BEATING THE ACT Focus on English

The English test has 75 questions to be done in 45 minutes. WHEW! That’s a lot in a little time.

But don’t be dejected… This part of the ACT is the MOST teachable and the EASIEST to learn.

SO SMILE!

KNOWLEDGE + SKILLS BUILDING + STRATEGY = SUCCESS

IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW THE ENEMY! Within the English test, there are two types of questions questions on Usage/Mechanics (UM). These deal with all the rules you have learned all your life in English classes and in life itself. Later we’ll review the ones that are the most prevalent on the ACT. AND 2.35 questions on Rhetorical Skills (RH). So…what are these enigmatic, esoteric Rhetorical Skills?

Certainly, nothing to be confused about!

Rhetoric is simply effective writing. Colleges want to know that you can recognize… GOOD RHETORIC, I.E. EFFECTIVE WRITING.

RH questions are among those most often missed on the English portion of the ACT, but those who are armed with determination and some very helpful hints will PREVAIL!

Main Issues on RH Questions I.STRATEGY These questions test how well you 1.Choose expressions appropriate to an essay’s audience and purpose 2.Judge the effect of adding, revising, or deleting supporting material, and 3.Judge the relevancy statements in context.

II.Organization These questions test how well you 1.Put ideas in their best order, and 2. Choose the most effective opening, transitional, or closing sentences.

III.Style These questions test your ability to 1.Choose precise and appropriate words and images, 2.Maintain the level of style and tone in the passage, 3.Manage sentence elements for effectiveness, and 4.Avoid ambiguous pronoun reference, wordiness, and redundancy.

ERGO… BE AWARE (BEWARE) OF THE WRITING STYLE IN EACH PASSAGE!* The choice you make has to maintain the style of the passage. For example, if the passage is cut and dried, informational and a bit formal, then your answer must be too. Don’t choose playful language or slanguage. If the passage is light and humorous, your answer should be, too.

On to…HINTS! HINT #1:CLUE WORDS If you can focus on clue words, words that describe the answer, you can focus in on the answer without even having read the passage. Yes! Without even having read the passage. Let’s try it.

1.The writer would like to suggest the potter’s cautious pace and sense of anticipation in opening the kiln. Given that all the choices are true, which one best accomplishes the writer’s goal? (Above is the stem for an RH question on strategy. Some words in the stem point you to the correct answer. Choose the words that you think give you insight into which “true” answer to choose.) You should have indicated “suggest,” “cautious pace,” and “sense of anticipation.”

Based on the CLUE WORDS, choose the correct answer: 1.Takes bricks away 2.Removes bricks by hand 3.Removes one brick at a time 4.Experiences great anticipation and removes bricks The correct answer is #3. Why isn’t the answer #4?

The writer would like to indicate that at this point the fire is extremely intense. Given that all the choices are true, which one best accomplishes the writer’s goal? Select the CLUE WORDS. Select the answer: 1.A controlled inferno roars 2.The fire is stronger than ever 3.There is more heat being produced 4.A kind of intense blaze takes place Answer: #1

Which choice provides the most specific and precise information? Select the CLUE WORDS. Select the answer: 1.Things they could eat 2.Fresh foods 3.Vegetables and fruits 4.Edible items Answer: #3

Which choice fits most specifically with the information at the end of this sentence? (The passage is about kayaking. The information at the end of the sentence is “frequented by shorebirds and other wildlife.) Select the CLUE WORDS. Select the answer: 1.Person 2.Nature watcher 3.Paddler 4.Fun seeker Answer: #2

Given that all the choices are true, which one most specifically and vividly describes the underwater terrain? Select the CLUE WORDS. Select the answer: 1.There are signs of both seismic and volcanic activity. 2.The results of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are evident. 3.The effect of earthquake and volcanic activity is apparent. 4.The ocean floor is scarred by earthquakes and underwater volcanoes. Answer: #4

