TEAS English and Language Usage is the shortest section - 37 questions in 37 minutes - and the most predictable. A small set of rules generates most of the questions: subject-verb agreement, pronoun case, comma use, commonly confused words, and sentence structure. Because the rule set is finite, this is the section where focused revision produces the biggest score jump per hour spent. This guide covers each rule with the error patterns examiners build questions around. Last updated July 2026.
Most questions are “pick the correct sentence.” Read all four in your head, then apply one rule at a time. The colored words are the confusions the test recycles.
Parts of Speech
| Part | What it does |
|---|---|
| Noun | person/place/thing/idea |
| Verb | action or state of being |
| Adjective | describes a NOUN |
| Adverb | describes a VERB (often −ly) |
| Conjunction | joins — and, but, because |
| Preposition | position/relation — on, between, of |
Sentence Errors
- Fragment = missing a piece (“Because it rained.”).
- Run-on = two sentences jammed together.
- Comma splice = two complete sentences joined by ONLY a comma.
Agreement & Pronouns
- Subject–verb: ignore words between them — “The list of items IS on the desk.”
- Subject pronouns (I, he, she, they) do the action; object pronouns (me, him, them) receive.
- Who = subject; whom = object. Its = owns; it’s = it is.
Punctuation
| Mark | Use |
|---|---|
| Semicolon ; | join two complete related sentences |
| Colon : | introduce a list/explanation |
| Apostrophe | possession & contractions |
| Possessives | child’s (sing.), students’ (plural s), children’s (irregular) |
Word-Choice Traps
| Confusion | Rule |
|---|---|
| their / there / they’re | owns / place / they are |
| affect / effect | verb (influence) / noun (result) |
| fewer / less | countable (cars) / uncountable (water) |
| among / between | 3+ / 2 things |
| good / well | adjective / adverb |
Style
- Comparative (2) = −er/more; superlative (3+) = −est/most. Never both (not “more easier”).
- Active voice preferred: “Maria baked the cake” > “The cake was baked by Maria.”
- Parallel lists: “charting, teaching, and assisting” (all −ing).
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are in the TEAS English section?
There are 37 questions in 37 minutes - one minute each - covering conventions of standard English, knowledge of language, and vocabulary acquisition.
What grammar is tested on the TEAS?
Subject-verb agreement, pronoun case and agreement, verb tense consistency, comma and apostrophe use, sentence structure including run-ons and fragments, and commonly confused word pairs such as their/there/they're.
How do I get better at TEAS English quickly?
Learn the rules as patterns rather than definitions. Most questions repeat a small number of error types, so drilling those patterns is far more efficient than reading a grammar textbook end to end.
Is spelling tested on the TEAS?
Yes, within vocabulary and conventions questions. Focus on high-frequency academic words and on prefixes, roots and suffixes, which also help you decode unfamiliar vocabulary.
Keep going
- TEAS Reading Study Guide — main idea, inference, text structure
- TEAS Math Study Guide — formulas, conversions, word problems
- TEAS Science Study Guide — A&P, chemistry, scientific reasoning
- TEAS English Study Guide — grammar, punctuation, usage
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