ATI TEAS English & Language Usage – NurseCheung.com

ATI TEAS English & Language Usage: Conventions of Standard English

Nurse Cheung — Sat, 07 Jan 2023 17:14:59 +0000

If you’re studying for the ATI TEAS exam, you’ll want to be sure to brush up on your English & Language Usage skills. This includes knowing how to use standard grammar and punctuation conventions.

In this blog post, we will discuss some of the most important conventions that you need to know. We’ll also provide practice questions so that you can test your knowledge!

Objectives for Conventions of Standard English

Total scored items on ATI TEAS: 12 questions out of 33

Use Conventions of Standard English Spelling

Spelling Rules

There are many common spelling rules that are taught including “i” before “e” except after “c,” drop the final “e”, double the final consonant, and change the final “y” to “i.”

“I” Before “E” Rule

One of the most common spelling rules is “i” before “e,” except after “c.” This rule can help you when you’re trying to decide between two similar spellings. For example, do you spell it “receive” or “recieve?”

According to the rule, you would spell it “receive” because there is a “c” before the “i.”

Exceptions to this rule include words like “weird,” “height,” and “foreign.”

Drop the Final “E”

Another common spelling rule is to drop the final “e” when you add a suffix that begins with a vowel. For example, the word “love” becomes “loving” when you add the suffix “-ing.”

There are exceptions of when you would keep the “e” when you add a suffix that begins with a consonant. For example, the word “amaze” becomes amazement” when you add the suffix “-ment.”

Double the Final Consonant

You also need to double the final consonant before adding a suffix that begins with a vowel, if the final syllable is stressed. For example, the word “begin” becomes “beginning.”

However, if the final syllable is not stressed, you do not need to double the final consonant. For example, the word “despair” becomes “despairing.”

Change Final “Y” to an “I”

If a word ends in “y” and you need to add a suffix that begins with a vowel, you will change the “y” to an “i.” For example, the word “beauty” becomes “beautiful.”

If a word ends in “y” and you need to add a suffix that begins with a consonant, you do not need to change the “y.” For example, the word “enjoy” becomes “enjoyment.”

Lastly, you do not change “y” to an “i” if the suffix that begins with an “i.” For example, the word “cry” and suffix “-ing” become “crying.”

Rules for Plurals

There are also rules for plurals! To make a word plural, you typically add “-s” to the end of the word. For example, the word “cat” becomes “cats.”

However, if the word ends in “-s,” “-x,” “-z,” “-ch,” or “-sh,” you will need to add “-es” to make it plural. For example, the word “fox” becomes “foxes.”

Sometimes, you will need to change the spelling of the word entirely to make it plural. For example, the word “child” becomes “children.”

There are also irregular plurals that do not follow any rules and you just need to memorize them. For example, the word “person” becomes “people.”

Identifying Homophones and Homegraphs

Homophones are words that are pronounced the same but have different meanings, even if they are spelled differently. For example, the words “they’re,” “their,” and “there.”

Homographs are words that are spelled the same but have different meanings. For example, the word “bass” can refer to a type of fish or the low-pitched range of notes in music.

When you’re taking the ATI TEAS, you need to be able to identify which spelling or meaning is being used based on the context of the sentence.

Let’s take a look at an example:

Question: My dad went out to sea to catch some bass.

In this sentence, the word “bass” is referring to a type of fish, so you would use the spelling “bass.”

Conventions of Standard English Punctuation

Commas

Commas are one of the most commonly used pieces of punctuation and there are several rules for when to use them.

One rule is the Oxford comma, which is used before the word “and” in a list of three or more items.

For example: I went to the store and bought milk, eggs, and bread.

If you don’t use the Oxford comma, it can change the meaning of the sentence.

For example: I went to the store and bought milk, eggs and bread.

In this sentence, it sounds like you bought milk and eggs together and then bought bread separately.

Here are some of the most common rules related to the use of the comma:

Place a comma before a conjunction in a compound sentence. For example, “I have a big test tomorrow, but I’m not worried.”
Place a comma after an introductory phrase or clause. For example, “After school, I’m going to the store.”
Place a comma before and after dependent phrases and clauses or around nonessential elements that interrupt the main clause of a sentence. For example, “The average world temperature, however, has continued to rise significantly.”
Place a comma between two or more coordinate adjectives describing the same noun. For example, “It was a dark, windy night.”

