ACT English : Word Usage Errors
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Example Questions
Example Question #92 : Subjective And Objective Pronoun Errors
Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence. If the underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
My cat gets much more sleep each night than me.
I do.
my sleep.
mine.
myself.
NO CHANGE
I do.
I is the subject of the elliptical clause I do and should thus be in the subjective case.
Example Question #93 : Subjective And Objective Pronoun Errors
Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence. If the underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
Ellen cannot complete the daily sales reports as quickly or efficiently as me.
us
mine.
I can
myself.
NO CHANGE
I can
The sentence is an ellipsis ("as I can") and thus requires the subject pronoun "I"
Example Question #91 : Subjective And Objective Pronoun Errors
Over winter break, our AP Spanish class took a trip to South America to practice the language and learn more about different Spanish-speaking cultures. Before we left, every student had to get their vaccinations for yellow fever and typhoid. Our first stop was Bolivia. When we landed at El Alto airport the highest in the world, we could see the city of La Paz sprawling up the hillsides in the shadow of the Andes. The first day in La Paz, we went to the Witches’s Market, run by local yatiri. The yatiri are medical practitioners who perform healing rituals in they’re communities. At the market, we saw dried frogs, llama fetuses, herbs, and seeds, used in various rituals. After we visited La Paz, we traveled to Cochabamba. Cochabamba is Bolivia’s culinary capital, with delicious specialties such as salteñas and rellenos. In Cochabamba, we also climbed 1400 steps to see the Cristo de La Concordia statue, the tallest of it’s kind in South America. Next, we visited the salt flats of Uyuni. Several lagoons dotted the high desert landscape, some of who were full of flamingos!
On our way out of Bolivia, we stopped at Lake Titicaca on the Peruvian border. Because the lake’s elevation is over 12,000 feet, some of my classmates experienced a bit of altitude sickness. Despite the altitude sickness, everyone said they loved seeing the beautiful scenery and visiting the mysterious “floating islands” made of reeds. When we crossed the border into Peru, one of my classmates thought she had lost her passport. I would of had a panic attack! She ended up finding it buried in a pocket of her backpack and we were on our way.
My favorite part of Peru was our trek to the ancient Incan ruins of Machu Picchu. We spent four days hiking in the Andes on a trail to the ruins. Our guides, whom spoke Spanish, English, and Quechua, were very knowledgeable about the history, flora, and fauna in the region. Upon waking up the next morning, a beautiful sunrise greeted us and cast the mountains in its soft pink glow. After we explored the ruins, we took a train ride back to Cuzco. The next day, we flew to Lima and prepared to return home. I was sad to leave, but I know I would be back some day!
Select the answer choice that best corrects the bold underlined portion of the passage. If the sentence is correct as written, select NO CHANGE.
some of who were full of flamingos!
some of that were full of flamingos!
some of which were full of flamingos!
NO CHANGE
some of them were full of flamingos!
some of which were full of flamingos!
The correct pronoun for "lagoons," which are inanimate (non-living) objects, is "which." Who and whom are for people. "Some of that" is not idiomatically correct, and "some of them" turns the fragment into an entirely new sentence that would need to be separated by a period instead of a comma. Additionally, "who" is a subject pronoun and in this sentence, we need an object pronoun.
Example Question #583 : Word Usage Errors
Over winter break, our AP Spanish class took a trip to South America to practice the language and learn more about different Spanish-speaking cultures. Before we left, every student had to get their vaccinations for yellow fever and typhoid. Our first stop was Bolivia. When we landed at El Alto airport the highest in the world, we could see the city of La Paz sprawling up the hillsides in the shadow of the Andes. The first day in La Paz, we went to the Witches’s Market, run by local yatiri. The yatiri are medical practitioners who perform healing rituals in they’re communities. At the market, we saw dried frogs, llama fetuses, herbs, and seeds, used in various rituals. After we visited La Paz, we traveled to Cochabamba. Cochabamba is Bolivia’s culinary capital, with delicious specialties such as salteñas and rellenos. In Cochabamba, we also climbed 1400 steps to see the Cristo de La Concordia statue, the tallest of it’s kind in South America. Next, we visited the salt flats of Uyuni. Several lagoons dotted the high desert landscape, some of who were full of flamingos!
On our way out of Bolivia, we stopped at Lake Titicaca on the Peruvian border. Because the lake’s elevation is over 12,000 feet, some of my classmates experienced a bit of altitude sickness. Despite the altitude sickness, everyone said they loved seeing the beautiful scenery and visiting the mysterious “floating islands” made of reeds. When we crossed the border into Peru, one of my classmates thought she had lost her passport. I would of had a panic attack! She ended up finding it buried in a pocket of her backpack and we were on our way.
