PTA Writing and Grammar 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence has correct pronoun-antecedent agreement for a gender-neutral singular subject?
- Every therapist must complete their documentation.
- Every therapist must complete his or her documentation.
- Both A and B are acceptable in modern usage. (Correct answer)
- Every therapist must complete it's documentation.
Correct answer: Both A and B are acceptable in modern usage.
Both singular 'their' and 'his or her' are accepted ways to handle gender-neutral singular pronouns in contemporary American English.
Question 2: Which sentence contains a dangling modifier?
- After completing the evaluation, the treatment plan was written. (Correct answer)
- After completing the evaluation, the therapist wrote the treatment plan.
- The therapist completed the evaluation and wrote the treatment plan.
- The treatment plan was written after the evaluation was completed.
Correct answer: After completing the evaluation, the treatment plan was written.
In sentence A, 'After completing the evaluation' dangles because a treatment plan cannot complete an evaluation — the therapist does.
Question 3: When should a semicolon be used in clinical writing?
- To introduce a list after an independent clause
- To join two independent clauses that are closely related (Correct answer)
- To separate items in a simple list
- To indicate a pause shorter than a period
Correct answer: To join two independent clauses that are closely related
A semicolon connects two related independent clauses without using a coordinating conjunction.
Question 4: Which sentence uses 'who' correctly?
- The therapist whom won the award.
- The patient whom was treated recovered.
- The therapist who treated the patient won an award. (Correct answer)
- Give the record to whomever needs it most.
Correct answer: The therapist who treated the patient won an award.
'Who' is used as a subject pronoun; in sentence C, 'who' is correctly the subject of its clause (who treated).
Question 5: In the sentence 'The treatment had a positive affect on the patient,' what is the error?
- 'treatment' should be 'treatments'
- 'affect' should be 'effect' (Correct answer)
- 'positive' should be 'positively'
- There is no error in the sentence.
Correct answer: 'affect' should be 'effect'
'Effect' is used as a noun meaning result or outcome, while 'affect' is typically used as a verb meaning to influence.
Question 6: Which example is a run-on sentence?
- The patient attended three sessions; progress was noted.
- The patient attended three sessions, and progress was noted.
- The patient attended three sessions progress was noted. (Correct answer)
- Progress was noted after three sessions.
Correct answer: The patient attended three sessions progress was noted.
A run-on sentence fuses two independent clauses without any punctuation or conjunction to separate them.
Question 7: Which word requires capitalization in clinical documentation?
- The name of a generic body part like 'knee' or 'shoulder'
- An eponymous condition such as 'Parkinson's disease' (Correct answer)
- The word 'therapy' when used in a general sense
- The word 'patient' in the middle of a sentence
Correct answer: An eponymous condition such as 'Parkinson's disease'
Named (eponymous) conditions like Parkinson's disease are capitalized because they derive from a proper noun (a person's name).
PTA Writing and Grammar 3
Which sentence has correct pronoun-antecedent agreement for a gender-neutral singular subject?