ACT English Test Preparation

Dakota State University

February 18, 2008Maureen Murphy, PhD

Assistant Professor of English

Overview

• Understanding the ACT English Test

• Categories & kinds of questions

• Basic usage/mechanics and rhetorical skills

– Punctuation, grammar, sentence structure

– Style, organization, strategy

----------- Break

• Sample Test Passage

Understanding the Test

Usage/Mechanics

53%

RhetoricalSkills47%

ACT English Test

Strategy

Organization

Style

Punctuation

Grammar & Usage

Sentence Structure

Practice Tests• Preparing for the ACT

– Pages 14-25 (5 passages, 15 questions each)

– Page 60, scoring key

– 2 subscores: Usage/Mechanics & Rhetorical Skills

• ACT English: Improving College Admissions Test Scores

– Instructivision, Inc.PO Box 200416 Chapin RoadPine Brook NJ 07058

– www.instructivision.com

Kinds of Questions

Punctuation13%

Grammar & Usage16%

Sentence Structure

24%

Strategy16%

Organization15%

Style 16%

ACT English Test Content

Rhetorical Usage/ Mechanics

rhetoric

Punctuation—13%

• Internal & end of sentence punctuation

– Commas, apostrophes, semicolons, colons, quotation marks

– Periods, question marks, exclamation marks

• Relationship of punctuation to meaning

? How happy I am exclaimed the bride.? How could you say that.? The car ride was long, and exhausting.? The boys’ bicycle was broken, so he took his sisters.

Grammar & Usage: 16%• Subject-verb agreement

? The boys in the band was late for rehearsal.? Every man, woman, and child were searched.

• Pronoun-antecedent agreement? Everyone wanted their own room.

• Modifier agreement? These kind of pears taste sweet.

• Verb formation? If he hadn’t ran, he wouldn’t have fallen.? The sun had shined all morning.

• Adverb use? You do these problems easy.? The pie smells deliciously.

Indefinite pronouns (anybody, anyone, anything, each, either, every, everyone, everybody, everything, neither, nobody, no one, one, somebody, someone, something)generally use singular verbs

Verb Tenses

Past

• Simple was, jumped,

took

• Progressivewas being, was taking

• Past perfect had been, had been jumping

Present• Simple is, jump,

take

• Progressiveis being, is taking

• Present perfecthas been, has been jumping

Future• Simple

will, will take

• Progressivewill be taking, will be jumping

• Future perfectwill have been, will have been jumping

? The crowd is cheering because they just found out that their candidate had won the election.

Purdue OWL (online writing lab): http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/esl/esltensverb.html#pastprog

Sentence Structure—24%

• Sentence (Main or Independent Clause)Subject, verb, can stand alone– She slept.

• Dependent ClauseSubject, verb, cannot stand alone– When she slept.

• Phrasedoes not contain both a subject and a verb; cannot stand alone– inside the tent.

End of sentence punctuation

Two main or independent clauses can be joined into a single sentence in 4 ways

1. a semicolon only, indicating a close relationship and equal importance:Women athletes work hard to achieve their goals; they deserve our recognition.

2. a comma and a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, so), indicating the relation of meaning between the two clauses:Women athletes work hard to achieve their goals, so they deserve our recognition.

3. subordinating one of the clauses, indicating

• that one of the clauses is more important

• the relation between the two clauses

Because women athletes work hard to achieve their goals, they deserve our recognition.

4. a semicolon, a conjunctive adverb (however, nevertheless, consequently, however, therefore) , and a comma: Women athletes work hard to achieve their goals; therefore, they deserve our recognition.

Elements of Sentence Structure

• Relationships between and among clauses? I want to get my brother a video game for his birthday he loves to play video games.

• Placement of modifying phrases? Walking down the produce aisle, the oranges looked tempting.? Sara took belly-dancing lessons to improve her figure at the community center.

• Shifts in construction (subject, person, number, tense, voice)? Crickets could be heard chirping as we entered the meadow.

