ACT English : Punctuation Errors
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Example Questions
Example Question #13 : Comma Errors
I now ride horses and run for fun. I am lazy however because as I mentioned before I don’t have much endurance. I’m a sprinter through and through! I like the pain to be over in less than 60 seconds. I’ll run longer but I’m not usually happy about it. For as much as I love sports I also love to sit on my couch with potato chips and watch tv too! Generally I love athletics but I am a lazy relaxer also!
What would make the underlined portion of the text grammatically correct?
NO CHANGE
I am lazy, however, because as I mentioned
I am lazy, however - because as I mentioned
I am lazy however because, as I mentioned
I am lazy however because as I was mentioning
I am lazy, however, because as I mentioned
When there are additives to a sentence, they must be surrounded by commas and separated from the main sentence. "However" here is an effective transition from one idea to the next, but it is not essential to the sentence itself; therefore, it must be surrounded on both sides by commas.
Example Question #12 : Comma Errors
I now ride horses and run for fun. I am lazy however because as I mentioned before I don’t have much endurance. I’m a sprinter through and through! I like the pain to be over in less than 60 seconds. I’ll run longer but I’m not usually happy about it. For as much as I love sports I also love to sit on my couch with potato chips and watch tv too! Generally I love athletics but I am a lazy relaxer also!
What would make the underlined portion of the text grammatically correct?
none of the other answers
For, as much as, I love sports I also
For, as much as I love sports I also
NO CHANGE
For as much as I love sports, I also
For as much as I love sports, I also
"For as much as I love sports" is a dependent clause that begins the sentence. It cannot stand alone as a sentence, but the rest of the sentence can stand alone. Dependent clauses must be separated from other parts of the sentence by one comma.
Example Question #12 : Comma Errors
Make any necessary changes to the underlined word or phrase in the sentence.
When I finished writing the essay I packed my bag and headed home.
essay, then I
essay, I
NO CHANGE
essay and I
essay, I
There needs to be a comma after the first clause, “When I finished writing the essay,” to separate it from the second action (which comprises the second clause), “I packed my bag and headed home.”
Example Question #13 : Comma Errors
Make any necessary changes to the underlined word or phrase in the sentence.
Our dance teacher finally arrived; and she told us we were learning a new hip-hop number that day.
arrived, and
arrived, next
NO CHANGE
arrive however
arrived, and
The first clause requires a comma before the conjunction “and” in order to be grammatically correct.
Example Question #11 : Comma Errors
The Channel Tunnel, commonly known as the Chunnel, is an underwater tunnel that connects England and France.
Tunnel; commonly
NO CHANGE
Tunnel commonly
Tunnel. Commonly
NO CHANGE
The phrase "commonly known as the Chunnel" is a nonrestrictive clause because it is not required for the sentence to make sense grammatically. Nonrestrictive clauses usually appear between commas or dashes.
Example Question #161 : Correcting Grammatical Errors
In 1990, the two sides of the service tunnel met; one year later, the northern and southern tunnels met. And in 1993, the first test run was completed. Finally, in 1994, the tunnel opened.
met up and
met and
NO CHANGE
met, and
met, and
When two independent clauses are connected using a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so), a comma must precede the conjunction. Independent clauses are clauses that have a subject and predicate and can therefore stand on their own. Although informal writing may begin a sentence with a coordinating conjunction, this is not acceptable in formal writing such as the essays found on the ACT. Thus, the original version of the underlined portion is not acceptable.
Example Question #501 : Act English
After the discovery of gold in California settlers began traveling west in search of fortune.
California; settlers
NO CHANGE
California, settlers
California: settlers
California, settlers
"After the discovery of gold in California" is a dependent clause because it cannot stand on its own. Dependent clauses need to be connected to independent clauses with a comma. "Settlers began traveling west in search of fortune" is an independent clause because it can stand on its own. Dependent clauses cannot be connected to independent clauses with a colon or semicolon.
Example Question #501 : Act English
Then, during the winter of 1860, William H. Russell, William Bradford Waddell, and Alexander Majors designed the Pony Express.
William H. Russell William Bradford Waddell, and Alexander Majors
William H. Russell William Bradford Waddell and Alexander Majors
William H. Russell. William Bradford Waddell. And Alexander Majors
NO CHANGE
NO CHANGE
Items in a list must be separated by commas. In this case, the list contains three names.
Example Question #21 : Comma Errors
One of the most popular programs of all those featured on the Internet (1) is a video clip show. The format of the show is simple, each (2) week the host, a short but attractive New York native named John Jackson introduces (3) a set of three video clips from all over the Internet. These clips shows (4) people hurting themselves in accidents, getting into crazy situations, interacting stupidly with animals, and et cetera. (5) Jackson introduces each clip comically and often comments on the action with animations where (6) he makes fun of the people in the videos. While the videos are often funny, there is definitely an element of schadenfreude involved in watching these clips. Schadenfreude is a German word for "the pleasure one takes at seeing the suffering of others". (7) Jacksons (8) show are (9) not far removed from popular TV programs like (10) The U.S. Laughs at You there is also a version of which (11) on the Internet. It is an open question whether laughing at these videos is a harmless activity or it causes harm to us. (12)
Choose from the following four options the answer that best corrects the underlined mistake preceding the question number. If there is no mistake or the original text is the best option, choose "NO CHANGE."
Jackson: introduces
Jackson, introduces
Jackson; introduces
NO CHANGE
Jackson, introduces
The phrase "a short but attractive New York native named John Jackson" is additional information that can be lifted out of the sentence without damaging it, so the entire phrase should be set off in commas.
Example Question #502 : Act English
It was about halfway through his last set of conferences that Mr. Man realizes (1) he did not (2) much like his current set of students. Unlike his students in the past, none of them seemed to care about their (3) grades, (4) none of them was able to tell a dangling modifier from a participle, (4) and, apart from a few, (4) they didn't know (5) how to start a paper. He would never tell any of them this, of course, (6) they might get offended, and if there was one thing that Mr. Man learned (7) about teaching, its (8) that in order to keep one's job, you couldn't offend your students (9). As yet another student whined about not understanding Mr. Mans (10) perfectly clearly written assignments, he sighed inwardly (and possibly outwardly as well), (11) and waited for the last (12) one to finish so that he could get to the next one, finish his conferences, and get back to daydreaming about being anything but a teacher.
Choose from the following four options the answer that best corrects the underlined mistake preceding the question number. If there is no mistake or the original text is the best option, choose "NO CHANGE."
well):
well);
NO CHANGE
well)
well)
There's no need for any punctuation since what follows the conjunction here is not a complete sentence.
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