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 cannot accept any dairy products, accept for cheese.' Which of the following correctly identifies the misused word in the patient's statement?
- Aaccept (second instance)
- Bcannot
- Cdairy
- Daccept (first instance)
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. accept (second instance)
The second 'accept' is misused. 'Accept' means to receive or agree to. The sentence intends to mean 'excluding' or 'apart from', which is the definition of 'except'. The phrase should be 'except for cheese'.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. 'Cannot' is correctly used to indicate inability.
- C. 'Dairy' is correctly used as an adjective modifying 'products'.
- D. The first 'accept' is correctly used, meaning to receive or tolerate.
Accept vs. Except
'Accept' is a verb meaning to receive or agree. 'Except' is usually a preposition or conjunction meaning excluding or other than.
- Accept (verb): to take or receive; to agree to.
- Except (preposition/conjunction): not including; other than; apart from.
- Commonly confused due to similar pronunciation.
Memory trick: Accept means Take In, Except means Leave Out