ACT English : Phrase, Clause, and Sentence Errors
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Example Questions
Example Question #151 : Modifier Placement Errors
Growing up, I used to find math very tedious. I abhorred algebra, couldn't stand geometry, and 1. was just hating trigonometry. I was sure calculus would be no different. 2. That was until I met, my calculus teacher, Ms. Sweed. 3. Calculus being the subject she taught, she used it to show me how 4. math makes our world go around.
5.Ms. Sweed was very educated, having two master’s and a PhD. 6. I can still remember one day that she talked to me after class after one of the first tests we took in class I had done not as well as I had wanted. When I went to talk to her after class, she told me that she thought I was very smart and could do better if I tried. I began to come to talk to her after class every day for extra study. 7. She only used these extra sessions to not help me understand the math, but showed how math can be used to apply to real life. She showed how math could be used to explain many natural phenomena. 8. However, she showed how math can be used to analyze patterns from studies. I never thought I would say math was my favorite subject, but with Ms. Sweed teaching, it was.
9. (1) Trying to use Mrs. Sweed’s wit, enthusiasm, and dedication, as I tried to inspire other students. (2) I even started to do well enough in math to start tutoring other students. (3) I never would have been able to do so without meeting Ms. Sweed. (4) I was soon one of the top tutors in our school, and I helped dozens of students increase their grades. [10] Thanks to her inspiration, I’ve decided to look into the field of engineering. 11. Now, an engineering major taking many math classes in college. I enjoy every single one of them. 12. Math is a subject everyone can enjoy.
Where should the word "only" be placed?
After the word "me"
After the word "not"
After the word "showed"
Exactly where it is
Before the word "apply"
After the word "not"
The placement of the modifier "only" changes the meaning of the sentence. In this case, the author wants to emphasize that Ms. Sweed accomplished more than one goal, so the word "only" should go after the word "not" to compare the idea of "[helping] to understand the math" with "[showing] how math can be used to apply to real life."
Example Question #1961 : Correcting Grammatical Errors
Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence. If the underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
Moving along the track at 150 miles per hour, I saw the red race car go by in a blur.
I saw the red race car go by in a blur, moving along the track at 150 miles per hour.
NO CHANGE
The red race car went by in a blur, moving along the track at 150 miles per hour, I saw.
In a blur, I saw the red race car go by, moving along the track at 150 miles per hour.
I saw, moving along the track in a blur at 150 miles per hour, the red race car go by.
I saw the red race car go by in a blur, moving along the track at 150 miles per hour.
This sentence contains a misplaced modifier, which confuses its meaning. The modifying phrase, "moving along the track at 150 miles per hour," should be placed as close as possible to the phrase it modifies, "the red race car." Otherwise, the structure of the sentence incorrectly suggests that the narrator of the sentence, rather than the car, was moving at 150 miles per hour.
Example Question #461 : Phrase, Clause, And Sentence Errors
Coupons
Are you trying to stick to a budget? Using coupons for [61] purchases, also known as “couponing” is a great way to save money on groceries. [62] Coupons are a little piece of paper that can give you a discount on what you buy. You will be amazed at the [63] great bargains and amazing savings you can get!
It’s easy to get started. [64] When you open up your daily newspaper, one might find a glossy insert full of coupons. [65] Some of the coupons will be for things you don’t buy, some will be for things you buy all the time. Go through the coupons and [66] chop out the ones you can use.
The key to successful couponing is getting multiple copies of coupon circulars. Ask [67] your friends, your neighbors, and family if they have any extras. Some coupon users even go through the recycling at their office to find more coupons! [68] Completely devoted, these circulars help coupon users to get even more savings.
Couponing might sound like hard work, but for [69] many people, it’s also a hobby. Not only does it help them save hundreds of dollars per year, [70] but instead it gives them a fun challenge every time they do their shopping.
Is there perhaps a greater value to a life lived without constant counting, penny-pinching, and miserliness? [71] But of what value are such savings? [72] At the end of the day; money is a construct, invented by the elite for the sole purpose of controlling the populace. [73] If we accept this fundamental truth, it behooves one to question the monetary structures that control our lives. Indeed, from this perspective, the very practice of couponing might seem a venial distraction from the valuable human endeavor of personal philosophical consideration. [74]
The papers we pore over should be in our books; the pennies we save should be in the currency of our happiness; [75] the budget we have made should have been a budget of our contentment.
