Transcript ACT English: Day 1

Fix it:
Q: At first, I initially was afraid of
flying but eventually I got accustome
to it.
Fix it:
A: At first, I initially was afraid of
flying, but eventually I got
accustomed to it.
Click on link for video explanation:
PLAN scores & your ACT score:
What does it mean?
General Information:
•45 Minutes to answer 75 questions
•5 passages = 9 minutes per passage
•4 answer choices per question
Question Types:
1) Usage & Mechanics: 40 questions
A. Commas, semicolons, dashes, apostrophes…
B. Subject-Verb agreement, pronouns…
C. Clauses, parallelism, modifiers…
2) Rhetorical Skills
A. Organization: placement of words, phrases, sentences…
B. Style: word choice, understanding tone
C. Writing Strategy: Point & purpose, intro/con, transitions…
General Information:
•45 Minutes to answer 75 questions
•5 passages = 9 minutes per passage
•4 answer choices per question
Question Types:
1) Usage & Mechanics: 40 questions
A. Commas, semicolons, dashes, apostrophes…
B. Subject-Verb agreement, pronouns…
C. Clauses, parallelism, modifiers…
2) Rhetorical Skills
A. Organization: placement of words, phrases, sentences…
B. Style: word choice, understanding tone
C. Writing Strategy: Point & purpose, intro/con, transitions…
Usage & Mechanics
Having studied, my
mother is a marine
biologist.
A. NO CHANGE
B. As my mother’s
interest is science, she
is
C. My mother’s
occupation is that of
D. My mother is
Answer: D
•Clearest
•Most Concise
•Avoids unnecessary words
Rhetorical Skills
Question #14:
For the sake of the logic and
coherence of the essay,
Paragraph 2 should be
placed:
F.
G.
H.
J.
where it is now.
before Paragraph 1.
after Paragraph 3.
after Paragraph 4.
Answer: F
• Comes at the END of a passage
• Time sucker…
• Choose NO CHANGE, star and
move on if not sure
Economy:
The simplest
sounding answer is
right a lot of the
time.


Order:
Always tackle
questions in the
order that maximizes
your potential to
score well.

Pacing:
Find the right gear.
For many students,
slowing down will be
more important than
working quickly.

Intuition:
Consider order and
pacing, but work
confidently.
What is wrong with this example?:
Bob, and his best friend, decided they
would spray paint Mr. Wagner’s car
pink and put princess decals on the
hood.
1) Clause
2) Independent Clause
3) Dependent Clause
4) Possession
5) Conjunction


Def: a group of words that contains a
subject, an object, or both, plus a verb
Ex: “I love Miley Cyrus.”


Def: a clause that can stand on its own as a
sentence
Ex: “I love Miley Cyrus.”


Def: a clause that cannot stand on its own as
a sentence. A dependent clause “depends” on
the rest of the sentence to make sense.
Ex: “because I love Miley Cyrus.”
“loving Miley Cyrus.”
“and I love Miley Cyrus.”


Def: showing ownership or belonging.
Ex: Mr. Wagner’s copy of Bangerz is on the
shelf.



Def: a word that connects words, phrases, or
clauses.
Ex: Miley Cyrus is going through a rebellious
stage, but she is still talented.
(FAN BOYS): for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so

Create a visual for the “Terms to Know” that
include the following:
◦
◦
◦
◦
1)
2)
3)
3)
The Term
Its definition
Two examples
A visual that acts as a memory clue

Take the sample test.
Fix the dependent clauses:
1) Because Kanye is marrying Kim.
2) Since the Red Wings won last
night.
3) If I don’t do my homework.
1) Comma Rules
2) Semicolon
3) Colon
4) Dash
5) Apostrophe






