ACT English Grammar Rules Flashcards

A complete set of vocabulary-style flashcards covering the ACT English grammar rules discussed by Mr. Tui and Abby, including punctuation, possessives, word choice, and sentence structure.

Period

A punctuation mark used to break up two separate standalone statements or complete thoughts.

Comma

A punctuation mark used whenever a brief pause is needed in a sentence.

Comma Splice

An error that occurs when a comma is used incorrectly to connect two standalone thoughts.

Semicolon

A punctuation mark used to connect two related statements that could each stand on their own as complete sentences.

Colon

A punctuation mark used to introduce an explanation, description, or a list, following a thing to be explained.

Single M-dash

A punctuation mark that is interchangeable with a colon for lists, descriptions, or explanations.

Double M-dash

A pair of punctuation marks used for lists, descriptions, or explanations that interrupt the flow in the middle of a sentence, similar to parentheses.

Singular Possessive

A form indicated by an apostrophe before the s ($'s$), showing that one person or thing is in possession.

Plural Possessive

A form indicated by an apostrophe after the s ($s'$), showing that multiple people or things are in possession.

Contraction

A word formed by smushing two words together (like $it is$ becoming $it's$) and replacing a missing letter with an apostrophe.

Accept vs. Except

Accept with an a is a verb or action meaning to receive, while Except refers to an exclusion or an exception.

Affect vs. Effect

Affect with an a is the action or verb form, while Effect with an e is usually a noun or a thing.

Access vs. Excess

Access with an a is the verb form meaning to gain entry, while Excess refers to an extra amount of something.

Precede vs. Proceed

Precede means to come before based on the prefix $pre$, whereas Proceed means to move forward or continue.

Then vs. Than

Then with an e is used for sequence and chronology, while Than with an a is used for comparisons.

Whom

The form of who used only when the word is preceded by a preposition, such as to, for, of, or by.

Preposition

A word that describes the relationship between two things, such as in, on, under, from, to, or by.

Passive Voice

A sentence structure where the subject is not actively doing the action (e.g., the dogs were taken for a walk by me), which should be avoided in favor of the active voice.

Redundancy

The use of unnecessarily repetitive statements that should be avoided to keep writing simple and clear.

Transition Sentence

A sentence that references a previous idea and connects it to a new idea, usually found at the beginning of a new paragraph.

Relevant Evidence

Specific information or quantitative data like $75\%$ that directly supports a claim and relates to the main point.

Misplaced Modifier

A modifying or descriptive phrase placed incorrectly in a sentence; it must come immediately before or after the word it describes.

Make it Match: Number

The rule that a singular subject must have a singular verb, and a plural subject must have a plural verb.

Parallel Structure

The practice of keeping a consistent pattern or slope in a sentence, such as ensure all items in a list have the same -ing ending.

Not only / But also

A matching pair of phrases where the use of not only must always be followed by some form of but also.

Neither / Nor

A matching pair of words where the use of neither must always be followed by nor.

Either / Or

A matching pair of words where the use of either must always be followed by or.

Comparison Rule

The requirement to compare only directly related ideas, such as comparing a person to a person rather than an activity to a person.

Sentence Sandwich Method

A strategy for logical order questions where you read the sentence before, the sentence itself, and the sentence after to ensure ideas flow logically.