? If someone works hard, they can become successful.

visual

Style: 16%• Precise and appropriate words and images

– Join, combine, link

– Manner, demeanor, presence

– Outlive, outlast, survive

• Maintain level of diction and tone (conversational – formal)– Kids, children

• Manage sentence elements for effectiveness– Glancing at the newspaper, Jack noticed the headline about the plane

crash.

– Jack glanced at the newspaper, noticing the headline about the plane crash.

• Avoid ambiguities & redundancies– After the Blue Team beat the Orange Team, they gave them the

second-place trophy.

– His imperceptible mistakes went unnoticed.

Redundancies

• advance notice

• alienated from others

• along the lines of

• attractive in appearance

• by means of

• despite the fact that

• due to the fact that

• divide up

• for the purpose of

• four A.M. in the morning

• give consideration to

• In order to

• in view of the fact that

• make an inquiry

• needless to say

• of a confidential nature

• one and the same

• refer back

• repeat again

• same identical

• up until

• where at

• as to whether

Organization: 15%• Organize ideas according to a pattern

– Chronology, compare-contrast, cause-effect, advantages-disadvantages

– Paragraph development: elaboration, definition, classification, summary,analysis, comparison, refutation, examples, quotations, What method of development is used in paragraph 4?

• Choose effective openings– main ideas, thesis statements

What is the main idea of paragraph 3?

• Use appropriate transitions: connecting terms consistent with organizational

pattern

– Time: after, before, until, soon

– Place: here, there, beyond

– Result: consequently, hence, therefore

– Emphasis: in particular, most important, note that

I have always loved working with test tubes; ________________, I majored in chemistry.A) nevertheless, b) after that, 3) therefore, 4) however

Strategy: 16%• Appropriateness to purpose and audience

Which of the following statements best describes paragraph 4?

• Supporting evidenceWhich of the following statements would best strengthen paragraph 4?

(about an underlined sentence) Does it contribute to the unity of the paragraph . . . .? Yes, because . . .; No, because . . .

Page 17, question 20

• Introduction, summary, conclusion, transitionsWhich sentence would bring the whole essay to a conclusion by summing up the information?

Strategies for English Test• Pace yourself

– Skim an entire passage—1 ½ minutes

– 30 seconds per question

– Mark any clear errors

• Focus on underlined portions—what elements are included: word use? Verb tense? Punctuation? Tone? Purpose? NOT or LEAST?

• Examine alternatives—note especially the differences among them (do not select an answer that solves one problem while creating another)

• Determine BEST answer—eliminate poor choices

• Reread the sentence inserting your choice-------------------------------------------------------------

Passage 1: 15 questions ?? Time?

Passage 1[1]

Many people think of the desert as barren and desolate, but a visit to Death Valley dispenses such an opinion. A group of pioneers was naming the valley for its desolate desert environment after they crossed it in 1849. Situated in Southern California, the drought and the heat have turned the valley into a dangerous but picturesque desert. Known today as Death Valley National Monument, it offers as many attractions for the tourist than any scenic area.

1.[ ] A. NO CHANGE[ ] B. disposes[ ] C. dispels[ ] D. impels

2.[ ] F. NO CHANGE[ ] G. were naming[ ] H. having named[ ] J. named

3.[ ] A. NO CHANGE[ ] B. valley has been turned by drought and heat[ ] C. valley’s lack of water is turning[ ] D. drying of the valley has turned

4.[ ] F. NO CHANGE[ ] G. from[ ] H. as[ ] J. over

Passage 1[2]

The valley center consists of a salt lake that had almost dried up. Called and named Badwater, it is the lowest place in the Western Hemisphere. Nearby are the remains of a town once inhabited by miners who worked the borax deposits. Kings Canyon National Park, 90 miles away, is located in a beautiful natural setting.

5.[ ] A. NO CHANGE[ ] B. has[ ] C. had been [ ] D. was

6.[ ] F. NO CHANGE[ ] G. by the title of[ ] H. there and elsewhere[ ] J.OMIT the underlined portion

7.[ ] A. NO CHANGE[ ] B. was working[ ] C. would be working[ ] D. are working

Passage 1[2]

The valley center consists of a salt lake that had almost dried up. Called and named Badwater, it is the lowest place in the Western Hemisphere. Nearby are the remains of a town once inhabited by miners who worked the borax deposits. Kings Canyon National Park, 90 miles away, is located in a beautiful natural setting.

