ACT English : Writing and Revising Effectively

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for ACT English

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Example Questions

Example Question #31 : Act English

Jimmy is annoyed at the video game that he was playing. For one thing, there was not nearly enough suspenseful moments plot twists or exciting escapes in the game to satisfy him. For another, it was incredibly hard while playing the game to control the cars. It always wanted to veer to the left when he tried to steer to the right. But the ending of the game was worst. By the time he got to the end, the hero had decided to stop chasing rogue spies and therefore marry his girlfriend, a surprise attack resulted in her being kidnapped, and the hero must go on a final mission to save her before the game can be completed. That would of been fine, except it involved tracking the enemy using a helicopter, and Jimmy much to his chagrin never mastered flying the helicopter.

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:

will be

NO CHANGE

could be

could have been

Correct answer:

could be

Explanation:

The phrase "could be" signals the necessity of getting through the mission to finish the game and the past tense of the action.

Example Question #32 : Act English

Jimmy is annoyed at the video game that he was playing. For one thing, there was not nearly enough suspenseful moments plot twists or exciting escapes in the game to satisfy him. For another, it was incredibly hard while playing the game to control the cars. It always wanted to veer to the left when he tried to steer to the right. But the ending of the game was worst. By the time he got to the end, the hero had decided to stop chasing rogue spies and therefore marry his girlfriend, a surprise attack resulted in her being kidnapped, and the hero must go on a final mission to save her before the game can be completed. That would of been fine, except it involved tracking the enemy using a helicopter, and Jimmy much to his chagrin never mastered flying the helicopter.

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:

will

NO CHANGE

would've

will have

Correct answer:

would've

Explanation:

When most people think they hear the phrase "would of," what they're actually hearing is "would've," the contracted form of "would have," which is the appropriate choice here.

Example Question #11 : Revising Content

Adapted from The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (1784)

At the time I established myself in Pennsylvania there was not a good booksellers shop in any of the colonies to the southward of Boston. In New York and Philadelphia the printers were indeed stationers; they sold only paper, etc., almanacs, ballads, and a few common school-books. Those who loved reading were obliged to send for their books from England; the members of the Junto had each a few. We had left the ale-house, where we first met, and hired a room to hold our club in. I proposed that we should all of us bring our books to that room, where they would not only be ready to consult in our conferences but become a common benefit, each of us being at liberty to borrow such as he wished to read at home. This was accordingly done, and for some time contented us.

Finding the advantage of this little collection, I proposed to render the benefit from books more common by commencing a public subscription library. I drew a sketch of the plan and rules that would be necessary, and got a skillful conveyancer, Mr. Charles Brockden, to put the whole in form of articles of agreement, to be subscribed, by which each subscriber engaged to pay a certain sum down for the first purchase of books, and an annual contribution for increasing them. So few were the readers at that time in Philadelphia, and the majority of us so poor, that I was not able, with great industry to find more than fifty persons, mostly young tradesmen, willing to pay down for this purpose forty shillings each, and ten shillings per annum. On this little fund we began. The books were imported; the library was opened one day in the week for lending to the subscribers, on their promissory notes to pay double the value if not duly returned. The institution soon manifested its utility, was imitated by other towns and in other provinces. The libraries were augmented by donations; reading became fashionable; and our people, having no public amusements to divert their attention from study, became better acquainted with books, and in a few years were observed by strangers to be better instructed and more intelligent than people of the same rank generally are in other countries.

Which of the following would be an acceptable replacement for the underlined phrase?

Possible Answers:

an outline

a blueprint

a document

a contract

Correct answer:

an outline

Explanation:

Franklin's description of what this sketch entailed sounds like an outline of the library project instead of one of the other choices.

Example Question #12 : Revising Content

Adapted from The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (1784)

At the time I established myself in Pennsylvania there was not a good booksellers shop in any of the colonies to the southward of Boston. In New York and Philadelphia the printers were indeed stationers; they sold only paper, etc., almanacs, ballads, and a few common school-books. Those who loved reading were obliged to send for their books from England; the members of the Junto had each a few. We had left the ale-house, where we first met, and hired a room to hold our club in. I proposed that we should all of us bring our books to that room, where they would not only be ready to consult in our conferences but become a common benefit, each of us being at liberty to borrow such as he wished to read at home. This was accordingly done, and for some time contented us.

