12,241 verified 4-option questions Double-checked by independent solution

HESI A2 Grammar: Commonly Confused Words practice questions

4 questions · answers open · no sign-up

These are original practice items written to the HESI A2 blueprint (4 options, no penalty for wrong answers), not actual exam questions. Try each one before you open the answer.

What this topic covers

Grammar: Commonly Confused Words sits inside the Grammar section of the HESI A2. Our bank holds 38 verified items tagged to it, and the 4 below are a fixed sample so the page stays the same every time you open it. Each one shows the reasoning, not just the letter.

The topic tag comes from our own items rather than from a published syllabus, so treat it as a map of what we cover. For the official section breakdown see the HESI A2 page.

Grammar: Commonly Confused Words sample questions

Question 1

Choose the word that correctly completes the sentence: The nurse needed to _____ the patient's blood pressure before administering the medication.

  1. A excess
  2. B access
  3. C assess
  4. D excesses
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: C

The correct word is 'assess', which means to evaluate or measure. The sentence requires a verb meaning to check blood pressure.

Why the other options are wrong:
A: 'Excess' is a noun or adjective meaning too much, not a verb.
B: 'Access' means to obtain or enter, not to evaluate.
D: 'Excesses' is a plural noun, not a verb.

Question 2

The new policy will ___ patient satisfaction scores.

  1. A reflect
  2. B affect
  3. C effect
  4. D defect
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: B

'Affect' is a verb meaning to influence or change something. In this context, the policy will influence the scores.

Why the other options are wrong:
A: 'Reflect' means to show or mirror, which does not fit the intended meaning of causing a change.
C: 'Effect' is most commonly used as a noun meaning a result. Using it as a verb here would be incorrect.
D: 'Defect' means to abandon or a flaw, which is irrelevant to the context.

Question 3

The new policy will _____ the scheduling of shifts for all nursing staff.

  1. A affect
  2. B infect
  3. C effect
  4. D defect
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: A

'Affect' is a verb meaning to influence or have an impact on. Here, the policy will influence scheduling, so 'affect' is correct.

Why the other options are wrong:
B: 'infect' means to contaminate with a disease, unrelated.
C: 'effect' is most commonly a noun meaning result; as a verb it means to bring about, but it is less common and does not fit this context.
D: 'defect' as a verb means to abandon allegiance, unrelated.

Question 4

The new policy will ______ the staffing schedule.

  1. A infect
  2. B defect
  3. C effect
  4. D affect
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: D

'Affect' is a verb meaning to influence or have an impact on. In this context, the policy will influence the staffing schedule.

Why the other options are wrong:
A: 'Infect' means to contaminate with a disease or harmful agent, unrelated to scheduling.
B: 'Defect' as a verb means to abandon a cause or country, not applicable.
C: 'Effect' as a verb means to bring about or cause, which does not fit the meaning of influencing an existing schedule; as a noun it means result, but here a verb is needed.

The whole HESI A2 bank

4,916 verified questions with explanations, timed section tests with the real item counts and time limits, a review pool that brings back what you missed until you get it right, and an AI tutor that explains why. One payment per exam, or one bundle for all of them.

Get full access → About the HESI A2

Related pages

All HESI A2 sample questions 7 sections All Grammar questions 3 topics Grammar - Subject-Verb Agreement with explanations Grammar with explanations TEAS 7 sample questions with explanations NCLEX-RN sample questions with explanations

TEAS is a registered trademark of Assessment Technologies Institute, LLC; HESI is a registered trademark of Elsevier Inc. NCLEX and NCLEX-RN are registered trademarks of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. (NCSBN). AdmitNurse is an independent practice service, not affiliated with or endorsed by any of these organizations.