Indirect Quotations

An indirect quotation is when you report or paraphrase what someone said without using their exact words.

For example, if I said “My mom said that I need to clean my room,” that would be an indirect quotation.

If, however, I said “My mom said ‘You need to clean your room,'” that would be a direct quotation.

The writer must cite the source of the indirect quotation.

Direct Quotations

A direct quotation is when you use the exact words that someone said.

When you use a direct quotation, it is important to use proper punctuation.

Here is an example: Dr. King said, “I have a dream.”

It is also important to cite the source of the direct quotation. If the writer uses another’s words without the quotation marks, the practice is called plagiarism.

Sentence Punctuation Patterns

One of the best ways to improve your grammar and punctuation skills is to become familiar with common sentence patterns.

In order to understance sentence types, it would be helpful to know independent clauses and dependent clauses.

An independent clause is a clause that can stand alone as a complete sentence.
A dependent clause is a clause that cannot stand alone as a sentence and must be attached to an independent clause.

Here are some common sentence patterns:

Simple Sentence: has one independent clause and no dependent clauses. Example: “Life itself is the most wonderful fairy tale.”—Hans Christian Anderson
Compound Sentence: has two or more independent clauses and no dependent clauses. Example: “It may seem difficult at first, but everything is difficult at first.”—Miyamoto Musashi
Complex Sentence: has one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. Example: “Until the lion learns to write, every story will glorify the hunter.”—African proverb

Punctuation Examples

Common punctuation questions you may see on the ATI TEAS include apostrophes and end marks.

An apostrophe is a punctuation mark that is used in several different ways. One use of the apostrophe is to indicate possession.

For example, “The cat’s toys are under the bed.” In this sentence, the apostrophe is indicating that the toys belong to the cat.

Another use of the apostrophe is to create contractions. A contraction is a shortened version of a word or phrase.

For example, “I’m going to the store.” In this sentence, the apostrophe is taking the place of the letters “a” and “i” in the words “am” and “I.”

End marks are punctuation marks that are placed at the end of a sentence. The three most common end marks are the period, question mark, and exclamation point.

The period is used to end a declarative sentence, which is a sentence that makes a statement.
The question mark is used to end an interrogative sentence, which is a sentence that asks a question.
The exclamation point is used to end an exclamatory sentence, which is a sentence that expresses strong emotion.

Use Correct Sentence Structures

Clauses, Phrases, and Sentence Types

A clause is a group of related words that contains a subject and a verb.

There are two types of clauses: independent and dependent.

An independent clause is a clause that can stand alone as a complete sentence. For example, I was tired after working all day.

A dependent clause is a clause that cannot stand alone as a sentence and must be attached to an independent clause. For example, I was tired.

A phrase is a group of related words that does not contain a subject or a verb. For example, under the bed.

There are three types of sentences: simple, compound, and complex.

Simple Sentence: has one independent clause and no dependent clauses. Example: “Life itself is the most wonderful fairy tale.”—Hans Christian Anderson
Compound Sentence: has two or more independent clauses and no dependent clauses. These clauses are usually joined together by conjuctions such as and, but, or, for, and so. Example: “It may seem difficult at first, but everything is difficult at first.”—Miyamoto Musashi
Complex Sentence: has one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. Example: “Until the lion learns to write, every story will glorify the hunter.”—African proverb

Parts of Speech

There are eight parts of speech that are identified on the ATI TEAS: nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections.

