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ENGLISH

Apostrophes………………………………….…………….…..46 Commas……………………………………………………….…50 Semicolons………………………………………………..…….54 Punctuation Assessment………………………….…….……57

45


THE SKILL

Now, this isn’t ground-breaking stuff; you probably learned how to use an apostrophe in third grade. But, if

your apostrophe skills are a bit dusty, you’re not alone; plenty of adults and professionals misuse apostrophes.

Between contractions, plurals, and those tricky words ending in –s, this simple punctuation mark can get a bit

confusing. Here are three things you need to know about using apostrophes:

Plurals— A plural noun is more than one of something (two goats, three fans, etc.). PLURALS ALONE DO NOT

USE APOSTROPHES!

Possessives— Possessive nouns usually DO use an apostrophe. When something is singular (only one) and owns

something (possessive), we add an apostrophe, then the letter –s (‘s).

Plural Possessives— Plural possessives also use an apostrophe. Since the noun is plural, it already ends in –s

(usually), so we add an apostrophe AFTER the –s to show that it is both plural AND possessive.

WHAT THESE QUESTIONS LOOK LIKE

Three baseball (3) player’s were on base.

3. A. NO CHANGE

B. players’

C. players D. players’s

The adjective three tells us that the noun is plural. There is no indication in this sentence that the three players possess anything, so the noun is not possessive. Since it is not possessive, do not add an apostrophe (choice C).

STRATEGIES TO WIN

Ask yourself these three questions when determining how to use an apostrophe:

1. Does the noun own/possess anything? If NO, do NOT use an apostrophe.

2. If you answered YES to question one, is the noun alone singular? If so, add –‘s.

3. If the noun is not singular, is it plural? And just to check, does it also own/possess something? If YES, add

an apostrophe AFTER the –s.

One more thing: It’s= It is. Its= possessive. Get these two straight; ACT usually asks one or two questions on it.

Get to know your possessive pronouns and contractions if you don’t already.

46


APOSTROPHES PRACTICE

The Cubs Curse

Chicago Cubs fans have been waiting since 1908

for another World Series win. Many superstitious (1)fans’

place the blame not on the players or managers but on a

goat. Yes, a goat. According to legend, in 1945, Billy

Goat Tavern owner Billy Sianis brought a goat to Wrigley

Field, the (2) Cubs home field, during a World Series

game against the Detroit Tigers. However, fans were

disgusted by the goat’s odor and park officials ordered

(3) it’s removal. Upon his ejection from the park, Sianis

reportedly cursed the Cubs, vowing they would never win

another World Series. The Cubs went on to lose the series

to the Tigers.

Since then, there have been many attempts to

break the curse but with little success. In fact, the curse

may have been strengthened in 2003. The Cubs were

close to a World Series bid when Sam Sianis, (4) Billy

Sianis’s nephew, allegedly brought a goat to Wrigley

Field but was denied entry. At that same game, fan Steve

Bartman was chastised for reaching out and catching a

ball that a Cubs outfielder likely would have caught.

Subsequently, the Cubs did not make the World Series

that year.

So, to all the Cubs fans out there, (5) your best

bet for seeing a World Series might just be to show

kindness to goats!

1. A. NO CHANGE

B. fan’s

C. fans’s

D. fans

2. F. NO CHANGE

G. Cub’s

H. Cubs’ J. Cubs’s

3. A. NO CHANGE

B. its

C. its’

D. it is

4. F. NO CHANGE

G. Billy Sianis’

H. Billy Sianis

J. Billy Siani’s

5. A. NO CHANGE

B. you’re

C. their

D. they’re

47


PUNCTUATION—Apostrophes

Answer Explanation

1. D In this sentence, fans is plural (we are referring to many people), but NOT possessive. Therefore, there is no need for an apostrophe.

2. H In this sentence, the word Cubs is both plural (referring to the entire team) AND possessive (it is their field). Therefore, we place the apostrophe after the –s in Cubs. (Professional sports teams, even singular looking ones like the Miami Heat, should be considered plural, so use plural verbs and pronouns as well as apostrophe rules for plurals).

3. B Its is singular (referring to the one goat) AND possessive. We wouldn’t say “Park officials ordered it is removal” (remember: it’s=it is). As such, the word its should be written WITHOUT an apostrophe.

4. F Billy Sianis is singular (we are referring to one person). In this sentence, his name is possessive because we are referring to his nephew. Remember, for singular possessive nouns, simply add ‘s after the noun (even if the noun ends in –s in its singular form).

5. A Your is possessive, which is appropriate because the author is discussing the only hope that fans possess. You’re would not work because it stands for you are, which does not fit in the sentence. The second best option would be their because it is also possessive; however, the author is directly speaking to Cubs fans, so A is the better choice.

SELF-ASSESSMENT

Check your score range as listed below: ______ 4-5 correct: You hit it outside the park! ______ 3 correct: Definitely a base hit; review the rules & tips on page 46 to bring it on home. ______ 1-2 correct: A few weeks in spring training will get you caught up. ______ 0 correct: You may have struck out this time, but with practice, you’ll get there.

48


REFLECTION Determine if the underlined noun in each sentence is plural, possessive, or plural-possessive. The sentences are punctuated correctly. Check the appropriate box.

PLURAL POSSESSIVE PLURAL-POSSESSIVE

A) The World Series games between the Cubs and the Tigers spawned the legend of the billy goat.

B) The single goat’s curse haunted the Cubs.

C) The Cubs’ fan base was superstitious.

Superstitions in Sports After returning to the Chicago Bulls from a brief retirement in 1994, Michael Jordan experienced a slump

while sporting his new number, 45. When he returned to his original number, 23, he played an amazing game, returning to the Michael Jordan legacy fans knew and loved.

The Boston Red Sox won five of the first fifteen World Series. After trading legend Babe Ruth, though, they failed to win another World Series for 86 years.

Many hockey players (and their fans) sport “playoff beards,” believed to bring good luck.

Appearing on the Sports Illustrated cover is considered a great honor for many athletes but can also be unlucky. Countless athletes have sustained serious injuries and other setbacks shortly after gracing the front of the magazine.

Answers:

A)Plural

B)Possessive

C)Plural-Possessive

49


THE SKILL

The ACT loves commas—questions involving the usage of commas can account for a good-sized chunk of the

English test.

With so many comma questions, there can be a lot of rules to keep track of, and it can get pretty confusing. Let’s

keep it simple, though. Below are the four main categories of comma usage to know for the ACT English test (the

four I’s):

Items in a series— Use a comma to separate lists of three or more items, adjectives, etc.

Introductory phrases— Use a comma to offset an introductory word or phrase from the main part of the

sentence.

Interruptions in a sentence— Use a comma to offset an interruption from the main part of the sentence.

Independent clauses joined together—When joining two complete thoughts with a conjunction, place a comma

before the conjunction. NEVER use a comma alone to join two complete thoughts (more on this in Sentence

Structure).


(1) Thomas Suarez a twelve year old boy is the

CEO of his own smartphone apps corporation.

