First section of the ACT 5 passages 75 questions GrammarMechanics Style good writingvoice 45 minutes Language of the ACT The ACT likes clear direct concise sentences not flowery language ID: 651841
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Slide1
ACT Tips
EnglishSlide2
English
First section of the ACT
5 passages
75 questions
Grammar/Mechanics
Style (good writing/voice)
45 minutesSlide3
Language of the ACT
The ACT likes
clear
,
direct
,
concise
sentences, not flowery language.
Always select
standard
written English.
After all, it happened so
sudden, like
one day she was a sweet, agreeable one year old, and the next she was a defiant, moody, terrible-two.
A. NO CHANGE
B. sudden:
C. suddenly:
D. suddenly, likeSlide4
Language of the ACT
The ACT likes
clear
,
direct
,
concise
sentences, not flowery language.Always select standard written English.After all, it happened so sudden, like one day she was a sweet, agreeable one year old, and the next she was a defiant, moody, terrible-two.A. NO CHANGEB. sudden:C. suddenly:D. suddenly, likeSlide5
Language of the ACT
Slang words, idioms, and clichés are
always
wrong.
You can imagine their shouts and
laughter as if hyenas
.
A. NO CHANGEB. laughter like hyenasC. laughter like a barrel of monkeysD. laughterSlide6
Language of the ACT
Slang words, idioms, and clichés are
always
wrong.
You can imagine their shouts and
laughter as if hyenas
.
A. NO CHANGEB. laughter like hyenasC. laughter like a barrel of monkeysD. laughterSlide7
Language of the ACT
Shorter answers are usually
better
answers.
By 3200 B.C., Sumerian society had
become so increasingly in size and complexity
that a means of keeping track of holdings became necessary.
A. NO CHANGEB. so increased in size and complexityC. become so excessively monolithic and circumfused by societal intricacies whose implications dictatedD. became so large and real hard to figure outSlide8
Language of the ACT
Shorter answers are usually
better
answers.
By 3200 B.C., Sumerian society had
become so increasingly in size and complexity
that a means of keeping track of holdings became necessary.
A. NO CHANGEB. so increased in size and complexityC. become so excessively monolithic and circumfused by societal intricacies whose implications dictatedD. became so large and real hard to figure outSlide9
Language of the act
Avoid
redundancies
.
It’s usually hard to determine who first
uttered out loud
a given word and almost as hard to know who first wrote it down.
A. NO CHANGEB. spokeC. said verballyD. gave vocalization toSlide10
Language of the act
Avoid
redundancies
.
It’s usually hard to determine who first
uttered out loud
a given word and almost as hard to know who first wrote it down.
A. NO CHANGEB. spokeC. said verballyD. gave vocalization toSlide11
Language of the Act
Eliminate
wordy
expressions.
In the 1920s the YMCA sponsored a program in order to promote more enlightened public opinion on racial matters.
A. NO CHANGE
B. upon promoting
C. on promotingD. to promoteSlide12
Language of the Act
Eliminate
wordy
expressions.
In the 1920s the YMCA sponsored a program in order to promote more enlightened public opinion on racial matters.
A. NO CHANGE
B. upon promoting
C. on promotingD. to promoteSlide13
Language of the act
Good
diction
means choosing the exact word. It’s a popular ACT question.
We also find
illusion of
Shakespeare’s words in film.
A. NO CHANGEB. illusions toC. allusions ofD. allusions toSlide14
Language of the act
Good
diction
means choosing the exact word. It’s a popular ACT question.
We also find
illusion of
Shakespeare’s words in film.
A. NO CHANGEB. illusions toC. allusions ofD. allusions toSlide15
Basic usage, grammar, & mechanics
If you have two answers that are both grammatically correct, then choose the one that is
closer to the original
.
They contributed more than $60 million to the
project, which was completed
in the winter of 1986.
A. NO CHANGEB. project. Which was completedC. project, it was completedD. project. They were finishedSlide16
Basic usage, grammar, & mechanics
If you have two answers that are both grammatically correct, then choose the one that is
closer to the original
.
They contributed more than $60 million to the
project, which was completed
in the winter of 1986.
A. NO CHANGEB. project. Which was completedC. project, it was completedD. project. They were finishedSlide17
Basic usage, grammar, & mechanics
Always match verb
tense
. Sometimes you may need to look at the sentence before or after.
After two weeks’ effort, I would always set the harmonica aside and
had went
back to the baseball field.
A. NO CHANGEB. would of goneC. goD. would of wentSlide18
Basic usage, grammar, & mechanics
Always match verb
tense
. Sometimes you may need to look at the sentence before or after.
