1. ACT English Preparation
MCGEARY/LYKE ACT PREP, 2012

2. Introduction to Test Strategies General Commas/Punctuation
Schedule for Lesson #1
Introduction to Test
Strategies
General
Commas/Punctuation
Adjective vs Adverb

3. Introduction to the Test: Why Prepare for the ACT?
2 Categories of SKILLS Tested on the ACT:
Usage & Mechanics
Punctuation, Usage, and Sentence Structure
Rhetorical Skills
Word Choice, Organization, and Topic Development
These lessons will focus on TEST TAKING STRATEGIES.

4. Introduction to the Test
The ACT English passages test your EDITING Skills
There are FIVE (5) separate passages
Each passage asks 15 questions
6–10 of those questions are Category 1: (Usage and Mechanics)
5–9 of the questions are Category 2:
(Rhetorical Skills)

5. Introduction to the Test: Order of Passages
By practicing with these passages, you can figure out your strengths and weaknesses.
Start with your strengths.

6. Punctuation (10 questions) commas (most frequent)
Introduction to the Test: Content of the English Test CATEGORY 1: Usage & Mechanics
Punctuation (10 questions)
commas (most frequent)
apostrophes (2nd most)
colons & semicolons
parenthesis & dashes

7. Basic Grammar & Usage (12 questions)
Introduction to the Test: Content of the English Test CATEGORY 1: Usage & Mechanics
Basic Grammar & Usage (12 questions)
agreement (subject-verb; pronoun-antecedent)
forms (of verbs & pronouns and adjective vs. adverb)
cases (of verbs & pronouns)

8. Sentence Structure (18 questions) clause relationships (most frequent)
Introduction to the Test: Content of the English Test CATEGORY 1: Usage & Mechanics
Sentence Structure (18 questions)
clause relationships (most frequent)
parallel structure (2nd most)
placement of modifiers

9. Writing Strategy (12 questions) supporting a point (evidence)
Introduction to the Test: Content of the English Test CATEGORY 2: Rhetorical Skills
Writing Strategy (12 questions)
supporting a point (evidence)
introducing or concluding a paragraph
transitions
phrasing a statement

10. Organization (11 questions) sentence order paragraph order
Introduction to the Test: Content of the English Test CATEGORY 2: Rhetorical Skills
Organization (11 questions)
sentence order
paragraph order
placement of a word or phrase

11. choose appropriate word choose appropriate phrase
Introduction to the Test: Content of the English Test CATEGORY 2: Rhetorical Skills
Style (12 questions)
eliminate redundancy
choose appropriate word
choose appropriate phrase

12. PUNCTUATION GRAMMAR & USAGE SENTENCE STRUCTURE
Introduction to the Test: A CLOSER LOOK AT CATEGORY 1 Usage and Mechanics
PUNCTUATION
GRAMMAR & USAGE
SENTENCE STRUCTURE

13. Introduction to the Test: PUNCTUATION
Know your comma rules! These are worth knowing and recognizing in writing; these are the most common questions in this category; getting these correct will increase your score dramatically.
Apostrophes Apostrophes are used in two ways: to show possession/ownership and to combine two words (it + is = it’s). It is crucial to understand the differences between the two. Placement of apostrophes are also important to know.

14. Introduction to the Test: GRAMMAR & USAGE
TARGETS A SINGLE INCORRECT WORD One word in the underlined portion is incorrect (or only one word is underlined). It will be an incorrect verb form, an incorrect pronoun, or even an incorrect form of a modifier.
Practice To do better with these questions, it is important that you learn correct verbs, pronouns, and adjective/adverbs. You will never be asked to define these, but you need to recognize them and what is correct and what is not.

15. Introduction to the Test: SENTENCE STRUCTURE
DEALS with the sentence as a whole The underlined portion may not be the whole sentence, but you need to read the whole sentence to figure out what is wrong
Practice To do better with these questions, it is important that you learn the difference between a clause and a phrase; you will also need to get familiar with what a modifier is and the placement of a modifier.

16. WRITING STRATEGY ORGANIZATION STYLE
Introduction to the Test: A CLOSER LOOK AT CATEGORY 2 Rhetorical Skills
WRITING STRATEGY
ORGANIZATION
STYLE

17. Introduction to the Test: WRITING STRATEGY
READ THE PASSAGE To do better with this, you must read and understand the passage; this is difficult because you are also fixing the grammar errors. If you don’t understand the purpose and tone of the passage, it will be difficult to improve.
Transitions Many of the questions in this section deal with picking the appropriate transitions.