1. A. NO CHANGE B. Thomas Suarez, a twelve year old boy is

the CEO, of his own smartphone apps

corporation.

C. Thomas Suarez, a twelve year old boy, is the CEO of his own smartphone apps

corporation.

D. Thomas Suarez a twelve year old boy is the CEO of his own smartphone, apps,

corporation.

The correct answer is C.

STRATEGIES TO WIN Look over your answer choices very carefully. Often, ACT will give you two or more seemingly identical answer

choices; the only difference is the placement (or lack thereof) of a comma.

Always read through the entire sentence, and not just the underlined portion. Commas require an

understanding of the entire sentence structure.

50


COMMAS PRACTICE

Carrot Corp CEO

Most twelve year olds spend their time playing

video games or running around outside. (1)Thomas

Suarez, however is not your typical twelve year old. The

sixth grader from Los Angeles, California, recently

started an Apps Club at his middle school. He isn’t just

interested in learning about phone apps, though. He

actually has created some of his own.

At the (2) young age of nine Suarez taught

himself software programs including C, Python, and Java.

From there he created his (3) first app and his parents

put it up for sale on the iPhone store. He used the money

he earned from the app to buy his own iPod Touch. Soon

thereafter, he created the app that put him (4) on the map,

Bustin Jieber a game built around the pop icon Justin

Bieber.

Today, Suarez continues to develop and sell his

apps through his own company, Carrot Corp, and inspires

millions of kids and adults alike with his TED talks on

YouTube. Suarez feels that kids have a desire (5) to

create innovate and design new things if only provided

with the right source of inspiration.

1. A. NO CHANGE

B. Thomas Suarez however,

C. Thomas Suarez, however,

D. Thomas Suarez however

2. F. NO CHANGE

G. young age of nine, Suarez

H. young age, of nine, Suarez

J. young age of nine Suarez,

3. A. NO CHANGE

B. first app, and his parents

C. first, app and his parents

D. first app and his parents,

4. F. NO CHANGE

G. on the map Bustin Jieber a game

H. on the map, Bustin Jieber, a game

J. on the map Bustin, Jieber, a game

5. A. NO CHANGE

B. to create, innovate and design new things C. to create, innovate, and design, new things

D. to create, innovate, and design new things

51


PUNCTUATION—Commas

Answer Explanation

1. C In this sentence, the word however is an interruption. Therefore, it should be offset on either side with commas. Hint: Read the sentence without the word however. It still makes sense, right? That means it is extra information and should be separated from the main part of the sentence with commas.

2. G The beginning of this sentence, At the young age of nine, is an introductory phrase. We should add a comma after this introductory phrase to separate it from the main part of the sentence.

3. B This sentence is comprised of two independent clauses (in other words, it contains two complete thoughts). It already contains the conjunction and between the two complete thoughts, but it needs a comma before the conjunction.

4. H The title of the app, Bustin Jieber, is an interruption or extra piece of information. Similar to question 1, the sentence makes sense without the name of the app, so we will add commas around it.

5. D The pre-teen techie tycoon lists three actions for kids to take; since he provides a list of three or more things, we need to add a comma after each item except for the last one.

SELF-ASSESSMENT

Check your score range as listed below: ______ 4-5 correct: Time to start your own company! Maybe Comma Corp? ______ 3 correct: Commas? There’s an app for that and apparently you have it. ______ 1-2 correct: Time to put down the iPhone and pick up Fun ACT Prep. Review page 50. ______ 0 correct: Hey, if Thomas Suarez can teach himself Java, you can teach yourself commas.

52


REFLECTION Label the “I” concept illustrated by the comma usage in each sample sentence below.

A. Items in a series C. Interruptions in a sentence

B. Independent clauses D. Introductory phrases

1. _____ 2. _____

Words with Friends, Draw Something, and Angry Birds were popular apps.

Although these apps are free, their creators still make plenty of money from them.

3. _____ 4. _____

Many teens are knowledgeable about apps, and they can teach adults a thing or two.

Apple, the company that makes the iPhone, has revolutionized modern communication.

Becoming an ACT-hlete

Surprisingly, being an ACT test-taker is a lot like being an athlete (stop rolling your eyes). Consider:

You need to know the rules of the game, just as you need to know the directions for the test.

You need to know how much time you have (for instance, the shot clock in basketball), just as you need

to be aware of the time limits on the ACT.

You need to fuel up for a competition by eating well, staying hydrated, and getting sleep. Before taking

the ACT, you should also be sure to get enough sleep, eat a good breakfast, and drink some water.

Practice makes perfect. Just as we wouldn’t expect even the greatest athletes to simply walk up to the

court or field on game day without attending practice, you can’t just show up on testing day, either.

Champions aren’t born; they’re made.

It’s not always fun. While professional athletes seem to revel in the glory of a win, it’s not always so

pretty. Setbacks like injuries, bad plays, and upsets can be discouraging, but the most important thing is

getting back out there. The same thing applies to test prep. Some days will be tougher (and more

boring) than others, but making a consistent effort over the long term will pay off in the end.

Answers:

1.A

2.D

3.B

4.C

53


THE SKILL

You know how to use a period, right? Obviously—periods mark where one sentence ends and another begins.

Well, guess what? If you know how to use a period, you know how to use a semicolon.

Now, they’re not exactly the same, but the concept is pretty close. A semicolon is used to connect and separate

two complete thoughts at the same time. So basically, you have what could be two complete sentences, but

you decide to combine them into one sentence.

Additionally, since it is technically one sentence, you do NOT capitalize the word after the semicolon (unless it

would normally be capitalized on its own, like a person’s name).

Check out the section on SENTENCE STRUCTURE for more information on when and how to use semicolons.


50 Cent is best known for his (6) rap career what

many fans may not realize, though, is that he made

a lot of his fortune in the stock market.

6. F. NO CHANGE G. rap career what many fans may not

realize;

H. rap career; What many fans may not

realize, J. rap career; what many fans may not

realize,

Choice J illustrates the correct usage of a semicolon in this sentence.

STRATEGIES TO WIN When trying to determine if a semicolon is used correctly, ask yourself:

Is the portion of the sentence before the semicolon a complete thought (could it be its own

sentence)?

Is the portion of the sentence after the semicolon a complete thought (could it be its own

sentence, too)?

Are the two halves of the sentence related in some way?

If you can answer YES to all three questions, go ahead and keep the semicolon.

When trying to decide if you should add a semicolon to a sentence, ask yourself:

Am I joining two complete thoughts (could the ideas in this sentence be expressed in two

separate sentences)?

If so, where does one complete thought end and the next one begin?

Are the two complete thoughts related in some way?

If you can answer YES to all three questions, go ahead and add in a semicolon.

54


SEMICOLONS PRACTICE

50 Cent Makes a Million

Rapper 50 Cent’s name may imply that he’s low

on (1) cash; but his fans know otherwise. What they may

not know, however, is that his rap career is only one

source of his income. In fact, in 2011, he managed to

make $8.7 million in one weekend without a single record

sale.