Finding the advantage of this little collection, I proposed to render the benefit from books more common by commencing a public subscription library. I drew a sketch of the plan and rules that would be necessary, and got a skillful conveyancer, Mr. Charles Brockden, to put the whole in form of articles of agreement, to be subscribed, by which each subscriber engaged to pay a certain sum down for the first purchase of books, and an annual contribution for increasing them. So few were the readers at that time in Philadelphia, and the majority of us so poor, that I was not able, with great industry to find more than fifty persons, mostly young tradesmen, willing to pay down for this purpose forty shillings each, and ten shillings per annum. On this little fund we began. The books were imported; the library was opened one day in the week for lending to the subscribers, on their promissory notes to pay double the value if not duly returned. The institution soon manifested its utility, was imitated by other towns and in other provinces. The libraries were augmented by donations; reading became fashionable; and our people, having no public amusements to divert their attention from study, became better acquainted with books, and in a few years were observed by strangers to be better instructed and more intelligent than people of the same rank generally are in other countries.

From the context, it seems clear that a subscriber is similar to the contemporary idea of __________.

Possible Answers:

a person paying an annual fee for the use of something

a person paying an annual fee for a magazine

a library patron

an investor

Correct answer:

an investor

Explanation:

While we currently think of a "subscriber" as someone who pays an annual fee either to use something or to receive a magazine or newspaper; the term in Franklin's usage is closer to what we would now think of as an investor.

Example Question #13 : Revising Content

Adapted from The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (1784)

At the time I established myself in Pennsylvania there was not a good booksellers shop in any of the colonies to the southward of Boston. In New York and Philadelphia the printers were indeed stationers; they sold only paper, etc., almanacs, ballads, and a few common school-books. Those who loved reading were obliged to send for their books from England; the members of the Junto had each a few. We had left the ale-house, where we first met, and hired a room to hold our club in. I proposed that we should all of us bring our books to that room, where they would not only be ready to consult in our conferences but become a common benefit, each of us being at liberty to borrow such as he wished to read at home. This was accordingly done, and for some time contented us.

Finding the advantage of this little collection, I proposed to render the benefit from books more common by commencing a public subscription library. I drew a sketch of the plan and rules that would be necessary, and got a skillful conveyancer, Mr. Charles Brockden, to put the whole in form of articles of agreement, to be subscribed, by which each subscriber engaged to pay a certain sum down for the first purchase of books, and an annual contribution for increasing them. So few were the readers at that time in Philadelphia, and the majority of us so poor, that I was not able, with great industry to find more than fifty persons, mostly young tradesmen, willing to pay down for this purpose forty shillings each, and ten shillings per annum. On this little fund we began. The books were imported; the library was opened one day in the week for lending to the subscribers, on their promissory notes to pay double the value if not duly returned. The institution soon manifested its utility, was imitated by other towns and in other provinces. The libraries were augmented by donations; reading became fashionable; and our people, having no public amusements to divert their attention from study, became better acquainted with books, and in a few years were observed by strangers to be better instructed and more intelligent than people of the same rank generally are in other countries.

A "promissory note" in contemporary English is __________.

Possible Answers:

a contract one signs to get a loan

a contract one signs promising to return books on time

a contract one signs to use a library

a contract one signs promising to repay a loan

Correct answer:

a contract one signs promising to repay a loan

Explanation:

"Promissory note" refers to the contract one signs upon getting a loan that in essence promises that you will repay that loan. The term in this context, obviously, means something very different.

