Verbs
When we left the beach yesterday, there was still many people swimming.
A. NO CHANGE
B. are
C. were
D. have been
The answer is C.
Agreement is between the verb (were) and plural subject (people).
Whichever direction the film ultimately takes, the final cut will show the indelible mark of his mentor.
A. NO CHANGE
B. takes the, final
C. takes the final,
D. takes; the final
The answer is A.
Dependent clauses are separated from independent clauses with a comma.
Inside the atrium, elegant designed chandeliers reflect a thousand points of light throughout the space.
A. NO CHANGE
B. elegantly designed
C. elegance designed
D. elegant design
The answer is B.
The adverb "elegantly" must be used here because it is modifying the verb "designed" - acting here as an adjective modifying the noun "chandeliers." Choice C is a noun and Choice D is an adjective.
We were both completely surprised when the school honored Thomas and I with top academic awards.
A. NO CHANGE
B. Thomas and me
C. I and Thomas
D. ours
The answer is B.
Since "Thomas and I" are the objects of the verb "honored," the pronoun "I" must change to the objective case "me."
Therefore raising interest rates can have an adverse affect on the value of currency, it can boost lending.
A. However
B. Although
C. Nevertheless
D. Thus
The answer is B.
"Although" provides the necessary contrast.
Because we studied extensively this weekend, we will perform very well on the real text next Tuesday.
A. NO CHANGE
B. were performing
C. perform
D. have performed
The answer is A.
The first action (studied) is past, but the test is in the future.
The entrepreneur developed a unique new approach for his prototype; innovating greatly on past versions.
A. NO CHANGE
B. prototype, innovating
C. prototype to innovating
D. prototype, and innovating
The answer is B.
Commas separate out parts of a continuing idea or action by the subject.
On each wing, all flighted birds have ten primary flight feathers, each one shaped slight different.
A. NO CHANGE
B. slight differently.
C. slightly differently.
D. slightly more different.
The answer is C.
Choosing whether to use an adjective or an adverb depends on what you want to that word to describe.
The rule is: nouns can be modified by nouns or adjectives; but adjectives, adverbs, and verbs can only be modified by adverbs.
In this case, it’s important to first figure out what function the underlined words are playing. The sentence is explaining that each feather has a different shape from those around it. That means that the verb “shaped” is being modified by the word explaining variations in form. Since it’s modifying the verb, it needs to be an adverb, so it has to be “differently.” This means answers A and D are out.
But the sentence also points out that the feathers aren’t all that different from one another – their shapes have mild, not extreme variance. So the adverb “differently” is being modified by the word expressing the degree of difference. Since it’s modifying an adverb, it has to be “slightly,” so answer C is correct.
The inspector who rang in the middle of the night asked us if we had seen anything suspicious.
A. NO CHANGE
B. whom rang
C. who rung
D. whose phone rang us
The answer is A.
"Who" is a relative pronoun (subjective) telling us which inspector.
Every year we annually sail my grandfather's Yankee clipper to Bermuda in an Atlantic race.
A. Each year
B. Once a yar
C. Yearly
D. OMIT the underlined portion and adjust the capitalization as necessary.
The answer is D.
Since the word "annually" appears, "every year" is unnecessary.
Climbing the tallest mountain on all seven continents require extensive planning and focus.
A. NO CHANGE
B. will have
C. requires
D. requiring
The answer is C.
"Climbing" is the subject requiring a singular verb "requires."
Revolutionary hero and founding father, John Adams, was an early architect of our enduring democracy.
A. NO CHANGE
B. father John Adams,
C. father John Adams
D. father, John Adams
The answer is C.
If we removed "John Adams," the sentence would not make sense; thus, no commas are needed. If the info is extra or non-essential, put commas around it.
The two principal types of kayaks are: the easily maneuverable white-water kayak and the largest sea kayak.
A. NO CHANGE
B. very biggest
C. more large
D. larger
The answer is D.
When we compare a specific quality of several things, we can change the form of the adjective we use to show which object has more of that quality. For example, three tiny things can be ranked in size order:
The rule is that if three or more things are being compared, then one of them can be labeled with the "-est" form of the adjective. But if only two things are being compared, then only the "-er" form of the adjective can be used.
In this case, we are comparing two things: we are ranking the “white-water kayak” and the “sea kayak” in size order. Since there are only two things, we can’t use either “largest” or “biggest” to describe the sea kayak, so answers A and B are out.
Some adjectives need the words “more” and “most” to indicate comparison. For example, you can’t say “this actor is woodener than that one,” you have to say “this actor is more wooden than that one.” But in this case, “large” does easily take the "-er" form, so answer C is out, and answer D is the right one.
He, himself, will oversee the coordination of the five international offices.
A. NO CHANGE
B. Himself, he will
C. He himself will
D. He, his self, will
The answer is C.
Reflexive pronouns emphasize the original noun or pronoun without commas. "Himself" follows "he" directly without the need for any commas.
Owing to the fact that he was the fastest runner, the coach encouraged him to race in the Olympic trials.
A. In relation to the fact
B. In spite of the fact
C. Although
D. Because
The answer is D.
The same meaning is kept, using far less words and no empty phrases.
Buckminster Fuller was admired by many for his ingenuity, but encountered scorn for his radical ideas.
A. NO CHANGE
B. scorned the many
C. was scorned by some
D. many scorned him
The answer is C.
Mirror the structure "was admired by" with "was scorned by."
An early morning ascent was necessary: we had to clim in darkness to reach the summit by sunrise.
Which of the following alternatives to the underlined portion is LEAST acceptable?
A. necessary. We had
B. necessary, we had
C. necessary; we had
D. necessary, and we
The answer is B.