50 Cent’s company, G-Unit Inc., invested

heavily in a company called (2) H & H Imports; the

company distributes 50 Cent’s headphones. The stock

was only trading at ten cents a (3) share, when it comes

to stocks, that’s usually a bad sign. In fact, the company

had barely made any profit. However, that was about to

change when 50 Cent sent out a tweet to his 3.8 million

Twitter followers urging them to buy the stock. As a

result, the stock nearly quadrupled (4) in price; with 30

million shares in his name, 50 Cent made millions of

dollars virtually overnight while barely lifting a finger.

However, think twice before investing and

tweeting. 50 Cent was investigated by the (5) Securities

& Exchange Commission apparently it is illegal to

encourage people to invest in a low-performing stock in

order to inflate the price for personal gain. 50 Cent will

likely escape unscathed, though, since such intentions are

difficult to prove.

1. A. NO CHANGE

B. cash and

C. cash, but

D. cash but;

2. F. NO CHANGE

G. H & H Imports, the company

H. H & H Imports, but the company

J. H & H Imports the company

3. A. NO CHANGE

B. share when C. share for when

D. share; when

4. F. NO CHANGE

G. in price with;

H. in price with

J. in price, with

5. A. NO CHANGE

B. Securities & Exchange Commission

apparently; it

C. Securities & Exchange Commission,

apparently; it

D. Securities & Exchange Commission; apparently it

55


PUNCTUATION—Semicolons

Answer Explanation

1. C We do NOT need a semicolon in this sentence. Instead, let’s review the rules for using commas with two complete thoughts. The sentence already contains the conjunction but; now we just need a comma in front of the conjunction.

2. F Here we have two complete thoughts combined into one sentence. We should add a semicolon between the two complete thoughts.

3. D We again have two complete thoughts; join them with a semicolon.

4. F The sentence uses the semicolon correctly because it is located between two complete thoughts.

5. D The semicolon should be moved to the end of the first complete thought. Each half of the sentence expresses a complete thought.

SELF-ASSESSMENT

Check your score range as listed below: ______ 4-5 correct: Your semicolon stock is priceless! ______ 3 correct: Time to pick up more Twitter followers! ______ 1-2 correct: Invest in some more semicolon practice. ______ 0 correct: Take a page out of 50 Cent’s book and enlist your friends for help.

56


PUNCTUATION ASSESSMENT

The Reign of King James

LeBron James has experienced being both one of

the most admired and one of the most hated men in

professional sports. (1) In just nine years he earned two

Olympic (2) medals one NBA championship countless

endorsement deals and plenty of positive and negative

press.

(3) LeBron James’s rose from humble

beginnings. His mother, Gloria James, became pregnant at

age 16. LeBron’s biological father, an ex-convict, had no

interest in being (4) a father and left Gloria to raise

young LeBron on her own. Searching for employment,

Gloria often had to move LeBron around Akron, Ohio,

which at times led to a rather unstable home environment.

In fourth grade, LeBron was chronically truant from

school. (5) Frankie Walker, LeBrons football coach,

invited LeBron to live with him and his family. The next

year, LeBron earned his school’s attendance award.

By sixth grade, six-foot tall LeBron towered over

his five-foot-five mother. After shooting up another

seven inches the (6) summer after freshman year it

became clear that LeBron had an athletic advantage over

his peers. As a student at Akron’s St. Vincent-St. Mary

High School, LeBron shined on the basketball court.

1. A. NO CHANGE

B. In just, nine years he earned

C. In just nine years, he earned

D. In just nine years he earned

2. F. NO CHANGE

G. medals; one NBA championship; countless

endorsement deals;

H. medals—one NBA championship—countless endorsement deals

J. medals, one NBA championship, countless

endorsement deals,

3. A. NO CHANGE

B. LeBron James

C. LeBron James’

D. LeBron Jame’s

4. F. NO CHANGE G. a father; and left Gloria

H. a father, and left Gloria

J. a father: and left Gloria

5. A. NO CHANGE

B. Frankie Walker, LeBron’s football coach,

C. Frankie Walker; LeBron’s football coach; D. Frankie Walker; LeBrons football coach,

6. F. NO CHANGE

G. summer, after freshman year

H. summer after freshman year,

J. summer after freshman year;

57


His high school basketball career garnered him

national attention. In his sophomore year, he was named

(7) Ohio’s Mr. Basketball and made USA Today’s All-

USA (8) First Team, he was the first sophomore to earn

either title. Junior year he was proclaimed “One of the

best high school basketball players in America” by SLAM

Magazine. Senior year led to the title of Gatorade’s

National Player of the Year and the covers of (9) ESPN

The Magazine, and Sports Illustrated.

By then it was clear that LeBron was

(10) destined for the pros. He was selected by the

Cleveland Cavaliers as the first draft pick in 2003. He

made his mark and was named Rookie of the Year. Two

years later, the Cavaliers qualified for the playoffs for the

first time since 1998. Cleveland had several playoff runs

in the (11) following seasons and LeBron was named

MVP three times, but they could not clinch a

championship.

This caused LeBron to have to make a big

decision. In July 2010, LeBron became a free agent.

After being courted by (12) many teams scouts, he

finally announced his intentions in a televised special on

ESPN titled, “The Decision.” After proclaiming he would

be bringing his “talents to South Beach,” LeBron received

7. A. NO CHANGE

B. Ohios Mr. Basketball

C. Ohios’ Mr. Basketball

D. Ohio’s Mr. Basketball,

8. F. NO CHANGE

G. First Team and he was

H. First Team; he was

J. First Team: he was

9. A. NO CHANGE

B. ESPN The Magazine; and Sports Illustrated.

C. ESPN, The Magazine, and Sports Illustrated.

D. ESPN The Magazine and Sports Illustrated.

10. F. NO CHANGE

G. destined, for the pros.

H. destined, for the pros’.

J. destined for the pro’s.

11. All of the following changes to the underlined

portion are acceptable EXCEPT:

A. following seasons, and LeBron

B. following seasons; and LeBron

C. following seasons; LeBron

D. following seasons. LeBron

12. F. NO CHANGE

G. many teams’ scouts,

H. many teams’ scouts

J. many team’s scouts

58


extensive criticism from the press. His perceived

arrogance overshadowed the fact that the televised

announcement generated millions of dollars for charity.

In addition, Cleveland Cavaliers team owner Dan Gilbert

publicly (13) denounced him some fans in Cleveland

even burned James’s jersey.

Despite the negative publicity, LeBron finished

his first season with the Miami Heat ranking second in

scoring for the league. LeBron led the Heat to the NBA

finals, only to lose to the Dallas Mavericks. The

following season, he finally accomplished his goal of

winning an NBA Championship. The Heat defeated their

(14) opponents the Oklahoma City Thunder in four

games. The Heat followed their championship with a

repeat performance the following season.

(15) LeBron James future success will likely

continue to be marked with both praise and scorn. He

was named the sixth-most disliked sports personality as

well as the second-most influential athlete. He became the

first black man to grace the cover of fashion magazine

Vogue. In addition, he has expanded his talents to begin

the LeBron James Family Foundation, distributing “I

Promise” bracelets as a commitment with children and

teenagers to graduate from school. Regardless of whether

people love him or hate him, “King James” has

accomplished more before the age of thirty than most

people can dream of in a lifetime.

