Term
| I will have some hot chocolate in a mug. |
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Definition
| I is a pronoun and the subject of the sentence. Will have is the verb. Some is an adjective modifying hot chocolate. In is a prepostition. |
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Term
| Anyone who misses the bus in the morning knows that they will be picked up by the van in the afternoon. |
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Definition
| Pronoun agreement anyone is singular, not plural, so the pronoun they doesn't agree with it. The correct pronoun would be he or she, depending on the context. Note that this sentence provides a hint: knows is the singular from of that verb. THe sequence of tenses is clear and logical here. |
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Term
| Of all the students in the junior class, Terrence is the undoubtedly smarter, even though his report card does not reflect his ability. |
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Definition
| Comparative/superlative The adjective smarter is comparative. However, when more than two things are being compared, the superlative is used. Therefore, Terrence is the smartest. The adverb undoubtedly correctly modifies the adjective. |
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Term
| The penmanship was so sloppy that Soojeong couldn't determine to who the letter was written. |
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Definition
| Pronoun case a noun or pronoun in a prepsoitional phrase is never the subject, so who should be whom. The construction so sloppy that is idiomatically correct. |
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Term
| Among you, Harry, and I, we earned over $40 mowing lawns today. |
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Definition
| Pronoun case The list you, Harry and I is not the subject here (we is the subject). Rather, it is the object of the preposition Among. So I should be me. Among is correct diction, because more than two items are involved, but it may sound stange to you because most people say "between" in conversation. |
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Term
| Last month, she had earned her black belt. |
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Definition
verb tense
Standing by itself, this sentence can't be rright on the ACT. It offers no explanation for using the perfect past tense, so the simple past should be used: she earned. THe phrase earned her black belt is idiomatically correct. |
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Term
| With the help by/of my older sister, I got the third-highest reading grade in my class. |
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Definition
| The correct idiom is with the help of. |
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Term
| The package was too light to be the DVDS I ordered. |
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Definition
Too is an adverb modifying the adjective light. DVDs is a noun. Ordered is a verb.
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Term
| James asked what was for breakfast. |
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Definition
| Asked is the main verb. What is a pronoun. For is a preposition. Breakfast is a noun. |
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Term
| Each of the girls has their own camping equipment. |
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Definition
| Pronoun agreement Not girls but Each is the subject of the sentence and the antecedent of the pronoun, so their should be her. Note that the singular verb, agreement with its singular with its singular subject, reinforces the point. |
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Term
| Jake acted like a clown in the classroom, but on the field, he was a serious athlete. |
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Definition
| Like, in and on are all prepositions. But is a conjunction. |
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Term
| We distributed lists of known violations, and everyone was urged by us to aviod the squalid, seedy establishment. |
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Definition
| Unnecessary passive The sentence switches from the active voice to the passive, making it wordy. It should say we distributed..., and we urged for conciseness and parallel structure. |
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Term
| Although we were better trained, the others swam so quick that we couldn't keep up with them. |
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Definition
| Adjective/adverb The adjective quick can't correctly modify the verb swam. Instead, the adverb quickly should be used. The pronoun we is used clearly and consistenly here. |
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Term
| In the 19th century, it was not considered decorous/decorated for women to show their ankles. |
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Definition
| Decorous means "proper", which is correct. Decorated means "ornamented." |
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Term
| After Gary, Elizabeth preceded/proceeded to collect her diploma next. |
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Definition
| Proceed is the correct word, meaning"continue". The wrong word is precede, meaning "come before." |
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Term
| That jacket is the perfect compliment/complement to your green eyes. |
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Definition
| The correct word is complement, which means " an adequate supplement." Compliment is "a laudatory remark." |
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Term
DIC,DICT
diction,indict,verdict |
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Definition
| speak The boss asked her to dictate the report so everyone at the meeting could take notes. |
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Term
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Definition
relating to the sense of smell
Whenever she entered a candle store, her olfactory sense was awakened. Synonyms: aromatic, fragrant |
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Term
LIG,LI,LY
ally,ligament,oblige,liable,liaison |
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Definition
| bind I cannot attend your party because I am obligated to appear in court that afternoon. |
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Term
LAT
latitude,collateral,unilateral |
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Definition
| side The star running back was able to aviod defenders with quick lateral movements. |
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Term
FRAG,FRAC
fracture,refract,fragment |
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Definition
| break Chewing gum in class is a serious infraction of the teacher's rules. |
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Term
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Definition
to condense,shorten
The teacher assigned an abridge version of the novel to her class, as the original was very long. Synonyms: edit, condense |
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Term
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Definition
imposing severe,rigorous standards
Many people found it difficult to live up to the stringent moral standards imposed by the Puritans. Synonyms: restricted, tight, demanding |
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Term
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Definition
destiny,fate
When Eve found out that Garret also played the harmonica, she knew their meeting was kismet.
Synonyms: coincidence,luck |
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Term
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Definition
| lacking foresight,having a narrow view or long-range perspective NOT wanting to spend a lot of money up front, the myopic business owner would likely suffer the consequences later. Synonyms: short-sighted, unthinking |
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Term
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Definition
expressing contempt, reproach: deserving of disgrace
His antisocial behavior was opprobrious and earned him few friends. Synonyms: scurrilous, infamous |
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Term
NAT,NASC
native,nativity,cognate,nascent |
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Definition
| born The pregnant woman arrived at her doctor's office for prenatal tests. |
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Term
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Definition
| shiny,showy,sleek The glossy finish on the photographs resulted in excessive glare, making them difficult to view under direct light. Synonyms: slick, shiny |
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Term
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Definition
| having a smooth,rich flow She was so talented that her mellifluous flute palying transported me to another world. Synonyms: melodious |
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Term
GRAT
grateful,gratitude,gratuitous |
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Definition
pleasing
I always leave a large gratuity when a waiter is especially helpful. |
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Term
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Definition
glutton:;over of fine food
Knowing that many a goumand would attend the holiday party, Melanie made sure to stock the refrigerator with ectra quantities of imported chees and gourmet sausage.