18. Introduction to the Test: ORGANIZATION
THIS CATEGORY CAN ASK ONE OF THREE THINGS
1. Reorganize a sentence
2. Reorder sentences in a paragraph
3. Reorder paragraphs of the whole passage.
THE KEY is to pay attention to the whole passage and what it all means.

19. Introduction to the Test: STYLE
WORD CHOICE To improve in this skill, get familiar with the most common phrases that are redundant.
READ THE PASSAGE Again, you need to understand the passage as a whole to do better in this category; the tone of the piece is important. You can’t think about what you hear but rather what you know is correct.

20. Introduction to the Test: THE “NOT” or “EXCEPT” QUESTIONS
3 of the 4 answers are CORRECT.
BE CAREFUL! You need to choose the WRONG answer for these questions.
You need to know ALL of the grammar rules that perform the same function
Cross off answers you know are correct.
Which of the following would NOT replace the underlined portion:
Leona was also fascinated by faraway places. She covered her bedroom walls with postcards of famous sites.
A. places, so she
B. places: she
C. places; therefore, she
D. places, she [CORRECT CHOICE because it is WRONG]

21. Introduction to Test Testing Strategies General Commas/Punctuation
Schedule for Lesson #2
Introduction to Test
Testing Strategies
General
Commas/Punctuation
Adjective vs Adverb

22. Tests & Strategies: Part 1
General Strategies:
Read the entire passage first
Answer questions in order they appear
Leave Nothing Blank
Eliminate wrong answers first if you have to guess
Be careful of distracters that OVER correct a problem
Pick the SHORTEST answer

23. General Strategy #1: Read the Entire Passage first
Read or skim the entire passage
This will help you be familiar with what it is about.
Several questions have to do with the passage as a whole; if you are familiar with it by reading it first, you will do better.
Many students want to get right to the underlined parts. If you do this, you will be tricked!

24. General Strategy #2: Answer the questions in the order that they appear
Do not go out of order or jump around
One question can depend on a previous question.
A question can give you a clue to another.
If you skip around, you may not get the whole idea of what is being asked
Questions are NOT in order of difficulty; trying to find easier questions is not a good strategy
Going in order will help you with the organizational questions

25. General Strategy #3: Leave nothing blank; guess if you don’t know
There is no penalty for guessing
If you leave it blank, it will be marked wrong anyway; better to guess and increase your chances of getting it correct.
In the ENGLISH TEST, it is best to guess and move on; if you don’t know the answer pretty quickly, scratching your head and trying to “work it out” will not help, it will only frustrate you.
This test is about what you know, not what you can “figure out.”

26. General Strategy #4: Eliminate wrong answers first
Even when you guess, try to eliminate something
If there is an answer that is obviously wrong, cross it off.
Each one you cross off increases your chance of making a correct guess.
These are your odds:
Leave blank, it’s wrong
Guess, you have a 25% chance
Cross off one wrong answer, you have a 33% chance
Cross off two answers you identify as wrong, you have a 50% chance. Not too bad!

27. General Strategy #5: Watch out for answers that OVER correct a problem
Many of the wrong answers are there to DISTRACT you
Be careful; these answers will over-correct the real problem
The correct answer is NOT necessarily the one that changes the original the most
The answer is usually the one that corrects one, maybe two problems
Distracters will change more elements of the underlined portion; you want to just change the problem, not add more errors

28. General Strategy #6: Choose the SHORTEST answer
Sure enough, there was Roy, still sound asleep, curled up on the back pew, carved out of sturdy white oak.
NO CHANGE
pew, hewn from locally harvested oak lumber.
pew, made from mountain oak.
J. pew.
CORRECT ANSWER: J (the shortest answer!)