Verbs are words that express action or state of being. For example, the verb in the sentence “The cat slept on the mat” is “slept.”
Nouns are words that represent people, places, things, or ideas. For example, the nouns in the sentence “The cat slept on the mat” are “cat” and “mat.”
Pronouns are words that take the place of nouns. For example, the pronoun in the sentence “She has many chocolates in her pocket” is “she.”
Adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns and pronouns. For example, the adjective in the sentence “A little boy fell into the river” is “little.”
Prepositions are words that show relationships between other words in a sentence. Common prepositions are before, since, inside, and after. For example, the preposition in the sentence “You can play video games after you study” is “after.”
Conjunctions are words that join words, phrases, or clauses. Common conjunctions are and, so, and but. For example, the conjunction in the sentence “I’m studying English and she’s studying math” is “and.”
Interjections are words that express emotion and are usually placed at the beginning of a sentence. For example, “Ouch!” or “Wow!”

Subjects, Predicates, and Other Sentence Parts

The subject of a sentence is the noun or pronoun that is doing the verb. For example, in the sentence “The cat slept on the mat,” the subject is the “cat.”

The predicate is a sentence or clause that modifies the subject. It can be either a verb or verb phrase. For example, in the sentence “John walked faster than James,” “John” is the subject and “walked faster than James” is the predicate.

Modifiers are words, phrases, or clauses that provide additional information about the subject. For example, in the sentence “John, who is taller than James, walked faster than him,” “who is taller than James” is a modifier because it gives more information about John.

Complement describes words that are needed to complete the meaning of a sentence. For example, in the sentence “The cat is black,” “black” is a complement because it completes the meaning of the sentence.

Direct Objects versus Indirect Objects

A direct object is the noun or pronoun that receives the action of the verb. For example, in the sentence “Jack caught a fish,” “a fish” is the direct object as it is the thing being acted on by the verb.

An indirect object is the noun or pronoun that receives the action of the verb indirectly. For example, in the sentence “I gave my brother a book,” “my brother” is the indirect object as he is receiving the action of the verb (gave) indirectly.

Sentence Diagramming

One way to visually see the parts of a sentence is through sentence diagramming. This is where you draw a line for each word in the sentence and then label the word with its part of speech. For example, the sentence “The children in the preschool nap after lunch” would be diagrammed like this:

Children (subject) in (preposition) the (article) preschool (adjective) classroom (object) nap (verb) after (preposition) lunch (object of preposition).

ATI TEAS English & Language Usage: Knowledge of Language

Nurse Cheung — Sat, 07 Jan 2023 17:14:56 +0000

The ATI TEAS English & Language Usage section tests your knowledge of the English language. You will be asked questions about grammar, vocabulary, and reading comprehension.

In this blog post, we will discuss some tips that will help you prepare for the English & Language Usage section of the ATI TEAS exam.

Objectives for Knowledge of Language

Total scored items on ATI TEAS: 11 questions out of 33

Use Grammar to Enhance Clarity in Writing

Complete Sentences

A complete sentence is made up of a subject and a predicate that communicates an action or state of being of the subject. The subject is the noun or pronoun that is doing the verb. The verb is the action taking place.

Example: I am writing a blog post about ATI TEAS English & Language Usage.

In this sentence, “I” is the subject, and “am writing” is the verb. The sentence is about the subject “I” and what “I” am doing, which is writing a blog post.

You will need to recognize incomplete sentences, or sentence fragments, which are missing a subject and/or predicate.

For example, Hoping to increase my score.

This sentence is missing a subject, so it is incomplete. It could be rewritten as:

I am hoping to increase my score.

Now that the sentence has a subject, “I,” and a verb, “am hoping,” it is complete.

Imperative sentences can also be complete sentences as long as the subject and predicate are present. The imperative form of a sentence is typically used when giving a command or making a request.

For example, Finish your homework!

In this sentence, “you” is understood as the subject, and “finish” is the predicate.

Transitions

Transitions words are used to connect ideas and relationships between ideas. Transition types can include agreement, opposition, cause, effect, examples, conclusion, chronology, and locations.

Here are some examples of transitions words that signal agreement:

also, certainly, indeed, in fact, naturally, of course, surely

Here are some examples of transitions words that signal opposition:

although, conversely, despite, however, in contrast, instead, nevertheless, on one hand…on the other hand, but, otherwise, regardless, still, yet

You will need to be able to identify how ideas are related to each other in a text.

For example, “The boy like birds, but he was afraid of cats.”

In this sentence, “but” is used as a transition word to signal that the second part of the sentence is in opposition to the first.