After two weeks’ effort, I would always set the harmonica aside and
had went
back to the baseball field.
A. NO CHANGEB. would of goneC. goD. would of wentSlide19
Basic usage, grammar, & mechanics
Subjects and verbs must
agree
. Ignore any extra words between them.
Rice seedlings, started in small hand-watered paddies soon after the wheat
harvest, is
planted in the now flooded fields.
A. NO CHANGEB. harvest, wasC. harvest, areD. harvest areSlide20
Basic usage, grammar, & mechanics
Subjects and verbs must
agree
. Ignore any extra words between them.
Rice seedlings, started in small hand-watered paddies soon after the wheat
harvest, is
planted in the now flooded fields.
A. NO CHANGEB. harvest, wasC. harvest, areD. harvest areSlide21
Basic usage, grammar, & mechanics
Pronouns and antecedents must also
agree
. Ignore any extra words between them, too.
Literary critics are often less interested in any particular book than
one is
in placing groups of books into categories.
A. NO CHANGEB. they areC. he isD. he or she isSlide22
Basic usage, grammar, & mechanics
Pronouns and antecedents must also
agree
. Ignore any extra words between them, too.
Literary critics are often less interested in any particular book than
one is
in placing groups of books into categories.
A. NO CHANGEB. they areC. he isD. he or she isSlide23
Basic usage, grammar, & mechanics
Commas and dashes generally come in
pairs
.
Our daughter, Clare recently
celebrated her second birthday.
A. NO CHANGE
B. Our daughter Clare recently,C. Our daughter, Clare, recentlyD. Clare, our daughter recently,Slide24
Basic usage, grammar, & mechanics
Commas and dashes generally come in
pairs
.
Our daughter, Clare recently
celebrated her second birthday.
A. NO CHANGE
B. Our daughter Clare recently,C. Our daughter, Clare, recentlyD. Clare, our daughter recently,Slide25
Basic usage, grammar, & mechanics
Having
extra
commas is just as bad as not enough commas.
Every comma must have a reason to be there.
Hikers, typically, find,
that the climb takes at least three hours.
A. NO CHANGEB. Hikers typically findC. Hikers typically, findD. Hikers, typically findSlide26
Basic usage, grammar, & mechanics
Having
extra
commas is just as bad as not enough commas.
Every comma must have a reason to be there.
Hikers, typically, find,
that the climb takes at least three hours.
A. NO CHANGEB. Hikers typically findC. Hikers typically, findD. Hikers, typically findSlide27
Sentence errors
Can you fix
fragments
?
Surrounded
by a dense growth of trees with long, dangling vines and trunks that rose a hundred feet into the air.
A. NO CHANGE
B. Having been surroundedC. My companion and I was surroundedD. We were surroundedSlide28
Sentence errors
Can you fix
fragments
?
Surrounded
by a dense growth of trees with long, dangling vines and trunks that rose a hundred feet into the air.
A. NO CHANGE
B. Having been surroundedC. My companion and I was surroundedD. We were surroundedSlide29
Sentence errors
Can you fix
run-ons
?
A rickety fence barely separates the outfield from the
wilderness,
in right field a stream cuts away a corner of the field.
A. NO CHANGEB. wilderness, thenC. wilderness, whichD. wilderness, andSlide30
Sentence errors
Can you fix
run-ons
?
A rickety fence barely separates the outfield from the
wilderness,
in right field a stream cuts away a corner of the field.
A. NO CHANGEB. wilderness, thenC. wilderness, whichD. wilderness, andSlide31
Sentence errors
Can you fix non-
parallel
elements?
Nixon knew his community,
had knowledge of
human nature, and knew how to get things done.
A. NO CHANGEB. knowsC. knewD. OMIT the underlined portionSlide32
Sentence errors
Can you fix non-
parallel
elements?
Nixon knew his community,
had knowledge of
human nature, and knew how to get things done.
A. NO CHANGEB. knowsC. knewD. OMIT the underlined portionSlide33
Sentence errors
Can you fix
misplaced
modifiers?
Then we arrived at a meadow where youths
promenaded their horses in riding pants and blazers
.A. NO CHANGEB. promenaded horses in their riding pants and blazersC. in riding pants and blazers promenaded their horsesD. promenaded in riding pants and blazers their horsesSlide34
Sentence errors
Can you fix
misplaced
modifiers?
Then we arrived at a meadow where youths
promenaded their horses in riding pants and blazers
.A. NO CHANGEB. promenaded horses in their riding pants and blazersC. in riding pants and blazers promenaded their horsesD. promenaded in riding pants and blazers their horses