Transcript THE ACT ENGLISH TEST

THE ACT ENGLISH TEST
HOW TO CRACK THE SYSTEM
TRIAGE
LOOK FOR ERRORS BY LOOKING AT
THE ANSWER CHOICES FOR CLUES:
 A. NO CHANGE
 B. ONE GOES
 C. YOU GO
 D. HE GOES
 THE PROBLEM HAS SOMETHING TO
DO WITH PRONOUNS
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SOME QUICK TRICKS
“NO CHANGE” – IS THE RIGHT
ANSWER A LITTLE LESS THAN 25%
OF THE TIME
 “OMIT THE UNDERLINED PORTION”
IS THE RIGHT ANSWER A LITTLE
MORE THAN 50% OF THE TIME
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SENTENCE STRUCTURE
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CLAUSES AND PHRASES PUT TOGETHER
LOGICALLY
INDEPENDENT CLAUSES VERSUS
DEPENDENT CLAUSES
SINGLE WORDS CAN MAKE DEPENDENT
CLAUSES, INDEPENDENT
AS HE RAN ACROSS THE ROOM (LOSE THE
“AS”)
SUBORDINATING
CONJUNCTIONS
WHEN, WHERE, WHY, HOW, IF, AS,
BECAUSE, ALTHOUGH, WHILE,
DESPITE, THAT, WHO, WHAT
 LOOK FOR THESE WORDS TO SIGNAL
A SENTENCE FRAGMENT
 THESE WORDS LEAVE YOU
ASKING… “AND”?
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PUNCTUATION
MORE THAN HALF THE
PUNCTUATION QUESTIONS ON THE
ACT DEAL WITH THE PROPER USE OF
COMMAS
 TOO FEW COMMAS CREATE
CONFUSION REGARDING THE
THOUGHT PROCESS
 TOO MANY BREAK UP THE FLOW
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COMMA RULES
CLAUSES: BETWEEN A DEPENDENT
AND AN INDEPENDENT CLAUSE
 MODIFYING PHRASES: BETWEEN AN
INDEPENDENT CLAUSE AND ITS
MODIFYING PHRASE “HUNGRY AND
EXCITED, THE BIRD SNAPPED UP THE
BAGEL”
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COMMA RULES
RESTRICTIVE AND NONRESTRICTIVE
ELEMENTS: AROUND
NONRESTRICTIVE CLAUSES OR
PHRASES
 MY GRANDFATHER, WHO SNORES
LOUDLY, ALWAYS SLEEPS IN HIS
LONGJOHNS
 THAT v. WHICH
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COMMA RULES
SERIAL COMMA: SEPARATE ITEMS IN
A SERIES (COMMA BEFORE AND AND
;)
 SEPARATING CLAUSES: BEFORE
COORDINATING CONJUNCTION
(AND, OR, BUT, FOR, NOR, YET)
BETWEEEN TWO INDEPENDENT
CLAUSES
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COMMA SPLICES
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IN A COMMA SPLICE TWO INDEPENDENT
CLAUSES ARE JAMMED TOGETHER INTO
SENTENCE, USUALLY WITH ONLY A
COMMA TO TRY TO HOLD THEM
TOGETHER
AUNT SALLY RAN INTO THE ROOM, TOM
WAS ALREADY GONE.