29. General Strategy #6: Choose the SHORTEST answer
When you really don’t know or are guessing, pick the shortest answer
Never replace an underlined portion with MORE WORDS unless you know it is for sure the right answer
Less is more!
This test expects you to make it as concise as possible
Never pick an answer that says something twice
(EX: It was free. We didn’t have to pay for it)
The same is true with adding information– never add extra information even if it is correct

30. Introduction to Test Testing Strategies General Commas/Punctuation
Schedule for Lesson #3, 4, 5
Introduction to Test
Testing Strategies
General
Commas/Punctuation
Adjective vs Adverb

31. Many questions deal with the COMMA RULES
COMMAS/PUNCTUATION PT. 1
Many questions deal with the COMMA RULES
RULE #1 FANBOYS
FOR
AND
NOR
BUT OR
YET SO
These seven little words are the first KEY to correctly placing commas. They are easy to remember, so MEMORIZE them.
Once you RECOGNIZE them in a sentence, you can evaluate how they are being used so you can correctly place a comma.

32. COMMAS/PUNCTUATION PT. 1
IMPORTANT CONCEPT #1
FANBOYS get a comma BEFORE them if and only if there is a complete sentence on both sides of it. FANBOYS never get a comma AFTER.
My dog is a poodle, and John’s dog is a terrier.
These can be made into TWO SEPARATE sentences.
My dog is a poodle John’s dog is a terrier.
COMPLETE SENTENCE COMMA FANBOY COMPLETE SENTENCE

33. “So is John’s” is not a sentence by itself.
COMMAS/PUNCTUATION PT. 1
IMPORTANT CONCEPT #1
FANBOYS get a comma BEFORE them if and only if there is a complete sentence on both sides of it.
Now let’s look at a FANBOYS when it is NOT doing that:
My dog is a poodle and so is John’s.
NO COMMA before “AND”
“So is John’s” is not a sentence by itself.

34. applications; but also
He not only executed the drawings for the company’s patent applications but also designed an improved incandescent lamp.
NO CHANGE
applications but, also
applications but also,
applications; but also
CORRECT ANSWER: A
After the FANBOYS (but), it is NOT a complete sentence, so it does not get a comma (or any other punctuation)
“also designed an improved incandescent lamp” is not a sentence by itself

35. He not only executed the drawings for the company’s patent applications but also designed an improved incandescent lamp.
NO CHANGE
applications but, also
applications but also,
applications; but also
CORRECT ANSWER: A
After the FANBOYS (but), it is NOT a complete sentence, so it does not get a comma (or any other punctuation)
“also designed an improved incandescent lamp” is not a sentence by itself

36. MORE FANBOYS Knowledge:
AND and OR
These two may be used in a series (list) as well. In that case, the rule is a bit different.
EX. She bought red, yellow, and white flowers.
EX. Mrs. Kildeer might go to the corner store, the mall, or Walmart.
comma before AND because it is a list
comma before OR because it is a list

37. MOST COMMON FANBOYS ERROR
Many of us want to put a comma before a FANBOYS when we shouldn’t.
THESE ARE ALL WRONG. Can you explain why?
It is sad, but true.
He couldn’t decide if he wanted to go, or not.
The giraffe is an animal with a long, but narrow neck.
Frankie was neither a tall man, nor a short one.

38. COMMAS/PUNCTUATION PT. 1
RULE #2
NONESSENTIALS
Nonessentials are just that. They are NOT ESSENTIAL/NOT IMPORTANT to the understanding of the sentence.
THE RULE:
Nonessentials are always surrounded by punctuation.
At the beginning of a sentence, they begin with a capital letter and then get a comma.
In the middle of a sentence, they get a comma before and a comma after
At the end of a sentence, a comma before and a period at the end.

39. COMMAS/PUNCTUATION PT. 1
IMPORTANT CONCEPT #2
NONESSENTIALS: EXAMPLES
BEGINNING OF A SENTENCE:
Knowing the truth, James told his mother who did it.
MIDDLE OF A SENTENCE:
James, knowing the truth, told his mother who did it.
END OF A SENTENCE:
James told his mother who did it, knowing the truth.
“Knowing the truth” is not needed; it is nonessential and gets surrounded by punctuation.

40. COMMAS/PUNCTUATION PT. 1
IMPORTANT CONCEPT #2
OTHER NONESSENTIALS: EXAMPLES
Katrina, who was the homecoming queen, did not go to the prom.
I like to eat at my grandmother’s house, which is why I go there all the time.
Micky, the boy in the back, is getting an ‘A’ in this class.
Okay, I will go out with you.
Personally, I am very nervous about taking this test.
Jennifer, however, is not very nervous.

