Cracking the English Test

1
Cracking the English Test
2
Details

• 75 questions to answer in 45 minutes
• 5 passages, which are presented differently from
  the Reading Test.
• Tests grammar, punctuation, sentence structure,
  rhetorical skills

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Details Questions

• Punctuation (13 9 or 10 questions
  misleading stat)
• Grammar and usage (16 - 12 questions)
• Sentence structure (24 - 18 questions)
• Rhetorical strategy (16 - 12 questions)
• Rhetorical organization (15 - 11 or 12
  questions)
• Rhetorical style (16 - 12 questions)

4
General Hints

• Answer the questions in order (different strategy
  from Reading Test)
• Leave the tougher rhetorical questions for the
  end. Skip troublesome questions until the end. A
  later question may help you with an earlier one.
• Use POE (Process of Elimination) to search the
  answer choices for clues to determine the
  error(s) being tested.

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General Hints, contd

• HINT Dont assume that something is wrong if
  its underlined. NO CHANGE is correct a little
  less than 25 of the time. If you cant find
  anything wrong with the underlined portion, it
  may be correct as written.

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Sentence StructureTests your knowledge of how
sentences are put together correctly.

• Fragment e.g. Walking to the store. (Most of
  these are just dependent clauses.)
• Run-on Two sentences fused together without
  punctuation (Need either a period, semi-colon, or
  comma conjunction.) e.g. Aunt Sally swept up
  the shards of glass she was furious. How to fix?
• Comma Splice Two sentences joined by a comma.
  e.g. Aunt Sally swept up the shards of glass, she
  was furious. How to fix?
• HINT Sentence structure questions can be spotted
  by looking at the variations in the answer
  choices.

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Sentence Structure Modifier Problems

• Misplaced Modifiers Word, phrase, or clause
  that seems to modify the wrong word or phrase.
  e.g. Walking to the pawnshop, Bobs watch dropped
  into the sewer. How to fix?
• Construction Shifts Similar to above with
  awkward placement of modifier. e.g. Stepping to
  avoid the puddle, I carefully tripped and fell.
  How to fix?

8
Sentence Structure Parallelism

• Non-parallel construction (aka Parallelism)
• 1) Look for a series of words, phrases, or
  clauses. 2) Look for changes in verb tense.
• Verbs e.g. Annie kissed him, hugged him, and
  gives him his favorite dinner. How to ix?
• Nouns e.g. 1) Fans praised the quarterbacks
  speed, skill, and how agile he was. 2) Seeing the
  beauty of a sunset in Venice is to experience
  perfection. How to fix these?

9
Grammar and Usage

• If a pronoun is underlined, check for
  noun-pronoun agreement (everybody with he/she),
  pronoun-verb agreement (neitheris), and pronoun
  case (subject or object).
• If a verb is underlined, check for subject-verb
  agreement (neitheris), verb tense errors (past,
  present, future, etc mixed in a paragraph), and
  verb parallelism (past mixed with present in a
  series.)

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Grammar and Usage Pronoun Agreement

• Pronoun Agreement A pronoun must agree with its
  antecedent (the noun or pronoun it renames).
  Pronoun/Pronoun Agreement e.g. 1) Neither of the
  two young girls expressed their feelings. 2)
  Anyone going on the field trip needs to bring
  their lunch. 3) Everybody stayed late at the
  dance because they were enjoying themselves. How
  to fix these?
• HINTS 1) If you see a pronoun underlined, check
  to see if it agrees with the noun to which it
  refers. 2) Words such as each, either, somebody,
  anyone, everyone, either, neither are singular.

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Grammar and Usage Pronoun Case

• Pronoun Case Decide whether the pronoun is used
  as a subject or object, e.g. 1) The students,
  whom had been studying the space program, were
  thrilled to witness the lunar landing. 2) Before
  the moon landing, the TV announcer gave some
  additional background on the astronauts, about
  who we were all quite interested. How to fix?
• HINTS 1) Remember the he/who, him/whom rule. 2)
  Also note differences in punctuation in all
  questions in case you see two answers with the
  same pronouns.

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Grammar and UsageSubject-Verb Agreement /
Pronoun-Verb Agreement

• Subject-Verb Agreement Singular subject
  singular verb and plural subject plural verb.
  e.g. Emily Dickensons structure and verse has
  been analyzed and praised by many critics. How to
  fil?
• Pronoun-Verb Agreement Same as above with S S
  and Pl Pl. e.g. 1) Neither of my parents have
  trouble using the metric system. 2) Everyone
  visiting Bob and Lynn notice how well their
  children behave. 3) Each of these moments have
  played in my mind again and again. How to fix?

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Grammar and UsageVerb Tense Agreement / Verb
Tense Construction

• Verb Tense Agreement Past, present, future,
  etc., e.g. Sam was walking down the street when
  he finds a large suitcase. How to fix?
• Verb Tense Construction The verbs need to work
  with each other, e.g. Sam has ate all the cookies
  in the cookie jar. How to fix?

