ACT Prep

1. ACT Prep

2. General Test Taking Strategies • 1. Take as many ACT tests as you can. • 2. The test is BEATABLE. • 3. There are generalities to every test. • 4. Take a practice test before the real one. • 5. Don’t stay up late the night before cramming for the test.

3. General Test Taking Strategies • 6. Treat the ACT test morning like a regular school day. • 7. Use the bathroom before the test. • 8. Answer every question. • 9. Always have a watch and keep exact time while taking the test. • 10. If you think you are doing badly, DON’T WORRY; everyone else is too.

4. General Test Taking Strategies • 11. Do not read the directions before each section – know them before the test! • 12. Always order a copy of your test and answers when available. • 13. The interest inventory is optional. Complete it once.

5. ADJECTIVE USE • Adjectives modify nouns or pronouns by answering one of the following questions: Which one? What kind? How many? • Example: As John entered the room, he smelled the fragrant flowers. • The adj FRAGRANT modifies the noun FLOWERS by telling what kind of flowers they are.

6. ADJECTIVE USE Often, words that can be used as pronouns or nouns may function as adjectives because they modify… Examples: The gardener carried the shovel but put the other tools in the wheelbarrow. OTHER modifies the noun TOOLS. Ebony caught her foot on the chair leg and fell to the floor. CHAIR modifies LEG.

7. ADJECTIVE USE The words A, AN, and THE function as adjectives. Examples: I could not complete the assignment without a book on my topic. My mother offered me an orange. The photographer asked me to hold the flower.

8. ADJECTIVE USE NOW YOU PRACTICE. Please complete the worksheet(s) over adjective use.

9. ADVERB USE • Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs by answering one of the following questions: Where? When? How? To what extent? • Examples: • I have always wanted to live there. (where?) • We can meet later at the library. (when?) • Marci finished the test quickly. (how?) • The props for the play are completely finished. (to what extent?)

10. ADVERB USE • ****TIP**** • MANY ADVERBS END IN –LY: COMPLETETLY, FREQUENTLY, FIRMLY, OBVIOULSY, CAREFULLY. • REMEMBER THAT NOT ALL WORDS THAT END IN –LY ARE ADVERBS (DAILY NEWS, EARLY DINNER) • AND NOT ALL ADVERBS END IN –LY (BEST, NOW, FAST, EVER, NOT)

11. ADVERB USE • Adverbs modify adjectives: I picked up the surprisingly dusty book. • Adverbs modify verbs: Albert sighed longingly as he watched the two dance. • TIP*** never us an adverb to modify a noun or pronoun. Never us an adjective to modify a verb. • Poor: He drives bad. • Better: He drives badly.

12. ADVERB USE • Adverbs modify other adverbs: Thomas did extremely well on his ACT. • TIP***Adverbs should be placed as close as possible to the words they modify to ensure that the meaning is clear.

13. Find the adverb(s): • American painter Marsden Hartley certainly deserves greater recognition. • His paintings almost always are innovative. • Soon he was studying art at the Cleveland School of Art. • Nowadays his paintings are very valuable. • Hartley traveled east to New York. There he met John Marin and other artists.

14. ADVERB USE • Now you practice! • Please complete the worksheet(s) over Adverbs.

15. CONJUNCTION USE • Coordinating Conjunctions may connect words or groups of wards of the same kind. When they connect 2 independent clauses, place a comma directly before the conjunction. • Examples: As I lie on the grass, I enjoyed the cool, calm, and peaceful day. • Jeannie agreed to attend the prom with David, so she shopped for a dress.

16. Coordinating Conjunctions (there are seven): • And • Or • But • Nor • So • For • Yet

17. CONJUNCTION USE • Correlative conjunctions also connect words or groups of words of equal value, but these conjunctions are used in pairs. • Example: I decided that I would like to have not only the sweater but also the skirt. • **Note: notice that no comma is used after sweater. Do not use punctuation to separate the two parts of the correlative conjunction.

18. Correlative Conjuctions • both . . . and • not only . . . but also • not . . . But • either . . . or neither . . . Nor • whether . . . Or • as . . . as

19. CONJUNCTION USE • Subordinating conjunctions introduce adverb clauses. • Adverb clauses at the beginning of the sentence need a comma. Adverb clauses at the end of the sentence do not require a comma. • Example: Before I can go to the movies with Karly, I must clean my room. • I told my niece that I would take her wherever she wanted to go

20. Subordinating Conjunctions (these are only a few): • After • Although • As • As If • As Long As • Because • Before • Even If • Even Though • If • Once • Since • So that • That • Though • Until • Unless • Till • What • When

21. CONJUNCTION USE • Conjunctive adverbs are used to clarify the relationship between main clauses. Always use a semicolon before and a comma after the conjunctive adverb. • Example: Rock climbing can be dangerous and difficult;however, it can also be exhilarating. • Now you try! Please complete the worksheet(s) over conjunction use.

