Transcript ACT Strategies

Pass the test!
ACT STRATEGIES
STRUCTURE

English: 45 minutes for 75 questions
 36
seconds/question
 Grammar

skills, writing style
Writing: 30 minutes for full essay (handwritten)
ENGLISH FOCUS
Punctuation (10 questions)
 Grammar (12 questions)
 Sentence Structure (18 questions)
 Style (12 questions)
 Organization (11 questions)
 Strategy (12 questions)

HINTS

Use the answers to tell you what they’re looking
for
 After
the devastating hurricane, the Red Cross
offered food and medical aid to the Mexican
government and they accepted.
A.
B.
C.
D.
NO CHANGE
And they accept.
And it accepted.
And it accepts.
This one’s looking at
pronoun and verb tense.
Pronoun is referring to
government (it) and verb
tense is past (accepted).
Thus, you choose answer
C.
MORE HINTS
OMIT- if offered, the correct choice more than
50% of the time.
 NO CHANGE- correct 20-25% of the time

 Not

there just to throw you off.
Shortest answer is usually right with style,
organization, or strategy
 Good
writing is concise
IF YOU REALLY DON’T KNOW

Guess!
 No
penalty for wrong answer= you have a 25% shot
at the right one.
SCORING
Number right out of 75
Scale Score
70
32
69
31
67-68
30
65-66
29
63-64
28
60-62
27
58-59
26
56-57
25
53-55
24
51-52
23
49-50
22
46-48
21
43-45
20
40-42
19
37-39
18
34-36
17
31-33
16
If the ACT were graded like
your normal English tests,
a 23 would be a 69%.
SCORING CON’T

The score that counts is your composite score
English/Writing
 Math
 Science
 Reading
÷ 4 = composite score
PRACTICE
PRACTICE

Practice makes perfect!

Do sample questions
 Get
used to timing
Look at your errors
 Learn from your mistakes!

PRACTICE
ENGLISH FOCUS– TWO BLOCKS
ENGLISH BLOCK ONE

Punctuation
 Sentence
fragments
 Comma splices
 Semi-colon
 Colon
 Dash
 Apostrophe

Computer
Lessons/Quizzes
 Common
Sentence
Mistakes
 Setting Off Phrases
 Apostrophes
SENTENCE FRAGMENT– 21% WRONG ON
PRETEST
Missing a subject, verb, or complete thought
 Watch out for subordinate clauses standing
alone


I knew I needed to get my work done. Even
though I wanted to go to the party. I decided to
stay home.
COMMA SPLICE– 51% WRONG

Occurs when two sentences are joined by a
comma
Creates a run on
 Needs to include conjunctions (FANBOYS) or be
replaced with a semi-colon


I took the ACT Prep class, I know I’ll get a high
score.

I took the ACT Prep class, so I know I’ll get a high score.
SEMI-COLON– 34% WRONG

Used to join to complete sentences
 The
setting sun caused the fields to take on a
special glow; all was bathed in a pale light.

Used with conjunctive adverbs
 transition
words joining two complete sentences
 SEMI-COLON first, then COMMA after
I
used to play volleyball; however, after I hurt my knee, I
had to quit.
SEMI-COLON CON’T

Used to separate a potentially confusing list
that includes commas
I
wanted to visit Paris, France; Venice, Italy; and
Athens, Greece on our honeymoon.
 The old gentleman’s heirs were Margaret Whitlock,
his half-sister; James Bagley, the butler; William
Frame, the companion to his late cousin, Robert
Bone; and his favorite charity, the Salvation Army.
COLON– 34 % WRONG

Used to precede a list


Used to indicate an example from sentence


There are three branches of government: executive,
judicial, and legislative.
My freshman year gives me my best memory: football
season.
NOT to be used to call attention to material already
signaled by the rest of the sentence

We did many different things on our trip, such as hiking,
biking, and canoeing.
DASH– 56% WRONG

Used to set off explanatory set of words


The tools of his trade– probe, mirror, and cotton
swabs– were neatly arraigned on the dentist’s tray.
Used to indicate a summary or reversal of what
preceded it.
Patience, sensitivity, understanding– these are the
marks of a good friend.
 He knew that he did a good job– he just didn’t feel
good about himself.


