ACT English Vocabulary
What is a sentence fragment?
An incomplete sentence.
What is the difference between the apostrophe in (ex: Susan's car) and an apostrophe in a contraction (They're going)?
Possessive apostrophes show ownership.
Jason's car exploded.
Contractions are two words joined by an apostrophe.
They're on their way over.
(they + are)
Write one sentence in which you correctly use all of the following:
1) a semi-colon
2) a comma
3) a FANBOYS word
Answers will vary
Example: I have decided to change my major to computer science; however, I still love literature, for reading fiction is one of my greatest joys.
Botany is surely the more gentler of sciences.
a. NO CHANGE
b. the most gentle of
c. the gentler of
d. the gentlest in the
B: the most gentle of
When five minutes are left on the test, what should you do?
Letter of the day!
Leave no answers blank
What does a Dependent Clause need to be a complete sentence?
MUST join an independent clause to be a complete sentence
Correctly use the following in a sentence
semi-colon
comma
Answers will vary
"I wanted to go home; therefore, I faked being sick."
Break down this sentence into its independent and dependent parts.
After the end of the world, I ate nothing but fries.
After the end of the world (Dependent)
I ate nothing but fries (independent)
After running a stop sign, the cow ran over the girl.
Who ran the stop sign?
The cow.
How many questions are on the ACT English test, and how many minutes do you have to answer all of the questions?
75 questions - 45 minutes
What does a semicolon replace?
can replace a period in a sentence or a comma (fanboys)
What are the three ways to fix this sentence below?
I love to write papers I would write one every day if I had the time.
1. Period
I love to write papers. I would write one every day if I had the time.
2. Semicolon
I love to write papers; I would write one every day if I had the time.
3. Comma + Conjunction (FANBOYS)
I love to write papers, and I would write one every day if I had the time.
DOUBLE JEOPARDY
When using a semicolon with one of these, a comma must follow it. (sandwich)
Transition word.
Edna Gellhorn’s “Walkless-Talkless Parade”
In 1916, as the Democratic Party’s national convention met in St. Louis, Missouri, to nominate candidates for the presidency and vice-presidency and to establish a platform, a set of positions on issues. Therefore, suffragists (those who advocated extending voting rights to women) wanted the Democrats’ platform to support women’s right to vote.
A. NO CHANGE
B. while
C. when
D. OMIT the underlined portion.
D. OMIT the underlined portion.
The best answer is D because the other choices insert subordinating conjunctions (as, while, when), which create sentence fragments. This choice offers the only complete sentence.
How many passages are on the READING portion of the ACT and how many minutes do you get to complete it?
4 passages, 35 minutes
Give an example of a:
Simple Sentence
Answers will vary
Simple sentence is one main idea- "The cat slept in the sun." "The beach is full of people."
Correctly use a comma and FANBOYS in a sentence.
Answers will vary
The Andean Panpipe
Whether its bright and jaunty or haunting and melancholic, the music of the Andes highlands has a mellow sound unique in the musical world. The instrument responsible for this sound is the antara, or Andean panpipe, known for the hollow-sounding, breathy notes it creates.
A. NO CHANGE
B. they’re
C. it's
D. its'
C. it's
The contraction it's, meaning it is, is needed in this context because otherwise the introductory, dependent clause would have no subject or verb. In addition, the singular pronoun form (it's) is required for proper subject-verb agreement.
DOUBLE JEOPARDY
The challenge to start to begin to make timely progress toward removing the threat of nuclear war is the most important challenge in international relations today.
A: NO CHANGE
B. to begin making
C. to begin the making of
D. of beginning the making of
B: to begin making
(eliminate unnecessary repetition)
Which ACT section gives students the longest amount of time and contains the most questions of any part of the test?
Math!
60 questions, 60 minutes
DOUBLE JEOPARDY
Define a noun, verb and subject
Noun: a person, place, thing, or idea.
Verb: an action or state of being
Subject: Refers to what the sentence is about, it contains the main noun. It is the main topic of the sentence
When I was a boy growing up in Delhi, India, we had a kitchen garden behind our downstairs apartment. My father was an avid gardener, he still is: and every Saturday morning he would put on his work clothes, pick up his hoe and trowel, and head out the back door.
A. NO CHANGE
B. gardener—he still is—
C. gardener, he still is—
D. gardener and he still is
B. gardener—he still is—
It offers the best punctuation for this nonessential parenthetical element. The phrase "he still is" needs to be set off with the same punctuation marks on both ends. In this case, the dashes are best for avoiding ambiguity.
Vatican City’s Wonders
Surrounded by the ancient city of Rome, Vatican City is an independent nation on the west bank of the Tiber River. This tiny country—about one-sixth of a square mile in all—is also home to a disproportionately large number of sites with great historical, artistic, and religious significance.
E. NO CHANGE
F. approximately about one-sixth of a square mile, all told—
G. a grand total sum of about one-sixth of a square mile—
H. a total of about one-sixth of a square mile when added together—
E. NO CHANGE
It provides the clearest, most concise wording for this parenthetical phrase. The other choices add unnecessary words.
Edna Gellhorn’s “Walkless-Talkless Parade”
In 1916, as the Democratic Party’s national convention met in St. Louis, Missouri, to nominate candidates for the presidency and vice-presidency and to establish a platform, a set of positions on issues. Therefore, suffragists (those who advocated extending voting rights to women) wanted the Democrats’ platform to support women’s right to vote.
A. NO CHANGE
B. Similarly, suffragists
C. However, suffragists
D. Suffragists
D. Suffragists
The best answer is D. No transitional word is needed here because the sentence introduces information about the suffragists that is not directly linked back to the preceding sentence.
Which section tests how well students interpret charts, graphs, and experiments?
How much time do you have to complete 40 questions?
Science Section
35 minutes