CPCA English Language & Grammar 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence uses apostrophes correctly?
- The doctors' notes were filed in the patients' records. (Correct answer)
- The doctor's notes were filed in the patients records.
- The doctors notes were filed in the patient's records.
- The doctors notes were filed in the patients records.
Correct answer: The doctors' notes were filed in the patients' records.
'Doctors'' uses a plural possessive (multiple doctors), and 'patients'' uses a plural possessive (multiple patients).
Question 2: What does the medical prefix 'peri-' mean?
- Around / surrounding (Correct answer)
- Before
- After
- Within
Correct answer: Around / surrounding
'Peri-' means around or surrounding, as in 'pericardium' (the sac surrounding the heart).
Question 3: Which sentence is an example of parallel structure?
- The patient was advised to rest, eat well, and take medication regularly. (Correct answer)
- The patient was advised to rest, eating well, and take medication regularly.
- The patient was advised to rest, to eat well, and taking medication regularly.
- The patient was advised resting, eating well, and to take medication regularly.
Correct answer: The patient was advised to rest, eat well, and take medication regularly.
Parallel structure requires all listed items to use the same grammatical form; here all use infinitives (to rest, eat well, take).
Question 4: What does 'NPO' mean in medical documentation?
- Nothing by mouth (nil per os) (Correct answer)
- Normal pulse oximetry
- No prior operations
- Neurological patient observation
Correct answer: Nothing by mouth (nil per os)
NPO stands for 'nil per os,' a Latin phrase meaning nothing by mouth, indicating the patient should not eat or drink.
Question 5: Which sentence correctly uses a hyphen?
- The patient underwent a well-documented procedure. (Correct answer)
- The patient was well documented after the procedure.
- The well documented patient had a thorough record.
- The procedure was well-documented-and thorough.
Correct answer: The patient underwent a well-documented procedure.
Hyphens are used with compound modifiers that precede the noun they modify, as in 'well-documented procedure'.
Question 6: What is the meaning of the root word 'nephro'?
- Kidney (Correct answer)
- Nerve
- Liver
- Stomach
Correct answer: Kidney
'Nephro' comes from the Greek 'nephros' meaning kidney, used in terms like nephrology and nephritis.
Question 7: Which of the following sentences avoids wordiness and is the most concise?
- The patient was discharged on Tuesday. (Correct answer)
- The patient was discharged on the day that was Tuesday.
- Due to the fact that it was Tuesday, the patient was then discharged.
- On Tuesday, the patient was seen being discharged from the facility.
Correct answer: The patient was discharged on Tuesday.
Concise writing eliminates redundant phrases; 'The patient was discharged on Tuesday' is direct and clear.
CPCA English Language & Grammar 5
Which sentence uses apostrophes correctly?