A comma by itself can never join two independent clauses. A semi-colon, colon, or comma + coordinating conjunction is required.
In some agricultural parts of Japan, for instance, these three stars are commonly referred to as Karasuki and represent a three-pronged plow.
Given that all the choices are true, which one provides a detail that has the most direct connection to the information that follows in this sentence?
A. NO CHANGE
B. distant
C. populated
D. historic
The answer is A.
Since the question asks us to connect an adjective to what the sentence is about, let’s first figure out what is being described. The bits of information we have are:
Now, let’s see which word choice connects with one of these pieces of information.
“Distant” means far away. Certainly the stars are far away, but in this sentence “distant” would modify “parts of Japan” and nothing in the sentence discusses geographic distances of any kind.
“Populated” means inhabited, or where people live. That doesn’t go with anything else in the sentence.
“Historic” means important because of past events that happened there. Again, this doesn’t connect with anything in the sentence.
The original word “agricultural” means having to do with farming. And that goes directly with the fact that the stars represent a “three-pronged plow,” a type of farming implement.
Today, there are more than seven thousand artist-teachers, all of which teach classes to underprivileged students in school-based art studios.
A. NO CHANGE
B. whom
C. who
D. them
The answer is B.
We can eliminate A because “which” is a pronoun that refers to things not people, and the pronoun here is referring to the artists. We can eliminate D because if we use the subject pronoun “them” then we are creating a comma splice.
We need an object pronoun here because the pronoun is within a prepositional phrase. This is the trickiest part of this question. It may seem like we need the subject pronoun “who” (because the pronoun here refers to who is teaching the classes), but the pronoun is embedded in a prepositional phrase. Because prepositional phrases are used to express a relationship, they don’t act on their own, and so they require object pronouns. This means our answer can’t be D either. The correct answer then is the object pronoun referring to people, (B) “whom.”
Fallingwater, one of the most famous examples of organic architecture, was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The family had given him free reign to construct their house on any location on their extensive land. Wright made the bold decision to place the house over a waterfall on the site. He then designed a house with many horizontal stones the same color as the rocks found in the surrounding area. This design structure allowed the house to blend in with its surroundings, looking almost as if it were made by nature rather than a human.
Which of the following true statements would best introduce the paragraph?
A. NO CHANGE
B. One of the most famous examples of organic architecture is Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, a house he built for a Pennsylvanian family.
C. Fallingwater is a famous example of organic architecture built for a Pennsylvanian family.
D. Frank Lloyd Wright designed one of the most famous examples of organic architecture in 1964.
The answer is B.
Often on topic sentence questions on the ACT English test, you’ll find that the correct answer is simply the one that best summarizes the content of the entire paragraph. And typically, some wrong answer choices will be waaaaay obvious: either they will be too narrow or too broad or they will be completely off-topic. In this case, all four of our answer choices are on the same topic, so how do you decide? The key is noticing what information appears in the next sentence. The second sentence begins with a reference to “the family” and to “him,” which means that both of these details need to be clarified in the first sentence. The only answer choice that mentions both “him” (Frank Lloyd Wright) and “the family” (a Pennsylvanian family) is answer choice B.
Isabella made the varsity team at her high school, and she has swam in three races so far.
A. NO CHANGE
B. swims
C. have swam
D. has swum
The answer is D.
The verb "swim" becomes "swum" in the present perfect tense.
As the daughter of one of Charleston’s leading judges, Angelina Grimke could have looked forward to a life of luxury and ease, and her comfort assured by the presence of slaves trained to respond to her wishes.
A. NO CHANGE
B. life of luxury and ease her comfort
C. life of luxury and ease, her comfort
D. life of luxury, and her comfort
The answer is C.
This one is a little tricky because of the sophisticated structure of the dependent clause “her comfort assured by the presence of slaves…” Answer choice E is incorrect because the dependent clause needs a main verb (if it said “her comfort was assured…” it would work). Therefore, it cannot stand alone as an independent clause in the compound sentence this answer choice creates. Answer choice H also improperly uses a coordinating conjunction to create a compound sentence even though the second clause cannot stand alone as a sentence. Answer choice F creates a run-on that is confusing without the separation of the dependent clause. So our answer is G.
The purpose of the Heimlich Maneuver, which was named after American physician Henry Heimlich, is to force air from the lungs, thus dislodging and expelling the airway abstraction.
A. NO CHANGE
B. absorption
C. protraction
D. obstruction
The answer is D.
Many students will mistakenly choose “No Change” for this question. But is abstraction the right word? It means the general idea. Does the Heimlich dislodge an expel the general idea? No. It dislodges and expels a blockage or obstruction. Abstraction and obstruction look similar but they have very different meanings.
These statements seem so absurd on their face, especially when I add that I am a young man apparently of about thirty years of age, that no person can be blamed for refusing to read another word of what promises to be a mere imposition upon his credulity.
Which is the best form of the underlined section?
A. no one
B. no man
C. no individual
D. no woman
The answer is B.
While in contemporary spoken English, we would use the phrase "no one," as it doesn't make any assumptions about the reader's gender, the sentence later uses the masculine possessive pronoun "his," so in order for the sentence to be grammatically correct, we need to use the phrase "no man," even though this assumes the reader is male; this was a common convention in 19th-century prose.
Native to a region in northern Laos, the Hmong hill tribes still live much as they have for centuries.
If the writer deleted this phrase and adjusted the punctuation, the sentence would primarily lose what?
A. further details on the ethnic makeup of the Hmong tribes.
B. an important contrast with the other ethnic tribal populations.
C. specific information on the geographic location of the Hmong tribes.
D. an example of similar ethnic groups in the area.
The answer is C.
The portion underlined deals primarily with location.