22. VERBS!

23. Verbs have traditionally been defined as words that show action or state of being.

24. Verb use Verbs are divided into 2 groups, regular and irregular, according to the way they form their past tense and part participle. It’s a good idea to become familiar with how the irregular verbs (not always ending in –ed) change in order to avoid mistakes on the ACT test. "The difference between regular and irregular verbs is the different endings they have for past participle and past tense forms. Regular verbs always end in -ed for past tense or past participle endings. Irregular verbs end in many different ways, so you have to learn them by heart. For example, the irregular verb 'cut' has as a past tense the same thing. Cut can be present or past tense.

25. Verb use When writing, try to avoid using passive tense too often. A series of passive sentences has an ineffectual and awkward tone that weakens your composition. Examples: PASSIVE: The case was handled by the detective in charge. BETTER: The detective in charge handled the case.

26. Verb use Be award of unnecessary shifts in verb tense. Examples: INCORRECT: Jason threw the football then runs down the field. BETTER: Jason threw the football then ran down the field. *Now you try! Please complete the worksheet(s) over verb use.

28. Subject/Verb Agreement I • A verb agrees with its subject in numbers. • Example: Mary scores high on tests because she studies. • The students in Mrs. Riley’s class practice good study and test taking skills.

29. Subject/Verb Agreement I • ***Note: the number of the subjects is not affected by a phrase following the subject. Remember that the subject of a sentence is never part of a prepositional phrase. • Example: The purpose of the meetings was to choose a new student council president.

30. Subject/Verb Agreement I • Indefinite pronouns that are singular and take a singular verb: each, either, neither, one, everyone, everybody, no one, nobody, anyone, anybody, someone, somebody, everything, anything, something, nothing. • An easy way to remember these is to simply memorize each, either, neither, and every word that ends in thing, one, and body, • Example: Everyone is welcome to attend the end of the year party. • Neither of the girls was ready.

31. Subject/Verb Agreement I • Plural pronouns that take plural verbs: several, few, both, many. • Examples: Few of the protesters agree with the decision. • Many of them want him to recant his statement.

32. Subject/Verb Agreement I • The pronouns some, all, most, any, and none may be either singular or plural depending on the number of the word to which they refer. • Example: Some of the court documents were lost. • Some of the testimony is biased. • Mnemonic device: All MANS • Now you try! Please complete the worksheet(s) over sub/verb agreement.

33. Subject/Verb Agreement II • Subjects joined by and take a plural verb. • Tennis and running are two kinds of exercise I enjoy. • Singular subjects joined by or or nor take a singular verb. • In spite of their busy schedule, Annie or Melody always checks on their grandmother. • When a singular subject and a plural subject are joined by or or nor, the verb agrees with the subject nearer the verb. • Neither the secretaries nor the principal knows what happened.

34. Subject/Verb Agreement II • Now it’s your turn! Please complete the worksheet(s) over subject/verb agreement.

35. Subject/Verb Agreement III • Words stating amounts are usually singular unless the amount is thought of as individual pieces or parts. • Seventy-five dollars is too much. • Five days is too long. • Two thirds of the game was over. • Four days of my spring break were spent traveling. • Two thirds of the clothing were on sale.

36. Subject/Verb Agreement III • The title of a work of art, literature, or music, even when plural in form, takes a singular verb. • Fences, a play by August Wilson, is amazing. • “Metaphors” was the first poem by Sylvia Plath I have ever read.

37. Subject/Verb Agreement III • Every or many before a subject calls for a singular verb. • Every phone call I get interrupts my work. • Many a solider in the war has sacrificed life and limb for victory.

38. Subject/Verb Agreement III • A few nouns, although plural in form, take a singular verb. Names of certain diseases also end in s but are also considered singular: measles, mumps, scabies. Words that end in –icsare usually paired with a singular verb. • The news was hard to bear. • Measles is a disease. • Athletics is a large, vital part of high school curriculum.

39. Subject/Verb Agreement III • ***Note: In formal composition, avoid writing sentences that begin with there is/are or it is. Those words are considered expletives and are, therefore, not needed in a sentence. • INFORMAL: There are several reasons I need to go. • BETTER: I need to go for several reason. • Now it’s your turn! Please complete the worksheet(s) over sub/verb agreement.