41. HOW DO I KNOW IF IT IS NONESSENTIAL?
That’s easy! Take out the part that is surrounded by punctuation. If the sentence still makes sense AND you can still tell who everyone is or what everything is, then it is for sure a NONESSENTIAL.
Let’s go back to the ones we just looked at. We will take out the NONESSENTIAL to make sure the sentence still makes sense

42. Katrina, who was the homecoming queen, did not go to the prom.
ARE THEY NONESSENTIAL?
Katrina, who was the homecoming queen, did not go to the prom.
Katrina did not go to the prom.
I like to eat at my grandmother’s house, which is why I go there all the time.
I like to eat at my grandmother’s house.
Micky, the boy in the back, is getting an ‘A’ in this class.
Micky is getting an ‘A’ in this class.

43. OTHER NONESSENTIALS: EXAMPLES Okay, I will go out with you.
ARE THEY NONESSENTIAL?
OTHER NONESSENTIALS: EXAMPLES
Okay, I will go out with you.
I will go out with you.
Personally, I am very nervous about taking this test.
I am very nervous about taking this test.
Jennifer, however, is not very nervous.
Jennifer is not very nervous.

44. TYPES OF NONESSENTIALS
How do I recognize a nonessential?
There are 4 main types.
Interrupter a word or phrase that interrupts the sentence (however, for example, well, yes, no, okay)
WHO, WHICH, WHERE, WHOM a phrase that begins with one of these words might be nonessential
Participial phrases (these are verbs that end in “ING” or are the form that goes with “HAVE” ex. Broken)
The Appositive this is a phrase that begins with A or THE and is extra information about a subject

45. TYPES OF NONESSENTIALS
How do I recognize a nonessential?
EXAMPLES of the 4 main types.
Interrupter Well, you sure are smart.
WHO, WHICH, WHERE, WHOM Lawrence, who forgot to study, did not go to school.
Participial phrases Paulina, upset about the breakup, went to the 7-Eleven for a Slurpee.
The Appositive Love, a strange thing, is in the air.
Take out the nonessential and you still understand what happened. It still makes perfect sense.

46. Tiny’s Granny however, is very fond of her mean dog.
F. NO CHANGE
G. Granny; however
H. Granny, however,
J. Granny, however

47. Tiny’s Granny however, is very fond of her mean dog.
F. NO CHANGE
G. Granny; however
H. Granny, however,
J. Granny, however
CORRECT ANSWER: H
HOWEVER is an interrupter, a nonessential, not needed.
Tiny’s Granny is very fond of her mean dog. HOWEVER can be dropped and it still makes sense, so it is a nonessential and needs to have commas around it; answer H does that

48. THE LAST IMPORTANT NONESSENTIAL RULE
NONESSENTIALS get surrounded by punctuation. There are two other pieces of punctuation that can be used with a nonessential.
The DASH.
Stephanie – what a nice girl – will make the honor roll!
Many people ride the train to work – a great option to avoid traffic.
2. The PARENTHESIS.
The dodo bird (which is now extinct) could not fly.

49. THE LAST IMPORTANT NONESSENTIAL RULE
THE KEY to these is CONSISTENCY. If a nonessential begins with a dash as the example below, it has to end with one. If it begins with a comma, it has to end with one.
Stephanie – what a nice girl – will make the honor roll!

50. And, thanks to Kali for Women, now more people can hear Granny’s voice, and the voices of other women in Truth Tales– speak about the truths common to us all.
F. NO CHANGE
G. voice; and
H. voice– and
J. voice and

51. And, thanks to Kali for Women, now more people can hear Granny’s voice, and the voices of other women in Truth Tales– speak about the truths common to us all.
F. NO CHANGE
G. voice; and
H. voice– and
J. voice and
CORRECT ANSWER: H
look at the end of the nonessential; there is a dash, so the correct answer H makes it consistent; you can’t begin it with a comma and end it with a dash

52. COMMA RULE: KNOW YOUR ABBIs!
COMMAS/PUNCTUATION PT. 2
COMMA RULE: KNOW YOUR ABBIs!
ABBI SAW A WUWU
After
Before
Because If
Since
Although
When(ever)
These twelve words are the second KEY to correctly placing commas. They are easy to remember, so MEMORIZE them.
Once you RECOGNIZE them in a sentence, you can evaluate how they are being used so you can correctly place a comma. As
While
Unless
Whether
Until

