ACT English Preparation

1. ACT English Preparation University of Illinois-Chicago Curriculum Framework Project Spring 2011

2. Schedule of Lessons Introduction to Test Strategies General Commas/Punctuation Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Adjective vs Adverb

3. Lesson #3 Introduction to Test Strategies General Commas/Punctuation Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Adjective vs Adverb

4. Many questions deal with the COMMA RULES COMMAS/PUNCTUATION PT. 1 • RULE #1 FANBOYS • FOR • AND • NOR • BUT • OR • YET • SO These seven little words are the first KEY to correctly placing commas. They are easy to remember, so MEMORIZE them. Once you RECOGNIZE them in a sentence, you can evaluate how they are being used so you can correctly place a comma.

5. IMPORTANT CONCEPT #1 COMMAS/PUNCTUATION PT. 1 • FANBOYS get a comma BEFORE them if and only if there is a complete sentence on both sides of it. FANBOYS never get a comma AFTER. My dog is a poodle, and John’s dog is a terrier. These can be made into TWO SEPARATE sentences. My dog is a poodle. John’s dog is a terrier. COMPLETE SENTENCE COMMA FANBOY COMPLETE SENTENCE

6. General Strategy #6: Choose the SHORTEST answer • When you really don’t know or are guessing, pick the shortest answer • Never replace an underlined portion with MORE WORDS unless you know it is for sure the right answer • Less is more! • This test expects you to make it as concise as possible • Never pick an answer that says something twice (EX: It was free. We didn’t have to pay for it) • The same is true with adding information– never add extra information even if it is correct

7. IMPORTANT CONCEPT #1 COMMAS/PUNCTUATION PT. 1 • FANBOYS get a comma BEFORE them if and only if there is a complete sentence on both sides of it. Now let’s look at a FANBOYS when it is NOT doing that: My dog is a poodle and so is John’s. NO COMMA before “AND” “So is John’s” is not a sentence by itself.

8. PUNCTUATION PLEASE REFER TO YOUR PRACTICE PASSAGES TEST 0556A

9. Example from Practice Test (56A) • #69 • He not only executed the drawings for the company’s patent applications but also designed an improved incandescent lamp. • NO CHANGE • applications but, also • applications but also, • applications; but also • CORRECT ANSWER: A • After the FANBOYS (but), it is NOT a complete sentence, so it does not get a comma (or any other punctuation) • “also designed an improved incandescent lamp” is not a sentence by itself

10. MORE FANBOYS Knowledge: • AND and OR These two may be used in a series (list) as well. In that case, the rule is a bit different. • EX. She bought red, yellow, and white flowers. • EX. Mrs. Kildeer might go to the corner store, the mall, or Walmart. comma before AND because it is a list comma before OR because it is a list

11. MORE FANBOYS Knowledge: • MOST COMMON ERROR Many of us want to put a comma before a FANBOYS when we shouldn’t. THESE ARE ALL WRONG. Can you explain why? It is sad, but true. He couldn’t decide if he wanted to go, or not. The giraffe is an animal with a long, but narrow neck. Frankie was neither a tall man, nor a short one.

12. COMMAS/PUNCTUATION PT. 1 RULE #2 • NONESSENTIALS Nonessentials are just that. They are NOT ESSENTIAL/NOT IMPORTANT to the understanding of the sentence. THE RULE: Nonessentials are always surrounded by punctuation. At the beginning of a sentence, they begin with a capital letter and then get a comma. In the middle of a sentence, they get a comma before and a comma after At the end of a sentence, a comma before and a period at the end.

13. COMMAS/PUNCTUATION PT. 1 IMPORTANT CONCEPT #2 • NONESSENTIALS: EXAMPLES BEGINNING OF A SENTENCE: Knowing the truth, James told his mother who did it. MIDDLE OF A SENTENCE: James, knowing the truth, told his mother who did it. END OF A SENTENCE: James told his mother who did it, knowing the truth. “Knowing the truth” is not needed; it is nonessential and gets surrounded by punctuation.

