act english rules

Semicolon=

period

Using a period between two complete sentences?

London is an old city. It has been inhabited for around 2,000 years

Using a semicolon in two complete sentences?

London is an old city; It has many new buildings

When should you also use a semicolon?

Before conjunctive adverbs such as however, therefore, or moreover at the start of a clause

Examples of semicolon used before conjunctive adverbs

London is an old city; however, it has many new buildings.

London is an old city;therefore, it has buildings from many different eras.

sentence boundary example correct vs incorrect

Incorrect: Barbara McClintock is a scientist whose discovery of “jumping” genes helped earn her the Nobel Prize in 1983, she won the award in Physiology or Medicine.

Correct: Barbara McClintock is a scientist whose discovery of “jumping” genes helped earn her the Nobel Prize. In 1983, she won the award in Physiology or Medicine.

When are colons and single dashes used act?

To introduce list and explanations

Unlike a semicolon, a colon or dash can be followed by........

either a full sentence or a fragment

When to not to use colon examples?

Incorrect: London is home to a variety of: museums, castles, and shops.

Incorrect: London is home to a wide variety of attractions including/such as: museums, castles, and shops.

When to use colon examples?

Correct: When the Manchus took control of China, the Great Wall lost its protective purpose: the Chinese empire now extended well north of the wall, and its new enemies came from across the sea.

When do colons and dashes always come after?

a complete sentence

comma fanboys examples

Correct: London is a very old city, but some parts of it are extremely modern.

Correct: London is a very old city, and it is very appealing to tourists.

what is a a comma splice

When two sentences are joined by a comma, the result is known as a comma splice. Comma splices are always incorrect.

Comma splice example?

Incorrect: London is a very old city, it has some extremely modern parts.

Incorrect: London and Paris are two of the world’s most popular cities, they are visited by millions of tourists every year.

Comma splices replacements/ correct ways

Correct: London and Paris are two of the world’s most popular cities. They are visited by millions of tourists every year.

Correct: London and Paris are two of the world’s most popular cities; they are visited by millions of tourists every year.

Comma+fanboys incorrect?

Incorrect: London is a very old city, but has many modern buildings.

Plug in: London is a very old city. Has many modern buildings.

Correct: London is a very old city but has many modern buildings.

When to use commas with dependent clauses

Incorrect: Because London is a very old city it has buildings from many different eras.

Correct: Because London is a very old city, it has buildings from many different eras.

When should a comma be used with a dependent clause?

When there is an independent clause following it

2 commas example act?

Correct: London, which is a very old city, has some extremely modern parts. (London … has some extremely modern parts.)

Incorrect: London which is a very old city, has some extremely modern parts.

Incorrect: London, which is a very old city has some extremely modern parts.

Can single word transitions be used non-essentially?

yes

Non essential comma transitions examples incorrect.

Incorrect: London is a very old city. It does, however have some modern parts.

Incorrect: London is a very old city. It does however, have some modern parts.

Non essential comma examples correct?

Correct: London is a very old city. It does, however, have some modern parts.

Grammatically, dashes are identical to commas....

when used to set off non-essential information

example of dashes to set of non essential information?

Correct: London—which is a very old city—has some modern parts.

Incorrect: London is a very old city. It does—however—have some modern parts.

When a name/title appears in the middle of a sentence....

a single comma before the name or title is incorrect

No commas=

essential

Two commas=

one before and one after (non-essential)

To determine whether commas are necessary, read the sentence without the name/title, and see if it still makes basic grammatical sense.

Cross out: Researchers led by engineering professor…have created a set of robotic devices that can change shape in mid-air.

This does not make sense, so the name is essential. No commas are needed.

Correct way of using commas essential

Correct: Researchers led by engineering professor Vikram Iyer have created a set of robotic devices that can change shape in mid-air.

Commas should not be used.........

before or after a preposition

Commas with preposition examples

Incorrect: Frida Kahlo is among the most famous artists, of the twentieth century.

Incorrect: Frida Kahlo is among the most famous artists of, the twentieth century.

Correct: Frida Kahlo is among the most famous artists of the twentieth century.

Do not use a comma before or....

after the word that

Comma that examples

Incorrect: London is a city, that has many old buildings and monuments.

Incorrect: London is a city that, has many old buildings and monuments.

Correct: London is a city that has many old buildings and monuments.

Be on the lookout for compound subjects examples?

Incorrect: The Monarch and the Red Admiral is among the most common butterfly species in North America.

Correct: The Monarch and the Red Admiral are among the most common butterfly species in North America.

parallel structures

Incorrect: Deception expert Pamela Meyer has worked with a team of researchers to analyze studies on lying from scholars, police officers, and working as psychologists.

Correct: Deception expert Pamela Meyer has collaborated with a team of researchers to analyze studies on lying from academics, police officers, and psychologists.

Dangling mdifiers

Incorrect: Born in Mexico City in 1907, self-portraits were what Frida Kahlo was best known for.

Correct: Born in Mexico City in 1907, Frida Kahlo was best known for her self-portraits.

on the act.....

shorter is better