English Success on the ACT
Jump Start (TAC)
Ene-Kaja Chippendale, Ph.D.
.
Important information
The English test has 5 passages and 75 questions:
9 min. per passage
Set a goal score (pg. 63 in Pink freebie)
21
48/75 correct
25
58/75 correct
31
68/75 correct
Know that 1:5 (20%) of the questions are “NO CHANGE,”
meaning that the underlined portion is correct. DON’T
OVERCORRECT! There may be 2 to 3 NO CHANGE
responses in a row.
Pacing: use your time well!
Cover all 5 passages, skipping the long
questions if time is a problem. Be careful to
match question numbers with answer numbers so
you don’t lose your place.
• When the 5 minute warning is called,
look over your answer sheet and make
sure EVERY BUBBLE IS FILLED. There
is no penalty for incorrect answers!
Get an analog watch!
• At the beginning of the test, set the watch
to High Noon
• DO NOT get a watch that makes noise
(no beeps, buzzes, or tones)
• PRACTICE with
the watch at home
(9 minutes per passage)
Big Tip!
Only ONE answer can be
correct on the ACT!
Work to eliminate choices
to improve your chances
for getting the correct
answer
Sure enough, there was Roy, still sound asleep, curled
up on the back pew, carved out of sturdy white
oak. (ACT 0556A)
12. F. NO CHANGE
G. pew, hewn from locally harvested oak lumber.
H. pew, made from mountain oak
I. pew.
Choices F, G, and H all say the same thing.
They can’t ALL be correct.
Choose the answer that is different.
The most common categories of mistakes on the English test include
(page 3 - yellow)
1.
Rules of Punctuation
Group I: Punctuation BETWEEN sentences (separates sentences)
Periods
______ . _______
Semicolons
______
; _______
Colons
______
: _______
: point of emphasis
: list
: direct quotation
You must come to a FULL STOP
at the end of a sentence!
Group II: Punctuation WITHIN each sentence (sets off clauses)
Commas
______ ,
,________
Dashes
_______ – –________
Parentheses
______ (
) _______
2. Possessives/Apostrophes
3. Subject-verb agreement
4. Noun-pronoun agreement
5. Correct pronoun usage
6. Change of person or tense (on sentence level)
7. Rhetorical questions
 Wordiness questions (less is best)
 Omit questions (omit the underlined portion)
 Add-on questions (yes/no or kept/deleted) *New*
 “Best word choice” questions
“Least Acceptable” questions
Rhetorical Questions (p. 4 yellow)
I. “Wordiness” questions are those where the author
says the same thing four ways. (Work Book p. 70)
1. Ms. Komiyama moved to her house in 1948, when she
had reached the age of eighteen years old.
A. NO CHANGE
B. her age was eighteen years old.
C. she had attained eighteen years in age.
D. she was eighteen years old.
Always pick the
SHORTEST answer!
2. Two years later, she won the vote and
was elected Campus Queen.
A. NO CHANGE
B. was elected and voted in as
C. won an election in which the
students vote for
D. was elected
(Not in Workbook)
2. Two years later, she won the vote and
was elected Campus Queen.
A. NO CHANGE
B. was elected and voted in as
C. won an election in which the
students vote for
D. was elected
3. During World War II, the United States and Canadian
governments, whose countries border each other,
unjustly relocated many people of Japanese descent
A. NO CHANGE
B. governments, who share a national border,
C. governments, geographically linked by a joint
border,
D. governments (Workbook, p. 70)
3. During World War II, the United States and
Canadian governments, whose countries border
each other, unjustly relocated many people of
Japanese descent
A. NO CHANGE
B. governments, who share a national border,
C. governments, geographically linked by a
joint border,
D. governments
4. Ironically, this renowned writer, whose
books are printed on recycled paper, did not
do well in school.
A. NO CHANGE
B. writer, who is recognized by her orange
and black eyeglasses,
C. writer, who likes to write at night,
D. writer
(Not in Workbook)
4. Ironically, this renowned writer, whose
books are printed on recycled paper, did not
do well in school.
A. NO CHANGE
B. writer, who is recognized by her orange
and black eyeglasses,
C. writer, who likes to write at night,
D. writer
“Omit the underlined portion”
--Always read the “Omit the underlined
portion” option first, omitting the part that is
underlined.
