English Test

45 Minutes

75 questions (5 passages-9 minutes per passage)

36 seconds per question

Multiple choice

Production of Writing ≈24 questions

Purpose of writing, meets intended goal, relevance of material for focus

Organized, flow smoothly, effective introduction and conclusion

Knowledge of Language ≈11 questions

Efficient use of language (EUOL), correct word choice, transitional words, style and tone

Conventions of Standard English ≈40 questions

Punctuation, usage, sentence structure and grammar

Read the whole passage (skimming when no question)

Do the questions in order that they appear

Okay to choose no change

OMIT -delete part underlined

Consider all answer choices

Eliminate wrong answers

Read the whole sentence when answering

Reread answer choice once chosen

Pace yourself

Pay attention to the writing style, this will help you answer the questions

Determine the best answer (only 4 answer choices)

Watch for questions on the whole passage or a section, they are marked with a boxed number

Two part questions- first answer yes/no and then the reasoning why

Avoid “slang”

No penalty for wrong answers so guess

Understand your errors when made

• Watch for commas, easy to miss

• Used to keep parts either together or separated

as needed

• Watch to see if the comma is underlined or not

• Double comma, introductory clause, comma

and a coordinating conjunction, list

2 commas are needed in a sentence if the information between the commas can be taken out and the sentence still is grammatically correct.

Among the most effective tools are new tax incentives for those who renovate, rather than demolish, old barns.

a. NO CHANGE

b. renovate, rather than demolish

c. renovate rather than demolish,

d. renovate, rather than, demolish

Among the most effective tools are new tax incentives for those who renovate, rather than demolish, old barns.

a. NO CHANGE

b. renovate, rather than demolish

c. renovate rather than demolish,

d. renovate, rather than, demolish

• Use a comma to set off introductory elements, signals the main part of

the sentence is starting.

• In the winter of 1644, nearly half the settlers died of starvation or

exposure.

• Anxious about the upcoming winter, settlers began to bicker

among themselves about supplies.

• Because the music was so loud, we had to make sure the door was

closed.

• Clearly, she holds high expectations for her students.

• Exhausted, the swimmers collapsed the moment they exited the

pool.

• Use a comma and a coordinate conjunction to separate 2

independent clauses (2 complete sentences).

• Coordinate conjunction-FANBOYS-for, and, nor, but, or, yet & so

The public seems eager for some kind of gun control

legislation, but the congress is obviously too timid to enact any

truly effective measures.

The design for the new gym adds a great deal of space for the

athletic team so hope to see construction begin soon.

Therefore, sandhill cranes have graced the earth for at least

nine million years. They are considered to be the world’s

oldest surviving bird species.

1. Which of the following alternatives to the underlined portion

would NOT be acceptable?

a. years and

b. years, and they

c. years, they

d. years: they

Therefore, sandhill cranes have graced the earth for at least nine million years. They are considered to be the world’s oldest surviving bird species.

1. Which of the following alternatives to the underlined portion would NOT be acceptable?

a. years and

b. years, and they

c. years, they

d. years: they

You know what is given is correct.

The answer is C.

Since no change is not an option you

know what is there is correct.

; Used to join 2 complete sentences

; The setting sun caused the fields to take on a special glow; all was bathed in a pale light.

; Used with conjunctive adverbs

; Transition words joining two complete sentences

; SEMI-COLON first, then COMMA after

; I used to play volleyball; however, after I hurt my knee, I had to quit.

; Used to separate a potentially confusing list that includes commas

; I wanted to visit Paris, France; Venice, Italy; and Athens, Greece on our honeymoon.

; The old gentleman’s heirs were Margaret Whitlock, his half-sister; James Bagley, the butler; William Frame, the companion to his late cousin, Robert Bone; and his favorite charity, the Salvation Army.

: Always a complete sentence before a colon can be used

: What follows the colon explains what is before the colon

: Used to precede a list

: There are three branches of government: executive, judicial, and

legislative.

: Used to indicate an example from a sentence

: My freshman year gives me my best memory: football season.

: Between two complete sentences when the second explains the first

: He asked why I hadn’t said hello: I hadn’t seen him.

: Used to introduce a quote

: I have always believed in what Albert Einstein had to say: “Learn

from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important

thing is to never stop questioning.”

– Used to set off set of words that explain

– The tools of his trade- probe, mirror, and cotton swabs- were

neatly arranged on the dentist’s tray.

– Used to indicate a summary or reversal of what preceded it.

– Patience, sensitivity, understanding- these are the marks of a

good friend.

– He knew that he did a good job- he just didn’t feel good

about himself.

– Sudden break in thought or to draw attention to words

– Sudden break in thought that leaves sentence unfinished

– He was not pleased with - in fact, he was completely hostile

toward - the student.