13. A. NO CHANGE

B. denounced him, some fans

C. denounced him; some fans

D. denounced him; so some fans

14. F. NO CHANGE

G. opponents: the Oklahoma City Thunder

H. opponents’ the Oklahoma City Thunder

J. opponents, the Oklahoma City Thunder,

15. A. NO CHANGE

B. LeBron James’s future success

C. LeBron James future success’

D. LeBron James’s future, success

59


PUNCTUATION ASSESSMENT

Answer Skill(s) Explanation

1. C Commas Use a comma to offset the introductory phrase from the main part of the sentence.

2. J Commas Use commas to separate the items in a series (LeBron James’s many accomplishments).

3. B Apostrophes Even though his name ends in –s, LeBron James is singular, not possessive; therefore, no apostrophe is needed.

4. F Commas We are NOT joining two independent clauses (the portion of the sentence after the conjunction and is not a complete thought). Also, the sentence only lists two attributes of James’s father; therefore, a comma is not necessary.

5. B Commas/ Apostrophes

This question tests two punctuation skills. First, we need commas on both sides of the phrase LeBrons football coach to offset the interruption to the main part of the sentence. Also, the word LeBrons should be possessive because it refers to his coach. Since LeBron is a singular noun, we add –‘s to show possession.

6. H Commas Use a comma to offset the introductory phrase from the main part of the sentence.

7. A Apostrophes/ Commas

Another double-whammy. First off, Ohio is singular and possessive, so we should leave the -‘s. Also, we are NOT joining two independent clauses (there is no subject after the conjunction and) and are only listing two things, so there is no need for a comma.

8. H Semicolons Use a semicolon to connect two complete thoughts.

9. D Commas We are only listing two magazines, so the rule for commas in items in a series does not apply here. There is no need for commas in this sentence.

10. F Commas/ Apostrophes

None of the four rules for using commas are relevant in this sentence. There is also no need for an apostrophe, as the noun pros is plural, not possessive.

11. B Semicolons We cannot use a semicolon in this sentence because of the use of the conjunction and.

12. G Apostrophes/ Commas

The adjective many clues us in that the noun teams is plural. Teams is also possessive, as the scouts belong to the teams. Therefore, to indicate that teams is both plural AND possessive, add an apostrophe after the –s. Additionally, keep the comma after the introductory phrase.

13. C Semicolons Use a semicolon to connect two complete thoughts.

14. J Commas Use commas around Oklahoma City Thunder to offset this interruption.

15. B Apostrophes LeBron James is singular and possessive, so add –‘s after his name.

SELF-ASSESSMENT

Check your score range as listed below: ______ 13-15 correct: You are a pro at punctuation! ______ 10-12 correct: You’ve made it to the punctuation playoffs. ______ 7-9 correct: Not bad for a rookie. ______ 6 or fewer correct: There’s always next season. In the meantime, return to practice.

60


ENGLISH

Subject-Verb Agreement.………………………………….…62

Verb Tense..…………………………………………………….66

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement……………………………70

Subject & Object Pronouns…………………………………..74

Adjectives & Adverbs…………..……………………………..78

Grammar Assessment………………………………………...82

61


THE SKILL

Subjects need to agree with their verbs. Okay, so what does that mean, exactly? You know that subjects can be

either singular or plural. Well, verbs can also be singular or plural.


The songs on Katy Perry’s first pop (3) album was

controversial.

3. A. NO CHANGE

B. album were C. albums was

D. album is

This question is designed to make you think the verb should agree with album. However, the subject is actually the plural noun songs, which makes B the correct answer. Subjects of sentences are not parts of prepositional phrases (this is a common trick on the ACT). In the example above, album is part of the prepositional phrase on Katy Perry’s first pop album. Ignore this phrase to isolate the subject songs.

STRATEGIES TO WIN It can be tempting to jump straight to the verb—that’s usually all the ACT will underline. But remember, it’s

subject-verb agreement. So logically, the first step is to:

1. Find the subject (who or what is performing the action of the sentence?)

2. Then, locate your verb. Keep in mind that there may be more than one verb in a sentence—find the

one that directly relates to the subject.

3. Determine if your subject is singular or plural, then select the verb that agrees.

Watch Out! ACT rarely places subjects and verbs side-by-side; that would be way too easy! Instead, they will

often include the subject, then insert some additional information, and then give you the verb. They want you

to assume that the verb should agree with the noun directly before it, but that may not be the case.

62


SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT PRACTICE

Teenage Dream

One of today’s most popular and well-known

pop (1) stars are Katy Perry. It is surprising, then, that

she was not allowed to listen to pop music growing up.

Born in 1984 as Katheryn Hudson, Katy grew up in her

pastor parents’ church, often performing gospel music.

The support of (2) her parents were a contributing factor

in the release of her first album, which focused on gospel

music. The album was not very successful, though.

Craving a larger stage for her vocal and songwriting

talents, she changed her name to Katy Perry and moved to

Los Angeles, ready to break onto the pop music scene.

Although a few record labels (3) were interested

in the singer, at first Katy’s search for stardom was slow.

Katy finally hit it big with her first pop studio album

released in 2008; the album launched three number-one

hits for Perry. A string of hits continued, and in 2010 she

set a huge record. Her third album, Teenage Dream, had

five consecutive number-one singles, a streak of hits that

(4) was last accomplished by Michael Jackson. Perry

became the first female artist to set this record. She was

also the only musician to spend over a year straight in

Billboard’s Top Ten. Her fourth album, Prism, debuted at

number one in many countries including the U.S. with

another number-one single with “Dark Horse.”

Katy Perry’s controversial lyrics, outlandish

costumes, and (5) funky hair continues to keep people’s

attention. In addition to her prolific music career, she has

launched two fragrances, lent her voice to the Smurfs

movie, and even released her own theatrical documentary,

Katy Perry: Part of Me.

1. A. NO CHANGE

B. stars is Katy Perry.

C. stars were Katy Perry.

D. stars do include Katy Perry.

2. F. NO CHANGE G. her parents are

H. her parents was

J. her parents have been

3. A. NO CHANGE

B. was interested

C. is interested

D. were interesting

4. F. NO CHANGE

G. are last accomplished by Michael Jackson. H. Michael Jackson was last accomplished by.

J. were last accomplished by Michael Jackson.

5. A. NO CHANGE

B. funky hair continue

C. funky hair is continuing

D. funky hair are continued

63


GRAMMAR—Subject-Verb Agreement

Answer Explanation

1. B You may think the subject of this sentence is stars; however, this is a trick question. The subject is actually the pronoun one. The correct verb to agree with one is is. Ignore the prepositional phrase of today’s most popular and well-known pop stars.

2. H Another trick question. The sentence is designed to make you believe the subject is parents, but it is actually much earlier, the noun support. Ignore the prepositional phrase of her parents. The verb was agrees with the subject support.

3. A It may appear that the subject of the sentence is the plural noun record labels. Well, technically the subject is the indefinite pronoun few. In either case, the subject is plural, so the verb were is the correct choice.