My favorite part of Peru was our trek to the ancient Incan ruins of Machu Picchu. We spent four days hiking in the Andes on a trail to the ruins. Our guides, whom spoke Spanish, English, and Quechua, were very knowledgeable about the history, flora, and fauna in the region. Upon waking up the next morning, a beautiful sunrise greeted us and cast the mountains in its soft pink glow. After we explored the ruins, we took a train ride back to Cuzco. The next day, we flew to Lima and prepared to return home. I was sad to leave, but I know I would be back some day!
Select the answer choice that best corrects the bold underlined portion of the passage. If the sentence is correct as written, select NO CHANGE.
Our guides, that which spoke Spanish, English, and Quechua,
Our guides, who spoke Spanish, English, and Quechua,
Our guides, whom speak Spanish, English, and Quechua,
Our guides, they spoke Spanish, English, and Quechua,
NO CHANGE
Our guides, who spoke Spanish, English, and Quechua,
The phrase underlined and bolded is describing the subject (the guides), so it needs the subject pronoun "who" as the guides are people performing a certain action to form the sentence subject.
Example Question #101 : Pronoun Usage Errors
Adapted from The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli (1532)
Now, if you will consider what was the nature of the government of Darius, you will find it similar to the kingdom of the Turk. Therefore it was only necessarily for Alexander, first to overthrow him in the field, and then to take the country from him. After this victory, Darius being killed, the state remained secure in Alexander’s power, for the reasons noted earlier. If his successors had been united they would have enjoyed it securely and at their ease, for there was no tumults raised in the kingdom except those they provoked themselves. However, it is impossible to hold with such tranquility states constituted like that of France. Hence arose those frequent rebellions against the Roman’s in Spain, France, and Greece, owing to the many principalities there were in these latter states, of which the Romans always held an insecure possession; however, with the power and long continuance of the empire, the memory of them passed away, and the Romans then became secure possessors. When fighting afterwards amongst themselves, each one was able to attach to himself his own parts of the country, according to the authority he had assumed there; and the family of the former lord being exterminated, none other than the Romans were acknowledged.
When these things are remembered, no one will marvel at the ease with which Alexander held the Empire of Asia or at the difficulties that others have had to keep an acquisition. This is not occasioned by the little or abundance of ability in the conqueror but, instead, by the want of uniformity in the subject state.
What is the best form of the underlined selection, "first to overthrow him in the field"?
first to overthrow he in the field
first to have overthrown him in the field
NO CHANGE
first to overthrow himself in the field
NO CHANGE
From the context of the passage, you can see that the personal pronoun "him" refers to Darius. (Look both before and after the sentence directly in question.) As written, the phrase uses the the personal pronoun correctly. As direct object of "overthrow" the appropriate pronoun is "him."
Example Question #1711 : Act English
Jeremy had no luck convincing the members of the orchestral committee about his suggestions. He pleaded, cajoled, was begging, and even threatened the committee at various times, but yet despite being the conductor, he couldnt get them to agree to his requests. Despite many attempts, the committee would not listen to him. In the end, he decided to go through with the Christmas concert despite him not having his favorite composer on the program. Afterward, one of his friends, whom was in the audience, came up and asked him why was there no Handel on the program? "I did try" Jeremy replied "but the committee were unanimously against me. I nearly begged them all day to put one piece on the program. But try as I might I could not get a Handel on it."
Choose the answer that best corrects the bolded portion of the passage. If the bolded portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
him having not
his not having
the fact that
NO CHANGE
his not having
A possessive pronoun is used before gerunds like "having;" thus "his not having" would be appropriate here.
Example Question #102 : Pronoun Usage Errors
Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence. If the underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
Who's coat is that?
Who is
NO CHANGE
Whom's
Whose
Whose
The possessive form of who is "whose." In this sentence the author is wondering who the coat belongs to, or who possesses the coat. "Who's" is only used to mean "who is" and "whom" is the objective form of "who."
Example Question #2 : Possessive Pronoun Errors
Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence below:
Stu and Tammy put his or her hats on, and went out into the rain.
our
his
no change
their
his/her
their
The subject of this sentence is "Stu and Tammy." Because two people are the subject, you could subsitute the pronoun "they" for the subject. Whenever you have the subject, "they," the proper possessive pronoun is "their."
Example Question #2 : Possessive Pronoun Errors
Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence below:
Francis was frustrated at being accosted about a bag of his own groceries. "You are mistaken, Officer," said Francis. "Those fruits and vegetables are ours."
no change
one's
mine
his
theirs
mine
Based on the context given in the first sentence, Francis is clearly carrying a bag of his own property; therefore, when he speaks to the police officer, he is referring to his property. Because he is speaking in the first person, and is alone, the correct possessive pronoun is
"mine."
Example Question #1 : Possessive Pronoun Errors
Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence below:
If anyone does not follow the rules, his or her life may be in danger.
his
our
their
her
no change
no change
Anyone is a singular pronoun; therefore you need to use a singular possessive pronoun (in this case, his, or her). Because "anyone" is also not a gendered pronoun, you must use "his or her."
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