Used to form possessive forms of nouns

First, determine if possessive

Second, how many owners are there

One owner not ending is “s”, ’s

Tony’s hours

My student’s essay (just one kids paper)

One owner ending is “s” s’

Mrs. Wolters’ class

More than one owner, s’

The boys’ locker room

Used to create contractions

Don’t= do not, Should’ve=should have

• It’s = it is

• It’s hot in this room today.

• Its = possessive form

• I need to know if the dog got its medicine

today.

• Its’ = not a word

• You’re = you are

• You’re welcome

• Your = possessive form

• You need to get your homework done.

• Who’s = who is

• Who’s going to rock the ACT test after this

review?

• Whose =possessive form

• Whose coat did I find on the back of this

chair?

• There = a place

• I met you there.

• Their = possessive

• I know it’s their work

• They’re = they are

• They’re happy to be done.

Subject verb agreement

Figure out what or who is the subject in the sentence and then what

verb goes with that subject.

As a result, the competition for roles in commercials have been fierce.

F. NO CHANGE

G. were

H. are

J. is

As a result, the competition for roles in commercials have been fierce.

F. NO CHANGE

G. were

H. are

J. is

The competition is the subject,

not roles or commercials.

I had bought some souvenirs there that I wanted to send home. My

friend, a young man who had lived in Bombay his entire life except a

few years spent studying in the United States, if he were to walk with

me to the post office.

A. NO CHANGE

B. walked

C. if he would walk

D. is walking

Verb tense, context clues

Use the sentence before or after to help figure out verb tense

I had bought some souvenirs there the I wanted to send home. My friend, a young man who had lived in Bombay his entire life except a few years spent studying in the United States, if he were to walk with me to the post office.

A. NO CHANGE

B. walked

C. if he would walk

D. is walking

My friend is the subject and we

want past tense

Once something is stated in a sentence or paragraph it should not be stated again.

EUOL- should be written clear and concise.

Almost always the shortest answer as long all detail there.

Live and dwell, ascertained and verified, rude and impolite

I took a business trip in conjunction with my work.

In the beginning, it was love at first sight.

Although both were built as walls intended to defend

the city protectively and stood ten meters tall, they were

erected under different historical circumstances.

a. NO CHANGE

b. defensive walls for defending the city

c. walls to provide defensive protection

d. defensive walls

Although both were built as walls intended to defend

the city protectively and stood ten meters tall, they were

erected under different historical circumstances.

a. NO CHANGE

b. defensive walls for defending the city

c. walls to provide defensive protection

d. defensive walls

This allowed the cave-creating process to be a

process that repeated at different depths hundreds

of feet apart.

a. NO CHANGE

b. repeat again and again at various different depths.

c. repeat at different depths that varied.

d. repeat at different depths.

Answer D

This allowed the cave-creating process to be a process

that repeated at different depths hundreds of feet apart.

a.NO CHANGE

b. repeat again and again at various different depths.

c. repeat at different depths that varied.

d. repeat at different depths.

Most video games are designed so that your main

opponent in these video games is a predictable

computer program.

a. NO CHANGE

b. during these video games

c. in video games

d. OMIT the underlined portion

Most video games are designed so that your main

opponent in these video games is a predictable

computer program.

a. NO CHANGE

b. during these video games

c. in video games

d. OMIT the underlined portion

Even as a child, Williams loved to prepare food,

and as a young adult, he refined his cooking skills

at the prestigiously acclaimed Culinary Institute of

America.

a. NO CHANGE

b. famed, renowned, and notable

c. luscious

d. prestigious

Even as a child, Williams loved to prepare food,

and as a young adult, he refined his cooking skills

at the prestigiously acclaimed Culinary Institute of

America.

a. NO CHANGE

b. famed, renowned, and notable

c. luscious

d. prestigious

Agreement, Additionally, Similarly

• Furthermore, likewise, then, also, in addition to, thus

Opposition, contradict

• But, nevertheless, however, otherwise, even so, on the other hand

Cause

• When, in case, if, while, whenever

Examples

• In other words, indeed, in fact, in this case

Time, Sequential,

• Finally, Lastly, since, meanwhile

A key finding from her intensive field studies is the extent to which

elephant survival depends on learned behavior.

As Moss has observed, however, a calf must learn how to use its

trunk.

a. NO CHANGE

b. for instance,

c. as always,

d. by now,

As Moss has observed, however, a calf must learn how to use its

trunk.

a. NO CHANGE

b. for instance,

c. as always,

d. by now,

Affect vs. effect (affect=influence, effect=noun)

Then vs. Than (then=time, than=comparison)

Accept vs. except (accept=to receive, except=to exclude)

Principal vs. principle (pal=office, ple=system of belief)

To vs. too (to the store, too much food)

There vs. their vs they’re (there=place, their=possessive, they’re=they are)

Lie vs. lay (lie-act of reclining, lay-putting something down)

1. Figure out what words or words tell you what the question

wants you to do.

