chapter 7 grammar and usage slideshow format
Post on 20-Jan-2015
2.739 Views
Preview:
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
April 10, 2023 1
Grammar and Usage
Chapter 7
April 10, 2023 Grammar and Usage 2
PRONOUNS
Pronouns are used to replace nouns. The ACT writers like to see if you understand the rules of pronouns. There will probably be several pronoun questions on the test you take.
April 10, 2023 Grammar and Usage 3
The first pronoun rule: Agreement
A pronoun must always agree with the noun to which it refers.
Try to spot the error in the sentence below
Any young boy who watched the first moon landing probably spent the next few years wishing that they could become an astronaut.
April 10, 2023 Grammar and Usage 4
Any young boy who watched the first moon landing probably spent the next few years wishing that they could become an astronaut.
In the spoken English, people make pronoun agreement errors all the time. In written English, you have to be precise.
As you read the above sentence, try to decide which noun is being referred to by the pronoun “they”
If you decided that “they” was referring to “boy” then you are correct.
April 10, 2023 Grammar and Usage 5
Any young boy who watched the first moon landing, probably spent the next few years wishing that he could be an astronaut.
Because “boy” is singular, the pronoun referring to boy has to be singular as well.
“He” correctly referrers back to “boy”.
The following charts contain some commonly used singular and plural nouns.
April 10, 2023 Grammar and Usage 6
SINGULAR PRONOUNSSINGULAR PRONOUNS
SUBJECT OBJECT POSSESSIVE
I me my, mine
You You you, yours
he him his
she her hers
it it its
April 10, 2023 Grammar and Usage 7
PLURAL PRONOUNS
PLURAL PRONOUNS
SUBJECT OBJECT POSSESSIVE
we us our, ours
you you you, yours
they them their, theirs
April 10, 2023 Grammar and Usage 8
Another example:
Neither of the two young girls
with whom I watched the first
moon landing expressed their
feelings out loud, but I knew
that all three of us wanted to
be astronauts.
April 10, 2023 Grammar and Usage 9
Neither of the two young girls with whom I watched the first moon landing expressed her feelings out loud, but I knew that all three of us wanted to be astronauts.
Neither and either are considered singular
Therefore we should use the singular pronoun “her”
The following indefinite pronouns are singularINDEFINITE SINGULAR PRONOUNS
anybody each somebody
anyone everybody someone
either everyone nobody
April 10, 2023 Grammar and Usage 10
The Second Pronoun Rule: Case
If a pronoun is the subject of a sentence, it must be expressed as a subject
Subject pronouns include
I, we you, he, she, it they, and who
If a pronoun is the object of a sentence, or the object of a preposition, it must be expressed as an object.
Object pronouns include
Me, us you, him, her, it, them and whom
April 10, 2023 Grammar and Usage 11
Which choice best fits the sentence?
(She/Her) bought a souvenir sweatshirt.
•Because the person who buys the shirt is the subject of the sentence,
the correct pronoun is “she”.
April 10, 2023 Grammar and Usage 12
Which choice best fits the sentence?
Jane bought a souvenir NASA
sweatshirt for (he/him).
•Because the person who receives the shirt is the
object of the preposition “for”, the correct pronoun is
“him”.
April 10, 2023 Grammar and Usage 13
Which choice best fits the sentence?Before the moon landing, the TV
announcer gave some additional
background on the astronauts, about
(whom/who) we were all quite
interested.
•A pronoun following a preposition is suppose to be the object
of that preposition. The correct answer is “whom”.
April 10, 2023 Grammar and Usage 14
How Do You Spot Pronoun Errors?
Look for pronouns
Don’t forget that many indefinite pronouns are singular
If the pronoun is being used as a subject, it must be in the subject
If the pronoun is being used as an object, it must be in the form of an object
If who or whom appears in the underline portion of the question you must determine if the subject or the object of the clause in which it appears
April 10, 2023 Grammar and Usage 15
How Do You Spot Pronoun Errors?
if it is in the subject, “who” is correct
If it is an object “whom” is correct
Generally, if the relative pronoun follows a preposition, the correct form will be “whom”
April 10, 2023 Grammar and Usage 16
VERBS
April 10, 2023 Grammar and Usage 17
Subject – Verb Agreement
The verb of sentence must always agree with its subject
If a sentence contains a singular subject, the verb that goes with it must also be singular
If the sentence contains a plural subject, the verb that goes with it must also be plural
April 10, 2023 Grammar and Usage 18
Look at an example:
The best moment during a broadcast filled with many great moments were when the astronaut step out of the Lunar Lander and bounced on the moon.
What is the subject of this sentence?
Is the subject singular or plural?
What is the verb in this sentence?
Should it be singular or plural?
How should the sentence read?
April 10, 2023 Grammar and Usage 19
ACT writers use many modifying phrases and clauses between the subject and the
verb to confuse you.
ACT form
The best moment during a broadcast filled with many great moments were when the astronaut stepped out of the Lunar Lander and bounced on the moon.