1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
Introductory Phrase = comma
Nonessential? Give it a hug!
Series or list = comma
Sentence in unusual order = comma
Independent, (FANBOYS) Independent
Independent (FANBOYS) Dependent = No
comma
Correct: After seven hours of lecturing, Mr.
Baker finally passed out!
Correct: Over the years, my writing has
improved.
Fix: Upon completing the building the
contractor sent us the bill.
Fix: Well that went by fast!
Fix: Since Prince Fielder was injured the Tigers
have not been the same.
•
•
•
Information is still relevant, but still not
necessary to make a grammatical sentence.
If you can remove the information and the
sentence still makes sense, it needs a
“comma hug”!
“BTW” phrases
•
•
Correct: Mr. Brock, our principal at PHHS,
likes to break dance in his free time.
Correct: Mr. Wagner, who is an Elvis
impersonator on the weekends, has signed
up for choir class.
•
•
•
Fix: My brother Nick, a chef owns his own
restaurant.
Fix: The ACT is important of course for every
high school junior.
Fix: McDonald’s the world’s largest fast food
chain, is located across the street.
•
•
Correct: How could you dump me, tell Julia
you love her, go to prom with her, and then
tell me you love me?
Correct: For band camp, they say I need two
pairs of pants, bug spray, sunscreen, and my
instrument.
•
•
•
Fix: Completing Mr. Weiss’s tedious
treacherous tasks exhausts me.
Fix: My friend has a dog a cat a parrot and a
penguin.
Fix: The relentless overwhelming powerful
wind blew my tent over.
The Adjective Test:
If you can say the word “and” between the
adjectives that modify a noun, then you need
to use a comma. If you can’t, omit the comma.
EX: Ms. Dwyer lives in a large brick house.
EX: He often wears a gray wool sweater with
cats on it.
•
•
•
Correct: Early in the morning, we started on
our trip.
Correct: Standing beside the stream, I could
see many trout.
Correct: Though she seemed calm, Jill was
really quite nervous.
•
•
•
Fix: Brooke did well considering she didn’t
study at all.
Fix: Diving for the ball the outfielder made a
great catch.
Fix: Mr. Arcieri offered rewards to students
trying to improve their test scores.
•
•
•
Correct: I’m thinking of going to the concert,
but I need to find a ride.
Correct: I’ll take a #2 with a Coke, and I’ll
super size it!
Correct: Will was the best hockey player on
the team, so he was offered a scholarship.
•
•
•
Fix: Mr. Eastman is growing a beard but Mr.
Roberts already has one.
Fix: Vanessa is at TEC but Greg is not.
Fix: They have not called me down so I think
I will be safe!
Note:
When you see a conjunction like “and”, it
splits the sentence in half. Say both parts of
the sentence. If the second half of the
sentence doesn’t sound like a complete
sentence, no comma is necessary.
EX: Mike was the first person in the scene of
the accident and tried to help the injured
passenger.
1) Use it to separate two independent clauses
EX: Mr. Eastman is growing a beard; Mr. Roberts
already has one.
2) Use it to separate two independent clauses that also
have a conjunctive adverb
EX: Mr. Eastman is growing a beard; however, Mr.
Roberts already has one.
1) Use it to separate two independent clauses
Fix: My parole officer is coming on Tuesday I’m scared
to death.
2) Use it to separate two independent clauses that also
have a conjunctive adverb
EX: My parole officer is missing two teeth however my
mom is missing four.
1) Use it after an independent clause to introduce
an example, an explanation, a short phrase, or a
list.
EX: There is only one city where I’d never live:
Marysville, Michigan.
EX: The teacher had only two rules: be on time
and check your attitude at the door.
1) Use it after an independent clause to introduce
an example, an explanation, a short phrase, or a
list.
FIX: Charlie took several items to the beach a
football, a towel, his cell phone, and his iPod.
Fix: John has a serious problem: he’s 16 and
doesn’t know how to tie his shoes!
•
•
Not tested frequently
Use when there’s a major break or interruption in
thought. Usually you will need the dash on both
sides of the break.
EX: Eating at Freighters is expensive-it cost me
$65 last time I went-but the meal was worth it.
EX: Three of my most difficult classes-physics,
trig, and English-are all first thing in the morning.
•
FIX: Because of the unbelievable cold today it is only
5 degrees I need to crank up the heat.
Sample Question:
I used to play with Barbie dolls, only when I felt lonely
and I would make my brother play with me.
A. NO CHANGE
B. only when I felt lonely; and
C. only when I, felt lonely, and
D. -only when I felt lonely-and
•
Used to show possession
EX: Danny’s hat says “State” on it.
(singular possession)
EX: Both of my parents’ siblings live in Detroit.
(plural + possession)
•
•
Fix: I didn’t like Mr. Gilberts advice about
talking to girls, so I decided to talk to my
dad.
Fix: We drove to the lake in Angies and
Paiges car.
•
Used in a contraction
EX: it’s (it + is)
there’s (there is)
they’re (they are)
who’s (who is)
•
Used in a contraction
Fix: Its getting hot in here!
Fix: My cousin, whos a drummer, is in a band.
Fix: Im going to take a ride on their boat.
Mind tricks!
Say the following sentence to
yourself:
1) The boys takes the test seriously.
• A noun must agree in number with
its verb.
EX: The boy takes the test seriously.
EX: The girls take the test seriously.
Sample Q:
Tom, encouraged by his friends, are finally going
to get that “Justin Bieber” tattoo.
A.
B.
C.
D.
NO CHANGE
friends, is
friends are
friends: are
Identify the subject-verb agreement error and then
correct it with your partner:
1) Beth and her boyfriend Jeff is going to the movie this
weekend.
2) James or Felix are traveling to the extreme bike
races with me this weekend.
3) Each of the boys dance well enough to be in a music
video.
•
When a passage starts in one tense, it needs
to stay in one tense, usually for the entire
paragraph.
Correct: Joe ran the race and won.
Incorrect: Joe ran the race and wins.
Correct: Kate tried to teach her mom to text but didn’t expect her
to get it.
Incorrect: Kate tries to teach her mom to text but didn’t expect her
to get it.
Fix:
1) As soon as the last bell rang, Mr.
Theut’s class rushed to the door.
2) Bill has dressed up like a ballerina
every year since the 3rd grade, and
every year his friends laughed at him.
Note: the pronouns “each”, “any”, and “body” dominate
agreement questions on the ACT.
EX: everybody & anybody are SINGULAR
Answer:
1) Everyone took (his/their) water guns to prom.
2) If anybody wants to go to the movies this weekend,
(she/they) should give (her/their) number to Abby so
she can get (her/them) a discounted rate.
Answer:
When the juniors come to class, we know that not
all of you will have you’re homework done.
A.
B.
C.
D.
NO CHANGE
you will have your
them will have their
you, will have your
Answer:
When Jeremy and Justin went to the rodeo in
Kansas, they met the rodeo clowns and they
showed them how to rope.
A.
B.
C.
D.
NO CHANGE
they,
, they
Jeremy
What is missing?:
1) Being incredibly proud.
2) Because he is cold.



