ACT Essay Writing
Which of the following is the best thesis statement for an ACT essay?
A) The United States is a country built on ideals.
B) While the United States has made great strides toward equality, systemic racism remains an issue.
C) The American Constitution is important.
D) Many people have different views on racism.
B) While the United States has made great strides toward equality, systemic racism remains an issue.
Which of the following sentences uses correct punctuation?
A) My friends, and I went to the park.
B) My friends and I, went to the park.
C) My friends and I went to the park.
D) My, friends and I went to the park.
C) My friends and I went to the park.
Which sentence is correct?
A) Each of the students have a book.
B) Each of the students has a book.
C) Each of the students are having a book.
D) Each of the students have been given a book.
B) Each of the students has a book.
Which of the following sentences is the most concise?
A) Due to the fact that he was late, he missed the meeting.
B) Since he was late, he missed the meeting.
C) He missed the meeting because of the fact that he was late.
D) He missed the meeting because he was late.
D) He missed the meeting because he was late.
Which of the following sentences uses the word "affect" correctly?
A) The weather will affect my decision.
B) The weather will effect my decision.
C) The weather was a factor in my decision.
D) The weather has a large affect on my decision.
A) The weather will affect my decision.
What is the most effective way to address counterarguments in an ACT essay?
A) Dismiss the counterarguments without explanation.
B) Present the counterarguments without refuting them.
C) Acknowledge the counterarguments and explain why your perspective is stronger.
D) Agree with the counterarguments to avoid conflict.
C) Acknowledge the counterarguments and explain why your perspective is stronger.
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
A) The teacher gave the students a test, but they were not ready.
B) The teacher gave the students a test, but they was not ready.
C) The teacher gave the students a test but, they were not ready.
D) The teacher, gave the students a test but they were not ready.
A) The teacher gave the students a test, but they were not ready.
What is the correct form of the verb?
A) She have been to the store.
B) She is going to the store.
C) She will to the store.
D) She be going to the store.
B) She is going to the store.
Which of these sentences uses unnecessary words?
A) She quickly ran to the store.
B) She ran to the store.
C) She hurried to the store.
D) She dashed to the store.
A) She quickly ran to the store.
Which sentence uses the correct form of “their” and “there”?
A) Their going to the party tonight.
B) There going to the party tonight.
C) They’re going to the party tonight.
D) They’re going too the party tonight.
C) They’re going to the party tonight.
Which of these should NOT be included in the conclusion of an ACT essay?
A) A summary of the main points.
B) A call to action.
C) New evidence to support your argument.
D) A restatement of your thesis.
C) New evidence to support your argument.
Which of these uses a semicolon correctly?
A) I like pizza; it is my favorite food.
B) I like pizza; but I also enjoy pasta.
C) I like pizza; and pasta is good too.
D) I like pizza; however, pasta is good too.
A) I like pizza; it is my favorite food.
Which of the following sentences contains an error in subject-verb agreement?
A) The dogs bark loudly.
B) She studies every day.
C) The committee have made its decision.
D) They are reading the book.
C) The committee have made its decision.
Which sentence is more concise?
A) The reason for my absence was because I was sick.
B) I was absent because I was sick.
C) I missed class because of sickness.
D) I was absent due to sickness.
B) I was absent because I was sick.
Which sentence uses the word "principal" correctly?
A) The principal reason for the meeting was to discuss policy changes.
B) The principle reason for the meeting was to discuss policy changes.
C) The principal was very effective in her role.
D) The principle was very effective in her role.
A) The principal reason for the meeting was to discuss policy changes.
Which of the following is a weak thesis for an ACT essay?
A) Fear motivates people to act but can also lead to destructive consequences.
B) The Fourth of July represents freedom for all Americans.
C) Technology can improve communication.
D) Societies must learn from their past mistakes.
B) The Fourth of July represents freedom for all Americans.
Choose the sentence that does NOT contain a comma splice.
A) I went to the store, I bought groceries.
B) I went to the store, and I bought groceries.
C) I went to the store, but bought nothing.
D) I went to the store. I bought groceries.
B) I went to the store, and I bought groceries.
Which sentence is correct?
A) Neither the teacher nor the students was ready for the test.
B) Neither the teacher nor the students were ready for the test.
C) Neither the teacher nor the students is ready for the test.
D) Neither the teacher nor the students are ready for the test.
B) Neither the teacher nor the students were ready for the test.
Which sentence has the best clarity?
A) The student, who was studying for hours, was very tired.
B) The student was very tired, and he had been studying for hours.
C) The student, tired from studying for hours, was very tired.
D) The student was tired due to hours of studying.
D) The student was tired due to hours of studying.
Which word correctly fills the blank?
He felt a deep sense of _______ after seeing the destruction caused by the storm.
A) sorrow
B) sorrowful
C) sore
D) soreness
A) sorrow
In an ACT essay, how should you introduce the perspectives you will discuss?
A) By summarizing the main idea of each perspective.
B) By stating the perspectives without elaborating.
C) By introducing the perspectives with examples from history.
D) By including a quote from a famous person.
A) By summarizing the main idea of each perspective.
Which sentence is written in passive voice?
A) The report was completed by the students.
B) The students completed the report.
C) The teacher reviewed the report.
D) The students are reviewing the report.
A) The report was completed by the students.
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
A) I can’t believe it’s already raining!
B) I can’t believe it is already raining!
C) I can’t believe it was already raining!
D) I can’t believe it were already raining!
A) I can’t believe it’s already raining!
Which sentence is the most clear and concise?
A) He was feeling rather tired and decided to take a short break.
B) He was tired and took a short break.
C) He, tired and exhausted, took a short break.
D) Due to the fact that he was tired, he decided to take a break.
B) He was tired and took a short break.
Which sentence uses "complement" correctly?
A) The scarf was a perfect complement to her dress.
B) The scarf complemented to her dress.
C) The scarf was a perfect compliment to her dress.
D) The scarf was a perfect complement with her dress.
A) The scarf was a perfect complement to her dress.