--If it’s correct and makes sense, select this
option and move on!
Hundreds of escaped slaves who fled from their owners
assisted the British during the War of Independence.
A. OMIT the underlined portion
B. after having fled from their owners
C. who, when they fled from their owners,
D. helped out and
(Workbook, p. 72)
Hundreds of escaped slaves who fled from their owners
assisted the British during the War of Independence.
A. OMIT the underlined portion
B. after having fled from their owners
C. who, when they fled from their owners,
D. helped out and
II. “Best - Word Choice”
questions” ask you to find an answer that matches the
criteria set up in the question. (p. 7)
1. Alligators can go through water at astonishing
speeds.
The writer wants to emphasize here how quickly
alligators move. Which choice would most
dramatically achieve this effect?
A.
B.
C.
D.
NO CHANGE
proceed
streak
advance
(Workbook, p. 75)
1. Alligators can go through water at astonishing
speeds.
The writer wants to emphasize here how quickly
alligators move. Which choice would most
dramatically achieve this effect?
A.
B.
C.
D.
NO CHANGE
proceed
streak
advance
2. We observe thunderstorms over Stampede Pass in the
Cascade Range or into Hells Canyon on the Snake River,
and when lightning starts a fire, we get ready to jump
Which choice wo(uld most effectively emphasize the vigor
and energy that are an essential part of the work of smoke
jumping?
A. NO CHANGE
B. follow
C. attend
D. Chase (Workbook, p76)
2. We observe thunderstorms over Stampede Pass in the
Cascade Range or into Hells Canyon on the Snake River,
and when lightning starts a fire, we get ready to jump
Which choice would most effectively emphasize the vigor
and energy that are an essential part of the work of smoke
jumping?
A. NO CHANGE
B. follow
C. attend
D. chase
3. It is clear that popcorn has been given a permanent role in
the modern American diet.
Which choice best emphasized the writer’s belief that
America’s interest in popcorn will continue into the future.
A. NO CHANGE
B. an early role
C. a genuine position
D. a reasonable purpose
(Not in Workbook)
3. It is clear that popcorn has been given a permanent role
in the modern American diet.
Which choice best emphasized the writer’s belief that
America’s interest in popcorn will continue into the future.
A. NO CHANGE
B. an early role
C. a genuine position
D. a reasonable purpose
4. American military officials had been using
cumbersome machines to encode and relay
information during battles.
NO CHANGE
B. thorny
C. strenuous
D. gawky
A.
(Workbook, p. 74)
4. American military officials had been using
cumbersome machines to encode and relay
information during battles.
NO CHANGE
B. thorny
C. strenuous
D. gawky
A.
TIP!
Specific EXAMPLES
and/or DETAILS
Questions that include the words
“example(s)” or “illustrate(s)”
require an answer that gives
specific examples or details
i Given than all of the choices are true, which one would best illustrate the term
“dress code” as it is used in this sentence?
A. NO CHANGE
B. clothing that was inappropriate
C. Clothing, including sandals, bell-bottom pants, and
dungarees” (blue jeans)
D. clothing that is permitted in some schools today.
(Workbook, p. 76)
Which answer paints a picture of clothing?
Given than all of the choices are true, which one would best
illustrate the term “dress code” as it is used in this sentence?
A. NO CHANGE
B. clothing that was inappropriate
C. clothing, including sandals, bell-bottom pants, and
dungarees” (blue jeans)
D. clothing that is permitted in some schools today.
III. “Add on” YES/NO questions
ask you to decide whether an author should add (or delete) a
line or two of text. For YES/NO questions, always look at the
two “NO” answers first. (Workbook, p. 81)
Most (not all) add-on sentences provide irrelevant material.
EXCEPTION!
A new “Add-on” question on the ACT uses a different
format (Workbook, p. 81)
It asks if the line(s) should be “kept” or “deleted”
If these are the choices, read the KEPT options first; one of
them is usually the correct answer
IV. “Least Acceptable” are the trickiest of all, and there
will be at lest 5 or 6 on the test. BEWARE! You are now
changing gear and looking for the incorrect answer.
Read the answer choices as True/False. The F choice is
always the correct answer.
Workbook, p. 83
1. It is pleasant to see vacationers enjoying my hometown so
much.
