Preparation and Review

English Test OverviewConsists of five passages, 15 items per passage

Non-fiction prose from books, magazines, or student essays

Part or all of a sentence is underlined

Four answer choices are given; three rephrase or eliminate the underlined portion; one states “No Change”

English Test OverviewDecide which of the four alternatives is best by

using:~Grammatical Correctness~Proper English Usage~Clarity~Conciseness~Style

English Test OverviewSome questions ask about the passage’s overall

organization or about changing, adding, or deleting some of the contents of the passage.

Decide which alternative will add to the overall effectiveness of the passage as a piece of writing.

Timing for English Test Total Time = 45 minutes

Try to answer at a rate of 2 questions per minute to allow time to check work at the end.

Types of QuestionsUsage and Mechanics Questions

~40 Questions

Rhetoric Skills Questions~35 Questions

Usage and MechanicsTest your knowledge on the rules of English

grammar and usage.

Focus is on whether a sentence is technically correct.

~Subject-Verb Agreement~Verb Tenses~Parallel Sentence Structure~Proper Use of Punctuation

Punctuation = 13%~internal and end of sentence punctuation~avoiding ambiguity (confusion)

Grammar and Usage = 16%~subject/verb agreement, pronoun/antecedent agreement, modifier agreement, verb formation, pronoun case, comparative/superlative adjectives and adverbs, idiomatic usage

Sentence Structure = 24%~relationship between and among clauses, placement of modifiers,

and shifts in construction

Usage and Mechanics

Rhetoric SkillsTest your writing, revising, and editing abilities.

Concerned about how to write clearly, concisely, and accurately while maintaining a consistent tone and style.

~12 writing strategy questions~11 writing organization questions~12 style questions

General StrategiesSkim the entire passage first to get a sense of its

content, organization, and style.

Look closely at the underlined portions or the portions with boxed numbers.

Select the best answer choice.

Insert the answer you chose into the sentence to confirm that it is correct and that no new errors have been introduced.

Writing StrategyTest your knowledge on effective composing and

editing.

Questions refer to the purpose of the writing, the audience, the appropriateness of supporting ideas, or the paragraph structure.

Sample Writing Question“At the same time that the Internet is increasing in popularity,educators have two worries: students may be tempted to plagiarize,and some of the “facts” they find on the Web may not be true at all.”

Which sentence best supports the paragraph’s purpose and audience?

A. Sometimes students think the information they find is true

when it is notB. Plagiarizing can result in receiving a failing grade.C. Teachers are also concerned that the Internet is a distraction from schoolD. This has teachers worried.

Sample Writing Question Answer

The Answer is C!

Options A and D are redundant; Option B is not as well related to the paragraph

The use of “also” is a clue that option C is a continuation of a previous idea

Sample Writing Organization Question Questions deal with the order in which ideas appear in a

paragraph or passage

Fiction was more entertaining, and fiction sold more newspapers than facts did. [1] Print publishers experienced the same problem when newspapers first became popular. [2] Consumersturned to sources they could trust. [3] Eventually, this situation changed when newspapers began holding one another accountable. [4]

A. NO CHANGEB. 4, 1, 2, 3C. 2, 1, 4, 3D. 3, 2, 4, 1

Sample Organization Answer

The correct answer is C!

Skimming this paragraph for the topic sentence will immediately lead you to the correct answer; option C is the only one that starts with sentence 2.

Sample Writing Style Question

Tests your understanding of a passage’s tone voice, clarity, economy, or purpose. Tests if you avoid wordiness and redundancy.

“At the same time that the Internet is increasing [1]in popularity,educators have two worries: students may be tempted to plagiarize,and some of the “facts” they find on the Web may not be true at all.”

A. NO CHANGEB. As the Internet increasesC. While the Internet is increasinglyD. Even though the Internet is increasing

Writing Style AnswerThe correct answer is B!

Option A is unnecessarily wordy. Option C is not grammatically correct.Option D introduces a false opposition

with “Even though”.

Usage and Mechanics These questions focus on the conventions of

punctuation, grammar and usage, and sentence structure formation.

Punctuation questions involve identifying and correcting the following misplaced, missing, or unnecessary punctuation marks:~commas ~periods~apostrophes ~question marks~colons and semicolons ~exclamation points~parentheses and dashes

Sample Usage/Mechanics Question

Read choices carefully in order to notice the presence or absence of commas, semicolons, periods, or other punctuation.

“It was sleek, eye-catching, and best of all; appeared to be actually functional.”

F. NO CHANGEG. eye-catching, and, best, of allH. eye-catching and best of, all,J. eye-catching, and, best of all,

Usage/Mechanics AnswerThe correct answer is J!

The phrase “best of all” occurs in the middle of a punctuated series, so it would be more helpful to the reader if it were set off using punctuation. J is the only option for placing a comma before and after “best of all”, and it also proposes a comma after the next-to-last item in the series.

Comma Rules When using coordinating conjunctions to connect

sentences, use a comma before the coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet.):~Our Tiger teams are great, and I know they will win this week!

