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Low

Complete Sentences:

1. Complete sentences have at least one subject and one verb.

2. Complete sentences do not start with WHICH or THAT.

Usage Rules

Run-On Sentences:

1. You cannot have two complete sentences put together without a comma and a FANBOY (conjunctions: for, and, nor, but, or, and yet) or without a semicolon(;).

2. Commas cannot hold together two complete sentences alone.

High

Dependent Clauses/Fragments:

1. These are not sentences because they don't make sense by themselves.

For example: Because the video did not work.

2. They almost always begin with:which, that, what, where, when, because, until, unless, before, after, as, if, since, though, and although.

3. If your sentence starts with one of these words, you will need a COMMA after the dependent clause and before the independent clause.

Low

Subject-Verb Agreement:

Singular Verbs end in -s.

ex. John runs

Plural Verbs do not end in -s.

ex. John and Jack run. We run.

Ignore everything in between the subject and verb. Literally put a line through them. They will distract you from the correct subject verb agreement.

ex. An audience of thousands seems terrifying to a nervous performer. Ignore "of thousands."

Low

Unnecessary Shifts in Verb Tense:

When you begin reading the passage, note the tense it is written in. Keep that tense consistent throughout.

Past Present Future

was am, can will

were is could

had are might

did have may

do

does

Medium

Unnecessary Shifts in Point of View:

1st Person->3rd Person

I, me, we he, she, they

*When you begin reading the passage, note the point of view it is written from. Keep that POV throughout the passage.

*Most often, the use of YOU should be eliminated.

Medium

Contractions and Possessives:

Which is the contraction?

Which is the possessive?

its and it's

whose and who's

their and they're

your and you're

If a singular noun ends in -s, use 's.

Low

Who or Whom?

Who (subject)= he, she, it, they

Whom (object)= him, her, them

*Plug in he or him. Whichever one makes sense, tells you if you should use who or whom.

*If who/whom is followed immediately by a verb, use who.

High

Parallel Structure:

Language has to "match." The parts of speech in a list must be the same. Sentences should follow a pattern if you are trying to make a point.

Ex. Alexis takes classes to learn how to jump, tumble, and cheer.

Medium

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement:

These words- he, she, they, them, it, his, her, their- are pronouns. They replace nouns to make reading easier. The nouns they replace are called their antecedents.

Do not use a pronoun that does not have a clear antecedent or that does not agree with its antecedent.

WRONG: Already late for the show, Mary couldn't find their keys.

(her keys)

Low

Punctuating Titles:

1. If "it" can sit on a shelf, it is underlined.

Ex. book, movie, cd, newspaper, magazine titles

2. If "it" is inside something else, it is titled using quotes.

Ex. poem, song, article, short story, and published essays

High

Punctuation (basic review):

Commas

1. after introductory phrases/clauses and before the independent clause

2. around unnecessary phrases

3. between items in a series

4. before conjunctions that are between 2 independent clauses (FANBOYS)

High

Rhetorical Rules

Irrelevance:

When asked to evaluate information to choose whether to include it or not, make sure it is relevant to or supports the main idea of the passage as a whole. If the info the author wants to add doesn't support the argument, OMIT it or choose the answer that replaces it with relevant info.

High

Semicolons

*You can combine 2 independent clauses with a ;

Colons

Must follow an independent clause and usually starts a list

Dashes (occur in pairs)

They act like commas and set off unnecessary information that needs to be emphasized.

Quotation Marks

All end punctuation goes inside the "" marks.

High

Verbosity:

due to the fact that= because

eighteen years of age= eighteen

The 2 examples above illustrate verbosity. Using too many words to communicate your message frustrates your reader. Use only what you need to get your message across.

High

Redundancy:

The general rule for writing is to find the shortest and simplest way to say something. Thus, unnecessary repetition is as irritating to a reader as your mom nagging you. Say it once and leave it alone.

5. If you don't know after eliminating answers, guess. Skipped answers are counted wrong.

6. For guessed answers, mark the question in your book. If you have time, you can ________________.

7. It's okay to choose No Change; in fact, about 20% of the questions will be no change.

About the Test

What is Covered

2. Write on your test if it is printed. Write on scratch paper if it is not. This will save you time going back.

3. Base your choice on a grammar rule, not what "sounds" correct.

4. Eliminate 2 answer choices; there are always 2 that are obviously wrong. This gives you a _50% chance of getting it right.

  • 75 questions; 45 minutes; 5 passages
  • Conventions of Standard English
  • Punctuation
  • Grammar and Usage
  • Sentence Structure
  • Rhetorical Skills
  • Strategy
  • Organization
  • Style

Test Taking Strategies for English

1. Skim-read the entire paragraph before answering the question. Do not skip ahead. Also, read a the sentence BEFORE & AFTER the question before answering.

Why should you do this? time & the correct answer.

Medium

Adding Details/Considering Purpose:

The questions about adding details often contain a key word that conveys to the author's purpose.

Ex. If the writer wants to illustrate the contrast between his mother and his grandmother, which choice works best here?

*You would look for the answer that shows how those two women are different.

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ACT English

Test Prep

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