FIX IT
RUN-ONS
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A RUN-ON SENTENCE IS PRETTY MUCH
THE SAME THING AS A COMMA SPLICE,
WITHOUT THE COMMA
AUNT SALLY SWEPT UP THE SHARDS OF
GLASS SHE WAS FURIOUS
FIX IT
USUALLY THEY ARE MUCH LONGER AND
YOU CAN’T READ THEM OUTLOUD
WITHOUT RUNNING OUT OF BREATH
COMMA SPLICE/RUN-ON
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LOOK FOR PUNCTUATION CHANGES IN
THE ANSWERS
IF YOU SEE AN ANSWER THAT BREAKS UP
THE “SENTENCE” CHECK FOR
INDEPENDENT CLAUSES ON BOTH SIDES
REMEMBER THERE ARE MULTIPLE WAYS
TO FIX THESE PROBLEMS
TRY ALL OF THE OPTIONS
SEMICOLONS and COLONS
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PUT TWO OR MORE INDEPENDENT
CLAUSES TOGETHER TO FORM ONE BIG
SENTENCE
THE CLAUSES MUST BE RELATED
YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO CHOOSE
BETWEEN A SEMICOLON AND PERIOD
USED AFTER COMPLETE STATEMENT TO
INTRO LIST
LAST WORD CANNOT BE A VERB
APOSTROPHES
MARK POSSESSION OR MISSING
LETTERS
 PETER’S CAR; WOMEN’S ISSUES
 THE NOUN MUST BE FOLLOWED BY
ANOTHER NOUN (NOT VERB) TO BE
NECESSARY
 STUDENTS MUST HAVE
IDENTIFICATION CARDS
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APOSTROPHE
THE MOST COMMON APOSTROPHE
ERROR ON THE ACT IS “ITS/IT’S”
 IT’S IS THE CONTRACTION IT IS
 ITS IS THE POSSESSIVE OF IT. THE
DOG LOST ITS COLLAR.
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DASHES
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SEPARATE A WORD OF GROUP OF WORDS
FROM THE REST OF THE SENTENCE
IT IS AN ABRUPT BREAK IN THOUGHT OR
TO INTRODUCE AN EXPLANATION OR
AFTERTHOUGHT
I TRIED TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE—
NOT THAT ANY WORDS COULD BE
ADEQUATE—BUT SHE JUST NODDED AND
WALKED AWAY.
MAKE SURE IT IS AN ABRUPT BREAK IN
THOUGHT AND THERE ARE TWO IN THE
MIDDLE OF A SENTENCE, ONE AT THE
END
QUOTATION MARKS
DIRECT QUOTES
 POEMS, JOURNALS, ARTICLES,
SONGS
 PERIODS INSIDE, QUESTION MARKS
DEPEND
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GRAMMAR AND USAGE
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TEST YOUR ABILITY TO RECOGNIZE THE
PROPER USES OF DIFFERENT PARTS OF
SPEECH
FREQUENTLY THE FOCUS IS: NOUNPRONOUN AGREEMENT, PRONOUN CASE
AGREEMENT, SUBJECT-VERB
AGREEMENT, VERB TENSE, PROPER
PLACEMENT OF ADJECTIVES AND
ADVERBS, CORRECT PLACE OF IDIOM
VERB ERRORS
LOOK FOR AN UNDERLINED VERB
 IT WILL BE EITHER A SUBJECT-VERB
AGREEMENT PROBLEM OR A TENSE
ISSUE
 FIND SIMPLE SUBJECT AND SIMPLE
VERB
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SUBJECT – VERB
AGREEMENT
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VERBS MUST ALWAYS AGREE WITH
THEIR SUBJECTS
LOOK FOR NUMBER ERROR
THE BEST MOMENT DURING A
BROADCAST FILLED WITH MANY GREAT
MOMENTS WERE WHEN THE ASTRONOUT
STEPPED OUT OF THE LUNAR LANDER
AND BOUNCED ON THE MOON.
FIND THE SIMPLE SUBJECT; FIND THE
SIMPLE VERB
PRONOUN-VERB
AGREEMENT
EACH OF THESE MOMENTS HAVE
PLAYED IN MY MIND AGAIN AND
AGAIN AS I TRY TO RECAPTURE THE
EXCITEMENT OF THAT MOMENTOUS
DAY IN JUNE
 SAME STRATEGY
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VERB TENSE
THE ACT WRITERS DON’T CARE IF
YOU KNOW THE NAMES OF VERB
TENSES
 THEY WANT YOU TO BE ABLE TO
SPOT INCONSISTENCIES
 SAM IS WALKING DOWN THE STREET
WHEN HE FOUND A LARGE
SUITCASE
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ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS
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ADJECTIVES MODIFY NOUNS
ADVERBS MODIFY VERBS
IF AN ADJECTIVE OR ADVERB IS
UNDERLINED, CHECK TO MAKE SURE IT
MODIFIES THE CORRECT THING
ADVERBS FREQUENTLY END IN “LY”
WATCH FOR COMPARATIVE ADJECTIVES
(TALLER VERSUS MORE TALL)
PRONOUNS
WHAT IS A PRONOUN?
