ACT English : Correcting Grammatical Errors
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Example Questions
Example Question #2 : Quotation Mark 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.
“I can’t believe he ate the entire cake,” she said, “Can you?”
cake,” she said, “Can you?”
cake” she said “Can you?”
cake,” she said. “Can you?”
cake.” She said. “Can you?”
cake” she said, “Can you?”
cake,” she said. “Can you?”
Double quotation marks are conventionally used to indicate speech, and commas are conventionally used inside the quotation marks to separate a line of speech from its subsequent dialogue tag. Because “‘Can you?’” is a separate sentence from “‘I can’t believe he ate the entire cake,’ she said,’” there must be a period after “she said” to separate the two sentences.
Example Question #1 : Correcting Quotation Mark 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.
“Why does your so-called ‘fact sheet’ list obvious fallacies,” she asked?
“Why does your so-called “fact sheet” list obvious fallacies?” she asked.
“Why does your so-called ‘fact sheet’ list obvious fallacies?” she asked.
“Why does your so-called ‘fact sheet’ list obvious fallacies,” she asked?
“Why does your so-called ‘fact sheet’ list obvious fallacies”? she asked.
“Why does your so-called “fact sheet” list obvious fallacies,” she asked?
“Why does your so-called ‘fact sheet’ list obvious fallacies?” she asked.
Double quotation marks are conventionally used to indicate speech, and question marks are conventionally used inside the quotation marks to indicate the end of an interrogative sentence. Double quotation marks (without commas) are also conventionally used to indicate skepticism about a word or term, as with “fact sheet” here. However, because “fact sheet” is already within a set of double quotation marks, single quotation marks must be used.
Example Question #221 : Correcting Punctuation Errors: Other Punctuation
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.
Did she say, "I'll take the car?"
Did she say, "I'll take the car?"
Did she say, "I'll take the car"?
Did she say "I'll take the car"?
Did she say, "I'll take the car."?
Did she say, "I'll take the car."
Did she say, "I'll take the car"?
This question is asking whether or not a phrase was said, and that phrase itself is not a question. If a question ends with a quoted statement that is not a question, the question mark will go outside the closing quotation mark.
Example Question #3 : Quotation Mark 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 underlined choices repeats the answer as it is written.
"What if the lost puppy really does belong to Jane," we thought as we drove to the veterinarian.
"What if the lost puppy really does belong to Jane,"
"What if the lost puppy really does belong to Jane",
"What if the lost puppy really does belong to Jane"
"What if the lost puppy really does belong to Jane"?
"What if the lost puppy really does belong to Jane?"
"What if the lost puppy really does belong to Jane?"
The error in this sentence comes from the fact that the underlined phrase is a question and therefore should end with a question mark, even when it is inside double quotation marks; therefore, the correct answer is "What if the lost puppy really does below to Jane?"
Example Question #4 : Quotation Mark 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 underlined choices repeats the answer as it is written.
"I don't believe you really wanted to drop the cake," Elena said, "In fact, I think it was totally an accident."
said. "In fact, I think it was totally an accident."
said - "In fact, I think it was totally an accident."
said, "In fact, I think it was totally an accident."
said? "In fact, I think it was totally an accident."
said; "In fact, I think it was totally an accident."
said. "In fact, I think it was totally an accident."
The error in this sentence is the incorrect punctuation used to separate Elena's first sentence from her second sentence. Since both sentences are complete thoughts, we should change the comma after "said" to a period ("said. 'In fact, I think it was totally an accident.'")
Example Question #5 : Quotation Mark Errors
Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence. If the underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
"Don't walk there"! I shouted! "It's not safe."
"Don't walk there"! I shouted, "It's not safe."
"Don't walk there" I shouted! "Its not safe."
"Don't walk there!" I shouted. "It's not safe."
NO CHANGE
"Don't walk there," I shouted! "It's not safe."
"Don't walk there!" I shouted. "It's not safe."