4. F Picking up on a theme here? Although the plural noun hits appears right before the verb, the subject is actually the singular noun streak. The past tense verb was agrees with streak.

5. B Another deceptive question! Although the singular noun hair appears right before the verb, the sentence has a compound subject. The subject of the sentence includes three things: lyrics, costumes, and hair. This makes the subject plural, so the verb continue is the best fit.

SELF-ASSESSMENT

Check your score range as listed below: ______ 4-5 correct: Baby, you’re a firework! ______ 3 correct: You’re hot and you’re cold. ______ 1-2 correct: Doesn’t sound like you were wide awake for this lesson. ______ 0 correct: You should have spent last Friday night studying.

64


REFLECTION

1. Write three pairs of singular subjects and singular verbs related to your favorite singer:

SUBJECT VERB

2. Write three pairs of plural subjects and plural verbs related to your favorite bands:

SUBJECT VERB

Katy Perry Katy’s first album was titled Katy Hudson, her given name. She later changed her name to Katy Perry

because record execs thought her name was too similar to actress Kate Hudson. Perry is Katy’s mother’s maiden name.

Katy Perry has a cat named Kitty Purry.

Katy and now ex-husband Russell Brand became engaged after only three months of dating. Brand proposed in India atop an elephant. Their marriage lasted two years.

Katy’s music video for “Last Friday Night” features cameos from YouTube sensation Rebecca Black, ‘80s icons Corey Feldman and Debbie Gibson, saxophonist Kenny G, boy band Hanson, and Glee actors Kevin McHale and Darren Criss.

65


THE SKILL

Verb tense tells us when the action of a story takes place. In general, try to avoid switching verb tenses. In other

words, if a story is about the past, use all past tense verbs. It’s pretty much that simple.

Now, there are times when verb tense shift is okay. Take a graduation speech, for example—the speaker may

spend part of the speech discussing the last four years of high school (past tense), then switch to what lies ahead

(future tense).


Centuries ago, Friday the thirteenth was viewed as a

sinister day. Nowadays, most people (2) faced the

day with very little apprehension.

2. A. NO CHANGE

B. will have faced

C. will be facing

D. face

This is an instance when tense shift is acceptable. Although the first sentence uses the present tense verb was viewed, the term nowadays in the second sentence indicates the use of the present tense verb face (choice D).

STRATEGIES TO WIN Notice the tense of the other verbs in the paragraph. Usually, the verbs should be written in the same tense.

Also, look for some time-order clues that will provide hints as to the tense in which the passage should be

written:

PAST TENSE PRESENT TENSE FUTURE TENSE

Yesterday/last week/last month Earlier Previously

Currently Nowadays Presently

Tomorrow Later In the days/weeks/years ahead…

Watch Out! The ACT is counting on you cutting corners and only reading the underlined portions of the

English section. If you take this route, it is going to hurt you, especially when it comes to verb tense. You need

to skim the ENTIRE passage to figure out when the story takes place.

66


VERB TENSE PRACTICE

Friday the Thirteenth

Friday is usually a day people look forward to,

marking the end of the work or school week and the

beginning of a fun, relaxing weekend. However, the

upbeat tone of the typical Friday (1) tended to fade when

the Friday falls on the thirteenth of the month.

The ominous atmosphere of Friday the thirteenth

(2) has been catching on in the eighteenth century.

Since then, superstitious tales of horrific events taking

place on that day (3) make many people wary of the date.

For instance, an earthquake in Turkey on Friday, March

13, 1992, killed over 2,000 people. The sinking of the

Costa Concordia cruise ship on Friday, January 13, 2012,

(4) results in 32 deaths. Legendary rapper Tupac Shakur

was pronounced dead on Friday, September 13, 1996.

In fact, there is even a scientific name for people

who have an intense fear of the number thirteen:

triskaidekaphobics. Some people even (5) avoid driving,

flying, or working on Friday the thirteenths, choosing to

play it safe and stay close to home. However, an

insurance statistics firm reports that there actually are

fewer incidents of fire, car accidents, and theft on Friday

the thirteenths compared to other Fridays in a month.

1. A. NO CHANGE B. has faded

C. tends to fade

D. had been fading

2. F. NO CHANGE

G. catched on

H. was catching on

J. caught on

3. The underlined portion can be replaced with all of the following EXCEPT:

A. have made

B. will made

C. often make

D. can make

4. F. NO CHANGE

G. resulting

H. has resulted

J. resulted

5. A. NO CHANGE

B. avoided

C. will be avoiding

D. have been avoiding

67


GRAMMAR—Verb Tense

Answer Explanation

1. C The present tense verb tends is the best choice. Notice the use of other present tense verbs in this paragraph: is, falls.

2. J Use the past tense verb caught. Clue: The paragraph refers to the eighteenth century (which was in the past).

3. B B is the exception because there is nothing in the paragraph to indicate the use of the future tense. Also, the phrase will made is an incorrect tense formation.

4. J Stick to the simple past tense.

5. A Use the simple present tense. Notice the other present tense verbs in this paragraph: is, reports, are.

SELF-ASSESSMENT

Check your score range as listed below: ______ 4-5 correct: Friday the thirteenth is your lucky day! ______ 3 correct: No need to be superstitious just yet. ______ 1-2 correct: A bit of practice can reverse this streak of bad luck. ______ 0 correct: Spend the next Friday the thirteenth indoors…studying.

68


REFLECTION

1a. Underline the verb phrase in each sentence. 1b. Circle any words or phrases that indicate the verb tense of the sentence. 1c. Rewrite the sentence using the correct verb tense.

2. Write examples of clue words/phrases that indicate each verb tense:

PAST TENSE PRESENT TENSE FUTURE TENSE

Answer Patterns

When taking a test, it’s a good rule of thumb to follow your first instinct. This is especially true when

considering answer choices. We expect answer choices to be randomized, but sometimes this turns into

irrational doubt.

Let’s say for question 1, you chose the first answer choice. Now you move on to question 2. You initially

want to select the first answer choice again, but then you second-guess yourself. The test-makers

certainly wouldn’t make the same option the correct answer twice in a row, right? Wrong!

Of course, don’t assume the opposite, that the same answer choice definitely will repeat itself. In short,

trust your brain to make the right decision, and stop wasting your time trying to decipher some hidden

pattern.

INCORRECT CORRECT

A) The first Friday the Thirteenth movie is released in 1980.

B) A Friday the thirteenth occurred each year on our current modern calendar.

C) The next Friday the thirteenth occurred next month.

Revised Sentences: A) The first Friday the Thirteenth movie was released

in 1980 (clue: 1980). B) A Friday the thirteenth occurs each year on our

current modern calendar (clue: current). C) The next Friday the thirteenth

will occur next month (clues: next, next month).

69


THE SKILL

What word do you see within the word pronoun? That’s right—noun! So of course, the job of a pronoun is to

refer back to an existing noun (someone or something). We call this the antecedent. Just as nouns can be

singular or plural, so can pronouns. It’s only common sense, then, that pronouns should be the same in number

(as well as the same in gender) as the nouns they refer to.