Tense

Tense refers to at what point in time an action occurred. The basic tenses can be past, present, and future. However, there are also variations of these tenses. For example, the present tense can be further divided into present simple and present progressive.

It is important to be able to identify and use the appropriate tense when writing.

For example, “Yesterday I went to the store” is in the past tense.

“I am going to the store” is in the present progressive tense.

“I will go to the store” is in the future tense.

Diction

Diction is the word choice that an author makes. An author’s diction can shape the tone or mood of their writing.

Mood is the feeling that the author is trying to communicate to the reader.
Tone is how the author’s words make the reader feel.

For example, If an author writes “The sky is blue,” the tone could be interpreted as positive or negative based on the mood of the rest of the text.

If the author writes “I am so excited to go on vacation,” the tone is positive.

If the author writes “I can’t believe I have to work on vacation,” the tone is negative.

You will need to be able to identify the author’s tone and mood based on their word choice.

Run-On Sentences

A run-on sentence is two or more complete sentences that are incorrectly joined together. There are three main ways to fix a run-on sentence.

The first way is to use a period between the two complete sentences.

For example, I have a cat his name is Mittens.

This sentence is a run-on because it is two complete sentences that are incorrectly joined together. It can be fixed by adding a period between the two sentences:

I have a cat. His name is Mittens.

The second way to fix a run-on sentence is to use a comma and a conjunction.

For example, I have a cat, and his name is Mittens.

In this sentence, the comma is used to join the two complete sentences, and the conjunction “and” is used to signal that the second part of the sentence is related to the first.

The third way to fix a run-on sentence is to use a semicolon.

For example, I have a cat; his name is Mittens.

In this sentence, the semicolon is used to join the two complete sentences.

You will need to be able to identify run-on sentences and fix them using the appropriate punctuation.

Evaluate if Language Meets the Needs of an Audience for a Provided Rhetorical Context

Identifying a Narrator's Setting or Scenario

When you are reading a text, it is important to be able to identify the narrator’s setting or scenario. The setting is the time and place of the story, and the scenario is the series of events that make up the story.

For example, “It was a dark and stormy night” is a setting.

“The boy was walking home from school when he saw a cat in the tree” is a scenario.

When you are reading these passages, you may need to ask yourself these questions:

Who is telling the story?
When and where is the story taking place?
What series of events make up the story?
Who is the attended audience?
What is the author’s style?

Revising Language for Style, Tone, and Register Formal Language

Formal language is the kind of language that is used in a formal setting, such as a classroom or a business meeting. Formal language is usually more precise and less personal than other kinds of language.

For example, “What is your name?” is a formal way to ask someone their name.

“What’s your name, dude?” is a less formal way to ask someone their name.

Tone of formal language tends to be serious and neutral. So writings that include humorous and ironic text would not be considered formal.

Informal Language

Informal language is the kind of language that is used in a less formal setting, such as with friends or family. Informal language is usually more personal and less precise than other kinds of language.

For example, “What’s your name?” is an informal way to ask someone their name.

“What is your name, sir?” is a more formal way to ask someone their name.

Tone of informal language can be more conversational, so it can include text that is humorous or ironic.

Slang is another form of informal language that is very casual and is often used by a specific group of people.

For example, “What’s up?” is a form of slang.

It is important to be able to identify the difference between formal and informal language, so that you can use the appropriate language for the audience you are writing for.

Revising Informal and Formal Language

It is important to be able to identify the difference between formal and informal language, so that you can use the appropriate language for the audience you are writing for.

Here are some tips for revising informal language to make it more formal:

Use standard English rather than slang or contractions
Use specific and concrete rather than vague or general language
Use a formal tone rather than a conversational tone.

For example, instead of saying “I’m going to the store,” you could say “I am going to the grocery store.”

Here are some tips for revising formal language to make it more informal:

Use contractions such as “don’t” or “can’t”
Use slang or colloquial expressions
Use a conversational tone

For example, instead of saying “I cannot come to the meeting,” you could say “I can’t make it to the meeting.”

