Writing Grammar and Vocabulary Flashcards

Which sentence correctly uses a gerund as the subject?

Answer: Documenting vital signs accurately is a core nursing responsibility.

A gerund (verb + -ing) functions as a noun and can serve as the subject of a sentence, as in 'Documenting … is …'.

Select the correct preposition: 'The nurse informed the patient ___ the risks of the procedure.'

Answer: about

The verb 'inform' collocates with the preposition 'about' when indicating the topic of information shared.

Which option correctly uses an apostrophe for possession with a plural noun?

Answer: The nurses' station was fully staffed.

For plural nouns ending in -s, add only an apostrophe after the -s to show possession (nurses').

Which word most accurately describes a patient who cannot feel pain in a limb?

Answer: Analgesia

Analgesia is the state of being unable to feel pain, while analgesic is the drug that causes it; paresthesia is abnormal sensation such as tingling.

Which sentence uses reported speech correctly?

Answer: The patient said that she had been feeling nauseous since the morning.

In reported speech, the present perfect ('has been feeling') shifts to the past perfect ('had been feeling') when the reporting verb is in the past tense.

Choose the sentence that correctly uses 'affect' versus 'effect':

Answer: Stress can adversely affect a patient's recovery.

'Affect' is a verb meaning to influence, while 'effect' is typically a noun meaning a result; 'adversely affect' is the correct verb usage.

Which sentence is written in appropriately formal register for a nursing incident report?

Answer: The patient ambulated without assistance and subsequently fell at 1430.

Incident reports require formal, precise language; 'ambulated without assistance and subsequently fell' uses clinical terminology and an exact 24-hour time.