5.1 Grammar and the Parts of Speech
Key Takeaways
- English has eight parts of speech: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection
- Subject-verb agreement requires a singular subject to take a singular verb and a plural subject a plural verb, even when words separate them
- Pronoun-antecedent agreement means a pronoun must match its antecedent in number, gender, and person
- The six common verb tenses (present, past, future, plus their perfect forms) each place an action at a specific time
- Subject pronouns (I, he, she, we, they) act as the doer; object pronouns (me, him, her, us, them) receive the action
Why Grammar Is the Backbone of the TEAS English Section
The ATI TEAS 7 English & Language Usage section contains 28 scored questions divided across three reporting categories, and grammar questions appear in every one of them. Before you can fix a comma splice or pick the right word, you must recognize how each word is functioning in a sentence. That is what the parts of speech tell you. A single word such as "light" can be a noun (turn on the light), a verb (light the lamp), or an adjective (a light meal) depending on its job in the sentence, so the test rewards function over memorized labels.
The Eight Parts of Speech
Every English word belongs to one of eight categories. Knowing the function of each lets you diagnose grammar errors quickly under the section's tight time limit.
| Part of Speech | Function | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | Names a person, place, thing, or idea | nurse, clinic, chart, recovery |
| Pronoun | Stands in for a noun | she, they, it, who, themselves |
| Verb | Shows action or a state of being | charts, administers, is, became |
| Adjective | Describes a noun or pronoun | sterile, three, anxious, blue |
| Adverb | Modifies a verb, adjective, or adverb | quickly, very, often, well |
| Preposition | Shows relationship of position or time | in, under, before, between |
| Conjunction | Joins words, phrases, or clauses | and, but, because, although |
| Interjection | Expresses sudden emotion | oh, ouch, wow, hey |
A reliable trick: adjectives answer which one, what kind, or how many, while adverbs answer how, when, where, or to what extent. Most—but not all—adverbs end in -ly (note that "friendly" is an adjective and "fast" is an adverb without -ly).
Subject-Verb Agreement
Subject-verb agreement is one of the most heavily tested grammar skills. The rule is simple: a singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb. The difficulty comes when the test writers insert words between the subject and the verb to distract you.
- Intervening phrases do not change the subject. In "The box of gloves is on the cart," the subject is box (singular), not gloves, so the verb is is.
- Compound subjects joined by and are plural. "The doctor and the nurse review the chart."
- With or / nor, the verb agrees with the nearer subject. "Neither the patients nor the nurse was available."
- Indefinite pronouns are usually singular. Each, everyone, somebody, neither, and anyone take singular verbs: "Everyone needs an ID badge."
- Collective nouns (team, staff, committee) are usually singular in American English: "The staff meets on Mondays."
Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
A pronoun must agree with its antecedent—the noun it replaces—in number, gender, and person.
- Number: "A nurse should wash her hands" (singular) vs. "Nurses should wash their hands" (plural).
- Vague antecedents are an error: "When the doctor saw the patient, he was tired" is unclear because he could be either person.
- Indefinite-pronoun antecedents stay singular: "Everyone turned in his or her form," or, more naturally today, recast as plural: "All students turned in their forms."
Subject vs. Object Pronouns
Use a subject pronoun (I, he, she, we, they, who) when the pronoun does the action, and an object pronoun (me, him, her, us, them, whom) when it receives the action. A quick test: drop the other person. "The doctor thanked the nurses and (I / me)" becomes "The doctor thanked me," so me is correct. Reflexive pronouns (myself, herself) should only point back to the subject—never use "myself" as a plain subject or object.
Verb Tenses and Consistency
Verb tense places an action in time. The TEAS expects you to keep tense consistent within a passage and to choose the perfect tenses correctly.
| Tense | Example | When It Is Used |
|---|---|---|
| Simple present | She charts vitals | Habitual or current action |
| Simple past | She charted vitals | Completed action |
| Simple future | She will chart vitals | Action yet to happen |
| Present perfect | She has charted vitals | Past action with present relevance |
| Past perfect | She had charted vitals | Earlier of two past actions |
| Future perfect | She will have charted vitals | Completed before a future point |
The most common tested error is an unnecessary tense shift: "She checked the patient and gives the medication" should read "checked … gave."
Worked Example: Choose the correct verb: "The list of approved medications ___ updated every quarter."
Options: (A) are (B) is (C) were (D) have been
Step 1 – Find the true subject. Strip the prepositional phrase "of approved medications." The subject is list, which is singular.
Step 2 – Match number. A singular subject needs a singular verb, eliminating are, were, and have been.
Step 3 – Confirm tense. "every quarter" signals a habitual present action, so the simple present is fits.
Answer: (B) is. The distractor medications (plural) right before the blank is the trap; agreement always follows the head noun list, not the object of the preposition.
In the sentence "The committee of physicians reviews each case carefully," which verb form is correct and why?
Which sentence uses the correct subject or object pronoun?
Match each underlined word to its part of speech as used in these sentences.
Match each item on the left with the correct item on the right
Fill in the correct pronoun: "Each of the new graduates submitted ___ own licensure application."
Type your answer below