Revising Language for Culturally Diverse Audiences

When you are writing for a culturally diverse audience, it is important to be aware of the different cultural backgrounds that your audience may have.

Some things to consider when writing for a culturally diverse audience:

Use language that is inclusive of all cultures, genders, races, and religions
Avoid using stereotypes or making assumptions about your audience’s culture
Be aware of the different connotations that words may have in different cultures

For example, instead of saying “He is from a different culture,” you could say “He comes from a diverse background.”

Gender-baised language should also be avoided as well. For example, instead of saying “A physician should explain the procedure to his clients” you could say “Physicians should explain procedures to their clients.”

Develop a Well-Organized Paragraph

Knowledge of Language

The ability to use language effectively is important in all aspects of life. Whether you are writing a paper for school, communicating with co-workers, or simply talking to friends, being able to use language correctly will help you to be more clear and concise.

On the ATI TEAS, you will need to identify conventions of paragraph developing including topic sentences, supporting details, transitions, and conclusions. You will also need to revise irrelevant information where more information is needed.

Parts of a Paragraph

In order to develop a well-organized paragraph, it is important to understand the different parts of a paragraph.

A paragraph is a group of related sentences that share a common topic.

A paragraph usually starts with a topic sentence, which introduces the main idea of the paragraph.

The rest of the paragraph should provide supporting details for the main idea.

A paragraph should also have a conclusion, which summarizes the main idea of the paragraph.

For example, if the topic sentence is “I like to eat ice cream,” the supporting details might be “ Ice cream is my favorite dessert. I always have ice cream after dinner.” The conclusion might be “I really enjoy eating ice cream.”

Another example, if the topic sentence is “Jessica is an excellent student,” the supporting details might be “She is intelligent and responsible. Jessica always does her homework, and she is never late for classes. She receive high scores for her work.” The conclusion might be “As a result of her hard work, Jessica is one of the best students in school.”

Logical Order in Paragraphs

When you are writing a paragraph, it is important to put the sentences in logical order.

The first sentence of the paragraph should introduce the topic.
The following sentences should provide supporting details for the topic sentence.
The last sentence of the paragraph should be a conclusion that summarizes the main idea of the paragraph.

It is often best to organize paragraphs in chronological order. This means that the sentences are arranged in the order that they happened.

For example, if you are writing about a trip to the zoo, you would arrange the sentences in the order that they happened: First we went to see the elephants, then we saw the lions, and after that we saw the monkeys.

If you are writing about more than one topic, you can arrange the paragraphs in order of importance. The most important information should be in the first paragraph, with the following paragraphs providing supporting details.

For example, if you are writing about your favorite book and your favorite movie, you might start with the paragraph about your favorite book.

Identifying Unneccessary and Omitted Information

When you are writing a paragraph, it is important to include only relevant information.

If you include information that is not related to the topic sentence, it is considered unnecessary information.

For example, if the topic sentence is “I like to eat ice cream,” including a sentence about your favorite color would be considered unnecessary information.

If you leave out information that is relevant to the topic sentence, it is considered omitted information.

For example, if the topic sentence is “I like to eat ice cream,” and you do not mention what flavor of ice cream you like, that would be considered omitted information.

When questioning whether a topic is right for a paragraph, you should ask yourself “Does this sentence support the main idea?” If it does not, delete it or move the sentence to another paragraph that fits better.

ATI TEAS English & Language Usage: Vocabulary Acquisition

Nurse Cheung — Sat, 07 Jan 2023 17:14:53 +0000

In order to do well on the ATI TEAS English & Language Usage section, it is important to understand and be able to use vocabulary correctly.

This blog post will discuss some of the most important aspects of vocabulary acquisition and provide tips for how to improve your understanding and usage of words.

Follow these tips and you’ll be sure to ace the English & Language Usage section of the ATI TEAS!

Objectives for Conventions of Vocabulary Acquisition

Total scored items on ATI TEAS: 10 questions out of 33

Apply Basic Knowledge of the Elements of the Writing Process to Communicate Effectively

Steps in the Writing Process

Each step of the writing process is important in order to produce a well-written piece. There are five steps to the writing process: prewriting, writing, conferencing, revision, and editing. The ATI TEAS will expect you to be knowledgable in each of these steps.

