Answers Questions 2 and 3 on a piece of paper Look at your answers on the back of your score sheet for questions 10, 28, 29, 47, 51, 52, 59, 67, and 69. Which ones did you get incorrect? Of those that you got incorrect what answers did you choose?

The ACT English Test 5 Passages 75 Questions Minutes 9 Minutes Per Passage

Usage and Mechanics Rhetorical Skills Basic Grammar & Usage (16%) Punctuation (13%) Basic Grammar & Usage (16%) Sentence Structure (24%) Rhetorical Skills Strategy (16%) Organization (15%) Style (16%)

Top Strategies for the ACT English Test Skim the entire passage before answering the questions. Don’t immediately jump to the question without reading a couple sentences before and after the underlined section.

For example: her dogs has sleek, brown hair F. No change G. are H. have J. do not have

But look: The girl walking her dogs has sleek, brown hair F. No change G. are H. have J. do not have

Top Strategies Continued 2. Guess if you don’t know the answer! NEVER leave a question blank. If you don’t know the answer right off the bat, you probably don’t know it – either move on and come back to it or guess. Use the same letter for each question you are guessing on. For example, if you leave 7 questions blank and you know you only have 1 minute left pick a letter and bubble it in for each of those questions.

Top Strategies Continued 3. Eliminate answer choices Eliminate the answers that you know are incorrect right off the bat. Most of the time you can eliminate 2 of the answers – that gives you a 50% chance of choosing the right answer versus 25%.

Top Strategies Continued 4. Strategy for “NO CHANGE” Do not overlook “NO CHANGE” as a possible answer to the problem. It is correct approximately 20% of the time it’s offered. If your gut tells you there’s nothing wrong with the underlined phrase, don’t change the phrase.

Top Strategies Continued 5. If the phrase doesn’t fit, you must OMIT OMIT means to take out the underlined portion. When an answer choice allows you to “OMIT the underlined portion,” think hard about that option. “OMIT,” when it appears as an answer, is correct approximately 25 percent of the time. We don’t suggest that you go through the test ticking off “OMIT” for every possible question, but we do want you to consider it as an answer.

OMIT the Material When… It is unnecessary It is repetitious, or It is wordy When in doubt, take it out!

Top Strategies Continued 6. Short and sweet The ACT like short and to the point answers versus long, wordy answers. Often times the shortest answer is the correct answer If you don’t know the answer – pick the shortest one

For example: Let’s look at these questions to see the rules in action: #28 #67 #52

Suggested practices: Only pick things like OMIT, NO CHANGE, and the shortest answer right off the bat if you really don’t know the answer to the question. The ACT knows these strategies so they might try to trick those that ALWAYS use them.

Top Strategies Continued 7. Strategy for using COLONS - : The two main uses of colons are: To introduce a list Before an example – colons replace the phrases “and it is as follows” and “the following” Let’s look at #47!

Top Strategies Continued 8. Strategy for TRANSITIONS. The ACT usually gives 3 transitions with one meaning and then the right one is the opposite of those three. Let’s look at #69

Pronouns that show Possession Pronouns as Subjects Pronouns as Objects Pronouns that show Possession I Me My (mine) You Your (yours) He, She, It Him, Her, It His, Her (hers), It (its) We Us Our (ours) They Them Their (theirs) Who Whom Whose

Pronouns A pronoun replaces a noun Antecedents are the nouns to which those pronouns refer. For example: Tim said that he would love to do the yard work “Tim” is the antecedent “he” is the pronoun

Let’s be Clear Pronouns must be linked clearly to a specific noun. For example: NOT: Although the motorcycle hit the tree, it was not damaged. (Is “it” the motorcycle or the tree?) NOT: I don’t think they should show violence on TV. (Who are “they”?)

Agreement in Number If the pronoun takes place of a singular noun, you have to use a singular pronoun. For example: The team is proud of its win. (singular pronoun and antecedent) The players are proud of their win. (plural pronoun and antecedent)

Don’t be fooled The words that end in BODY, & ONE (including everybody, anybody, anyone, nobody, someone) are considered singular antecedents and need singular pronouns. Everybody ought to do his or her best (NOT: their best) NEITHER is also considered singular. Neither of the girls brought her umbrella. (NOT: their umbrellas)

Agreement for Compound Subjects If your subject consists of two parts, you have to make sure the nouns and pronouns are in the correct form. For example: NOT: Bob and me travel a good deal. (Would you say, “me travel”? NO! So it’s “Bob and I”) NOT: He gave the flowers to Jane and I. (Would you say, “he gave the flowers to I”? NO! It’s “me”) NOT: Us men like the coach. (Would you say, “us like the coach”? NO! It’s “We”

Agreement in Gender Sometimes the pronoun can refer to a male and female. If the antecedent is singular, the pronoun must be too. For example: If a student parks a car on campus, he or she has to buy a parking sticker. NOT: If a student parks a car on campus, they have to buy a parking sticker.

MOST COMMON ERRORS: SINGULAR AND PLURALS

MOST common error in this area? Singulars and Plurals MOST common error in this area? The use of THEY When a friend borrows my car, I usually ask them to fill it with gas before they return it. When a friend borrows my car, I usually ask them to fill it with gas before they return it. When friends borrow my car, I usually ask them to fill it with gas before they return it. Let’s look at #51

It’s or Its? Whose or Who’s? The apostrophe takes the place of a letter. It’s = It is Who’s = Who is STRATEGY: Slow down when you come to these. Read the sentence as “It is” or “Who is” to be SURE you’ve chosen the correct answer.

Who’s or Whose? Who’s / Whose Line Is It Anyway is a funny television show. Its /It’s on the comedy channel. 1. Who is Line Is It Anyway… 2. Whose Line Is It Anyway… OR

Sample Problem Who’s / Whose Line Is It Anyway is a funny television show. Its /It’s on the comedy channel. 1. It is on the comedy channel OR 2. Its on the comedy channel

It’s or Its? This question WILL be on the ACT Again, it’s replaces “it is” Whereas, its means it owns Let’s look at #10 Let’s look at #29

Uh-Oh What do I do here? Let’s look at # 59

Homework: Finish the Pronoun Practice Handout for tomorrow There will be a quiz on ACT English test strategies and Pronouns on Friday.