ACT English Spiral Review #1
What two things can an apostrophe show?
Examples: Matt's, Can't, It's
Possession and a contraction (combining two words)
Correct or incorrect? How do you know?
My mother sister aunt and brother left for the seashore.
Incorrect: Need commas to separate three or more items in a list.
My mother, sister, aunt, and brother left for the seashore.
What is subject-verb agreement? Give an example to justify your answer.
When the subject and the verb agree in number (and tense).
Singular subject=singular verb
Plural subject=plural verb
Name the 3 Arizona universities
Northern Arizona University, University of Arizona, & Arizona State University
Identify and explain whether the sentence below is grammatically correct or not:
Heather the leader of our group was an articulate young woman.
Incorrect: Need commas around nonessential information (appositive).
Correct:
Heather, the leader of our group, was an articulate young woman.
Some parts of the building has no air conditioning.
What needs to change?
Subject-verb disagreement
Some parts of the building have no air conditioning.
Identify at least ONE way in which a pronoun and antecedent (the thing the pronoun refers to) must "agree"
The pronoun and the antecedent agree in number, gender, and person.
Give 1 example of at least 3 of these: adjective, adverb, noun, verb, preposition
Answers vary
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.
One of my friends were late today.
Is this correct or incorrect? If incorrect, fix it.
Incorrect.
One of my friends was...
or
Two of my friends were...
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.
Define in-text citation
Providing the title and/or author name of the source alongside the quote/paraphrase in your written response.
If nonessential information comes in the middle of a sentence, how do I punctuate it?
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.
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.
E. NO CHANGE
F. for, the presidency
G. for: the presidency
H. for the presidency,
E. NO CHANGE
The best answer is E. The phrase "for the presidency" is essential to the meaning of this sentence, and no punctuation is needed in the underlined portion.
Give 3 words with positive connotations and 3 words with negative connotations
Answers vary
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. Furthermore, 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.
Explain at least 1 way to use semicolons
Combine two independent clauses that are closely related in thought.
Combine two independent clauses that are connected by conjunctive adverbs or transitional phrases.
Between items in a list or series if any of the items contain commas
Between independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction if the clauses are already punctuated with commas or if the clauses are lengthy.