ACT Grammar Rules

Question 1

Commas

Answer 1

1. Separate Dependent Clause from sentence
2. List
3. Between 2 Independent Clauses with Conjunction
4. Surrounding Interjection
5. Surrounding Appositive

ST: Appositives can be removed from the sentence without making the sentence a fragment.

ST: When in doubt leave them out

Question 2

Apostrophe

Answer 2

1. After a noun to indicate possession
2. Contraction

Note: Most possessive pronouns don’t have apostrophes.

Question 3

Semicolon

Answer 3

1. To separate two independent clauses

Question 4

Colon

Answer 4

1. After independent clause to introduce a follow statement

Question 5

Hyphen

Answer 5

1. In an adjective with more than one word

2. As a substitute for other punctuation

Question 6

Sentence Fragments

Answer 6

Fix

1. Subtract Words
2. Add Words
3. Rearrange Words

Question 7

Wrong Connector

Answer 7

Fix

1. Use a connector that reflects relationship between clauses, sentences, or paragraphs
2. Omit unnecessary connectors

Question 8

Run-On Sentence

Answer 8

Fix

1. Put a period between two sentences
2. Put semicolon between 2 independent clauses.
3. Make one clause dependent
4. Use comma and conjunction to make compound sentence.

Note: Words commonly mistaken for Conjunctions:
Interjections

Question 9

Misplaced Modifier

Answer 9

Fix

1. Make sure the modifying phrase is next to the thing it modifies.
2. Clarify the modifying phrase.

Question 10

Parallelism Error

Answer 10

Fix
1. Make sure the words in parallel use consistent structure (Punctuation, verb tense)

ST: Any time a sentence includes a list, check to make sure each part of the list is parallel.

Question 11

Verb Tense Error

Answer 11

Fix
1. Make time period consistent

ST: Words like “If” and “Wish” can identify a conditional sentence and signal the need for a different verb.

ST: If something happened in the past, before something else happened in the past, use the “had” helper verb.

ST: To refer to a non-specific period of time leading up to the present, use has/have.

Question 12

Subject-Verb Tense Agreement Error

Answer 12

Fix

1. Look out for prepositional phrases and Dependent Clauses that separate the subject from its verb.
2. Watch out for tricky subjects

Think Smarter: Be on the lookout for sneaky subjects.

Question 13

Noun Agreement Error

Answer 13

Fix

1. Singular nouns go with singular nouns and plural nouns go with plural nouns.

Question 14

Pronoun Agreement Error

Answer 14

Fix

1. Draw arrow from pronoun to noun it represents to make sure they match
2. Use consistent pronouns

Question 15

Ambiguous Pronouns

Answer 15

Fix

1. Make sure a pronoun can only represent a noun at a tie and replace ambiguous pronouns with the noun it represents.

Question 16

Pronoun Case Error

Answer 16

Fix
1. See if pronoun is doing a verb, is so use a subject pronoun, if not use an object pronoun.

ST: If the pronouns ends a prepositional phrase, always use the object pronoun.

ST: If the pronoun is part of a sequence, drop the other nouns or pronouns to see what works.

Question 17

Adjective Adverb Agreement Error

Answer 17

Fix
1. Use adjective to modify nouns, and adverbs to modify verbs, adjective and other adverbs.

ST: Good = Adjective (Those cookies smell good.)
ST: Well = Adverb (The bloodhound can smell well.)

Question 18

Idiom Error

Answer 18

Fix

1. Appropriate wording for the expression

Question 19

Diction Error

Answer 19

Fix

1. Use a word with appropriate meaning for the context.

Question 20

Redundancy

Answer 20

Fix

1. Eliminate Repetitive Words.
2. Eliminate double negatives.

Question 21

Wrong Comparison Words

Answer 21

Fix

1. To compare two things use: -er
2. To compare three things or more use: -est

ST: Im comparisons, certain work together:

• Not only / but also
• As / as
• More / than
• Between / and
• Prefer / to
• At once / and
• Not so much / as