Transcript ACT English Test - Springfield Public Schools

Preparation and Review
English Test Overview
Consists of five passages, 15 items per passage
Non-fiction prose from books, magazines, or
student essays
Part or all of a sentence is underlined
Four answer choices are given; three rephrase
or eliminate the underlined portion; one states
“No Change”
English Test Overview
Decide which of the four alternatives is best by
using:
~Grammatical Correctness
~Proper English Usage
~Clarity
~Conciseness
~Style
English Test Overview
Some questions ask about the passage’s overall
organization or about changing, adding, or
deleting some of the contents of the passage.
Decide which alternative will add to the overall
effectiveness of the passage as a piece of
writing.
Timing for English Test
 Total Time = 45 minutes
 Try to answer at a rate of 2 questions per
minute to allow time to check work at the
end.
Types of Questions
Usage and Mechanics Questions
~40 Questions
Rhetoric Skills Questions
~35 Questions
Usage and Mechanics
Test your knowledge on the rules of English
grammar and usage.
Focus is on whether a sentence is technically
correct.
~Subject-Verb Agreement
~Verb Tenses
~Parallel Sentence Structure
~Proper Use of Punctuation
Usage and Mechanics
 Punctuation = 13%
~internal and end of sentence punctuation
~avoiding ambiguity (confusion)
 Grammar and Usage = 16%
~subject/verb agreement, pronoun/antecedent agreement,
modifier agreement, verb formation, pronoun case,
comparative/superlative adjectives and adverbs, idiomatic
usage
 Sentence Structure = 24%
~relationship between and among clauses, placement of modifiers,
and shifts in construction
Rhetoric Skills
Test your writing, revising, and editing abilities.
Concerned about how to write clearly, concisely,
and accurately while maintaining a consistent
tone and style.
~12 writing strategy questions
~11 writing organization questions
~12 style questions
General Strategies
 Skim the entire passage first to get a sense of its
content, organization, and style.
 Look closely at the underlined portions or the
portions with boxed numbers.
 Select the best answer choice.
 Insert the answer you chose into the sentence to
confirm that it is correct and that no new errors have
been introduced.
Writing Strategy
Test your knowledge on effective composing
and editing.
Questions refer to the purpose of the writing, the
audience, the appropriateness of supporting
ideas, or the paragraph structure.
Sample Writing Question
“At the same time that the Internet is increasing in popularity,
educators have two worries: students may be tempted to plagiarize,
and some of the “facts” they find on the Web may not be true at all.”
Which sentence best supports the paragraph’s purpose and audience?
A. Sometimes students think the information they find is true
when it is not
B. Plagiarizing can result in receiving a failing grade.
C. Teachers are also concerned that the Internet is a distraction
from school
D. This has teachers worried.
Sample Writing Question
Answer
The Answer is C!
Options A and D are redundant; Option B
is not as well related to the paragraph
The use of “also” is a clue that option C is
a continuation of a previous idea
Sample Writing Organization Question

Questions deal with the order in which ideas appear in a
paragraph or passage
Fiction was more entertaining, and fiction sold more newspapers
than facts did. [1] Print publishers experienced the same
problem when newspapers first became popular. [2] Consumers
turned to sources they could trust. [3] Eventually, this situation
changed when newspapers began holding one another
accountable. [4]
A.
B.
C.
D.
NO CHANGE
4, 1, 2, 3
2, 1, 4, 3
3, 2, 4, 1
Sample Organization
Answer
The correct answer is C!
Skimming this paragraph for the topic
sentence will immediately lead you to the
correct answer; option C is the only one
that starts with sentence 2.
Sample Writing Style Question
 Tests your understanding of a passage’s tone voice, clarity,
economy, or purpose. Tests if you avoid wordiness and
redundancy.
“At the same time that the Internet is increasing [1]in popularity,
educators have two worries: students may be tempted to plagiarize,
and some of the “facts” they find on the Web may not be true at all.”
A.
B.
C.
D.
NO CHANGE
As the Internet increases
While the Internet is increasingly
Even though the Internet is increasing
Writing Style Answer
The correct answer is B!
Option A is unnecessarily wordy.
Option C is not grammatically correct.
Option D introduces a false opposition
with “Even though”.
Usage and Mechanics
 These questions focus on the conventions of
punctuation, grammar and usage, and sentence
structure formation.
 Punctuation questions involve identifying and correcting
the following misplaced, missing, or unnecessary
punctuation marks:
~commas
~apostrophes
~colons and semicolons
~parentheses and dashes
~periods
~question marks
~exclamation points
Sample Usage/Mechanics
Question
 Read choices carefully in order to notice the presence or
absence of commas, semicolons, periods, or other
punctuation.
 “It was sleek, eye-catching, and best of all; appeared to
be actually functional.”
F.
G.
H.
J.
NO CHANGE
eye-catching, and, best, of all
eye-catching and best of, all,
eye-catching, and, best of all,
Usage/Mechanics Answer
The correct answer is J!
The phrase “best of all” occurs in the
middle of a punctuated series, so it would
be more helpful to the reader if it were set
off using punctuation. J is the only option
for placing a comma before and after “best
of all”, and it also proposes a comma after
the next-to-last item in the series.