Since the author admits he was shouting, we know to keep the exclamation point in the sentence. Secondly, the quotation marks go outside the punctuation mark, not outside of it, for all quotation marks except semicolons. Finally, "it's" requires the apostrophe because it is an abbreviation that can be replaced with "it is" in the sentence.
Example Question #701 : 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."
"I know you're in there?" I said: "I can hear your footsteps."
"I know you're in there," I said. "I can hear your footsteps."
NO CHANGE
"I know you're in there!?" I said., "I can hear your footsteps."
"I know you're in there." I said. "I can hear your footsteps."
"I know you're in there," I said. "I can hear your footsteps."
There is no question in this statement, so there is no need for the question mark; instead, a comma can be used, and it must go inside the quotation marks. Secondly, the colon after "I said" is unnecessary because it is not relating two sentences or preceding a list, so a comma can be used instead.
Example Question #1 : Quotation Mark Errors
Adapted from The Life of Christopher Columbus by Edward Everett Hale (1891 G. L. Howe and Co. ed.)
At last all was ready.That is to say, the fleet was so far ready that Columbus was ready to start. The vessels were small, as we think of vessels, but he was not dissatisfied. He says in the beginning of his journal "I armed three vessels very fit for such an enterprise." He had left Grenada as late as the twelfth of May. He had crossed Spain to Palos, and in less than three months had fitted out the ships and was ready for sea.
Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the passage. If the underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
He says in the beginning of his journal, I armed three vessels very fit for such an enterprise.
He says in the beginning of his journal "I armed three vessels very fit for such an enterprise".
NO CHANGE
He says in the beginning of his journal, "I armed three vessels very fit for such an enterprise".
He says in the beginning of his journal, "I armed three vessels very fit for such an enterprise."
He says in the beginning of his journal, "I armed three vessels very fit for such an enterprise."
Quotations are properly separated from the clause that identifies the speaker with a comma before the first quotation mark. When closing the quotation, the period must be placed before the second quotation mark (inside the quotation).
Example Question #2 : Quotation Mark Errors
Adapted from Westward Ho! by Charles Kingsley (1855)
"There!" whispered he, trembling from head to foot. "Can you excuse me now?"
Which of the following alternatives to the sentence above would NOT be acceptable?
"There," he whispered, trembling from head to foot. "Now can you excuse me?"
"There!" whispered he, trembling from head to foot, "Can you excuse me now?"
"There!" he whispered, trembling from head to foot. "Can you excuse me now?"
"There," whispered he, trembling from head to foot. "Can you excuse me now?"
All of the answers are acceptable.
"There!" whispered he, trembling from head to foot, "Can you excuse me now?"
The second quoted phrase ("Can you excuse me now") is the beginning of a new sentence and requires the attributive phrase to end with a period, not a comma. Grammatically, an exclamation point or a comma is correct within the first set of quotation marks.
Example Question #701 : 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.
I told my friends that “I was too tired to go out,” but really I just wanted to catch up on my favorite TV series.
I told my friends that I was too tired to go out, but really I just wanted to catch up on my favorite TV series.
I told my friends that “I was too tired to go out,” but really I just wanted to catch up on my favorite TV series.
I told my friends that “I was too tired to go out” but really I just wanted to catch up on my favorite TV series.
I told my friends that, “I was too tired to go out,” but really I just wanted to catch up on my favorite TV series.
I told my friends that I was too tired to go out but really I just wanted to catch up on my favorite TV series.
I told my friends that I was too tired to go out, but really I just wanted to catch up on my favorite TV series.
“I was too tired to go out” is an indirect quotation; we know this because it’s preceded by the word “that.” Since indirect quotations don’t require quotation marks, and since a comma is needed before the conjunction (“but”) to separate these two independent clauses, the correct answer is “I told my friends that I was too tired to go out, but really I just wanted to catch up on my favorite TV series.”
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