53. COMMAS/PUNCTUATION PT. 2
IMPORTANT CONCEPT #1
ABBIs get a comma EVERY TIME a sentence begins with one of those words.
Because I love to read, I go to the library every week.
An ABBI word begins an INCOMPLETE THOUGHT. It must be followed by a complete sentence/thought.
ABBI CLAUSE COMMA COMPLETE SENTENCE

54. COMMAS/PUNCTUATION PT. 2
IMPORTANT CONCEPT #1
ABBI rule changes when the ABBI clause is at the end of a sentence. Remember this!
I go to the library every week because I love to read.
THIS IS THE MOST COMMON ERROR MADE with COMMAS.
ACT knows this; people want to put a comma before “because” but it is
NOT CORRECT! Commas do NOT go before an ABBI when the complete sentence comes before it.
COMPLETE SENTENCE NO COMMA ABBI CLAUSE

55. COMMAS/PUNCTUATION PT. 2
IMPORTANT CONCEPT #1
TRICK #1 with ABBIs
Sometimes the ABBI clause comes in the middle of a sentence. You have to be aware of what the complete thought is.
I, because I love to read, go to the library every week.
The complete thought/action is I GO TO THE LIBRARY.
The ABBI “interrupts” the sentence and works just like a nonessential. It gets surrounded by commas. This is the only time you will ever have a comma before an ABBI in a single sentence.

56. LET’S BREAK THIS UP AND FIGURE OUT THE RULES HERE.
COMMAS/PUNCTUATION PT. 2
IMPORTANT CONCEPT #1
TRICK #2 with ABBIs
When an ABBI is used in a more complex sentence, you have to be very careful. You have to separate the two sentences to figure out what you need.
I am an avid reader, and because I love to read, I go to the library every week.
LET’S BREAK THIS UP AND FIGURE OUT THE RULES HERE.

57. COMMAS/PUNCTUATION PT. 2
IMPORTANT CONCEPT #1
TRICK #2 with ABBIs
THIS IS ONE COMPLETE THOUGHT THIS IS ANOTHER
I am an avid reader I go to the library
every week

58. COMMAS/PUNCTUATION PT. 2
IMPORTANT CONCEPT #1
TRICK #2 with ABBIs
THIS IS THE ABBI CLAUSE
because I love to read

59. COMMAS/PUNCTUATION PT. 2
IMPORTANT CONCEPT #1
TRICK #2 with ABBIs
THE ABBI CLAUSE goes with the 2nd sentence so you need the comma
because I love to read, I go to the library every week

60. COMMAS/PUNCTUATION PT. 2
IMPORTANT CONCEPT #1
TRICK #2 with ABBIs
The other sentence is then combined with the 2nd using a FANBOYS.
I am an avid reader, and because I love to read, I go to the library every week.
So, this other comma deals with a different rule: the FANBOYS rule we learned earlier.

61. Watch for NONESSENTIALS Recognize your ABBI phrases
Review of COMMA RULES
KNOW your FANBOYS
Watch for NONESSENTIALS
Recognize your ABBI phrases
Remember to be consistent with dashes and parenthesis
Know the three combo options

62. TWO MORE IMPORTANT CONCEPTS: The SEMICOLON and The APOSTROPHE
COMMAS/PUNCTUATION PT. 3
TWO MORE IMPORTANT CONCEPTS: The SEMICOLON and The APOSTROPHE
Know how to use a semicolon. It is a simple rule that will help you answer some questions.
Know the basics of apostrophes.

63. THE SEMICOLON COMMAS/PUNCTUATION PT. 3
A semicolon is used to combine two complete sentences.
Let’s look at three ways this is done.

64. THE SEMICOLON COMMAS/PUNCTUATION PT. 3 Sentence #1 I like to read.
Sentence #2 The library is my favorite place to visit.
We can combine these to make one sentence by using a semicolon.
I like to read; the library is my favorite place to visit.

