section

  • Take time to memorize common terms and word pairs.
  • Balance between studying/learning the grammar concepts and answering practice questions. 
  • When learning a grammar concept, it's helpful to look at many example sentences that demonstrate the topic. You can search online for worksheets and examples to practice with. 

HESI Grammar Question Types

Eight Parts of Speech

Identify the grammatical role of a word in a sentence.

Example question: In the sentence “The nurse quickly recorded the patient’s temperature,” what part of speech is the word quickly?

Important Grammatical Terms

Identify or recognize parts of sentence structure.

Example question: In the sentence “The instructor explained the procedure to the class,” what is the direct object?

Common Grammatical Mistakes

Identify errors in grammar or sentence structure.

Example question: Which part of the following sentence contains a grammatical error?
“Each of the students were required to submit their assignment by midnight.”

Clichés, Euphemisms, Sexist Language, and Textspeak

Recognize informal, biased, or overused language.

Example question: Which phrase in the sentence is an example of a cliché?
“When the exam results were posted, Maria realized the early bird catches the worm.”

Tricky Word Pairs (affect/effect, among/between, good/well, lie/lay)

Choose the correct word based on meaning and grammar.

Example question: Which word correctly completes the sentence?
Lack of sleep can ______ a student’s ability to concentrate during class.

List of Grammar Topics

To prepare for the Grammar section, students should have an understanding of the concepts listed below. We recommend searching for these terms online to find explanations, examples, and practice exercises. Many educational websites, writing centers, and grammar guides provide helpful resources for studying these topics.

Please note that this list highlights common topics that appear on the exam but is not an exhaustive list of everything that may be tested. Students should consult additional study resources as part of their preparation.

Troublesome Word Pairs

Students should understand the differences in meaning and correct usage of commonly confused words.

  • Affect / Effect
  • Lay / Lie
  • Fewer / Less
  • Who / Whom
  • Number / Amount
  • Bring / Take
  • Further / Farther

Grammar Conventions

Students should be able to recognize and correct common sentence errors.

  • Sentence fragments
  • Run-on sentences
  • Subject–verb agreement
  • Comma usage
  • Apostrophes
  • Pronoun usage
  • Misplaced modifiers

Parts of Speech

Students should understand the function of the basic parts of speech in a sentence.

  • Adverb
  • Adjective
  • Noun
  • Verb
  • Pronoun
  • Article
  • Conjunction
  • Preposition

Grammar Terms

Students should be familiar with common sentence structure terminology.

  • Independent clause
  • Dependent clause
  • Phrase
  • Sentence
  • Subject
  • Predicate
  • Direct object
  • Indirect object
  • Predicate adjective
  • Predicate nominative
Top