Which of the following alternatives to the underlined
portion would be LEAST acceptable here?
A.
notice
B.
observe
C.
enjoy
D.
watch
ALWAYS CIRCLE KEY WORDS LIKE
NOT, EXCEPT, LEAST (p. 10)
1.Text: It is pleasant to see vacationers enjoying my hometown so much.
Which of the following alternatives to the underlined portion would be LEAST
acceptable here?
(Think of this as a True/False question, where “false” is the correct answer!)
A.
notice
B.
observe
C.
enjoy
D.
watch
Look for the
“odd man out”
2. She worked for thirty years as a teacher and librarian in
the field of education in the Baltimore public schools.
Which of the following words or phrases from the
preceding sentence is LEAST necessary and could
therefore be deleted?
A. thirty
B. and librarian
C. in the field of education
D. Baltimore public schools
2. She worked for thirty years as a teacher and librarian in
the field of education in the Baltimore public schools.
Which of the following words or phrases from the
preceding sentence is LEAST necessary and could
therefore be deleted?
A. thirty
B. and librarian
C. in the field of education
D. Baltimore public schools
Grammar Rules
The ACT uses standard English grammar.
The following are some frequently used rules.
“I” vs. “me”
(p.11)
“I” is the subject; “me” is the object.
In compound usage, throw out the other person.
Robert and I went fishing last summer.
1. During dinner, my father asked about the loss of the
cobblestone road, which Grandpa and him had helped
lay and maintain.
A. NO CHANGE
B. Grandpa and himself
C. he and Grandpa
D. himself and Grandpa (Workbook, p. 35)
1. During dinner, my father asked about the loss of
the cobblestone road, which Grandpa and him
had helped lay and maintain.
A. NO CHANGE
B. Grandpa and himself
C. he and Grandpa
D. himself and Grandpa
THE APOSTROPHE
•Always stands for something left out!
•It’s = It is
•They’re = They are
•Don’t = Do not
Read as if the apostrophe is NOT there
“It’s” (it is) vs. “its”
(p. 12)
“Its” is a possessive like “his and “her”
“It’s” is a contraction of “it is”
There is NO such usage as ITS’ except as
a question to mess with your mind on the
ACT!
1. The words of a novel or poem are literally
“bound” within there pages.
A. NO CHANGE
B. its
C. one’s
D. these
(Workbook, p. 41)
1. The words of a novel or poem are literally
“bound” within there pages.
A. NO CHANGE
B. its
C. one’s
D. these
2. The Fleet Corporation named it’s new
product Dubble Bubble
A.
NO CHANGE
B.
named its
C.
called they’re
D.
called it’s
(Workbook, p. 42)
2.The Fleet Corporation named it’s new
product Dubble Bubble
A.
NO CHANGE
B.
named its
C.
called they’re
D.
called it’s
3. Its impossible to predict which people will dig
into their pockets or open their purses.
A. NO CHANGE
B. It’s
C. Its’
D. That’s
(Workbook, p. 42)
3. Its impossible to predict which people will
dig into their pockets or open their purses.
A. NO CHANGE
B. It’s
C. Its’ !!!!!!!
D. That’s
Prounouns: Big Tip!
If you have a choice between using a concrete subject (a noun)
and using a pronoun, PICK THE CONCRETE SUBJECT!
Outside Navajo communities, such exposure
is rare, which greatly contributed to its success.
F. NO CHANGE
G. that
H. this
J. the Navajo code’s
NOTE: the concrete noun
is the “odd man out.” It is
the ONLY choice that is
NOT a pronoun!
(Workbook, p. 38)
PUNCTUATION!
Group I : periods, colons, semicolons
Where does my sentence end?
(p. 13)
Periods, colons, semicolons separate sentences (independent clauses).
. Complete Sentence
Complete Sentence ; Complete Sentence
Complete Sentence
: Complete Sentence
Complete Sentence : List
Complete Sentence
Complete Sentence
: Point of emphasis
(Workbook, p. 5)
Be Careful!
,
You cannot use to separate two
sentences unless you add a coordinating
conjunction such as “and, yet, or but.”
(remember the FANBOYS)
I am going to apply to four colleges
I hope they all accept me.
, and
TIP!
