ACT English

Number Agreement

Singular nouns must match with singular verbs and pronouns, and plural nouns must match with plural verbs and pronouns. (Wrong: If a student won't study, they won't do well. Right: If students don't study, they won't do well.)

Pronouns in Compounds

Wrong: The fool gave the wrong tickets to Bob and I. Right: The fool gave the wrong tickets to Bob and me.

Commas or Dashes (Parenthetical Phrases)

Parenthetical Phrases (a section of a sentence separated by punctuation that can be dropped and still maintain grammatical correctness) must begin and end with the same punctuation mark. (Wrong: Bob-on his way to the store, saw a lizard. Right: Bob, on the way to the store, saw a lizard.)

Commas (Run-Ons and Comma Splices)

You can't combine two sentences into one with a comma (though you can with a semicolon or conjunction). (Wrong: Ed's a slacker, Sara isn't. Right: Ed's a slacker, but Sara isn't. OR Ed's a slacker; Sara isn't. OR Ed, unlike Sara, is a slacker.)

Fragments

A sentence must have at least one "major event." (Wrong: Emily listen to music. While she studied. Right: Emily listened to music while she studied."

Punctuation (Comma)

Commas set off items in a list of three or more items, combine two independent clauses with FANBOYS conjunction, set off an introductory phrase from the rest of the sentence, and separate nonessential information from the rest of the sentence (something that could be considered a parenthetical phrase).

Punctuation (Semicolon)

Semicolons combine two independent clauses when a FANBOYS word isn't present and separate items in a series or list if those items already include commas.

Punctuation (Colon)

A colon is used to introduce or emphasize a short phrase, quotation, example, explanation, or list.

Punctuation (Dash/Dashes)

A dash or dashes are used to set off an explanatory or parenthetical phrase in a sentence.

Punctuation (Apostrophe)

Apostrophes indicate the possessive form of a noun or stand in for a missing letter or letters in a contraction.

-ly endings (adverbs and adjectives)

Wrong: Anna is an extreme gifted child, and she speaks beautiful too. Right: Anna is an extremely different child, and she speaks beautifully too. (Know the difference between adverbs and adjectives)

Good vs Well

Good is an adjective and well is an adverb. (Wrong: Joe did good on the ACT. Right: Joe did well on the ACT.)

Lie vs Lay vs Laid vs Lain

Speaker is doing something without a direct object he is lying. The past tense of lie is lain.

If the speaker is doing it to something he is laying (ex: he is laying the pencil down on his desk.) The past tense of lay is laid.

In, Of, To, For (Idiomatic Preposition Use)

Wrong: She tried to instill on me a respect for the law. I want to protect you in all dangers. Right: She tried to instill in me a respect for the law. I want to protect you from all dangers.

Who vs Whom

Change answer to a question. "Always remember who you are speaking to." (You wouldn't say you are speaking to he, you would say you are speaking to him, therefore the answer is whom)

Brang and Brung

Brang and Brung are not used in standard English.

-Ing endings

Don't use -ing endings when they aren't needed. (Wrong: When I left for the store, I was forgetting my list. Right: When I left for the store, I forgot my list.)

-er and -est (more and most)

Use -er and more when comparing only two things, if there are more than two things, use -est or most. Never use more or most when you can use -er or -est. (Wrong: Bob is the fastest of the two runners. Right: Bob is the faster of the two runners.)

Between vs Among

Use between when there are only two things involved and among when there is more than two or there is an unknown number. (Wrong: I will walk among the two halves of the class/I will walk between the many students in the class. Right: I will walk between the two halves of the class. I will walk among the many students in class.)

Less vs Fewer

Less is used for uncountable things, and when things can be counted, use fewer. People are always countable, so never use fewer to refer to them. (Wrong: I have fewer water than I thought, so I can fill less buckets. Right: I have less water than I thought, so I can fill fewer buckets.)