More A.C.T. English tips Pronouns, adjective/adverbs, comparisons, idiomatic prepositions, infinitives/gerunds, and rhetorical skills

Pronouns A pronoun takes the place of a noun. Make sure that you use the correct pronoun based upon the noun it replaces. The biggest trick is to remember that these indefinite pronouns are always singular: each, anybody, anyone, someone, everyone, somebody (plus several more). For example: Everyone needs to get out his book. These indefinite pronouns are plural: both, few, many, (plus several more). Some indefinite pronouns can be singular or plural, depending upon the phrase that follows: most, all, none, any, some. For example: Most of the snow is on my driveway. Most of the snowflakes are on my tongue.

Pronouns Legislators are often less concerned with balancing the budget and addressing the actual needs of their constituents than one is with pleasing lobbyists and making the nightly news. A. NO CHANGE B. than they are with C. than you are with D. than he or she is with

Pronouns Correct answer is B

PRONOUNS At the highest point in Iowa, Hawkeye Point, climbers are greeted after muddy ascents with milk and cookies up a cattle path on the nearest farm. A. NO CHANGE B. climbers are greeted with milk and cookies after finishing the muddy ascent up the nearest farm’s cattle path. C. greeting milk and cookies on the nearest farm after the climber’s muddy ascent up the cattle path. D. on the nearest farm milk and cookies greet the muddy ascent of the climbers up a local cattle farm’s path.

Pronouns Correct answer is B

Rhetorical Skills – usually about the whole passage! Writing strategy questions Questions on organization, unity, and cohesion Style Questions

Rhetorical questions Remember our strategy regarding the questions! USE YOUR PENCIL TO MARK THEM TRUE OR FALSE. Read the whole passage to determine the tone and the author’s purpose. If the paragraphs are numbered, you will probably be asked about the order of them. If the sentences ae numbered, you will probably be asked about the order of the sentences. There will more than likely be a question about whether a transition word was used correctly or is needed at all.

English strategy review Always guess. Because there is no penalty for an incorrect answer, you should have an answer marked for every ACT question.

English strategy review Work at a good pace. You have an average of just 36 seconds per question, so don’t spend too much time on any one question.

English strategy review Read “paragraph-by-paragraph.” After reading each paragraph, answer the questions based on that paragraph.

English strategy review Check the context. Often the best way to revise the underlined portion of a sentence is to pick up clues from the non-underlined portion of the sentence.

English strategy review Check, fix, find, and plug. Go back to the passage; check the context; rewrite the sentence to fix the error; find that answer or a similar one among the choices; plug your choice into the sentence to make sure it works.

English strategy review Read all of the choices. Look at ALL of the answer choices before deciding. The answers can help you determine what the problem is asking and jog your memory if you’re uncertain.

English strategy review Look for the short answer. The shortest answer is often the best (especially when OMIT is an option).

English strategy review Watch for NO CHANGE. It is the correct answer 20-25% of the time that it is offered. Do not overlook this option.