On the ACT, the MOST COMMON correct
answer for a question that asks for
punctuation use is the one with NO
punctuation!
(If in doubt, LEAVE IT OUT)
For And Nor But Or Yet So
(FANBOYS)
The comma ALWAYS comes BEFORE
the coordinating conjunction,
NEVER after it!
,for
,and
,nor ,but
,or
,yet
,so
,
I am going to bed early and I am eating a good breakfast.
,
I am going to bed early and I am eating a good breakfast.
1. Those artists who look good on camera have a
greater chance of success than those who do not,
examples are not difficult to find.
A.
B.
C.
D.
NO CHANGE
not examples,
not. Examples,
not. Examples
(Workbook, p. 7)
1. Those artists who look good on camera have a
greater chance of success than those who do
not,| examples are not difficult to find.
A.
B.
C.
D.
NO CHANGE
not examples,
not. Examples,
not. Examples
2. Even the parts of a chili vary the seeds and
veins of a pepper are hotter than the flesh.
A. NO CHANGE
B. vary;
C. vary,
D.
vary but
(Workbook, p.10)
2. Even the parts of a chili vary| the seeds
and veins of a pepper are hotter than the
flesh.
A. NO CHANGE
B. vary;
C. vary,
D. vary but
3. Not all visitors,however, have been so welcome, years
ago, an escaped convict made his way to her
mountain retreat and threatened her.
A. NO CHANGE
B. welcome:
C. welcome; since
D. welcome, although
(Workbook, p. 13)
3. Not all visitors,however, have been so
welcome,| years ago, an escaped convict
made his way to her mountain retreat and
threatened her.
A. NO CHANGE
B. welcome:
C. welcome; since
D. welcome, although
COMMAS, DASHES, PARENTHESES
(p.14)
Where do I set off supporting clauses in
sentences?
On the ACT, you will use commas,
dashes, and parentheses.
Jason Wilson, the star athlete from
Roosevelt High, is going to MU on a full
athletic scholarship next year.
Jason Wilson – the star athlete from
Roosevelt High – is going to MU on a full
athletic scholarship next year.
Jason Wilson ( the star athlete from
Roosevelt High ) is going to MU on a full
athletic scholarship next year.
Commas = pauses
• A comma acts like a Yield sign
• You must s-l-o-w d-o-w-n
for a comma when you read.
1. Although Walter Diemer, now a retired senior
vice president of the Fleet Corporation never
patented his invention, he had hoped to keep his
recipe a secret from other gum manufacturers.
F. NO CHANGE
G. president, of the Fleet Corporation,
H. president of the Fleet Corporation,
J. president, of the Fleet Corporation
(Workbook, p. 19)
1. Although Walter Diemer, now a retired senior
vice president of the Fleet Corporation never
patented his invention, he had hoped to keep his
recipe a secret from other gum manufacturers.
F. NO CHANGE
G. president, of the Fleet Corporation,
H. president of the Fleet Corporation,
J. president, of the Fleet Corporation
2. Fleet Corporation, now only one of countless
bubble gum manufacturers, makes four million
pieces of bubble gum a day and sells them in
fifty countries.
A. NO CHANGE
B. Corporation, now,
C. Corporation now,
D. Corporation: now,
(Workbook, p. 19 )
2. Fleet Corporation, now only one of countless
bubble gum manufacturers, makes four million
pieces of bubble gum a day and sells them in
fifty countries.
A. NO CHANGE
B. Corporation, now,
C. Corporation now,
D. Corporation: now,
BIG TIP!
If 3 answer choices use
punctuation (especially commas) and one
does not, ALWAYS look at the one without
any punctuation first.
1. Hikers, typically, find, that the climb takes at least three
hours.
A.
NO CHANGE
B.
Hikers typically find
C.
Hikers typically, find
D.
Hikers, typically find
(Workbook, p. 42)
1. Hikers, typically, find, that the climb takes at least three
hours.
A.
NO CHANGE
B.
Hikers typically find
C.
Hikers typically, find
D.
Hikers, typically find
2. Then again, you can sometimes get lucky, and a
ball you thought was lost, will inexplicably
bounce back into place.
A. NO CHANGE
B. lost will
C. lost, will,
D.
lost will,
(Workbook, p. 42)
2. Then again, you can sometimes get lucky,
and a ball you thought was lost, will
inexplicably bounce back into place.