Example Question #14 : Revising Content

Adapted from The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (1784)

At the time I established myself in Pennsylvania there was not a good booksellers shop in any of the colonies to the southward of Boston. In New York and Philadelphia the printers were indeed stationers; they sold only paper, etc., almanacs, ballads, and a few common school-books. Those who loved reading were obliged to send for their books from England; the members of the Junto had each a few. We had left the ale-house, where we first met, and hired a room to hold our club in. I proposed that we should all of us bring our books to that room, where they would not only be ready to consult in our conferences but become a common benefit, each of us being at liberty to borrow such as he wished to read at home. This was accordingly done, and for some time contented us.

Finding the advantage of this little collection, I proposed to render the benefit from books more common by commencing a public subscription library. I drew a sketch of the plan and rules that would be necessary, and got a skillful conveyancer, Mr. Charles Brockden, to put the whole in form of articles of agreement, to be subscribed, by which each subscriber engaged to pay a certain sum down for the first purchase of books, and an annual contribution for increasing them. So few were the readers at that time in Philadelphia, and the majority of us so poor, that I was not able, with great industry to find more than fifty persons, mostly young tradesmen, willing to pay down for this purpose forty shillings each, and ten shillings per annum. On this little fund we began. The books were imported; the library was opened one day in the week for lending to the subscribers, on their promissory notes to pay double the value if not duly returned. The institution soon manifested its utility, was imitated by other towns and in other provinces. The libraries were augmented by donations; reading became fashionable; and our people, having no public amusements to divert their attention from study, became better acquainted with books, and in a few years were observed by strangers to be better instructed and more intelligent than people of the same rank generally are in other countries.

Which of the following would be an acceptable replacement for the underlined phrase?

Possible Answers:

strengthened

expanded

extended

swollen

Correct answer:

expanded

Explanation:

While all of the choices are synonyms of the word "augmented," the word "expanded" fits best within the context of the sentence.

Example Question #31 : Act English

Adapted from The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (1784)

At the time I established myself in Pennsylvania there was not a good booksellers shop in any of the colonies to the southward of Boston. In New York and Philadelphia the printers were indeed stationers; they sold only paper, etc., almanacs, ballads, and a few common school-books. Those who loved reading were obliged to send for their books from England; the members of the Junto had each a few. We had left the ale-house, where we first met, and hired a room to hold our club in. I proposed that we should all of us bring our books to that room, where they would not only be ready to consult in our conferences but become a common benefit, each of us being at liberty to borrow such as he wished to read at home. This was accordingly done, and for some time contented us.

Finding the advantage of this little collection, I proposed to render the benefit from books more common by commencing a public subscription library. I drew a sketch of the plan and rules that would be necessary, and got a skillful conveyancer, Mr. Charles Brockden, to put the whole in form of articles of agreement, to be subscribed, by which each subscriber engaged to pay a certain sum down for the first purchase of books, and an annual contribution for increasing them. So few were the readers at that time in Philadelphia, and the majority of us so poor, that I was not able, with great industry to find more than fifty persons, mostly young tradesmen, willing to pay down for this purpose forty shillings each, and ten shillings per annum. On this little fund we began. The books were imported; the library was opened one day in the week for lending to the subscribers, on their promissory notes to pay double the value if not duly returned. The institution soon manifested its utility, was imitated by other towns and in other provinces. The libraries were augmented by donations; reading became fashionable; and our people, having no public amusements to divert their attention from study, became better acquainted with books, and in a few years were observed by strangers to be better instructed and more intelligent than people of the same rank generally are in other countries.

Which is the best form of the underlined section?

Possible Answers:

utility; and was

utility and was

NO CHANGE

utility, and was

Correct answer:

utility and was

Explanation:

A contemporary writer would likely put an "and" in place of the comma here to make the sentence one complete statement.

Example Question #32 : Act English

[1] The teacher had several questions for her students when they returned from the museum. Who did they talk to? What did they see?  

[2] “We talked to whoever would answer our questions,” replied Jake with the red hair (as opposed to Jake who sat behind him with the brown hair). “Our questions were answered by one woman most of the time.”

[3] "But who was that woman?" the teacher asked.

[4] "We never got her name," Jake with the brown hair said.  "At the time, we didn't think her name was important." 