ACT form minus the modifiers
The best moment were when the astronaut stepped out of the Lunar Lander and bounced on the moon.
April 10, 2023 Grammar and Usage 20
Pronoun-Verb Agreement
Sometimes the subject of a sentence is pronoun
The verb must still agree with the subject, even if the subject is a pronoun.
April 10, 2023 Grammar and Usage 21
Look at another example:Each of these moments have played in our mind again and again as I try to recapture the excitement of that momentous day in June.
What is the subject of the sentence?
Is the subject singular or plural?
What is the verb of the sentence?
Is the verb singular or plural?
How do you fix the sentence?
April 10, 2023 Grammar and Usage 22
The fixed sentence…
Each of these moments has played in my mind again and again as I try to recapture the excitement of that momentous day in June.
Sounds awkward?
But it is correct.
This is a great example of how knowing and applying the rules leads you to the correct answer, while using your ear may not.
April 10, 2023 Grammar and Usage 23
How do you spot Subject-Verb Agreement Errors?
Isolate the subject and the verb of the sentence
Try drawing a line between any words or phrases between them to see the relationship
Remember answer choices can provide valuable clues
If the underlined portion of the sentence contains a verb, check to see if the answer choices contains different forms of that verb. If they do, you have a potential subject-verb agreement error.
April 10, 2023 Grammar and Usage 24
Verb Tense (do not put in notes)Verb tense tells us WHEN the action of the
sentence is taking place
Present tense
He runs the 440 in 50 seconds.
Past tense
He ran the 440 in 50 seconds last week.
Future tense
He will run the race next Saturday.
Present perfect tense
He has run the 440 in under 50 seconds in the last four races.
Future perfect tense
He will have finished the race by next Sunday.
April 10, 2023 Sample footer 25
How does the ACT test Verb Tense
The ACT writers do not care if you know the names of the verb tenses
They sometimes do not care if you know what tense the passage is written in
They want to see if you can spot inconsistencies in verb tense
If the verb in the non-underlined portion of the sentence is in one tense,
The verb of the underlined portion tends to be in the same tense
April 10, 2023 Grammar and Usage 26
Look at an example:
Sam is walking down the street when he found a large suitcase.
The verb “is walking” and “found” are in two different tenses
April 10, 2023 Grammar and Usage 27
How does the ACT test Verb Tense
You will not be asked to make a decision as to which tense would be more appropriate for the sentence
Only one verb will be underlined and it will be up to you to look at other verbs in the sentence or verbs in the surrounding sentence to decide how to change the underlined verb
Look at underlined verbs in the “…ing” form very carefully
Especially the verbs “having” and “being” which are almost always used improperly
April 10, 2023 Grammar and Usage 28
How Do You Spot Verb Tense Errors
If you spot a verb in the underlined portion of the passage or
In any of the answer choices
Immediately anticipate subject-verb agreement error or
Verb tense error
April 10, 2023 Grammar and Usage 29
One more ACT Verb Error
Sometimes ACT will put together two perfectly fine past tense verbs to create a past tense construction that does not work
For Example: Mike has ate all the cookies in the cookie jar.
In this sentence either “ate” or “has eaten” would be correct
But “has ate” is incorrect
April 10, 2023 30
Adjectives and Adverbs
ADJECTIVES ADVERBS
Grammar and Usage
April 10, 2023 Grammar and Usage 31
Adjective vs. AdverbThe ACT sometimes tests to see if you know the difference
between the two.
Adjective
Modifies a noun
Passes the “He is very ____” test
A comparative adjective is often used when a sentence is comparing two things. For example: Juanita is taller than Jane.
Adverbs
Modifies everything else (verbs, adjectives and other adverbs)
Usually end in “…ly”
A comparative adverb is often used when a sentence is comparing two actions. For example: Juanita dances more graceful than Jane.
April 10, 2023 Grammar and Usage 32
SuperlativesWhen more than two THINGs are being compared, the sentence needs a superlative adjective
To make a comparison of three or more things add “…est” to the adjective
Of the many men in the room, John is the strongest.
When more than two ACTIONS are being compared, a sentence often needs a superlative adverb
to make a superlative adverb, add the words “most” or “least” before the adverb
Compared with the other boys in the school, Sid behaves the most politely.
April 10, 2023 33
Idiomatic Expressions
Idioms are expressions that require the use of specific prepositions
Fortunately, you will be familiar with many of the idioms on the ACT
The best way to spot them would be to look for preposition in the answer choices
I’m in love (with/for) you.
My sculpture is based (on/after) Rodin’s Thinker.
Grammar and Usage
April 10, 2023 Grammar and Usage 34
Grammar Drill7 questions focusing on grammar
Set up in ACT form
Review Chp 7 materials and techniques including:
Pronoun Agreement
Verb Tense
Adjective vs. adverb
Subject- Verb agreement
Idiomatic expressions
Superlatives
top related