ACT English : Correcting Grammatical Errors
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for ACT English
All ACT English Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #71 : Correcting Parallel Structure Errors
Alexander held his intelligence in high regard, and so he believed that his grades should be higher than the other students in the class.
would have to be the highest among
should be higher
should be higher than those of
would necessitate being highest among
should cause his being higher
should be higher than those of
The initial sentence contains an illogical comparison. Her grades cannot be higher than the other students. They can only be higher than the grades of the other students. In this sentence, the pronoun those can stand in for grades.
Example Question #81 : Correcting Parallel Structure Errors
Select the best answer from the choices given.
Excited by the prospect of starting a yoga studio, Kim's first decision needed to be where she could rent mats and space.
Kim first had to decide where to rent mats and space.
Kim's first decision had to be regarding renting mats and space and where it would be.
Kim's first decision needed to be where she could rent mats and space.
Kim first had to decide where it was to rent mats and space.
renting mats and space had to be what Kim's first decision was about.
Kim first had to decide where to rent mats and space.
The participle "excited" modifies the subject of the main clause of the sentence, but it's still illogical to say that a decision is excited. The only logical subject is Kim, but "Kim first had to decide where it was to rent mats and space" is awkward and unidiomatic, so the best choice is "Kim first had to decide where to rent mats and space."
Example Question #71 : Correcting Parallel Structure Errors
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices repeats the underlined portion as it is written.
Most animals have a less impressive sense of vision than humans did.
than humans did.
than humans had.
for humans.
from humans.
than humans.
than humans.
The underlined phrase functions as a comparison in the sentence, between humans and "most animals." Thus, the phrase needs to appropriately compare in the same manner as the other mention of the trait in the sentence. "Than humans" is the correct answer choice. The "did" is an extraneous verb that introduces an error by being in the past tense when the verb that appears prior to it in the sentence, "have," is in the present tense.
Example Question #72 : Correcting Parallel Structure Errors
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
Thomas Jefferson was a lawyer in Virginia, a member of the House of Burgesses, and he wrote the Declaration of Independence.
and writing the Declaration of Independence.
and the one who wrote the Declaration of Independence.
and was the writer of the Declaration of Independence.
and the writer of the Declaration of Independence.
and he wrote the Declaration of Independence.
and the writer of the Declaration of Independence.
The correct answer best follows the laws of parallelism. Like “a lawyer” and “a member,” “the writer” is a noun preceded by an article.
Example Question #73 : Correcting Parallel Structure Errors
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
Neither hunting nor a trapped animal ensures a guaranteed succesful trip for an outdoorsman.
Neither hunting nor a trapped animal ensured
Neither hunting nor a trapped animal ensures
Neither hunting nor trapping an animal ensures
Either hunting nor a trapped animal ensures
Neither hunting or a trapped animal ensures
Neither hunting nor trapping an animal ensures
In any "Neither...nor" phrase, each element described must be of a similar nature, so the phrase is describing similar objects. The sentence has two dissimilar objects in the phrase as it is written. The only answer choice that has an appropriate parallel structure is "Neither hunting nor trapping an animal ensures."
Example Question #1611 : Correcting Grammatical Errors
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
The finer points of military strategy were lost on the general, who much preferred just fighting, charging, and to fire.
only fighting, charging, and to fire.
just fighting, charging, and firing.
just fighting charging and to fire.
just fighting, charging, and to fire.
just fighting charging and firing.
just fighting, charging, and firing.
In any list of verbs, such as the one in the underlined portion, all the verbs need to be in the same form. Additionally, all such lists need to have each item separated by commas. The correct answer, therefore, is "just fighting, charging, and firing."
Example Question #1951 : Act English
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
To alleviate stress, Margaret liked to bake chocolate cakes and swim laps but never to be practicing yoga.
rather than be practicing yoga.
more than to practice yoga.
but never to be practicing yoga.
rather than practice yoga.
and not to be practicing yoga.
rather than practice yoga.
The cleanest and most logical coordinator here is “rather than,” and the verb should be in the same grammatical format as the ones before it.
Example Question #108 : Other Phrase, Clause, And Sentence Errors
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
Vanessa prepared for her vacation by packing, reading travel books, and to buy a plane ticket.
Vanessa prepared for her vacation by packing, reading travel books, and to buy a plane ticket.
Vanessa prepared for her vacation with packing, reading travel books, and to buy a plane ticket.
Vanessa prepared for her vacation by packing, reading travel books, and buying a plane ticket.
Vanessa prepared for her vacation by to pack, to read travel books, and to buy a plane ticket.
Vanessa prepared for her vacation with the following: to pack, to read travel books, and to buy a plane ticket.
Vanessa prepared for her vacation by packing, reading travel books, and buying a plane ticket.
This is an example of an error in parallelism. The sentence's list begins with two gerunds ("packing" and "reading") and ends in one infinitive ("to buy"). Each item in the list must be in the same form, so the sentence must be changed so that all of the items in the list are either gerunds or infinitives.
Example Question #111 : Other Phrase, Clause, And Sentence Errors
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
The celebration was extensive all over Spain, but more so in Barcelona than either Seville or Madrid.
The celebration was extensive all over Spain, but more so in Barcelona than in either Seville or Madrid.
The celebration was extensive all over Spain, but more so in Barcelona than either Seville or Madrid.
The celebration was extensive all over Spain but more so in Barcelona than either Seville or Madrid.
The celebration was extensive all over Spain, but more so in Barcelona than either in Seville or Madrid.
The celebration was extensive all over Spain, but more so in Barcelona than in either Seville and Madrid.
The celebration was extensive all over Spain, but more so in Barcelona than in either Seville or Madrid.
This sentence contains a parallelism error. When comparing things in sentences, in this case, cities, one must present them in the same way. So, since the first part of the comparison contains the word "in" ("in Barcelona"), the second part of the comparison must also be introduced by "in": "in either Seville or Madrid," instead of "either Seville or Madrid."
Example Question #81 : Correcting Other Phrase, Clause, And Sentence Errors
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
The scholarship allowed Mickey to travel all the way to France and staying in a five-star hotel.
The scholarship allowed Mickey traveling all the way to France and staying in a five-star hotel.
The scholarship allowed Mickey to travel all the way to France and also staying in a five-star hotel.
The scholarship allowed Mickey to travel all the way to France and he could also stay in a five-star hotel.
The scholarship allowed Mickey to travel all the way to France and staying in a five-star hotel.
The scholarship allowed Mickey to travel all the way to France and to stay in a five-star hotel.
The scholarship allowed Mickey to travel all the way to France and to stay in a five-star hotel.
This sentence contains an error in parallelism. The verbs "travel" and "stay" must be in the same form. In the sentence as it is presented, "to travel" and "staying" do not match. The correct answer makes both of these terms infinitives: "to travel" and "to stay."
All ACT English Resources
