English Success on the ACT Jump Start (TAC)

1. English Success on the ACTJump Start (TAC) Ene-Kaja Chippendale, Ph.D. .

2. 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 “NOCHANGE,” meaning that the underlined portion is correct. DON’T OVERCORRECT! There may be 2 to 3 NO CHANGE responses in a row.

3. 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 EVERYBUBBLE IS FILLED. There is no penalty for incorrect answers!

4. 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)

5. Big Tip! Only ONE answer can be correct on the ACT! Work to eliminate choices to improve your chances for getting the correct answer

6. Sure enough, there was Roy, still sound asleep, curled up on the back pew, carved out of sturdy white oak. (ACT 0556A) • 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.

7. 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!

8. 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

9. Rhetorical Questions (p. 4 yellow) I.“Wordiness” questions are those where the author says the same thing four ways. (Work Book p. 70) Ms. Komiyama moved to her house in 1948, when she had reached the age ofeighteenyears 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!

10. 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)

11. 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

12. 3. During World War II, the United States and Canadian governments, whose countries border each other, unjustly relocated many people of Japanese descent • NO CHANGE • governments, who share a national border, • governments, geographically linked by a joint border, D. governments (Workbook, p. 70)

13. 3. During World War II, the United States and Canadian governments, whose countries border each other, unjustly relocated many people of Japanese descent • NO CHANGE • governments, who share a national border, • governments, geographically linked by a joint border, D. governments

14. 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)

15. 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

16. “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!

17. Hundreds of escaped slaves who fled from their owners assisted the British during the War of Independence. • OMIT the underlined portion • after having fled from their owners • who, when they fled from their owners, • helped out and (Workbook, p. 72)

18. Hundreds of escaped slaves who fled from their owners assisted the British during the War of Independence. • OMIT the underlined portion • after having fled from their owners • who, when they fled from their owners, • helped out and

19. II. “Best - Word Choice” questions”ask you to find an answer that matches the criteria set up in the question. (p. 7) • 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. NO CHANGE B. proceed C. streak D. advance (Workbook, p. 75)

20. 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. NO CHANGE B. proceed C. streak D. advance

21. 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)

22. 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 vigorand energy that are an essential part of the work of smoke jumping? A. NO CHANGE B. follow C. attend D. chase

23. 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)

24. 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

25. 4. American military officials had been using cumbersome machines to encode and relay information during battles. A. NO CHANGE B. thorny C. strenuous D. gawky (Workbook, p. 74)

26. 4. American military officials had been using cumbersome machines to encode and relay information during battles. A. NO CHANGE B. thorny C. strenuous D. gawky

27. TIP! Questions that include the words Specific EXAMPLESand/or DETAILS Questions that include the words “example(s)” or “illustrate(s)” require an answer that givesspecific examples or details

28. Given than all of the choices are true, which one would best illustrate the term “dress code” as it is used in this sentence? • NO CHANGE • clothing that was inappropriate • 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? i

29. Given than all of the choices are true, which one would best illustrate the term “dress code” as it is used in this sentence? • NO CHANGE • clothing that was inappropriate • clothing, including sandals, bell-bottom pants, and dungarees” (blue jeans) D. clothing that is permitted in some schools today.

30. III. “Add on” YES/NO questionsask 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 KEPToptions first; one of them is usually the correct answer

31. 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 Fchoice is always the correct answer.Workbook, p. 83 • 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

32. ALWAYS CIRCLE KEY WORDS LIKENOT, 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”

33. 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

34. 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

35. Grammar Rules • The ACT uses standard English grammar. • The following are some frequently used rules.

36. “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, whichGrandpa and him had helped lay and maintain. • NO CHANGE • Grandpa and himself • he and Grandpa • himself and Grandpa (Workbook, p. 35)

37. 1. During dinner, my father asked about the loss of the cobblestone road, whichGrandpa and him had helped lay and maintain. • NO CHANGE • Grandpa and himself C. he and Grandpa D. himself and Grandpa

38. 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

39. “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!

40. 1. The words of a novel or poem are literally “bound” within there pages. A. NO CHANGE B. its • one’s D. these (Workbook, p. 41)

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

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 (Workbook, p. 42)

43. 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

44. 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)

45. 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

46. 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 • the Navajo code’s (Workbook, p. 38) NOTE: the concrete noun is the “odd man out.” It is the ONLY choice that is NOT a pronoun!

47. PUNCTUATION!

48. 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 Complete Sentence : List Complete Sentence : Point of emphasis (Workbook, p. 5)

49. Be Careful! • You cannotuse , 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,and I hope they all accept me.

50. 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)