A sentence is a sentence when it has a
SUBJECT and a PREDICATE.
If one is missing, it is a fragment!
Know your punctuation rules to ace these
questions!


A sentence that is too long and includes too
many independent clauses joined by
improper punctuation.
Know your punctuation rules to ace these
questions!

The phrase that describes the noun or verb
must be located immediately next to the
noun or verb that it is describing; otherwise it
is confusing!
INCORRECT: The tennis player asked the
swimmer to help change her tire in a short
skirt.
INCORRECT: The tennis player asked the
swimmer to help change her tire in a short
skirt.
CORRECT: The tennis player in the short skirt
asked the swimmer to help change her tire.
FIX: The group of freshmen boys admired the
cluster of junior girls with grins on their faces.
•
Words in a list that have parallel roles, must
be parallel grammatically, too!
Correct: Ms. Myers sang, danced, and juggled
as she entered her classroom.
Incorrect: Ms. Myers singing, danced, and
juggling as she entered her classroom.
Fix:
1) Trey likes to hike, to bike, and running.
2) Mrs. Shymko’s AP students were asked to
write their essays accurately, thoughtfully,
and in a detailed manner.
3) Matt’s parents told him to clean the kitchen,
clean his room, and give the dog a haircut.
•
World of Words!
Fix these common errors:
1) “15 items or less”
2) It’s to hot in here.
3) I ate lunch and than
threw up.




1) Simplify word choices: be economical and
clear, not fancy!
2) Understand the tone of a passage to
decide if formal or informal word choices are
appropriate
3) Don’t use the plural pronoun “their” to
refer to the singular noun “everyone”.
4) Misused verbs: substitute another word

Ex: Around a child’s first birthday, his
awareness of his surroundings suddenly
heightens.
A. NO CHANGE
B. improves
C. raise
D. rises
Misused Word
1
Accept/except
2
Effect/affect
3
Fewer/less
4
Then/than
5
To/too/two
6
It’s/its
7
Farther/further
8
Could/would/
should/might…
9
Their/there/they’re
10
That/which
11
That/which vs. who
12
Who/whom
13
I/me
Definitions
Example
Define:
Part of Speech
1
Noun
2
Verb
3
Adjective
4
Adverb
5
Conjunction
6
Preposition
Definition/example
Definition: sentences that unnecessarily repeat information
Example:
1: At first, I initially was afraid of flying.
2: My first class begins at 11 a.m. in the morning.
Fix the above sentences:

Purpose:
* enhance clarity
* support logical sequence of ideas
1) Signify cause/effect relationships:
therefore, as a result, because, so, thus
2) Signify contrast:
however, although, but, despite, though,
on the other hand, while, yet
3) Lead to examples or convey emphasis,
similarity, and continuation:
for example, for instance, in addition, in fact,
likewise, moreover, similarly
Video: ACT PREP
Thinking Like a Writer
Define:
1)
2)
3)
4)
Main Idea
Purpose
Tone
Style
Main idea:
What is the topic? What is the author trying to
say about the topic?
Purpose:
Does the author want to entertain, inform,
explain, or persuade?
Tone:
What is the author’s attitude toward the
subject? Sarcastic? Distant? Nostalgic?
Style:
Is it conversational? Formal? Direct?
Academic?
1)
2)
3)
4)
Identified by the brackets or boxes with
numbers
Look for question stems in the right-hand
column
Ask questions about organization or
strategy
Will be asked to rearrange, add, or delete
information
Relevance:
• Tests your ability to determine if information
should belong or be omitted.
• Consider the purpose & tone
• Read the entire section before answering
• Determine focus of passage/paragraph
Meaning:
• Asks you to assess the effects of changing,
adding, or omitting a section
Clarity and Precision:
• Asks you to choose the most clear or precise
expression of an idea
• May be no question stem
Organization and Relationships:
• Asks you to place a sentence correctly within
one of the paragraphs or to identify which
order is best for the paragraphs within the
essay
1)
Opening paragraph
2)
Body paragraphs
3)
Concluding paragraphs

Put the essay back in order!

Instructional Video Link
Bell Work: Create an “outline” for a paper
about a subject of your choice.

Complete “Practice Thinking Like a Writer”
ACT English Practice Test
• Use the hour to complete the practice test
ACT English Practice Test
• Go over the answers to the practice test
• Review material from the course