ATI TEAS – Knowledge of Language

ATI TEAS English & Language Usage – Knowledge of Language & Paragraph Development

Test-Plan Snapshot

• Knowledge-of-Language portion of ATI TEAS English & Language Usage section
  • Contains 11 items out of the total 33 verbal questions \left(\frac{11}{33}=\frac{1}{3}\right)
  • Focus: sentence correctness, tense, diction, run-ons, audience awareness, paragraph organization

Sentences: Complete, Incomplete & Imperative

• Complete sentence = Subject + Predicate (verb phrase that shows action or state of being)
  • Ex: “I am writing a blog about ATI TEAS English and language usage.”
  • Subject = I
  • Predicate = am writing
• Incomplete sentence / fragment = missing subject and/or predicate
  • Ex: “Hoping to increase my score.” ⟶ add subject → “I am hoping to increase my score.”
• Imperative sentences (commands/requests) can be complete even when the subject you is implied
  • Ex: “Finish your homework.” (Implied subject =You; predicate =finish)

Transition Words & Their Functions

• Purpose: signal relationships between ideas; provide textual “bridges.”
• Categories & Sample Words
  • Agreement / Addition: also, certainly, indeed, in fact, naturally, of course, surely
  • Opposition / Contrast: although, conversely, despite, however, in contrast, instead, nevertheless, on one hand…on the other hand, but, otherwise, regardless, still, yet
  • Cause / Effect, Examples, Conclusion, Chronology, Location (mentioned as additional common categories)
• Application example: “The boy likes birds, but he was afraid of cats.” – but = opposition signal

Verb Tense Essentials

• Primary tenses: past, present, future
• Variations/Sub-tenses: present simple vs. present progressive, etc.
• Examples
  • Past: “Yesterday, I went to the store.”
  • Present progressive: “I am going to the store.”
  • Future: “I will go to the store.”
• Key skill: match tense to time cue & maintain consistency across sentences/paragraphs

Diction, Tone & Mood

• Diction = author’s word choice
• Tone = author’s attitude as conveyed by words (“how the words sound”)
• Mood = emotional atmosphere author wants the reader to feel
• Illustration
  • “The sky is blue.” – neutral statement; tone shifts positive/negative depending on surrounding diction
  • Positive tone: “I am excited to go on vacation.”
  • Negative tone: “I can’t believe I have to work on vacation.”
• Skill: detect & differentiate tone vs. mood through diction analysis

Run-On Sentences & Repair Strategies

• Run-on = two (or more) independent clauses incorrectly fused
• Three correction options
  1. Period: split clauses
  • Wrong: “I have a cat his name is Mittens.”
  • Fixed: “I have a cat. His name is Mittens.”
  1. Comma + Coordinating Conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)
  • “I have a cat, and his name is Mittens.”
  1. Semicolon
  • “I have a cat; his name is Mittens.”
• TEAS will test ability to spot & fix run-ons

Audience & Rhetorical Context

Narrator, Setting, Scenario

• Setting = time + place (“It was a dark and stormy night.”)
• Scenario = sequence of events (“The boy was walking home from school when he saw a cat in the tree.”)
• Guiding questions while reading:
  • Who tells the story?
  • When/where does it occur?
  • What events build the scenario?
  • Who is the intended audience?
  • What is the author’s overarching purpose?

Formal vs. Informal Language

• Formal language
  • Used in classrooms, business meetings, academic writing
  • Precise, objective, impersonal; avoids contractions & slang
  • Ex: “What is your name?” / “What is your name, sir?”
• Informal language
  • Casual contexts (friends, family)
  • Conversational, personal; uses contractions, colloquialisms, humor, irony, slang
  • Ex: “What’s your name, dude?” or simply “What’s your name?”

Revising Language Level

• Making language more formal
  • Replace contractions with full forms (what is vs. what’s; I am vs. I’m)
  • Use Standard English; eliminate slang
  • Maintain serious, neutral tone; choose concrete, specific terms
• Making language more informal
  • Introduce contractions (“I can’t” instead of “I cannot”)
  • Add colloquial expressions or mild slang
  • Adopt conversational tone

Writing for Culturally Diverse Audiences & Avoiding Bias

• Use inclusive language for all cultures, genders, races, religions
• Avoid stereotypes & cultural assumptions
• Be mindful of connotations that differ across cultures
• Examples of inclusive revisions
  • “He is from a different culture.” → “He comes from a diverse background.”
  • Use gender-neutral phrasing: “A physician should…” rather than gender-specific titles

Paragraph Development & Organization

Core Components

1. Topic sentence – introduces main idea
2. Supporting details – facts, examples, explanations that develop the topic
3. Transitions – signal relationships & maintain flow
4. Conclusion sentence – summarizes or reinforces the main idea

Illustrative Examples

• Topic: “I like to eat ice cream.”
  • Supporting: “Ice cream is my favorite dessert.” / “I always have ice cream after dinner.”
  • Conclusion: “I really enjoy eating ice cream.”
• Topic: “Jessica is an excellent student.”
  • Supporting: intelligence, responsibility, punctuality, high scores
  • Conclusion: “As a result of her hard work, Jessica is one of the best students in school.”

Logical Ordering Strategies

• Chronological order – events arranged as they happen
  • Zoo visit: “First we saw the elephants, then the lions, after that the monkeys.”
• Order of importance – most crucial information first
  • When comparing book vs. movie, start with the original (book) then discuss adaptation (movie)

Unnecessary vs. Omitted Information

• Unnecessary info = details unrelated to topic sentence; delete or relocate
  • Topic: ice cream → color preference sentence = irrelevant
• Omitted info = missing details that reader needs
  • Topic: ice cream preference but no flavor specified
• Self-check: “Does this sentence support the main idea?” If not → cut or move.

Practical Takeaways for ATI TEAS Prep

• Master sentence structure: identify subjects, predicates, fragments, run-ons
• Memorize categories & examples of transition words; know what relationship each signals
• Keep verb tenses consistent and appropriate to time cues
• Distinguish tone vs. mood; analyze author diction for each
• Practice revising passages for formality level and cultural inclusivity
• Use the paragraph model: topic, support, transition, conclusion; remove irrelevant or include missing details accordingly
• Remember the three run-on fixes (period, comma + conjunction, semicolon) – a frequent test item

Effective language knowledge = clarity, conciseness, and appropriateness for audience & purpose – exactly what ATI TEAS will assess.