ACT English
Preparation
University of Illinois-Chicago
Curriculum Framework Project
Spring 2011
Schedule of Lessons
Introduction to Test
Strategies
General
Commas/Punctuation
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Adjective vs Adverb
Lesson #3
Introduction to Test
Strategies
General
Commas/Punctuation
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Adjective vs Adverb
COMMAS/PUNCTUATION PT. 1
Many questions deal with the COMMA RULES
 RULE #1
FOR
AND
NOR
BUT
OR
YET
SO
FANBOYS
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.
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.
COMPLETE SENTENCE COMMA
FANBOY
COMPLETE SENTENCE
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.
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
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.
PUNCTUATION
PLEASE REFER
TO YOUR
PRACTICE
PASSAGES
TEST 0556A
Example from Practice Test (56A)
#69
He not only executed the drawings for the
company’s patent applications but also designed an
improved incandescent lamp.
A.NO CHANGE
B.applications but, also
C.applications but also,
D.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
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.
 EX.
She bought red, yellow, and white flowers.
comma before AND because it is a list
Mrs. Kildeer might go to the corner store, the
mall, or Walmart.
comma before OR because it is a list

MORE FANBOYS Knowledge:
MOST COMMON 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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
TYPES OF NONESSENTIALS
 How do I recognize a nonessential?
There are 4 main types.
1.Interrupter a word or phrase that interrupts the
sentence (however, for example, well, yes, no, okay)
2.WHO, WHICH, WHERE, WHOM a phrase that begins
with one of these words might be nonessential
3.Participial phrases (these are verbs that end in “ING”
or are the form that goes with “HAVE” ex. Broken)
4.The Appositive this is a phrase that begins with A or
THE and is extra information about a subject
TYPES OF NONESSENTIALS
 How do I recognize a nonessential?
EXAMPLES of the 4 main types.
1.Interrupter Well, you sure are smart.
2.WHO, WHICH, WHERE, WHOM Lawrence, who
forgot to study, did not go to school.
3.Participial phrases Paulina, upset about the breakup,
went to the 7-Eleven for a Slurpee.
4.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.
PUNCTUATION
PLEASE REFER
TO YOUR
PRACTICE
PASSAGES
TEST 0556A
Example from Practice Test (56A)
#24
Tiny’s Granny however, is very fond of her burqua...
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 burqua…
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
THE LAST IMPORTANT
NONESSENTIAL RULE
 NONESSENTIALS get surrounded by punctuation.
There are two other pieces of punctuation that can
be used with a nonessential.
1.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.
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!
PUNCTUATION
PLEASE REFER
TO YOUR
PRACTICE
PASSAGES
TEST 0556A
Example from Practice Test (56A)
#28
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