ATI TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills) Version 7English and Language UsageMedium
A nurse is reviewing a patient's self-reported symptoms. The patient wrote, 'I'm experiencing continuous, dull pain, accept for when I take my prescribed medication.' Which word indicates an error in word choice?
- Acontinuous
- Baccept
- Cprescribed
- Ddull
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. accept
The word 'accept' means to receive or agree to something. The context requires 'except,' which means 'excluding' or 'other than.' This is a common error involving homophones.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. 'Continuous' (without interruption) is correctly used to describe the pain.
- C. 'Prescribed' (ordered by a doctor) is correctly used to describe the medication.
- D. 'Dull' (not sharp or intense) is correctly used to describe a type of pain.
Accept vs. Except
Commonly confused words: 'accept' is a verb meaning to receive or agree; 'except' is usually a preposition or conjunction meaning excluding or other than.
- 'Accept' = to take, to agree to, to receive (e.g., 'I accept your apology').
- 'Except' = not including, other than (e.g., 'Everyone went except me').
- Both are pronounced similarly but have distinct meanings and grammatical roles.
Memory trick: Accept is for acquiring, Except is for excluding.