ACT English Study Guide

Flashcards covering key concepts from the ACT English Study Guide focusing on grammar, punctuation, and rhetorical skills.

Usage

Refers to grammar and punctuation rules tested on the ACT.

Rhetoric

Concerns style, organization, and logic in writing.

Commas

Used to separate items in a list, interchangeable adjectives, after introductory clauses, and set off nonessential information.

Apostrophes

Indicate possession and form contractions.

Colons

Used after an independent clause to introduce a list, explanation, or appositive.

Semicolons

Join two independent clauses or used with conjunctive adverbs.

Dashes

Add emphasis or extra information, stronger than parentheses.

Pronouns

Words that replace nouns and can be either subject or object.

Subject Pronouns

Pronouns that perform the action: I, you, he, she, it, we, they.

Object Pronouns

Pronouns that receive the action: me, you, him, her, it, us, them.

Who vs That

'Who' refers to people, 'that' refers to things.

Pronoun Agreement

Pronouns must match their nouns in number.

Ambiguous Reference

A pronoun must clearly refer to a noun; if unclear, repeat the noun.

Verb Tense

Maintain consistent verb tenses based on context.

Subject-Verb Agreement

Singular subjects take singular verbs and plural subjects take plural verbs.

Comparisons

Use 'more' or '-er' for two things, 'most' or '-est' for three or more.

Word Choice

Important distinctions in meaning, e.g., 'its' vs 'it’s', 'their' vs 'there'.

Idioms & Verbal Phrases

Expressions that must be used exactly, with common verb + preposition pairs.

Sentence Fragments

Incompleteness due to a missing independent clause.

Run-On Sentences

Incorrectly joined independent clauses; can be corrected with punctuation.

Parallel Construction

Consistency in form across items in a list.

Dangling Modifiers

A modifier with no clear noun it refers to.

Misplaced Modifiers

A modifier that is too far from what it describes.

Relevance

Ensuring each sentence matches the paragraph's topic.

Author's Intent

The main idea and purpose behind a piece of writing.

Organization

Logical arrangement of sentences; includes transitions.

Conciseness

The quality of being clear and brief.

Formality & Tone

Maintaining an academic tone, avoiding slang and casual language.

ACT English Strategy

Stick to grammar rules, choose clear and concise answers.