Comma Rules
 When using coordinating conjunctions to connect
sentences, use a comma before the coordinating
conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet.):
~Our Tiger teams are great, and I know they will win this
week!
 Use commas to separate items in a series:
~The volleyball team will serve, set, spike, and win!
 Use commas to separate two or more adjectives
preceding a noun:
~Our tough, mighty football team will dominate the game.
A Mini Grammar Lesson
Subject/Verb Agreement
~The owner of the bicycles are going to sell them.
~ The owner of the bicycles is going to sell them.
Pronoun and Antecedent
~Susan and Mary left her briefcases in the office.
~Susan and Mary left their briefcases in the office.
A Mini Grammar Lesson
Adjective and Adverbs
~Danielle spread frosting liberal on the cake.
~Danielle spread frosting liberally on the cake.
Verb Forms
~Fritz had just began to eat his dinner.
~Fritz had just begun to eat his dinner.
A Mini Grammar Lesson
Pronoun forms and cases
~Sam and Samantha ignored there parents all the time.
~Sam and Samantha ignored their parents all the time.
~At the end of the game, Mark and me ate pizza.
~At the end of the game, Mark and I ate pizza.
Pronouns continued
Questions dealing with pronouns
sometimes have to do with using the
proper form and case of the pronoun.
Often, however, they address a pronoun’s
agreement with its antecedent. In such
cases, it’s important to consider the entire
sentence, and sometimes the preceding
sentence, in order to make sure you know
what the antecedent is.
Pronouns continued
When Hank Aaron stretched out a sinewy
arm to pull one down,(37) striding up to a
rack of ash-hewn bats, (37) he became a
modern-day knight selecting their (38) lance.
38.
F.
G.
H.
I.
NO CHANGE
there
his
one’s
Hank Aaron Answer
The correct answer is H!
The possessive pronoun refers back to
“modern-day knight”. F does not agree in
number, G is the wrong “there” (adv), and
J should be used to refer to a person not
specifically named. H (his) is the best
answer in this case.
A Mini Grammar Lesson
Comparative/Superlative Modifiers
~My goldfish is more smarter than your brother.
~My goldfish is smarter than your brother.
~Your brother, however, has the cuter dog I’ve ever
seen.
~Your brother, however, has the cutest dog I’ve ever
seen.
More Mini Grammar Lessons
Sentence Structure
 Subordinate or dependent clauses
~These hamsters are great pets because providing
hours of cheap entertainment.
~These hamsters are great pets providing hours of
cheap entertainment.
OR
~~These hamsters are great pets because they provide
hours of cheap entertainment.
More Mini Grammar Lessons
Sentence Structure
 Subordinate or dependent clauses
When a subordinate conjunction begins a sentence, it
should be followed by a comma. Do NOT use a comma
if the subordinate conjunction is in the middle of the
sentence.
Ex. Because it was late, we had to go home.
We had to go home because it was late.
Ex. Whenever our girls work hard, they will win.
Our girls will win whenever they work hard.
After, Although, If, Unless, So that, As long as, While, Until
Whenever, Before
More Mini Grammar Lessons
Sentence Structure
 Run-on Sentences
~We discovered the house had been robbed it was horrible.
~We discovered the house had been robbed. It was horrible.
OR
~We discovered the house had been robbed; it was horrible.
More Mini Grammar Lessons
Sentence Structure
 Comma Splices
~The opposing team had terrible manners, their locker
room was a mess!
~The opposing team had terrible manners. Their locker
room was a mess!
OR
~The opposing team had terrible manners; their locker
room was a mess!
More Mini Grammar Lessons
Sentence Structure
 Sentence Fragments
~When he fumbled the ball
~When he fumbled the ball, the player from MLBO cried.
 Misplaced modifiers
~Mr. Tate noticed some caterpillars pruning his fruit trees.
~Pruning his fruit trees, Mr. Tate noticed some caterpillars.
More Mini Grammar Lessons
Sentence Structure
 Shifts in Construction
~The Tigers were ready to play volleyball, but before
they ran out on the court, Ashley and Amy say a cheer.
~The Tigers were ready to play volleyball, but before
they ran out on the court, Ashley and Amy said a cheer.
Sentence Structure Question
 Many questions about sentence structure and formation will
ask you about how clauses and phrases are linked. Consider
various words that can link clauses and phrases like: and, but,
because, when, who, whose, which, and that.
~Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio - names like these
will echo through time that are (35) trumpet calls to storied
battles fought and won in ages past.
35. A.
B.
C.
D.
NO CHANGE
time like
time in which
time, which is like
Baseball Answer
The correct answer is B!
All the other answers just don’t sound
right. B is the best choice
Recap of Strategies
Know the directions to each test.
Pace yourself.
Be aware of the writing styles used in each
passage.
Consider a question’s context before choosing
an answer.
Examine the underlined portions of the passage.
Note the differences in the options.
Determine the best answer.
Recap of Strategies
Reread the sentence using your choice.
Avoid making new mistakes.
Be aware of the connotations of words.
Be careful with two-part questions.
Watch for independent questions
(Sometimes it may be best to answer
the following questions before the one
that precedes it.)
Stay Calm!!!
Please let me know if I can be of
any help to you before the test!!
Helpful Websites
For Practice Tests:
www.mncis.intocareers.org
For ACT Information:
www.act.org
www.actstudent.org