ACT English : Correcting Grammatical Errors
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for ACT English
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Example Questions
Example Question #1641 : Correcting Grammatical Errors
Select the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence. If the sentence is correct as is, select "NO CHANGE."
Alanna's busy weekend included visiting her aunt, studying for a test, and to attend a friend's birthday party.
and the attending of a friend's birthday party.
and attendance of a friend's birthday party.
and attended a friend's birthday party.
and attending a friend's birthday party.
NO CHANGE
and attending a friend's birthday party.
The last verb needs to be in the same -ing participle form as the other two items in a list must be parallel in structure.
Example Question #1642 : 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."
The city fathers hope to improve trash collection services, add more patrol officers, and to balance the city's budget by the end of the next fiscal year.
balance the city's budget
a balanced city budget
balancing the city's budget
they want to balance the city's budget
NO CHANGE
balance the city's budget
The sentence has three verb phrases, all of which are signalled by the infinitive, "to." Since the second phrase does not contain the infinitive, it should not be used in the third phrase as it causes the sentence to be not parallel. "Balancing" is a participle and is not parallel. "A balanced city budget" is a noun phrase. "They want to balance the budget" is a clause and is not parallel.
Example Question #1643 : 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."
Anna enjoyed riding camels, swimming, and to go drive through the sand dunes at the desert resort.
and to go driving through the sand dunes
and driving through the sand dunes
NO CHANGE
and she went driving through the sand dunes
and to drive through the sand dunes
and driving through the sand dunes
The sentence presents a list of verbs in participle (-ing) form. Because they are part of a list, all the verbs must be in the same form ("riding," "swimming," "driving").
Example Question #1644 : 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."
At Redwood Park, we hiked, camped, and we were climbing trees.
NO CHANGE
and were climbing trees.
and went climbing trees.
and were to climb trees.
and climbed trees.
and climbed trees.
All of the other verbs in the list are in simple past tense, so you need the simple past tense of "climbed" as well in order to maintain proper parallel structure.
Example Question #1645 : 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."
Anneliese and I are running to the store, seeing a movie, and will go to dinner.
and to go to dinner.
and will be going to dinner.
and going to dinner.
and we will go to dinner.
NO CHANGE
and going to dinner.
This is a parallel structure error. Of the three verbs, two are in the simple present progressive "ing" form, so the third (underlined) should be as well.
Example Question #138 : Other Phrase, Clause, And Sentence 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.
Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence. If the underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
just would hate
NO CHANGE
just hating
just hated
am just hating
just hated
The answer "just hated" is the only option that maintains the sentence's parallel structure. All the other verbs in the list of this sentence are in the past tense as well.
Example Question #1646 : 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."
In order to save money on car repair bills, Sang Lee changed his oil, replaced his spark plugs and he rotated his tires all by himself.
NO CHANGE
rotating tires
rotated his tires
he was rotating his tires
tires were rotated
rotated his tires
In order to main parallel structure, the last phrase should be a past tense verb phrase. He rotated his tires, tires were rotated by him, and he was rotating tires are all clauses and are thus not parallel. Rotating tires is a present-tense verb phrase.
Example Question #1647 : 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."
In order to successfully develop a prototype, Mark's design team needs to update its blueprints, to build a clay model, and conduct tests in a simulator.
NO CHANGE
build a clay model,
the building of a clay model,
building a clay model,
a clay model should be built,
build a clay model,
In order to be parallel with "update its blueprints" and "conduct tests", the correct answer should be a present tense verb phrase. Since the third phrase in the series does not have the infinitive verb "to", it should not be used in the second phrase.
Example Question #141 : Other Phrase, Clause, And Sentence 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 favorite activities are baking, knitting, to braid my sister's hair, and going to the mall.
My favorite activities are baking knitting to braid my sister's hair and going to the mall.
NO CHANGE
My favorite activities are baking, knitting, to braid my sister's hair, and to go to the mall.
My favorite activities are baking and knitting and to braid my sister's hair and going to the mall.
My favorite activities are baking, knitting, braiding my sister's hair, and going to the mall.
My favorite activities are baking, knitting, braiding my sister's hair, and going to the mall.
The original sentence contains a parallel structure error. All the elements in a list must be in the same format. The list as written contains three gerunds and one infinitive phrase. It must be reworded so that all items are either one or the other.
Example Question #142 : Parallel Structure Errors
Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence. If the underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
The dog was happiest when doing his three favorite activities: sleeping, running, and to play with his ball.
sleep, running, and to play with his ball.
sleeping, to run, and to play with his ball.
to sleep, run, and playing with his ball.
NO CHANGE
sleeping, running, and playing with his ball.
sleeping, running, and playing with his ball.
This question asks you to correct a parallel structure error. In parallel structure, the same grammatical form is used for items in a list to enhance the reader's understanding. In this case, all three items on the list should follow the same grammatical form: "sleeping, running, and playing with his ball." The meaning of the sentence is more clear with all three verbs in the form of gerunds (verbs ending in -ing).
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