[5] Upon hearing this, Hugh was getting annoyed. "Her name wasn't 'Important,'" said Hugh, "it was Ingrid." 

[6] "Oh," Jake with the brown hair said. "I knew it started with an 'I.'"

[7] "We saw several paintings by some guy named Renoir," Jake with the red hair said. 

[8] "What were these?" Jake with the brown hair asked.

[9] "They were the bigger of the three by the door," Jake with the brown hair replied.

Suppose the writer wanted to add a paragraph telling us which museum the students went to and why they went there. Where should such a paragraph most logically be placed?

Possible Answers:

After paragraph 5

Before paragraph 1

After paragraph 1

After paragraph 9

Correct answer:

Before paragraph 1

Explanation:

The most logical placement for such a paragraph, which would be giving the reader more introductory information for the passage, would be before paragraph 1.

Example Question #1 : Reorganizing Content

[1] The teacher had several questions for her students when they returned from the museum. Who did they talk to? What did they see?  

[2] “We talked to whoever would answer our questions,” replied Jake with the red hair (as opposed to Jake who sat behind him with the brown hair). “Our questions were answered by one woman most of the time.”

[3] "But who was that woman?" the teacher asked.

[4] "We never got her name," Jake with the brown hair said.  "At the time, we didn't think her name was important." 

[5] Upon hearing this, Hugh was getting annoyed. "Her name wasn't 'Important,'" said Hugh, "it was Ingrid." 

[6] "Oh," Jake with the brown hair said. "I knew it started with an 'I.'"

[7] "We saw several paintings by some guy named Renoir," Jake with the red hair said. 

[8] "What were these?" Jake with the brown hair asked.

[9] "They were the bigger of the three by the door," Jake with the brown hair replied.

The writer is considering removing paragraphs 7, 8, and 9 from the passage. The primary effect of removing these paragraphs would be which of the following?

Possible Answers:

a greater contrast between the two Jakes

a lessening of confusion about the two Jakes

the loss of essential descriptive information

an added emphasis on the joke about the woman's name

Correct answer:

an added emphasis on the joke about the woman's name

Explanation:

Differentiating between the two Jakes is not absolutely essential to understanding the passage, nor does the addition of information about the paintings necessarily add to the passage, while removing that information would add greater emphasis to the joke about the woman's name.

Example Question #42 : Act English

[1] The teacher had several questions for her students when they returned from the museum. Who did they talk to? What did they see?  

[2] “We talked to whoever would answer our questions,” replied Jake with the red hair (as opposed to Jake who sat behind him with the brown hair). “Our questions were answered by one woman most of the time.”

[3] "But who was that woman?" the teacher asked.

[4] "We never got her name," Jake with the brown hair said.  "At the time, we didn't think her name was important." 

[5] Upon hearing this, Hugh was getting annoyed. "Her name wasn't 'Important,'" said Hugh, "it was Ingrid." 

[6] "Oh," Jake with the brown hair said. "I knew it started with an 'I.'"

[7] "We saw several paintings by some guy named Renoir," Jake with the red hair said. 

[8] "What were these?" Jake with the brown hair asked.

[9] "They were the bigger of the three by the door," Jake with the brown hair replied.

If the writer of this passage wanted to end with a joke, and wanted to make very few edits, which of the following changes should he make?

Possible Answers:

NO CHANGE

Move paragraphs 3, 4, 5, and 6 to follow paragraph 7

Move paragraphs 3, 4, 5, and 6 to the end of the passage, and adjust the transitions between paragraphs.

Move paragraphs 3, 4, 5, and 6 to the beginning of the passage

Correct answer:

Move paragraphs 3, 4, 5, and 6 to the end of the passage, and adjust the transitions between paragraphs.

Explanation:

The passage's joke is contained in paragraphs 3, 4, 5, and 6. If the writer wanted the passage to end with a joke, making the paragraph end with paragraph 6 would make it end with the joke. The only answer choice that presents this as an option is "Move paragraphs 3, 4, 5, and 6 to the end of the passage, and adjust the transitions between paragraphs."

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