A. NO CHANGE
B. lost will
C.
lost, will,
D.
lost will,
• Time to practice!!
Turn to PURPLE FREEBIE test page14
Work Passage I – Questions 1-15
9 minutes
Summary of English Rules
Work through the entire test
Try to think of the correct answer before you
look at the choices
Remember 1:5 questions is NO CHANGE
Only ONE answer can be correct on the ACT!
(eliminate choices; choose what’s left!)
Fill in ALL the answers
Set your watch to
High Noon to pace yourself!
Reading Success on the ACT
Pacing: use your time well
The Reading test has 4 passages and 40 questions
(35 minutes). The passages appear in the same order
on all tests.
Prose Fiction
Social Sciences
Humanities
Natural Science
Set a goal score
21
25/40 correct
25
30/40 correct
31
34/40 correct
How to set a goal score
(p. 63 in purple Freebie)
Goal score
21
25/40 correct
Read 2 passages, guess on 2
25
30/40 correct
Read 3 passages, guess on 1
31
34/40 correct
Read 4 passages, leave most difficult
till last
On the omitted passage(s), answer all 10
questions using the same letter.
Always answer every question!
Reading Strategies
1. Work with the
passage with the
shortest questions
first. Always work to
YOUR strengths.
Wear an analog watch!
• Set the watch to
“High Noon”
It is easier to see the
time passing with
an analog watch.
Remember
2. Skim the questions first, circling key
words. (Do NOT read the 4 answer
choices.)
Practice till you can complete the preview in
45 – 60 seconds.
– Draw a reference line by the paragraph line numbers
addressed in the question
– Write the number of the question by the reference line.
4.
CROSS OFF incorrect answer
choices as you eliminate them.
You don’t want to waste time rereading them.
BE VERY CAREFUL OF answer
choices that use EXACT WORDING
from the passage. They are usually
incorrect because the question presents
the information differently from the text.
Most correct answers are paraphrases of
the text. In other words, they say the same
thing using different words.
Circle the correct answers in
your test booklet and transfer them
to the answer sheet in groups of 10
(passage by passage).
At the 5-minute
warning, quickly
complete as many direct
sentence reference
questions as you can and
GUESS ON THE REST.
Fill in every blank.
Recognize the types of
questions on the test
Specific literal, details (what the text says).
General main idea or inferential
questions (what the text means)
Literal Level Questions (what the text says)
Text:
To retrace this story in an age when a network of
satellites can nail down a ship’s position within a
few feet in just a moment–is to see the globe anew.
30. The passage indicates that instruments for
determining longitude now include:
F.
modified pendulum clocks
G.
satellites
H.
a network of ships
J.
barometers
Inferential Questions (what the text means).
On context cue questions, be careful of the most obvious answer.
1.
(From a text about preserving the ecological balance
in national parks) As it is used in line 65, the word
“complement” most nearly means:
H.
flattering remark
I.
equal cost
J.
selection
K.
safe number
Paraphrasing is where the text and question
use different words that mean the same thing.
Text: We plan-makers are accustomed to things turning out notquite-as-good-as-we-had-in-mind. Our world view includes the
“diminished excellence” component. Diminished excellence is a
condition of the world and therefore never an occasion for sorrow,
whereas flawed competence comes out of character and therefore is
frequently the reason for the bowed head, the furrowed brow.
In the last paragraph, a comparison is made between “diminished
excellence” and “flawed competence.” From the narrator’s point of
view, the conditions are different because the one is:
A.
a source of sorrow while the other is a source of pride.
B.
based in the family while the other is based in the self.
C.
inherent in the environment while the other is inherent
in the individual.
D.
a sign that the individual can improve the world while
the other is a sign that the individual can’t.
Summary of Reading Rules
Preview test QUICKLY
Leave longest/hardest passage til last
Omit one passage if your goal score is 25-26
Omit two passages if your goal score is 21.
READ questions first
Circle key words
Mark line references in
margins
Cross off incorrect answers
Read text, skimming whenever possible
Wear an analog watch
and set it to
HIGH NOON
Mark ALL answers on the answer sheet.
DO NOT leave any blank.
Circle answers in the test booklet and
transfer to answer sheet in groups of 10.
GOOD LUCK!