ACT Grammar Rules

actions

Verbs indicate __________ or states of being.

infinitive

The “to” form of a verb is known as the ______________.

ideas

Nouns indicate people, places, objects, and ________.

nouns

Pronouns replace ________.

s/he, it, one, they

Personal pronouns- 3rd person plural

prepositions

_________________ indicate where someone/something is, or when something happened

adjectives

_____________ modify nouns and pronouns.

adverbs

____________ modify verbs, adjectives, and other ____________.

clauses

Conjunctions indicate relationships between words, phrases, and _________.

relevant, irrelevant

Add, delete, revise questions test whether information is ____________ or ______________ to the topic of a paragraph.

beginning

“Big picture” information will virtually always be presented right at the ________________ of the passage.

passage

The purpose of the title is to tell you what the _____________ is going to be about.

supporting

“Topic sentence” and “conclusion” questions test your ability to determine main points from ______________ ideas and pieces of evidence.

topic

When you encounter a sentence order question, you should first determine the ________ of the sentence in question.

supporting evidence

Infographic questions are essentially “__________ _____________” questions.

contradicts

In an infographic question, any choice that clearly ______________ the general trend of the graph can be immediately eliminated.

scope

In an infographic, the chart’s _________ tells us how broad or narrow it is.

language

Always be careful with extreme ______________.

constructions

Shorter ________________ are more likely to be correct.

delete

When there is a ____________ answer choice option, you should always check it first.

passive

The word “by” is often a tip-off that the __________ voice is being used.

diction

__________ is the author’s choice of words.

idioms

_________ are not correct or incorrect for any logical reason; they simply reflect the fact that certain phrases evolved to be considered standard usage.

register

_____________ refers to how formal or informal an author’s language is.

middle

Incorrect answers to register questions will typically be either too casual and slangy or excessively formal, whereas correct answers will be somewhere in the _________.

time, location

A prepositional phrase is a phrase that begins with a preposition, a _______ or _______________ word that comes before a noun.

dependent clause

When an indefinite pronouns is followed by “of which” or “of whom,” it creates a _______________ _________, which by definition cannot stand alone as a full sentence.

nouns

Non-essential clauses describe ________ (usually the subject).

relative

“W-words” are also known as ____________ pronouns.

appositive

A non-essential clause that does not begin with a “w-word” is known as an _____________.

past

Every verb has a present and _______ participle.

-ing, nouns

Gerunds are formed by adding _____ to verbs and they act as _________.

Coordinating

__________________ conjunctions join two independent clauses.

Subordinating

________________ conjunctions join an independent clause and a dependent clause.

Coordinating

For, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so, are ______________ conjunctions, known as fanboys.

period

= semicolon

comma

When used to begin a clause, “however, therefore, thus, consequently, moreover, and nevertheless” should never follow a _______.

Comma splice

When a comma alone is used to separate two independent clauses, the result is known as a ________ ________.

sentences

Continuers indicate that two ____________ are expressing similar ideas.

result

Cause and effect words indicate that one action is the _________ of another.

mean

Transition questions are about what words ______, not how they sound.

wrong

Double transitions = ALWAYS _______

between

The transition clarifies the relationship _______ that sentence and the previous one.

commas

If a sentence still makes sense when a clause is crossed out, two _______ must be placed around that clause.

fragments

Crossing out non-essential clauses can also help you identify _________.

semicolon

“However, therefore, in fact, indeed, for example, and moreover” are transitions that should follow a period or _____________ when they are used to begin a clause.

wrong

The use of a comma before or after “that” is virtually always _______.

explanation

Colons should be used before a list or an _____________.

alone

A colon must follow a sentence that Can stand _______ as a complete thought.

pause

Dashes set off non-essential clauses, introduce a list or explanation, or create a deliberate ______.

colon

Before a list or explanation: dash = ______

business

The ___________ policies are new. = The policies of business are new.

noun

Given the choice between a pronoun such as “it” or “they” and a noun naming a specific person or thing, the ______ will virtually always be correct.

noun

A pronoun must always agree with its _____.

better

More specific is always _______.

tense

In verb questions, ______ answers the question “when?”

plural

________ verbs do not end in -s.

draw

It is important that you pick up your pencil and physically _____ a line through the non-essential clause.

subjects

Prepositional phrases are frequently inserted between the ________ and verbs to distract from disagreements.

order

Syntax = word ______

plural

Compound subjects consist of two nouns joined by the word “and”. Compound subjects always take _______ verbs.

groups of

Collective nouns are singular nouns that refer to _______ ___ people.

tense

Unless there is a clear reason for a verb to change ______, a verb should be parallel to the other verbs in a sentence or paragraph.

-ing

Present progressive = i/are + _____

have

Present perfect = has/_____ + past participle

-ed

Simple past = verb + ____

had

Past perfect = ____ + past participle

will

Future = ____ + verb

things

Always compare people to people and things to ______.

same

Parallel = _____

close

Modifiers should be placed as ______ as possible to the nouns, pronouns, or phrases they modify.

anywhere

Misplaced modifiers can occur _________ in a sentence.

people

Use “who” or “whom”, not “which”, when referring to _______.

things

“Whose” can be used to refer to either people or _______.

verb

“Who” is used before a _____.

preposition

“Whom” is used after a _____________.