8. Does the information about the distance between the ghost town and Kings Canyon National Park contribute to the description of Death Valley in this paragraph?

[ ] F. Yes, because it is a good idea to provide as much information as possible about distances between tourist attractions.[ ] G. Yes, because the information supplements the information about Badwater.[ ] H. No, because the focus of this paragraph is on the valley center and its environs[ ] J. No, because the emphasis of this paragraph is on Telescope Peak.

Passage 1[2 cont.]

Badwater its actually a bed of an old lake. Close inspection of the lake reveals salt crystals in infinite variations. Driving to Dante’s Point from Badwater, a half hour’s drive, where you can view the highest and lowest points in the continental United States. In an hour’s drive, you can visit a ghost won, hike up Telescope Peak, explore any of the colorful canyons, or climb down into a volcanic crater. A short trip will take you to the castle constructed by millionaire, Albert Johnson. Built in the middle of the desert, the castle took ten years to complete.

9.[ ] A. NO CHANGE[ ] B. it’s[ ] C. is [ ] D . OMIT the underlined portion

10.[ ] F. NO CHANGE[ ] G. When you have driven to Dante’s Point, from the lake, a half hour’s drive,[ ] H. A half hour’s drive from the lake takes you to Dante’s Point, where[ ] J. After you are taking a half hour’s drive,

11.[ ] A. NO CHANGE[ ] B. desert—the [ ] C. desert; the[ ] D. desert: the

Passage 1[2 cont ]

Badwater its actually a bed of an old lake. Close inspection of the lake reveals salt crystals in infinite variations. Driving to Dante’s Point from Badwater, a half hour’s drive, where you can view the highest and lowest points in the continental United States. In an hour’s drive, you can visit a ghost won, hike up Telescope Peak, explore any of the colorful canyons, or climb down into a volcanic crater. A short trip will take you to the castle constructed by millionaire, Albert Johnson. Built in the middle of the desert, the castle took ten years to complete.

12. Which of the following sentences would best summarize Paragraph 2 on the various attractions of Death Valley?

[ ] F. Because of the intense heat, tours of Death Valley are not recommended during the summer.[ ] G. Death Valley was formed millions of years ago.[ ] H. Several Indian cultures have occupied Death Valley during the past 9,000 years.[ ] J. Death Valley is a place of unexpected contrast.

Passage 1[3]

Although Death Valley remains open all year, the summer months extending from May through October, is too hot to be enjoyable. Despite this extreme heat and lack of rain, various forms of life flourish; the many plants and animals living in Death Valley, and there are a large number of them, demonstrate Darwin’s theory that those who survive must adapt to their environment.

13.[ ] A. NO CHANGE[ ] B. Because[ ] C. On account of the decision that[ ] D . Due to the fact that

14.[ ] F. NO CHANGE[ ] G. months, extending from May through October, are[ ] H. months, extending from May through October are[ ] J. months extending from May through October are

15.[ ] A. NO CHANGE[ ] Valley, and there are a lot of them,[ ] C. Valley[ ] D. Valley, and the area also has a wealth of geological phenomena,

Error analysis--Instructivision1. C grammar & usage

2. J sentence structure

3. B sentence structure

4. H grammar & usage

5. B sentence structure

6. J style

7. A sentence structure

8. H strategy

9. C grammar & usage

10. H strategy

11. A punctuation

12. J strategy

13. A organization

14. G punctuation

15. C organization

Next Steps• Identify & work on weak areas

• Practice pacing

– Skim an entire passage—1 ½ minutes

– 30 seconds per question

– Mark any clear errors

• Focus on underlined portions—what elements are included: word use? Verb tense? Punctuation? Tone? Purpose? NOT or LEAST?

• Examine alternatives—note especially the differences among them (do not select an answer that solves one problem while creating another)

• Determine BEST answer—eliminate poor choices

• Reread the sentence inserting your choice