 THE FIRST RULE – AGREEMENT
 AGREEMENT IN NUMBER – MANY
ARE OBVIOUS
 THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE
INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
 MEMORIZE THE ODD ONES
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PRONOUNS
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PRONOUNS MUST AGREE IN “CASE”
NOMINIATIVE = SUBJECT
OBJECTIVE = SOMETHING HAPPENS TO IT
POSSESSIVE = OWNERSHIP
(SHE/HER) BOUGHT A SOUVENIR NASA
SWEATSHIRT
JANE BOUGHT A SOUVENIR NASA
SWEATSHIRT FOR (HE/HIM)
WHO/WHOM
RHETORICAL SKILLS
35 QUESTIONS
 DEAL WITH STYLE AND EDITING
 A FEW WILL DEAL WITH THE
PASSAGE AS A WHOLE (LEAVE
THESE TO THE END)
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MISPLACED MODIFIERS
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A MODIFYING PHRASE NEEDS TO BE NEAR
WHAT IT IS MODIFYING.
SWEEPING UP THE SHARDS OF GLASS,
THE MISSING KEY TO THE JEWELRY BOX
WAS FOUND BY AUNT SALLY.
WHO IS SWEEPING?
AGAIN TRY THE ANSWERS TO FIND THE
CORRECT ONE
PARALLEL CONSTRUCTION
TWO MAJOR TYPES ON ACT
 BOTH INCLUDE LISTS OF SOME KIND
 VERBS
 WHEN TOM FINALLY CAME HOME,
AUNT SALLY KISSED HIM, HUGGED
HIM, AND GIVES HIM HIS FAVORITE
DESSERT AFTER DINNER
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PARALLEL CONSTRUCTION
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NOUNS
THREE EXPLANATIONS FOR SID’S
LOCKING HIMSELF IN HIS ROOM WERE A
DESIRE TO DO HIS HOMEWORK, A SENSE
THAT HE NEEDED TO HONE HIS COLLEGE
ESSAYS, AND HATING HIS BROTHER TOM,
WHO ALWAYS GETS AWAY WITH
MURDER.
THE NUMBER OF NOUNS OR VERBS IS NOT
ALWAYS THREE
HOW TO SPOT THEM
LOOK FOR A SERIES OF ACTIONS OR
NOUNS
 LOOK AT THE ANSWER OPTIONS
 LOOK FOR CHANGES IN VERB TENSE
 LOOK FOR CHANGES IN THE WAY
THE NOUNS ARE SET UP
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TRANSITIONS
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NEEDED AT THE BEGINNING OF A
CLAUSE, SENTENCE, OR PARAGRAPH
THREE MAIN ONES ARE “BUT”, “THUS”
AND “ALSO” OR A VARIATION ON THE
ABOVE THREE
BUT IS A CONTRADITION; THUS IS FOR
CAUSE AND EFFECT; ALSO MEANS IN
ADDITION
STRATEGY QUESTIONS
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WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING ANSWERS
BEST SUMMARIZES THE MAIN POINT OF
THE PASSAGE?
IS THE USE OF FORMAL ENGLISH
APPROPRIATE IN THE CONTEXT OF THIS
PASSAGE?
IF THE PASSAGE WERE REVISED TO
PRESENT CONFLICTING VIEWPOINTS,
WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING CHANGES
WOULD BEST REPRESENT THE OTHER
SIDE OF THE AUTHOR’S ARGUMENT?
STRATEGY
LEAVE THOSE QUESTIONS TO THE
END
 ELIMINATE AS MANY OPTIONS AS
POSSIBLE
 USE READING STRATEGY
TECHNIQUES
 IF ALL ELSE FAILS, GUESS!
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ORGANIZATION
TWO KINDS
 REORDER SENTENCES WITHIN A
PARAGRAPH
 REORDER PARAGRAPHS AS A
WHOLE
 DO THIS WITH TRIAL AND ERROR
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STYLE
REDUNDANCY
 THE ACT HATES REDUNDANCY
BECAUSE IT REPEATS ITSELF
 OMIT IS FREQUENTLY THE ANSWER
 LOOK FOR SIMILAR ADJECTIVES OR
WORDINESS
 TONE OF OVERALL PASSAGE
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