📝Grammar Grind
The punctuation mark you must use at the end of a direct question.
What is a question mark?
The result you get when you multiply 9 by 7.
What is 63?
The term for the primary character or voice who tells the story to the reader.
What is the narrator?
On a standard digital graph, this axis runs horizontally from left to right.
What is the X-axis?
The total number of penalty points you lose for clicking the wrong answer on the digital ACT or ASPIRE tests.
What is zero?
The correct spelling to use when showing possession, as in:
"_____ backpacks are over there."
(Their, There, or They're).
What is "their"?
The total perimeter of a square if one side is 5 inches long.
What is 20 inches?
If you are struggling to find the main idea or central thesis of a passage, you should always re-read this specific paragraph.
What is the first paragraph (or introduction)?
This organelle is known as the powerhouse of the cell because it generates most of the cell's energy.
What is the mitochondria?
Even though the test is on a screen, you are still allowed and strongly encouraged to use this physical item on your desk to work out math and science problems.
What is scratch paper?
The punctuation mark used to separate three or more items in a list.
What is a comma?
The result you get when you multiply 6 by 7.
What is 42
If a question asks you to define a vocabulary word in context, you should use this strategy in your head before looking at the answer choices.
What is plug in your own word?
The specific variable in an experiment that is purposefully changed or manipulated by the scientist.
What is the independent variable?
When reading a dense passage on a monitor, you should use your cursor to do this to important text so you do not lose your place.
What is highlight it?
Joining two complete, independent sentences with only a comma creates this specific grammatical error.
What is a comma splice?
A triangle that has a 90-degree angle.
What is a right triangle?
When a test question directs you to a specific line number on the screen, you must also read these to get the full context.
What are the lines immediately before and after?
When looking at a data table, an upward trend means the numbers are doing this over time.
What is increasing?
If you have 30 seconds left on the testing timer, you should take this action on all remaining blank questions.
What is click a random answer (or guess the same letter)?
This punctuation mark must be preceded by a complete sentence and is used to introduce a formal list or a direct explanation.
What is a colon?
The mathematical term for the average of a set of numbers.
What is the mean?
Transition words like "however," "although," and "despite" always indicate this type of shift in a passage.
What is a contrast (or opposite direction)?
In a Conflicting Viewpoints science passage, your first goal is to figure out exactly what the two scientists are doing this about.
What is disagreeing?
To fight screen fatigue and keep your focus sharp during a long digital test, you should take 10 seconds between passages to do this.
What is look away from the screen (or rest your eyes)?