A sort of couponing of the soul might ultimately be the solution.
Choose the answer that best corrects section [65].
NO CHANGE
These circulars help completely devoted coupon users get even more savings.
Completely devoted, these circulars help get even more savings for coupon users.
These circulars, completely devoted, help coupon users get even more savings.
These circulars help completely devoted coupon users get even more savings.
This question asks you to correct a misplaced modifier error. The modifying phrase, "completely devoted," should be placed as close as possible to the phrase it modifies, "coupon users." Otherwise, the misplaced modifier confuses the sentence's meaning, making it sound as though the circulars themselves are devoted.
Example Question #51 : Misplaced Or Interrupting Modifier Errors
Maybe your thinking of getting a dog; but you are not sure how it will affect your budget. Don’t worry! It’s possible to enjoy the companionship with a dog without spending too much of your precious dollars.
First, you will want to make a list of all the necessary items needed before you bring Fluffy home. Compare costs at different pet stores, grocery stores and big box stores. You will need to buy food, a leash, and purchase toys for your dog.
When it comes to the many dog food choices, you don’t want to just buy the cheaper option. You will want to do some research to see what is healthiest for your dog! One of the best ways to save money on dog food is to buy it in bulk.
Don’t forget to plan for some other big expenses, the vet consultation, wellness exam, and any treatments your dog needs. When you bring your pet to the vet, they may need shots, which can vary for price. Call different clinics in the area and ask how much they charge for the standard immunizations? You might find that there is a lot of differences between offices.
The key to sticking to your budget is planning everything out! With good preparation and organization, a dog will not cost you more money than you planned for.
Choose the answer that best corrects the bolded and underlined portion of the passage. If the bolded and underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
NO CHANGE
You will find that, with good planning and preparation, a dog will not cost you more than you planned for.
With good preparation and organization, a dog, you will find, will not cost you more money than you planned for.
With good preparation and organization, you will find that a dog does not cost you more money than you planned for.
You will find that a dog, with good preparation and organization, will not cost you more than you planned for.
With good preparation and organization, you will find that a dog does not cost you more money than you planned for.
This question asks you to correct a misplaced modifier error. The modifying phrase "With good preparation and organization" describes the subject "you," not the dog. With the original placement, it inaccurately conveys that the dog will be doing the preparation. This modifying phrase should be placed as close as possible to the noun it modifies.
Example Question #51 : Misplaced Or Interrupting Modifier Errors
[1] Some people are excited, some people are just annoyed. [2] Being called to jury duty can inspire a range of different emotions. [3] Unsure how long the trial will take, a call to jury duty can be stressful for people who can’t afford to miss work or school.
Some people will be making attempts to get out of jury duty. However, most will still need to serve. Fortunately, many cases are settled before going to trial and is not uncommon for trials to just last only one day. Either way, once you have served on a jury, you won’t have to do it again for a while!
Choose the answer that best corrects the bolded and underlined portion of the passage. If the bolded and underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
Unsure how long the trial will take, a call to jury duty, for people who can't afford to miss work or school, can be stressful.
NO CHANGE
Unsure how long the trial will take, people who can't afford to miss work or school can find a call to jury duty stressful.
When called to jury duty, people, who can't afford to miss work or school, are not sure how long the trial will take.
People who find a call to jury duty stressful, who can't afford to miss work or school, are unsure how long the trial will take.
Unsure how long the trial will take, people who can't afford to miss work or school can find a call to jury duty stressful.
This question asks you to fix a modifier error. The modifying phrase, "Unsure how long the trial will take," should be placed as close as possible to the phrase it modifies, "people." In the original text, the misplaced modifier wrongly suggests that the "call" itself is unsure of the length of the trial. The best answer, "Unsure how long the trial will take, people who can't afford to miss work or school can find a call to jury duty stressful," relocates the modifier to make the sentence more clear without changing its meaning.
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