Use commas to separate items in a series:~The volleyball team will serve, set, spike, and win!

Use commas to separate two or more adjectives preceding a noun:~Our tough, mighty football team will dominate the game.

A Mini Grammar LessonSubject/Verb Agreement

~The owner of the bicycles are going to sell them.~ The owner of the bicycles is going to sell them.

Pronoun and Antecedent~Susan and Mary left her briefcases in the office.~Susan and Mary left their briefcases in the office.

A Mini Grammar LessonAdjective and Adverbs

~Danielle spread frosting liberal on the cake.~Danielle spread frosting liberally on the cake.

Verb Forms~Fritz had just began to eat his dinner.~Fritz had just begun to eat his dinner.

A Mini Grammar LessonPronoun forms and cases

~Sam and Samantha ignored there parents all the time.~Sam and Samantha ignored their parents all the time.

~At the end of the game, Mark and me ate pizza.~At the end of the game, Mark and I ate pizza.

Pronouns continuedQuestions dealing with pronouns

sometimes have to do with using the proper form and case of the pronoun. Often, however, they address a pronoun’s agreement with its antecedent. In such cases, it’s important to consider the entire sentence, and sometimes the preceding sentence, in order to make sure you know what the antecedent is.

Pronouns continuedWhen Hank Aaron stretched out a sinewy

arm to pull one down,(37) striding up to a rack of ash-hewn bats, (37) he became a modern-day knight selecting their (38) lance.

38. F. NO CHANGEG. thereH. hisI. one’s

Hank Aaron AnswerThe correct answer is H!

The possessive pronoun refers back to “modern-day knight”. F does not agree in number, G is the wrong “there” (adv), and J should be used to refer to a person not specifically named. H (his) is the best answer in this case.

A Mini Grammar LessonComparative/Superlative Modifiers

~My goldfish is more smarter than your brother.~My goldfish is smarter than your brother.

~Your brother, however, has the cuter dog I’ve ever seen.~Your brother, however, has the cutest dog I’ve ever seen.

More Mini Grammar Lessons

Sentence Structure Subordinate or dependent clauses

~These hamsters are great pets because providing hours of cheap entertainment.~These hamsters are great pets providing hours of cheap entertainment.

OR~~These hamsters are great pets because they provide hours of cheap entertainment.

More Mini Grammar Lessons

Sentence Structure Subordinate or dependent clauses

When a subordinate conjunction begins a sentence, it should be followed by a comma. Do NOT use a comma if the subordinate conjunction is in the middle of the sentence.Ex. Because it was late, we had to go home.

We had to go home because it was late.

Ex. Whenever our girls work hard, they will win.Our girls will win whenever they work hard.

After, Although, If, Unless, So that, As long as, While, Until Whenever, Before

More Mini Grammar Lessons

Sentence Structure Run-on Sentences

~We discovered the house had been robbed it was horrible.

~We discovered the house had been robbed. It was horrible.OR

~We discovered the house had been robbed; it was horrible.

More Mini Grammar Lessons

Sentence Structure Comma Splices

~The opposing team had terrible manners, their locker room was a mess!

~The opposing team had terrible manners. Their locker room was a mess!

OR~The opposing team had terrible manners; their locker room was a mess!

More Mini Grammar Lessons

Sentence Structure Sentence Fragments

~When he fumbled the ball~When he fumbled the ball, the player from MLBO cried.

Misplaced modifiers~Mr. Tate noticed some caterpillars pruning his fruit trees.~Pruning his fruit trees, Mr. Tate noticed some caterpillars.

More Mini Grammar Lessons

Sentence Structure Shifts in Construction

~The Tigers were ready to play volleyball, but before they ran out on the court, Ashley and Amy say a cheer.

~The Tigers were ready to play volleyball, but before they ran out on the court, Ashley and Amy said a cheer.

Sentence Structure Question

Many questions about sentence structure and formation will ask you about how clauses and phrases are linked. Consider various words that can link clauses and phrases like: and, but, because, when, who, whose, which, and that.

~Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio - names like these will echo through time that are (35) trumpet calls to storied battles fought and won in ages past.

35. A. NO CHANGEB. time likeC. time in whichD. time, which is like

Baseball AnswerThe correct answer is B!

All the other answers just don’t sound right. B is the best choice

Recap of StrategiesKnow the directions to each test.Pace yourself.Be aware of the writing styles used in each

passage.Consider a question’s context before choosing

an answer.Examine the underlined portions of the passage.Note the differences in the options.Determine the best answer.

Recap of StrategiesReread the sentence using your choice.Avoid making new mistakes.Be aware of the connotations of words.Be careful with two-part questions.Watch for independent questions

(Sometimes it may be best to answer the following questions before the one that precedes it.)

Stay Calm!!!

Please let me know if I can be of any help to you before the

test!!

Helpful WebsitesFor Practice Tests:www.mncis.intocareers.org

For ACT Information:www.act.orgwww.actstudent.org