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Grammar and UsageAdjectives and Adverbs

• Adjectives and Adverbs Be careful to use the
  correct type of modifier for what is being
  modified. e.g. 1) Sid behaves more polite than
  Tom. 2) Between Jenny and Jane, Jenny is the
  tallest. 3) He behaves intelligent. How to fix?

15
Grammar and Usage - Idioms

• Idioms are expressions that require the use of a
  specific preposition. e.g. My sculpture is based
  after Rodins Thinker. How to fix?
• If you know the correct idiom, great. If not,
  just guess.
• Check answer choices.

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Punctuation

• More than half of the punctuation questions
  concern commas.
• Punctuation errors are often found along with
  grammatical errors. Notice differences in answer
  choices.
• Other punctuation marks to consider on the test
  include semi-colons, colons, dashes, and
  apostrophes. ACT has avoided quotation marks in
  the past, butwho knows.

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Punctuation Clauses and Phrases

• Commas Separating Clauses and Phrases
• Two Independent Clauses Mary wondered why there
  was a bird in the classroom and she decided to
  ask the teacher about it. How to fix?
• Independent Clause and Dependent Clause e.g.
  Before Mary could reach the teacher she saw the
  woman offer the bird part of the bagel. How to
  fix?
• Independent Clause and Phrase e.g. Hungry and
  excited the bird snapped up the bagel.
• HINT If some of the answer choices insert a
  comma and others dont, that is reason enough to
  check whether the sentence has two clauses or a
  clause and a phrase.

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Punctuation Serial Commas

• Serial commas Used to separate words, phrases,
  or clauses in a series - e.g. When Mary walked
  into the classroom, she saw a teacher, a doctor,
  a woman eating a bagel and a bird. How to fix?
• (HINT ACT likes the last comma, even though some
  folks say its not needed.)

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PunctuationComma Splice or Run-on

• Comma splice Two sentences combined, or
  spliced, with a comma, e.g. Lightning speeds to
  our eyes at 186,000miles per second, thunder
  creeps to our ears at 1,087 feet per second. How
  to fix?
• Run-On Two sentences fused with no punctuation,
  e.g. Lightning speeds to our eyes at 186,000miles
  per second thunder creeps to our ears at 1,087
  feet per second. How to fix?

20
Punctuation Essential Clause

• Essential Clause or Phrase (aka Restrictive)
  Correct e.g. People who snore are advised to
  sleep on their sides. (Who snore is essential
  for us to know who is being discussed so NO
  COMMAS.)
• Another correct e.g. Only a person who is a
  little peculiar would feed a bagel to a bird. (NO
  COMMAS.)
• HINT Remember I DONT NEED commas when I DO
  NEED the clause.

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Punctuation - Non-essential Clause

• Non-essential (Nonrestrictive) Clause Correct
  e.g. My father, who snores loudly, always sleeps
  in his long johns. (We know specifically who is
  being discussed, and who snores loudly and just
  adds something akin to a parenthetical thought.
  (NEED COMMAS.)
• Another correct e.g. Mary, who by now was very
  confused, stopped in front of the woman. (NEED
  COMMAS.)
• HINT 1) Remember I NEED commas when I DONT
  NEED the clause. 2) Check answers for
  differences in punctuation.

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Punctuation Semi-colons

• Semicolons connect two related yet independent
  clauses. e.g. Sentence sentence.
• HINTS 1) Although there are other uses for
  semi-colons, ACT only applies them for run-ons or
  comma splices. They are only used if you have
  independent clauses (sentences) on either side of
  it. 2) If a semi-colon is correct, you will not
  see period or comma with conjunction options. 3)
  If you see both a semi-colon and a period, you
  will know neither answer is correct.

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Punctuation - Colons

• Colons On the ACT, colons typically introduce a
  list that follows an independent clause. e.g.
  Sentence list of some kind.
• ACT will try to trick you by having an incomplete
  thought to introduce the list e.g. I bought the
  supplies, including pencils, pens, and paper.
  Including turns the independent clause into a
  dependent clause. How to fix?
• Colons may also separate two independent clauses
  if they follow this format A sentence that is a
  general thought Sentence that explains or
  expands the first thought, Correct e.g. I
  didnt know what to do I could either go camping
  or stay home.

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Punctuation - Dashes

• Dashes indicate a break in thought. Correct e.g.
  I tried to thank him not that words are
  adequate but he just nodded and walked away.
• Dashes may be used to introduce an explanation.
  Correct e.g. We heard the howling of wolves a
  sound that made our hair stand on end.
• Dashes usually come in pairs unless the isolated
  group of words is at the end of the sentence.
• A dash cannot be combined with a comma. However,
  commas do the same thing as dashes, so you wont
  see both as answer choices.

