ACT English : Sentence Fragment and Sentence Combination Errors

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for ACT English

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Example Questions

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Example Question #61 : Sentence Fragment And Sentence Combination Errors

[1] Some people are excited, some people are just annoyed. [2] Being called to jury duty can inspire a range of different emotions. [3] Unsure how long the trial will take, a call to jury duty can be stressful for people who can’t afford to miss work or school.

Some people will be making attempts to get out of jury duty. However, most will still need to serve. Fortunately, many cases are settled before going to trial and is not uncommon for trials to just last only one day. Either way, once you have served on a jury, you won’t have to do it again for a while!

Choose the answer that best corrects the bolded and underlined portion of the passage. If the bolded and underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."

Possible Answers:

it is not

not being

not

NO CHANGE

being not

Correct answer:

it is not

Explanation:

This question asks you to correct a sentence fragment. The original phrasing, "and is not uncommon for trials to just last only one day," leaves the second half of the sentence without a main verb. To correct this error, we can add the verb "is," so the phrase reads, "and it is not uncommon for trials to just last only one day."

Example Question #62 : Sentence Fragment And Sentence Combination Errors

“Justice and Parents”

We tend to think of justice as a matter of strict equality.  For example if someone wants to buy an item, they are understandably expected to pay an amount that is roughly equal to its value.  Likewise, when a law declares that the penalty for speeding is $150, it is considered just that one who breaks this law pays the fine.  However, justice can also pertain to matters that are beyond mere equality.

An obvious example of this is the case of the relationship between children and their parents.  Unlike the cases discussed earlier, children will have had little opportunity to repay they’re parents for all that they have done for them.  Technically speaking, strict “equality” would require the child to give birth to the parents.  This is an absurd thing to suggest.  Similarly absurd is the suggestion that children should directly repay the rearing offered by parents.  Once again, strict equality cannot occur in the child-parent relationship.

However, there is a kind of justice between children and his or her parents.  For example, when a parent ages and is in need of assistance, if the adult child can provide assistance but refuses to do so.  This is a kind of injustice to the parents.  On a more positive note.  For example, an adult child might send his parents on a cruise in memory of their anniversary.  Such an action would be a kind of “justice” done to the parents—at least in that it recognizes the immense debt that is owed by the child to the parents in question.

In these (and many other cases), justice is less about equality than it is about paying what one can pay.  That is, in such cases, both justice or injustice is determined by worthiness that surpasses mere equality.  This kind of justice could be called justice above justice.  That is, it is a kind of justice that surpasses the “normal” justice of equality.  Such acts of justice ensure that society does not become reduced to the cold calculation of equality but, instead, has the warmth of true affection and loving gratitude.

Choose the answer that best corrects the bolded and underlined portion of the passage. If the bolded and underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."

Possible Answers:

For example, when a parent ages and is in need of assistance, if the adult child can provide assistance but refuses to do so. (This is a kind of injustice to the parents.)

NO CHANGE

For example, when a parent ages and is in need of assistance, if the adult child can provide assistance but refuses to do so, this is a kind of injustice to the parents.

For example, when a parent ages and is in need of assistance; if the adult child can provide assistance but refuses to do so; this is a kind of injustice to the parents.

For example, when a parent ages and is in need of assistance, if the adult child can provide assistance but refuses to do so. This is a kind of injustice to the parents!

Correct answer:

For example, when a parent ages and is in need of assistance, if the adult child can provide assistance but refuses to do so, this is a kind of injustice to the parents.

Explanation:

This set of sentences is a bit rambling in its expression of the thought it wishes to convey. Nevertheless, it should be obvious that the first sentence is a fragment. The clause starting with "when" and the clause starting with "if" both are subordinate clauses. You need to combine the first fragment with the second sentence. This will at least give you one complete thought—though it is a bit rambling!

Example Question #63 : Sentence Fragment And Sentence Combination Errors

“Justice and Parents”

We tend to think of justice as a matter of strict equality.  For example if someone wants to buy an item, they are understandably expected to pay an amount that is roughly equal to its value.  Likewise, when a law declares that the penalty for speeding is $150, it is considered just that one who breaks this law pays the fine.  However, justice can also pertain to matters that are beyond mere equality.

An obvious example of this is the case of the relationship between children and their parents.  Unlike the cases discussed earlier, children will have had little opportunity to repay they’re parents for all that they have done for them.  Technically speaking, strict “equality” would require the child to give birth to the parents.  This is an absurd thing to suggest.  Similarly absurd is the suggestion that children should directly repay the rearing offered by parents.  Once again, strict equality cannot occur in the child-parent relationship.

However, there is a kind of justice between children and his or her parents.  For example, when a parent ages and is in need of assistance, if the adult child can provide assistance but refuses to do so.  This is a kind of injustice to the parents.  On a more positive note.  For example, an adult child might send his parents on a cruise in memory of their anniversary.  Such an action would be a kind of “justice” done to the parents—at least in that it recognizes the immense debt that is owed by the child to the parents in question.

In these (and many other cases), justice is less about equality than it is about paying what one can pay.  That is, in such cases, both justice or injustice is determined by worthiness that surpasses mere equality.  This kind of justice could be called justice above justice.  That is, it is a kind of justice that surpasses the “normal” justice of equality.  Such acts of justice ensure that society does not become reduced to the cold calculation of equality but, instead, has the warmth of true affection and loving gratitude.

Choose the answer that best corrects the bolded and underlined portion of the passage. If the bolded and underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."

Possible Answers:

On a more positive note!  For example, an adult child might

On a more positive note.  For example, an adult child will

On a more positive note; for example, an adult child might

On a more positive note, an adult child might

NO CHANGE

Correct answer:

On a more positive note, an adult child might

Explanation:

This rambling paragraph definitely has some structural errors. Amid all the rambling sentences, it might be tempting to think that, "On a more positive note," is just an interjection; however, that would better be expressed, "Onto a more positive note." As written, the phrase is an incomplete thought and should be combined with the sentence after it. When so combined, the "for example" is a little awkward, so it should be eliminated.

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