2. Look for that in the answer choices.

3. For example: specific and vividly = examples that most

can make a picture of.

It was nineteen kilometers long greatly expanded and surrounded the city

of Rome as well as a small section of the Tiber’s west bank.

Which of the following placements for the underlined portion

makes it most clear that it was Rome that had expanded?

a. Where it is now

b.After the words surrounded the

c. After the word Rome

d.After the words of the

It was nineteen kilometers long greatly expanded and surrounded the city

of Rome as well as a small section of the Tiber’s west bank.

Which of the following placements for the underlined portion

makes it most clear that it was Rome that had expanded?

a. Where it is now

b.After the words surrounded the

c. After the word Rome

d.After the words of the

I collect ghost signs. Not the signs themselves, but photos of them. I

started my collection one chilly October evening, driving home from school.

I made the same drive countless times before, but I had never noticed the

sign.

Then there it was, an ad for “Joe’s Café,” perched atop a metal pole, which

was upright under a cape of kudzu vines.

Given that all the choices are accurate, which one echoes the

central point the writer makes about ghost signs?

a. NO CHANGE

b.was not what interested me,

c. might have been wood,

d.was disappearing

I collect ghost signs. Not the signs themselves, but photos of them. I

started my collection one chilly October evening, driving home from school.

I made the same drive countless times before, but I had never noticed the

sign.

Then there it was, an ad for “Joe’s Café,” perched atop a metal pole, which

was upright under a cape of kudzu vines.

Given that all the choices are accurate, which one echoes the

central point the writer makes about ghost signs?

a. NO CHANGE

b.was not what interested me,

c. might have been wood,

d.was disappearing

• Can not be a phrase or clause

• Ex: In the story “The Scarlet Ibis” it says that …. UNCLEAR

PRONOUN

• The story “The Scarlet Ibis” says that…. Much better

• The pronoun must agree with who or what you are talking about.

• Either both plural or singular

• Ex: I have two cousins. Their names are Sarah and Laura. Both are

plural

Some one-word modifiers often cause confusion: almost, just nearly,

simply, even, hardly, merely, only.

How are the following sentences different in meaning?

-Almost everyone in the class passed the calculus exam.

-Everyone in the class almost passed the calculus exam.

Misplaced or unclear phrases can change the meaning of a sentence.

-Jennifer called her adorable kitten opening the can of tuna and filled

the food bowl.

-Better: Opening the can of tuna, Jennifer called her adorable kitten

and filled the food bowl.

• Portia rushed to the store loaded with cash to buy the birthday gift.

• Better: Portia, loaded with cash, rushed to the store to buy the

birthday gift.

I think of taking the ACT test, I know I’ll do well.

• Period and Capital letter

• I think of taking the ACT test. I know I’ll do well.

• Semi-colon

• I think of taking the ACT test; I know I’ll do well.

• FANBOYS (coordinate conjunctions)

• I think of taking the ACT test, and I know I’ll do well.

During the time that I was in the hospital. I read

everyone of the Sherlock Holmes stories.

A. NO CHANGE

B. During the time that I was hospital, reading

C. During the time that I was in the hospital, I read

D. During the time of being in the hospital,

During the time that I was in the hospital. I read

everyone of the Sherlock Holmes stories.

A. NO CHANGE

B. During the time that I was hospital, reading

C. During the time that I was in the hospital, I read

D. During the time of being in the hospital, I read

“During” is a prepositional phrase. It need to be added to the next

sentence to have a complete thought. It should be set off form the

subject with a comma.

The house on the corner was completely empty, no

one came to the door.

A. NO CHANGE

B. is completely empty, no one

C. was completely empty, therefore no one

D. was completely empty, so no one

The house on the corner was completely empty, no

one came to the door.

A. NO CHANGE

B. is completely empty, no one

C. was completely empty, therefore no one

D. was completely empty, so no one

Comma splices can be fixed with FANBOYS or semi-colons.

Remember that there must be a complete sentence after the coordinate conjunction (CC) to

put a comma before the CC.

The loud noise from the overly sensitive alarm on

the car parked in front of the building making it

difficult for the audience to understand the speaker.

A. NO CHANGE

B. that was parked in front of the building making

C. which parked in front of the building making

D. parked in front of the building made

The loud noise from the overly sensitive alarm on

the car parked in front of the building making it

difficult for the audience to understand the speaker.

A. NO CHANGE

B. that was parked in front of the building making

C. which parked in front of the building making

D. parked in front of the building made

Verb needs to be “made” –”making” creates a participial phrase and

leaves the sentence without a subject and verb.