14. COMMAS/PUNCTUATION PT. 1 IMPORTANT CONCEPT #2 • OTHER NONESSENTIALS: EXAMPLES Katrina, who was the homecoming queen, did not go to the prom. I like to eat at my grandmother’s house, which is why I go there all the time. Micky, the boy in the back, is getting an ‘A’ in this class. Okay, I will go out with you. Personally, I am very nervous about taking this test. Jennifer, however, is not very nervous.

15. HOW DO I KNOW IF IT IS NONESSENTIAL? That’s easy! Take out the part that is surrounded by punctuation. If the sentence still makes sense AND you can still tell who everyone is or what everything is, then it is for sure a NONESSENTIAL. Let’s go back to the ones we just looked at. We will take out the NONESSENTIAL to make sure the sentence still makes sense

16. ARE THEY NONESSENTIAL? Katrina, who was the homecoming queen, did not go to the prom. Katrina did not go to the prom. I like to eat at my grandmother’s house, which is why I go there all the time. I like to eat at my grandmother’s house. Micky, the boy in the back, is getting an ‘A’ in this class. Micky is getting an ‘A’ in this class.

17. ARE THEY NONESSENTIAL? • OTHER NONESSENTIALS: EXAMPLES Okay, I will go out with you. I will go out with you. Personally, I am very nervous about taking this test. I am very nervous about taking this test. Jennifer, however, is not very nervous. Jennifer is not very nervous.

18. TYPES OF NONESSENTIALS • How do I recognize a nonessential? There are 4 main types. • Interrupter a word or phrase that interrupts the sentence (however, for example, well, yes, no, okay) • WHO, WHICH, WHERE, WHOM a phrase that begins with one of these words might be nonessential • Participial phrases (these are verbs that end in “ING” or are the form that goes with “HAVE” ex. Broken) • The Appositive this is a phrase that begins with A or THE and is extra information about a subject

19. TYPES OF NONESSENTIALS • How do I recognize a nonessential? EXAMPLES of the 4 main types. • Interrupter Well, you sure are smart. • WHO, WHICH, WHERE, WHOM Lawrence, who forgot to study, did not go to school. • Participial phrases Paulina, upset about the breakup, went to the 7-Eleven for a Slurpee. • The Appositive Love, a strange thing, is in the air. • Take out the nonessential and you still understand what happened. It still makes perfect sense.

20. PUNCTUATION PLEASE REFER TO YOUR PRACTICE PASSAGES TEST 0556A

21. Example from Practice Test (56A) #24 Tiny’s Granny however, is very fond of her burqua... F. NO CHANGE G. Granny; however H. Granny, however, J. Granny, however CORRECT ANSWER: H HOWEVER is an interrupter, a nonessential, not needed. Tiny’s Granny is very fond of her burqua… HOWEVER can be dropped and it still makes sense, so it is a nonessential and needs to have commas around it; answer H does that

22. THE LAST IMPORTANT NONESSENTIAL RULE • NONESSENTIALS get surrounded by punctuation. There are two other pieces of punctuation that can be used with a nonessential. • The DASH. • Stephanie – what a nice girl – will make the honor roll! • Many people ride the train to work – a great option to avoid traffic. • 2. The PARENTHESIS. • The dodo bird (which is now extinct) could not fly.

23. THE LAST IMPORTANT NONESSENTIAL RULE • THE KEY to these is CONSISTENCY. If a nonessential begins with a dash as the example below, it has to end with one. If it begins with a comma, it has to end with one. • Stephanie – what a nice girl – will make the honor roll!

24. PUNCTUATION PLEASE REFER TO YOUR PRACTICE PASSAGES TEST 0556A

25. Example from Practice Test (56A) #28 And, thanks to Kali for Women, now more people can hear Granny’s voice, and the voices of other women in Truth Tales– speak about the truths common to us all. F. NO CHANGE G. voice; and H. voice– and J. voice and CORRECT ANSWER: H look at the end of the nonessential; there is a dash, so the correct answer H makes it consistent; you can’t begin it with a comma and end it with a dash