A citizen can use (5) their right to vote to change

controversial laws.

5. A. NO CHANGE

B. its

C. his D. his or her

In this sentence, the right to vote belongs to a singular person of an unknown gender, making D the correct answer.

STRATEGIES TO WIN

These steps are actually quite similar to those outlining subject-verb agreement:

1. Find the pronoun.

2. Find your antecedent (Ask yourself this: to whom or what does this pronoun refer? You may need to

look around a bit).

3. Determine if your antecedent is:

a. Singular or plural

b. Masculine or feminine (or neither)

c. Possessive or not possessive

4. If the pronoun and antecedent agree, select NO CHANGE. If not, choose the option that agrees in both

gender and number (as well as possessive/not possessive).

Watch Out! Often times, ACT will underline the pronoun, but not its antecedent. Alone, the pronoun may

sound okay, but it does not agree with its antecedent. Another way the test tries to throw you off is to separate

the pronoun from the antecedent—you may have to look far away from the pronoun to the noun to which it

refers.

70


PRONOUN-ANTECEDENT AGREEMENT PRACTICE

Profanity Prohibited in Public

The use of profanity is certainly frowned upon in

schools and in the presence of adults. One Massachusetts

town, though, became so offended by the use of profanity

in public that (1) they decided to make it against the law.

Actually, an ordinance prohibiting the use of

curse words had been on the books since 1968 in

Middlebury, Massachusetts, but (2) it was never enforced.

By June of 2012, though, the town’s police chief

convinced the city council to impose a fine to try to curb

loud, profanity-laden conversations held by teenagers in

the town’s public parks and downtown area.

Since then, residents have expressed mixed

reactions. Many adults and small business owners are

relieved, hoping that (3) it will get through to teenagers

and help them to watch their language. Others, however,

feel that the law will be ineffective. Many teens in

particular feel that (4) their age group is being unfairly

targeted.

Of course, there is also the issue of

constitutionality. Some lawyers anticipate that the law

will be questioned on the basis of the First Amendment,

which guarantees the right of free speech, and (5) it is

expected of the ordinance to eventually be reversed.

1. A. NO CHANGE

B. it

C. them D. he

2. F. NO CHANGE

G. they

H. the profanity

J. OMIT the underlined portion

3. A. NO CHANGE

B. jail time

C. the fine

D. this

4. F. NO CHANGE

G. its

H. they

J. they’re

5. A. NO CHANGE

B. he expects the ordinance

C. we expect the ordinance

D. they expect the ordinance

71


GRAMMAR—Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

Answer Explanation

1. B The singular pronoun it refers back to the antecedent town.

2. F The singular pronoun it correctly refers back to the antecedent ordinance.

3. C The use of the pronoun it is unclear; the sentence does not clarify what is being referred to. Therefore, we should use a noun instead of a pronoun. The noun fine makes the most sense based on the rest of the passage (notice that the previous paragraph discusses the implementation of a fine).

4. F The plural possessive pronoun their correctly refers to teens.

5. D The plural pronoun they should be used to refer back to the antecedent lawyers.

SELF-ASSESSMENT

Check your score range as listed below: ______ 4-5 correct: The pronoun police would be proud. ______ 3 correct: You could get a job on the pronoun patrol. ______ 1-2 correct: To avoid a $20 fine, review the rules on pronoun-antecedent agreement. ______ 0 correct: The laws of pronoun-antecedent agreement are not on your side.

72


REFLECTION

1a. Explain the function of a pronoun in a sentence.

1b. What does the term antecedent refer to?

2. In each pair of sentences below, determine the number and gender of the underlined pronoun. Check the correct box in each column.

Singular Plural

Masculine Feminine Neutral

A) Drake is a popular rapper from Canada. He started his career on the Canadian drama Degrassi.

B) Rihanna is from Barbados. She and Drake have recorded several duets.

C) 106 and Park is BET’s video countdown show. It is one of the network’s most popular programs.

D) Many of today’s most popular hip-hop artists perform on the show. They know it is a good outlet to reach their fans.

Unusual Laws

In 2002, a 105-year-old law prohibiting swearing in front of women and children was repealed after a Michigan man received a $75 fine for swearing upon falling out of a canoe into the Rifle River.

Kentuckians can face up to one year in prison for throwing tomatoes at a public speaker.

The city of Joliet, Illinois, has an ordinance requiring people to use the correct pronunciation of the city’s name. Violators can be fined $5. The correct pronunciation is JOE-li-et, not the widely-used Jol-ly-ET.

The town of Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, requires all bicycle riders to have at least one hand on the handlebars at all times.

Answers: 1a. refers to or replaces a noun 1b. the noun a pronoun refers to 2a. singular, masculine 2b. singular, feminine 2c. singular, neutral 2d. plural, neutral

73


THE SKILL

We’ve already established that pronouns refer back to nouns and that they need to agree in gender and

number. Now there’s one more aspect of pronouns we need to discuss: In addition to being either singular or

plural, and masculine or feminine (or neutral), pronouns can also be categorized as subject pronouns or object

pronouns. (Who knew these pesky little words were so complex?)

The subject of your sentence is the main person or thing that performs the main action of the sentence.

The object of your sentence receives the action or is acted upon.


I am a huge Twilight fan. Reading those books is fun

for (1) I.

1. A. NO CHANGE

B. myself

C. me D. we

STRATEGIES TO WIN

1. When trying to figure out whether to use who or whom, insert he or him. He corresponds with who and

him corresponds with whom.

2. After a preposition (with, for, between, etc.), use an object pronoun.

3. Sometimes we select the wrong pronoun when we have a compound subject. To determine which

pronoun to use, temporarily ignore the other person.

INCORRECT: Her and Megan waited in line all night for Twilight premiere tickets.

CORRECT: She and Megan waited in line all night for Twilight premiere tickets.

Since the pronoun follows a preposition, use an object pronoun. In this case, select me (choice C).

74


SUBJECT & OBJECT PRONOUNS PRACTICE

The “Robsten” Romance

Bella and Edward: The onscreen chemistry

between (1) them helped make the four Twilight films

box office hits. (2) Us Twilight fans wonder, though, if

this chemistry was solely due to the acting chops of the

films’ stars, Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson.

Perhaps the sparks did not take much acting to generate.

The famous couple, (3) who fans referred to as

“Robsten,” were not the first pair of actors to find love on

the movie set. However, whereas many stars’

relationships find their way into the spotlight, Kristen and

Robert tried their best to keep their rumored love private.

In the Twilight films there is tension between

Edward and Jacob for Bella’s love. Edward ultimately

wins, although both (4) him and Jacob have Bella’s

affection at some point. In real life, though, Kristen

Stewart’s heart seemed, for a time, to belong to Robert

Pattinson; Stewart admitted that their dating was

“obvious,” but both actors were evasive when answering

questions about one another.

Of course, it was obvious to (5) I and all the

other Twilight fans that love blossomed between the real

life Bella and Edward. Unfortunately, amid rumors of

cheating by Stewart, this became more of a story of love

lost than everlasting romance.