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Punctuation - Apostrophes

• Apostrophes can either indicate possession or
  contractions.
• Singular Possession e.g. The bosss limo the
  girls room.
• Plural Possession e.g. The bosses limos the
  girls room. (NOTE Add es to words ending in
  s to make plural, then add apostrophe.)
• Contractions Its can be used only to replace it
  is or it has. Its is the possessive form of the
  word it. Its is not a word. (NOTE Act will
  have at least one of these on test.)
• Check answer choices for variations.

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Rhetorical Skills

• Strategy, transitions, organization, style
• Reorder sentences or paragraphs
• Reword something
• Summarize the passage
• Evaluate whether the writer of a passage has
  satisfied a particular assignment
• These questions vary more widely than grammar or
  punctuation questions.

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Rhetorical Skills, contd

• The official ACT book suggests you skim the
  entire passage for content, but the Princeton
  Review folks say its a waste of time because
  most of the questions can be answered as you
  read, including some of the rhetorical ones.
• Answer the questions in order. However, if youre
  having trouble with a particular question or if
  it seems to be taking too much time, circle the
  question number, leave it, and come back on your
  second pass. Often a later question will help you
  with an early one.

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Rhetorical Skills, contd

• Utilize POE to search the answer choices for
  clues. Focus on the differences between the
  answer choices, and use that information to
  determine the error(s) being tested.
• HINT Look for one error at a time. Eliminate all
  answers that do not correct the first error you
  spotted. Compare the remaining answers and choose
  the most concise answer choice free of any
  additional errors.

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Rhetorical Skills, contd

• Remember that NO CHANGE is correct a little less
  than a quarter of the time. If you cant find
  anything wrong with the underlined portion, it
  may be correct as written.
• Also remember to look very carefully at any
  question with OMIT as an answer. If you can OMIT
  and the passage/sentence is still correct, then
  do so.

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Rhetorical Skills - Strategy

• Transitions
• Show contradiction BUT WORDS however, quite
  the contrary, despite, rather, notwithstanding,
  contrarily, on the other hand, although,
  nevertheless
• Show cause and effect THEREFORE WORDS hence,
  and so, thus, consequently, because of, for
  example, finally, in conclusion
• Show in addition ALSO WORDS in addition,
  for example, furthermore, and, another, first,
  second, moreover, by the same token, besides,
  similarly, so too
• Choose the most appropriate connector.
• HINT If you see two of the same type of
  transition, neither answer will be correct.

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Rhetorical Skills - Strategy

• Improving Rather than Fixing
• The wording in the question will provide clues.
• Be sure to look at what the question is
  specifically asking.
• Choose answer based on the purpose of the passage
  or the effect on the reader.
• The question might read something like this
  Which of the following sentences provides new,
  specific information about that would enhance
  the passage?

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Rhetorical Skills - Organization

• Three Kinds of Organization Questions
• Asks you to check the placement of an underlined
  word or phrase and possibly relocate it,
  according to what it should logically modify
• Asks you to reorder sentences within a paragraph
• Asks you to reorder paragraphs within the passage
  as a whole.
• NOTE These will take time, so you might want to
  skip them and come back to them later. If you
  run out of time, use the letter of the day.

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Rhetorical Skills - Organization

• HINTS to Organizing Paragraphs
• Trick to reordering sentences in a paragraph
  Find what should be the first sentence and look
  at answers to see which have it listed as first.
  This will eliminate some choices.
• If you cant figure out which sentence comes
  first, try to pair two sentences together and
  check answers to see which have them listed
  together. Again, eliminates choices.
• If that doesnt work, look for a concluding
  sentence.
• When all else fails, pick your letter of the day.

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Rhetorical Questions - Organization

• Hints to Organize Whole Paragraphs
• This will be the last question and it is
  challenging.
• Do not reread the whole passage. Skim it and
  scribble a mini-summary by each paragraph.
• Try to find the first paragraph and look for that
  choice in the answers. Do POE.
• If you cant find the first paragraph, try to
  find two paragraphs that have a close
  relationship and look for that choice.
• If that doesnt work, try to find a concluding
  paragraph.
• If you are spending too much time, pick your
  letter of the day and move on.

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Rhetorical Skills - Style

• Redundancy - Saying the same thing twice. Most
  ACT style questions are about redundancy.
• e.g. 1) Cheap and inexpensive gifts can be
  found here. 2) After birth, the newborn babies
  are weighed. 3) The Vietnam vets were recently
  memorialized by a memorial in Washington. How to
  fix?

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Rhetorical Skills Style, contd

• Other style possibilities
• Tone
• Mood
• Purpose
• Misuse of figurative language, such as metaphors
• Awkward wording (in answer choice)
• Words that dont exist (in answer choice)
• Wordiness (in answer choice)
• Just do your best with these