ACT English : Word Choice, Style, and Tone

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for ACT English

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Example Questions

Example Question #21 : Word Choice, Style, And Tone

Choose the word that best completes the sentence: 

John has a __________ routine, following the same schedule every day.

Possible Answers:

mundane

exasperating

aberrant 

impetuous

peculiar 

 

Correct answer:

mundane

Explanation:

"Mundane" is the best choice to complete this sentence, because mundane means ordinary or common. The context of the sentence suggests that John's schedule is very regular.

Example Question #22 : Word Choice, Style, And Tone

Choose the best word to complete this sentence: 

Having won over 100 beauty pageants by the age of 8, Julie was often described as a very __________ child. 

Possible Answers:

enthusiastic 

average 

exemplary 

precocious 

energetic

Correct answer:

precocious 

Explanation:

"Precocious" means that someone is uncommonly talented for their age. Because Julie's accomplishments are impressive because of her young age, Precocious is the best word choice for this sentence.

Example Question #23 : Word Choice, Style, And Tone

Joey often played tricks on the younger kids at school and laughed when he managed to upset or frighten them. 

Which word best describes Joey? 

Possible Answers:

rancorous 

vexatious

blithe

facetious

devious

Correct answer:

rancorous 

Explanation:

The best word to describe Joey is "rancorous," because rancorous means hateful, and playing pranks for the enjoyment of another's suffering is surely hateful.

Example Question #24 : Word Choice, Style, And Tone

Choose the word that most closely means "false." 

Possible Answers:

spurious

punctilious

plenary

unfeigned

veritable

Correct answer:

spurious

Explanation:

The correct choice is "spurious," which means phony or false.

Example Question #141 : Act English

Choose the best usage of the word "sagacity." 

Possible Answers:

"I don't know why sagacity is so hard to come by in movies these days," Kelly said to her friend. 

"Do you think I gave my speech with enough sagacity?" asked Rhonda. 

The nobel prize winner's sagacity was revered and admired. 

Jessica told her mother, "I feel so much sagacity for you!"

Julie thought her little sister's sagacity was so adorable. 

Correct answer:

The nobel prize winner's sagacity was revered and admired. 

Explanation:

The correct choice is: "The nobel prize winner's sagacity was revered and admired," because "sagacity" means wisdom, and the usage of sagacity here points to the likely wisdom of the nobel prize winner.

Example Question #24 : Word Choice, Style, And Tone

Which of these words is an antonym for ostentatious?

Possible Answers:

modest

stylish

impoverished

luxuriant

jaunty

Correct answer:

impoverished

Explanation:

"Impoverished" is an atonym for "ostentatious," because ostentatious means displaying signs of wealth, whereas impoverished is quite the opposite.

Example Question #54 : Revising Content

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)

The best revision of the underlined sentence is what?

Possible Answers:

One of the most popular programs on the Internet

Of all of the programs featured on the Internet, one of the most popular programs

NO CHANGE

One of the most popular programs that is featured on the Internet

Correct answer:

One of the most popular programs on the Internet

Explanation:

"One of the most popular programs on the Internet" is the most concise revision in that it condenses the original meaning of the sentence without leaving out any necessary information.

Example Question #55 : Revising Content

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."

Possible Answers:

programs similar with

NO CHANGE

programs a lot like

programs such as

Correct answer:

programs such as

Explanation:

In this case, "such as" is the more grammatically correct connector than "like."

Example Question #27 : Word Choice, Style, And Tone

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. Man's (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."

Possible Answers:

the latest

the next

the newest

NO CHANGE

Correct answer:

the latest

Explanation:

"The latest" indicates that the student he is now meeting with is the most recent one on the list, whereas "the last" would incorrectly indicate that this is the final student he will see today, and the other two choices do not work.

Example Question #21 : Word Choice, Style, And Tone

In the last day of classes (1), everyone was distracted and unable to do their (2) work.  Even the teacher, which normally (3) was attentive and cheery, seems (4) unable to focus.  The final test took (5) way too long for everyone to complete, and many of students (6) had put down his head (7) on the desk.  The sound of the heat blowing through the room was enough to put everyone (8) to sleep, and the teachers' (9) eyes began drooping despite hisself (10).  After what seemed an eternity; (11) the bell had rung (12) and everyone, including the teacher, ran out of the room.

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."

Possible Answers:

the many of students

NO CHANGE

the many students

many of the students

Correct answer:

many of the students

Explanation:

"Many of the students" completes the phrase grammatically without changing the meaning of it as "the many students" (meaning nearly all of them) would.

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