1. A. NO CHANGE

B. they

C. whom

D. who

2. F. NO CHANGE

G. Them

H. We

J. Her

3. A. NO CHANGE

B. whom fans referred to

C. to them they were known

D. fans referred to him

4. F. NO CHANGE

G. Jacob and him

H. they

J. he and Jacob

5. A. NO CHANGE

B. she

C. me D. we

75


GRAMMAR—Subject & Object Pronouns

Answer Explanation

1. A The object pronoun them should be placed after the preposition between.

2. H Use the subject pronoun we. This makes more sense if you ignore the phrase Twilight fans, in which case the sentence would begin with “We wonder…”

3. B Due to the use of the preposition to, we need an object pronoun; in this case, whom. We know to use whom by rephrasing the sentence to read, “Fans refer to them…” This indicates the need for an object pronoun.

4. J Ignore Jacob for a moment. We would say “He has Bella’s affection.” Thus, use the subject pronoun he.

5. C The preposition to indicates the need for an object pronoun, so insert the pronoun me.

SELF-ASSESSMENT

Check your score range as listed below: ______ 4-5 correct: It’s obvious that you know your subject and object pronouns. ______ 3 correct: A bit more rehearsal will help with a more convincing performance. ______ 1-2 correct: Team Subject Pronoun v. Team Object Pronoun: How to Choose? ______ 0 correct: Your romance with pronouns is fading.

76


REFLECTION

1. In the chart below, fill out the corresponding subject or object pronouns.

SUBJECT PRONOUNS OBJECT PRONOUNS

a) I

b) him

c) she

d) it

e) they

f) us

g) who

2. Explain the difference between using who and whom:

WHO: ______________________________ WHOM: ________________________________

Timing & Pacing

Suppose a runner sets a goal to finish a 3 mile race in 30 minutes. Sometimes he’ll run a bit faster, and

occasionally he’ll have to slow down. On average, though, if he runs at a pace of about 10 minutes per

mile, he’ll meet his goal. Apply this analogy to your pacing on the ACT English test. Consider:

o An official, full-length ACT English test contains 75 questions. You will have 45 minutes to take

the test. The test is broken into 5 smaller passages, each comprised of 15 questions a piece.

o Practice pacing yourself. Try to answer 15 questions in 9 minutes or less.

o Do not spend too much time on any one particular question. If you find yourself struggling with

a question, circle it and try to come back to it later.

o Get in the habit of using a clock, timer, or watch while you practice. Try to get a feel for a

comfortable pace.

1a. me, 1b. he, 1c. her, 1d. it, 1e. them, 1f. we, 1g. whom 2. Use who to refer to the subject and whom to refer to an object.

77


THE SKILL

Hopefully you’ve heard of adjectives and adverbs before. Years ago, when your teacher was explaining these

two parts of speech, you were probably thinking, “When I am ever going to need to know the difference

between an adjective and an adverb?” Well, that day has arrived! Now, the ACT won’t actually use the terms

adjective or adverb, but it is going to use these types of words to describe something else in a sentence. Your

job is going to be to figure out if the words in question are describing someone or something (use an adjective)

or if they are describing how, when, or where an action occurs (use an adverb).


It is (4) real difficult to believe in the existence of aliens.

4. F. NO CHANGE G. real difficulty

H. difficult really

J. really difficult

We should use the adjective difficult to describe the pronoun it. The adverb really should be placed in front of difficult to describe HOW difficult it is. J is the correct answer.

STRATEGIES TO WIN When should you use an adjective, and when should you use an adverb? Follow these steps:

1. Determine which word in the sentence the adjective or adverb is describing.

2. Once you’ve found that word, ask yourself:

a. Is this word a person or a thing (noun)? If so, choose an ADJECTIVE to describe it.

b. Is this word an action (verb)? If so, choose an ADVERB to describe it. Remember, adverbs can

also describe adjectives or other adverbs.

Watch Out! Adverbs usually end in –ly. But words like very, always, never, and well (among others), can also

be considered adverbs because they tell when, how, or to what extent an action occurs.

Similarly, some adjectives, like friendly, lovely, and silly, end in –ly. The –ly suffix is a helpful clue for identifying

an adverb, but it isn’t a guarantee.

78


ADJECTIVES & ADVERBS PRACTICE

Roswell, New Mexico

Nowadays, the name Roswell is synonymous

with UFOs. How did this (1) New Mexico quiet town

become the center of extraterrestrial speculation? More

importantly, what really happened there?

In the summer of 1947, reports circulated of

(2) mysteriously debris discovered in the deserts outside

of Roswell. Military spokespeople explained that they

recovered the remnants of a weather balloon. With that

explanation, (3) the incident in Roswell faded from

public interest for decades simply.

(4) Revivedly interest in Roswell resulted from

an interview conducted with Major Jesse Marcel in 1978,

who was present at the scene. He described a military

cover-up of a crashed alien spacecraft and actual alien

cadavers. A decade later, mortician Glenn Davis added

his account of secret military-conducted alien autopsies.

A 1995 internal investigation concluded that the

recovered object was, in fact, a top secret air balloon. The

accounts of alien autopsies (5) likely were the result of a

blatant hoax or unreliable memories. However, there are

still plenty of skeptics who believe that whatever occurred

in Roswell was out of this world.

1. A. NO CHANGE

B. New Mexico town quiet become C. quiet New Mexico town become

D. New Mexico town become quietly

2. F. NO CHANGE

G. debris mysteriously

H. mysterious debris

J. debris that was mysterious

3. A. NO CHANGE

B. the simple incident in Roswell faded from public interest for decades.

C. the incident in simple Roswell faded from

public interest for decades.

D. the incident in Roswell simply faded from

public interest for decades.

4. F. NO CHANGE

G. Interest revived in Roswell resulted

H. Revived interest in Roswell resulted

J. Interest in revived Roswell resulted

5. A. NO CHANGE B. were the likely result

C. likely resulted

D. like, were the result

79


GRAMMAR—Adjectives & Adverbs

Answer Explanation

1. C The adjective quiet describes the noun town, telling what kind of town it is.

2. H The adjective mysterious describes the noun debris, telling what kind of debris it was.

3. D The adverb simply should be placed before the verb faded to describe how the incident faded.

4. H Revived can be used as a verb, but in this sentence it functions as an adjective, describing the noun interest.

5. A The adverb likely should be placed before the verb were. Wait a second, what about choice C? Wouldn’t that work, too? By itself, choice C sounds okay, but plug it into the passage: “The accounts of alien autopsies likely resulted of a blatant hoax.” The preposition of doesn’t fit (from a blatant hoax would work, though). Therefore, A is the best choice.

SELF-ASSESSMENT

Check your score range as listed below: ______ 4-5 correct: Your adjective and adverb skills are out of this world! ______ 3 correct: Adjectives and adverbs are no mystery to you. ______ 1-2 correct: Go back and investigate adjectives and adverbs further. ______ 0 correct: Adjectives and adverbs are alien to you.