65. THE SEMICOLON COMMAS/PUNCTUATION PT. 3
A semicolon can replace a comma and FANBOYS
I like to read, so the library is my favorite place to visit.
Drop the comma and the FANBOYS, replace with a semicolon

66. I like to read; therefore, the library is my favorite place to visit.
COMMAS/PUNCTUATION PT. 3
THE SEMICOLON
A semicolon can combine two sentences with a connector word in between. In this case, you will need a comma too.
I like to read; therefore, the library is my favorite place to visit.
SEMICOLON CONNECTOR WORD COMMA

67. If one of these isn’t true, the use of a semicolon is WRONG.
THE SEMICOLON
COMMAS/PUNCTUATION PT. 3
The important thing to remember with a semicolon—
Look to the left of the semicolon. There should be a complete sentence. Look to the right. Another complete sentence.
If one of these isn’t true, the use of a semicolon is WRONG.

68. ANSWERS
Text from Passage
6. F. NO CHANGE G. over, the family had returned home, H. over the family had returned home, J. over the family had returned home;
The evening church service was over, the family had returned home; and everyone was sitting around in the living room.

69. ANSWERS
Text from Passage
6. F. NO CHANGE G. over, the family had returned home, H. over the family had returned home, J. over the family had returned home;
The evening church service was over, the family had returned home; and everyone was sitting around in the living room.
F is wrong. Look to the left. “The evening church service was over, the family had returned home” is NOT a sentence by itself, it is TWO sentences with a comma between them. We know we have to change it

70. ANSWERS
Text from Passage
6. F. NO CHANGE G. over, the family had returned home, H. over the family had returned home, J. over the family had returned home;
The evening church service was over, the family had returned home; and everyone was sitting around in the living room.
J is wrong. It takes out the comma and makes the two sentences to the left into one that doesn’t make sense– it is still two sentences. So, this choice is WRONG.

71. ANSWERS
Text from Passage
6. F. NO CHANGE G. over, the family had returned home, H. over the family had returned home, J. over the family had returned home;
The evening church service was over, the family had returned home; and everyone was sitting around in the living room.
H is wrong. It takes out the comma and makes the two sentences to the left into one that doesn’t make sense– it is still two sentences, so taking out the comma doesn’t fix the problem. So, this choice is WRONG.

72. ANSWERS
Text from Passage
6. F. NO CHANGE G. over, the family had returned home, H. over the family had returned home, J. over the family had returned home;
The evening church service was over, the family had returned home; and everyone was sitting around in the living room.
G is CORRECT. It takes out the semicolon and makes it a comma. Now we have a list.
IF you know semicolons, you know it doesn’t belong anywhere in this sentence. F and J are automatically WRONG.

73. ANSWERS
Text from Passage
24. F. NO CHANGE G. Granny; however, H. Granny, however, J. Granny, however
Tiny’s Granny however; is very fond of her burqua because she has found a variety of innovative uses for it.

74. ANSWERS
Text from Passage
24. F. NO CHANGE G. Granny; however, H. Granny, however, J. Granny, however
Tiny’s Granny however; is very fond of her burqua because she has found a variety of innovative uses for it.
F is WRONG. Look to the left of the semicolon in the sentence.
“Tiny’s Granny however” is NOT a complete sentence. If you know semicolon rule, you know that you can’t have that.

75. ANSWERS
Text from Passage
24. F. NO CHANGE G. Granny; however, H. Granny, however, J. Granny, however
Tiny’s Granny however; is very fond of her burqua because she has found a variety of innovative uses for it.
G is WRONG. Look to the left of the semicolon with this answer.
“Tiny’s Granny” is NOT a complete sentence. If you know semicolon rule, you know that you can’t have that.

76. ANSWERS
Text from Passage
24. F. NO CHANGE G. Granny; however, H. Granny, however, J. Granny, however
Tiny’s Granny however; is very fond of her burqua because she has found a variety of innovative uses for it.
J is WRONG. Remember nonessentials? “however” interrupts the sentence.
NONESSENTIALS have to be surrounded by commas. This choice only puts in one.

77. ANSWERS
Text from Passage
24. F. NO CHANGE G. Granny; however, H. Granny, however, J. Granny, however
Tiny’s Granny however; is very fond of her burqua because she has found a variety of innovative uses for it.
H is CORRECT.
NONESSENTIALS have to be surrounded by commas. This choice puts in both.
Again, if you know SEMICOLON Rule, you know automatically that F and G are WRONG.