Which choice would most clearly communicate the elderly relatives’ positive attitude toward this practice? Select the CLUE WORDS. Select the answer: 1.Duplicating an accepted practice 2.Living with two birthdays themselves 3.With great enthusiasm 4.Obligingly Answer: #3

Given that all the choices are true, which one would most clearly describe an interaction between Susan and Emily during Emily’s writing process? Select the CLUE WORDS. Select the answer: 1.Who read the poem 2.Liked the poem tremendously 3.Considered and thought about the poem 4.Praised the poem but suggested revisions Answer: #4

HINT #2: CHOOSE ANSWERS IN THE STYLE OF YOUR PASSAGE. The style of the passage from which this question comes is informational. You might read this passage in a serious biography. Which answer below best reflects this style? 1.for---can you believe it---over forty years 2.For over forty years. Amazing! 3.For over forty unbelievable years 4.For over forty years Answer: #4

HINT #3: INFORMATION MUST BE RELEVANT TO THE FOCUS OF THE PASSAGE. THE ACT BELIEVES IN THE INTEGRITY OF EACH PARAGRAPH OF ITS PASSAGES. Each paragraph must be unified and coherent. Do not choose an answer that adds extraneous (extra and unnecessary) information or that strays off focus. Choose answers that enhance the passage by adding relevant, cogent (pertinent) details.

Here are the first two sentences of a paragraph in an ACT passage. The paragraph gives general information about kayaks and kayaking. (1)Most kayaks are made of rubberized cloth, molded plastic, or fiberglass. (2)They are covered except for the opening in which the paddler or paddlers sit. The question reads, “The author is considering deleting [Sentence 2]. Should this sentence be kept or deleted. Before you select an answer, consider whether or not the information is relevant to the paragraph and enhances the reader’s knowledge about kayaking and kayaks. KEEP THE FOCUS!

(1)Most kayaks are made of rubberized cloth, molded plastic, or fiberglass. (2)They are covered except for the opening in which the paddler or paddlers sit. The author is considering deleting [Sentence 2]. Should this sentence be kept or deleted. Answers: 1.Kept, because the reader needs to understand the different types of kayaks. 2.Kept, because it helps the reader visualize the kayak’s construction. 3.Deleted, because it is not relevant to the preceding sentence. 4.Deleted, because it is unnecessarily wordy. Answer: #2

Remember to KEEP THE FOCUS! Here’s a question in which each answer seems relevant to the passage. The passage is about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his interest in fairies and photography. It mentions his friendship with Houdini and the fact that he authored the Sherlock Holmes’ stories. Here are the answers. Can you choose the right one? 1.Scientific analysis, since photography was a new art, finally closed the Case of the Trick Photographs. 2.Scientific analysis, of the kind a modern-day Sherlock Holmes might use, finally closed the Case of the Trick Photographs. 3.Scientific analysis, which the great Houdini himself would have appreciated, finally closed the Case of the Trick Photographs. 4.Scientific analysis, a methodology that was still in its infancy, finally closed the Case of the Trick Photographs.

OOPS!

I FORGOT THE FOCUS, WHICH IS FOUND IN THE STEM. Which choice would best tie the conclusion of this essay to its opening sentence? (Opening sentence: You might think that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the writer who invented Sherlock Holmes, the most logical of detectives, would have harbored strictly logical beliefs himself.) Caution: Do not trust your memory. On one like this, go back and reread the first sentence! 1.Scientific analysis, since photography was a new art, finally closed the Case of the Trick Photographs. 2.Scientific analysis, of the kind a modern-day Sherlock Holmes might use, finally closed the Case of the Trick Photographs. 3.Scientific analysis, which the great Houdini himself would have appreciated, finally closed the Case of the Trick Photographs. 4.Scientific analysis, a methodology that was still in its infancy, finally closed the Case of the Trick Photographs. Answer: #2

SO THAT’S RHETORICAL SKILLS. NOT SO VERY SCARY AFTER ALL. Now that you know your enemy, go CONQUER with a happy heart!!!