Prewriting

Prewriting is the process of planning and brainstorming for a piece of writing. This is where you come up with your ideas and decide what you want to write about.

There are many different prewriting techniques that you can use, such as brainstorming, stream-of-consciouness writing, and mind mapping.

Brainstorming is when you come up with ideas by brainstorming with yourself or with a group.
Stream-of-consciousness writing is when you just start writing without stopping to think about what you’re going to write.
Mind mapping is when you create a visual map of your ideas.

Writing

Once you have a plan and some ideas, it’s time to start writing! This is where you will take all of your prewriting and turn it into a complete piece.

Remember to keep your audience and purpose in mind as you write.

You will create a piece of writing that includes the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.

Each paragraph must state a main idea and develop that main idea through supportive details.

Remember to cite any borrowed information.

Conferencing

Conferencing is when you talk to someone else about your writing, usually a teacher or tutor.

This is a good time to get feedback about your ideas, organization, and development.

Your conferencer can also help you with grammar, spelling, and other conventions of standard English.

Revision

After you have written a complete draft and received feedback, it’s time to revise your piece.

This is when you make changes to your writing based on the feedback you received.

You might add, delete, or rearrange information in your piece.

You might also change the way you develop your ideas or the way you organize your ideas.

Editing

After you have made all of the changes you want to make in the revision stage, it’s time to edit your piece.

Editing is when you check for grammar, spelling, and other conventions of standard English.

It’s also a good time to check for sentence fluency and overall clarity.

Needed Citations

Any borrowed material must be cited in the text of your writing.

This includes information from books, articles, websites, and even people you interviewed.

If you borrowed someone’s idea, you need to give them credit.

If you are quoting someone directly, you need to use quotation marks.

If you paraphrase someone, you still need to give them credit.

Citations usually come at the end of a sentence, just before the period.

Determining the Meaning of Words by Analyzing Word Parts

Prefixes

A prefix is a group of letters that is added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning.

For example, the prefix “un-” can be added to the word “happy” to create the word “unhappy.”

Its important to note that prefixes do not change a word’s part of speech.

The word “happy” is an adjective and the word “unhappy” is also an adjective.

Suffixes

A suffix is a group of letters that is added to the end of a word to change its meaning.

For example, the suffix “-ness” can be added to the word “happy” to create the word “happiness.”

Suffixes come in two forms: inflectional and derivational.

Inflectional is when a suffix is added to a word to show grammatical function but doe not change the essential meaning. For example, the plural marker “-s” can be added to the word “cat” to create the word “cats.”
Derivational is when a suffix is added to a word to create a new word with a different meaning. For example, the suffix “-ful” can be added to the word “hate” to create the word “hateful.”

A root word is a word that can stand alone as a complete word. It does not need a prefix or suffix to be a complete word.

For example, the root word “happen” can stand alone as a complete word.

But if the prefix “un-” is added, it creates the word “unhappen.”

And if the suffix “-ed” is added, it creates the word “happened.”

How to Determine a Word's Meaning

Once you know the meaning of the root word, it can be easier to determine the meaning of words that contain that root.

For example, the root word “bene” means “good.”

So if you see a word that contains “bene,” like the word “benefit,” you can often determine that it has a positive connotation.

It’s also helpful to look at a word’s prefix and suffix.

Remember that a word’s part of speech can also be a clue to its meaning.

For example, the word “happen” is a verb, which means it’s an action word.

So if you see the word “happen” in a sentence, it’s likely that it has something to do with an action taking place.

Combining Affixes with Root Words

Sometimes more than one affix will be added to a root word. An affix is added to the root word to create a new word with a different meaning.

When this happens, it’s important to determine the meaning of each affix and then combine those meanings to determine the meaning of the new word.

For example, the root word “regret” means “dissappointed over.”

The suffix “-ful” means “having the characteristic or form of.”

And the suffix “-ly” means “in a manner or way indicated by the suffix.”

So when you put all of those together, the word “regretfully” means “having the caracteristic of a regretful manner.”