80


REFLECTION

1. Explain the difference between an adjective and an adverb.

ADJECTIVE: ______________________________________________________________

ADVERB: ______________________________________________________________

2. List three adverbs that do not end in –ly: 3. List three adjectives that do end in –ly:

__________________________________ __________________________________

__________________________________ __________________________________

__________________________________ __________________________________

UFO Sightings

U.S. Air Force pilots in World War II coined the term “foo fighter” to describe unidentified flying objects.

In 1947, a fisherman from Washington named Harold Dahl reported the debris from five strange aircraft

killed his dog and injured his son. Later, he was approached by a mysterious man who supposedly

threatened Dahl to keep his account quiet. This encounter spawned the term “men in black.”

The term “flying saucer” was made popular by the news media after pilot Kenneth Arnold reported

seeing nine objects fly past Washington’s Mount Rainier at supersonic speeds. The incident occurred

three days after Harold Dahl’s alleged UFO encounter.

Hundreds of residents of Chicago suburb Tinley Park, Illinois, observed strange lights suspended in the

night sky for approximately thirty minutes on several occasions between 2004 and 2006. The History

Channel program UFO Hunters did an investigation in 2008, but the origin of the “Tinley Park Triangle” is

still unknown.

81


GRAMMAR ASSESSMENT

Forward This Email

The classic distribution of chain letters and

scams (1) have become much easier with the invention of

the internet. How often have you come across an email in

your inbox that seemed too good to be true, like an

(2) unbelievable photo, a heartbreakingly charity

story, or a promise of a windfall of riches? The internet

helps these hoaxes spread like wildfire.

The most sympathetic type of these internet

hoaxes (3) involve a fake charity donation. For instance,

making the rounds since 1997, a popular email promises

senders that every time they forward the message, Bill

Gates will either donate money to (4) them or to various

charities. Similarly, those heartbreaking photos of sick

children posted on Facebook are usually false. Despite

the (5) captions accompanying, Facebook does not

donate a dollar to help the child every time the photo is

reposted.

Other popular internet hoaxes (6) got popular

because they promise people a huge financial windfall.

The Bill Gates email sometimes pledges the recipients of

the email a check dependent upon the number of times

(7) he forward the message. Alas, such a check never

arrives.

1. A. NO CHANGE

B. having become

C. has become

D. becomed

2. F. NO CHANGE

G. unbelievable photo, a heartbreaking charity story,

H. unbelievably photo, a heartbreaking charity

story,

J. unbelievably photo, a heartbreakingly

charity story,

3. A. NO CHANGE

B. involving

C. involved D. involves

4. F. NO CHANGE

G. they

H. whom

J. us

5. A. NO CHANGE

B. captions accompanyingly,

C. accompanying captions, D. accompanyingly captions,

6. F. NO CHANGE

G. gained popularity

H. grow popular

J. had earned popularity

7. A. NO CHANGE

B. he or she forwards

C. it forwards

D. they forward

82


Some emails are much more harmful, though.

Variations of the so-called “Nigerian Email Scheme”

(8) have cost unsuspecting Americans billions of dollars.

The emails inform (9) them that they are owed a large

sum of money. The email instructs readers to reply to the

message providing their bank account number, social

security number, and other (10) personal sensitive

information. This information is then used for identity

theft. Some people have even found their bank accounts

to be (11) a total drain.

Often times, though, internet hoaxes (12) were

simply a contemporary means to spread urban legends.

For instance, the Neiman Marcus Cookie Recipe myth,

around since the 1940s, has been given new life in recent

years. The story goes that a woman (13) asking a waiter

at the Neiman Marcus Café in Houston for the recipe of

the delicious chocolate chip cookie she had just ordered,

instructing (14) her to add the charge to her bill. She

thought the recipe cost $2.50, but was shocked to receive

a bill for $250. In revenge, supposedly, she wrote an

email containing the secret recipe, hoping to expose it to

the world for free. (15) It is unsubstantiated but lives on

through cyberspace.

The internet is certainly an efficient and often

entertaining mechanism for distributing information, but

when it comes to enticing emails, the old saying, “if it

sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” is spot-on.

8. F. NO CHANGE

G. has cost

H. had cost

J. costed

9. A. NO CHANGE B. us

C. whom

D. him

10. F. NO CHANGE

G. personally sensitive information.

H. sensitively personal information.

J. sensitive personal information.

11. A. NO CHANGE

B. totally drained.

C. drained total. D. a drain, totally.

12. F. NO CHANGE

G. could be

H. be

J. are

13. A. NO CHANGE

B. asks C. asked

D. was asking

14. F. NO CHANGE

G. them

H. him

J. he

15. A. NO CHANGE

B. She is

C. They are

D. The story is

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GRAMMAR ASSESSMENT

Answer Skill(s) Explanation 1. C Subject-Verb

Agreement The verb phrase has become agrees with the singular subject distribution. The subject is NOT chain letters and scams.

2. G Adjectives & Adverbs

Use the adjective unbelievable to describe the noun photo, and the adjective heartbreaking to describe the noun story.

3. D Subject-Verb Agreement/ Verb Tense

The subject of the sentence is the singular noun type, NOT the plural noun hoaxes. In addition, the paragraph is written in present tense, so the verb involves is the best choice.

4. F Subject-Object Pronouns

The preposition to hints that we need to use an object pronoun. The antecedent of the pronoun is the plural noun senders, so the plural object pronoun them is the best choice.

5. C Adjectives & Adverbs

Select the adjective accompanying to describe the noun captions. Adjectives should be placed before the nouns they describe.

6. H Verb Tense The paragraph is written in present tense. Notice the use of other present tense verbs like promise, pledges, and arrives. Therefore, select the present tense verb grow.

7. D Pronoun Agree/ Subject-Verb Agreement

The plural pronoun they agrees with the antecedent recipients. The verb forward agrees with the pronoun they.

8. F Verb Tense/ Subject-Verb Agreement

The subject of the sentence is the plural noun variations, NOT the singular noun scheme. Select the present tense verb phrase have cost to agree with the subject and maintain consistent verb tense.

9. A Subject-Object Pronouns

Them is the correct object pronoun to agree with the plural antecedent Americans in the previous sentence.

10. J Adjectives & Adverbs

The adjectives personal and sensitive both describe the noun information.

11. B Adjectives & Adverbs

The adverb totally describes the adjective drained.

12. J Verb Tense/ Subject-Verb Agreement

The present tense verb are agrees with the plural subject hoaxes.

13. C Verb Tense Here, a shift to past tense is acceptable. Notice the other past tense verbs, including thought, was shocked, and wrote.

14. H Subject-Object Pronouns

The object pronoun him refers to the singular, male antecedent waiter.

15. D Pronoun Agreement

The use of a pronoun here makes the sentence unclear. Thus, replace the pronoun with the noun story.

SELF-ASSESSMENT

Check your score range as listed below: ______ 13-15 correct: Share the good news with your entire contact list! ______ 10-12 correct: Spread your knowledge and you’ll have luck on the ACT. ______ 7-9 correct: You were fooled a few times. ______ 6 or fewer correct: You fell for the ACT’s tricks. Review this chapter to avoid being duped again.

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