Mark a sudden break in thought that leaves
sentence unfinished

He was not pleased with– in fact, he was completely
hostile toward– the student.
APOSTROPHE- 44% WRONG

Used to form possessive forms of nouns
 Placed
between the word and added “s” of a
singular word or plural word not ending in “s”
 Tony’s
house
 Children’s music
 My student’s essay (just one kid’s paper)
 Placed
after “s” of plural word or word normally
ending in “s”
 Mrs.
Wolters’ class
 My students’ essays (the whole class)
APOSTROPHE CON’T

Used to create contractions
 Don’t
= do not
 Should’ve = should have
APOSTROPHE CON’T

ACT test tricks
 It’s vs. its
 It’s = it is
 It’s hot in this room
today.
 Its = possessive form
 I need to know if the cat
got its medicine today.
 You’re vs. your
 You’re = you are
 You’re welcome
 Your = possessive form
 You need to get your
homework done


Who’s vs. whose
 Who’s = who is
 Who’s going to rock the
ACT test after this
review?
 Whose = possessive form
 Whose coat did I find on
the back of this chair?
There vs. their vs. they’re
 There = a place
 I met you there.
 Their = possessive
 I know it’s their work
 They’re = they are
 They’re happy to be
done
COMPUTER EXERCISES

Read through the lesson, complete the practice
questions and the quizzes for:
 Common
sentence mistakes
 Setting off phrases
 Apostrophes

We will discuss questions after all three
exercises.
7 minutes
BREAK!!!!
ENGLISH BLOCK TWO

Style
 Misplaced
modifiers
 Redundancy
 Active vs. passive voice
 Tone
 Placement
 Clinchers
 Transitions

Computer
Exercises/Quizzes
 Style
 Organization
 Writer’s
Aims
 What Makes a Sentence
MISPLACED/DANGLING MODIFIERS- 20%
WRONG

Phrases that give unintended meanings to the
sentence
 Place
phrases closest to the word that they actually
describe.
 Watch for phrases that begin the sentence but
don’t really modify the subject.
 Tired
by all the travelling, Mitch’s delight was palpable
when his boss told him he would no longer have to
attend the out-of-state conference.
HOW MIGHT YOU CORRECT THE FOLLOWING
SENTENCE?
Jennifer called her adorable
kitten opening the can of
tuna and filled the food
bowl.
Better: Opening the can of
tuna, Jennifer called her
adorable kitten and filled
the food bowl.
HOW MIGHT YOU CORRECT THE FOLLOWING
SENTENCE?
Portia rushed to the store
loaded with cash to buy the
birthday gift.
Better: Portia, loaded with
cash, rushed to the store to
buy the birthday gift.
REDUNDANCY – 48% WRONG

The best writing is usually short and straight to
the point.
 Every
day, I do my daily homework.
 Every

day, I do my homework.
Sentences that are grammatically correct can
still be in need of correction in style
 The
giant condor is able to spread its wings up to
25 feet.
 The
giant condor has a wingspan of up to 25 feet.
ACTIVE VS. PASSIVE VOICE – 18% WRONG

Passive verbs often create needlessly long
sentences
 Is,

are, was, were, be, being, been, etc.
One-fourth of the market was captured by the
new computer firm.
 The
new computer firm captured one-fourth of the
market.
RHETORICAL SKILLS
Classify tone– 44% wrong
 Placement of New Ideas– 51% wrong
 Transitions- 15% wrong
 Adding elements/Clinchers– 17% wrong


Test strategy– skim passage while you read for the
sentence level

When you approach these questions, you need to go
back to that particular passage to read more closely.
TONE – 44% WRONG

Use context clues to help determine the author’s
attitude toward the topic.

Pay special attention to adjectives used that carry
emotion

The author’s tone in this paragraph can best be
described as:
 Furious
 Amused
 Disillusioned
 Jealous
The tone is the overall feeling the author gives by
the way he writes. This narrator starts out excited
about his new job, but quickly discovers that he will
not be as effective as he had hoped. By the end of
the passage, he sounds disappointed. Disillusioned
is the best match in meaning, making choice C
correct.
PLACEMENT OF NEW IDEAS– 51% WRONG
Suppose the author wishes to add the
following sentence to the second paragraph:
These pesticides included DDT, as well as
substances even stronger and more
potentially devastating.
This sentence would most logically be added
Right before Sentence 1
Right before Sentence 2
Right before Sentence 3
Right after Sentence 3
Use the answers as clues
 Read just sentences 1-3, then make judgment

TRANSITIONS- 15% WRONG

Suppose the author plans to continue the
passage by writing about environmentalists
who have followed in Carson's footsteps. Which
of the following sentences would most
effectively signal this shift?
 The
new sentence should function as a transition
from talking about Carson to talking about later
environmentalists who were influenced by her work.
So the new sentence should mention both Carson
and later environmentalists.
CLINCHER-- 17% WRONG

The author wants to tell the reader that she and
her sister have learned more about throwing
children's parties since that first time. Which
sentence, if added to the end of the paragraph,
would best convey this point?

The new sentence should get across the point in the
question stem: that the author and her sister have
gotten better at throwing parties. The whole passage is
written in the past, like the narrator is looking back at
that first party. The new sentence should take you to
the present, where the narrator says how much better
they are at throwing parties now.
COMPUTER EXERCISES

Read through the lesson, complete the practice
questions and the quizzes for:
 Style
 Organization
 Writer’s
Aims
 What Makes a Sentence

We will discuss questions after all three
exercises.
7 minutes
BREAK!!!!
WRITING PORTION– ONE BLOCK
WRITING FOCUS
Persuasive writing
 School/teen’s life related prompt
 Given some background on two sides of issue
 Asked to pick and defend one side


30 minutes-- handwritten
WRITING STYLE

Consider

Structure/organization



Length

Intro, body, conclusion
Transitions

Specific examples from own
life
Concession statements



Strong verbs, word choice,
spelling
Attention getter (2 sentences)
Background (2-3 sentences)
Thesis (1 sentence)
Body

Two paragraphs

Style

Intro

Support




Two supporting details in
each
Conclusion



Restate thesis (1 sentence)
Summary of reasons (2-3)
Hook to intro (1 sentence)
WRITING SCORE

5 criteria
 Clear
position
 Maintain focus
 Supported with logical reasoning and supporting
evidence
 Organized ideas in logical fashion
 Use language clearly and effectively
WRITING SCORE

Read by two trained readers
 Graded
on a 1-6 scale
 More than one point difference, by a third

Sum of two scores is your writing score
 Highest

possible is a 12
WILL get a zero if you write illegibly or fail to
write about assigned topic
SAMPLE ESSAY (SCORE = 1)

Well I don't think they should have a dress code
because, it takes away from the kids. We shouldn't be
mindless drones. I thought this is America were you
can exspece yourselfs. The government should stay
out of it. Next they will be telling us what we should
eat and think. I think if they look good they should be
able to where what they want to. If they start control
how we dress. Next, they will control everything. I for
one want to think and dress for myself. If we let them
tell us what to do slowly our freedoms will reduced to
noting.
SAMPLE ESSAY (SCORE = 2)
I agree with parents and teachers who say dress codes
is needed. Dress codes sets guidelines for what students
wear and helps the learning environment.
Uniforms encourage equality. They sets guidelines for
what students wear so everyone looks the same. Uniforms
encourage people to be equal by setting what all students
wear at school.
Uniforms helps stop rivalry between groups and "clicks."
Uniforms put an end to groups at school because everyone
looks the same. If everyone looks the same than groups
won't divide people by how they look because uniforms
makes everyone equal. All students would be the same if
they wear uniforms.
These is just a few of the many benefits to wearing a
uniform. A dress code is only one way of creating a good
school environment, but it is a good one.
SAMPLE ESSAY (SCORE = 3)




Look for
Position on issue
Thesis
Clear Intro, Body, Conclusion
Recognition of opposing viewpoints
Well-developed explanations
Transitions
Clinchers
Consistent Third Person Point of View
Sample Essay 3
SAMPLE ESSAY (SCORE = 4)








Look for
Position on issue
Thesis
Clear Intro, Body and Conclusion
Recognition of opposing viewpoints
Well-developed explanations
Transitions
Clinchers
Consistent Third Person Point of View
Sample Essay 4
SAMPLE ESSAY (SCORE = 5)








Look for
Position on issue
Thesis
Recognition of opposing viewpoints
Well-developed explanations – moves from
general idea to specific example
Transitions
Clinchers
Consistent Third Person Point of View
Sentence Variation
Sample Essay 5
SAMPLE ESSAY (SCORE = 6)








Look for
Position on issue
Thesis
Recognition of opposing viewpoints
Well-developed explanations – moves from
general idea to specific example
Transitions
Clinchers
Consistent Third Person Point of View
Sentence Variation
Sophisticated Word Choice
Sample Essay 6
COMPUTER EXERCISES

Complete the practice Writing Test prompt.

We will discuss your scores when you get the
feedback.