Synonyms: epicure, foodie |
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Term
BELLI,BELL
belligerent,bellicose,antebellem |
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Definition
war,warlike
The rebellious student refused to obey his teacher. |
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Term
POT
potential,potent,omnipotence |
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Definition
| power THe despot who seized control of the government changed many poular laws. |
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Term
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Definition
to grieve: to express sympathy
My hamster died when I was in third grade, and my friends condoled with me and helped bury him in the yard. Synonyms: console, sympathize |
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Term
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Definition
agreement
THe sisters are now in concord about the car they must share. Synonyms: accord, concurrence |
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Term
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Definition
Something that calms or soothes
MArie drank warm milk, a natural sedative, to help her get to sllep on nights before big tests. Synonyms: tranquilizer, relaxer |
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Term
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Definition
exclusion,bnaishment
LArry knew that ostracism would be his fate when, after he made an obnoxious comment, all the other guests at the party turned their backs to him. Synonyms: barring, keeping out |
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Term
BENE,BEN
benevolent,benefactor,beneficent,benignt |
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Definition
good
he heavy rains have benefited our lawn after weeks of drought. |
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Term
LEG,LEC,LEC
lexicon,legible,lecture |
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Definition
read,speak
The pharmacist couldn't read the prescription because the doctor's handwriting was illegible. |
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Term
| The broken-down car was stationary/stationery. |
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Definition
| The correct choice is stationary,meaning "immobile." Stationery refers to writing paper. |
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Term
| Robert is still the only friend whom I trust. |
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Definition
| Still is an adverb modifying the verb is. Only is an adjective, despite its final-ly, modifying the noun friend. Whom is a pronoun referring to friend. Trust is a verb. |
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Term
| Although we got up at 3:00 A.M., packing the car took so long that the sun had raised before we were able to start our journey. |
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Definition
Diction
The sun rises (not raises), and the proper perfect-tense form of this irregular verb is had risen. The phrase so long that is the correct idiom. |
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Term
| I never iron any of my pants: I prefer them wrinkled. |
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Definition
| Iron is the verb in the first clause. Any is a pronoun referring to pants. Them is a pronoun referring to pants. Wrinkled is a verb form used as an adjective. |
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Term
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Definition
| A noun is a word that represents a person, place, or thing. The student was unable to complete the test in the time allowed. |
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Term
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Definition
An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, adjective, or adverb.
He was very upset that the game ended so quickly. |
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Term
| The dispatcher having told Shara that, to succed in this business, being efficient is more significant than being correct. |
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Definition
Run-ons and fragments
THe main clause of the sentence should be The dispatcher told Shara... The phrase having told is a modifier, not a verb. Although being is frequently misused in ACT sentences, it is correctly used here in a parallel sructure. |
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Term
Techniques for Avoiding Essay Organization Pitfalls
1. Take a clear position before you start writing. |
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Definition
| The key to a high score is to address the issue presented by stating your position,whatever it is, clearly and unambiguously and then support that position consistently throughout the essay. |
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Term
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Definition
An adjective is a word that modifies a noun or pronoun.
My lucky sister had ab enormous milkshake. |
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Term
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Definition
marsh,an area of soggy ground
Robin stopped riding her bike through the marshland after she got stuck in the morass and could't pull her bike through. Synonyms: mess, mire |
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Term
TURB
disturb,turbulence,perturb |
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Definition
shake
The months after my mother lost her job were a turbulent period for my family. |
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Term
FLU,FLUX
fluent,affluent,superfluous,flux |
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Definition
flow,abundance
An influx of new business means larger bonuses for employees. |
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Term
FID
confident,diffidence,perfidious,fidelity |
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Definition
faith,trust
I have the utmost confidence that my doctor will help me get well soon. |
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Term
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Definition
producing illusion,deceptive
The desert explorer was devastated to discover that the lake he thought he had seen was in fact illusory. Synonyms: false,imaginary |
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Term
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Definition
to receive into the mind and take in, absorb
If I always attend class, I can imbibe as much knowledge as possible. Synonyms: consume, assimilate |
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Term
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Definition
abent of any external sign of emotion, expressionless
Given his impassive expression, it was hard to tell whether he approved of my plan. Synonyms: apathetic, unemotional |
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Term
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Definition
effective,efficient
Penicillin was one of the most efficacious drugs on the market when it was first introduced: the drug completely eliminated almost all bacterial infections for which it was was administered. Synonyms: effective, successful |
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Term
HPYER
hyperactive,hyperbole,hyperventilate |
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Definition
excess, too much
I didn't think my observation would offend him, but Henry is hypersenstive about his appearance |
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Term
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Definition
to wigh down, to burden
She brought only her laptop to the cabin, where she wrote unencumbered by the distractions of the city. Synonyms: to hamper the activity of |
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Term
ATYPICAL
adj. ( ay tip ih kul) |
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Definition
unusual, irregular
It was atypical of Patrick to forget his lunch: he almost always remembered to take it.
Synonyms:uncommon,unusual
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Term
| Luca was unfazed about/by the long hours of practice needed to become a world-class dancer. |
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Definition
the correct idiom is unfazed by
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Term
| What does the past perfect tense express? |
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Definition
| The past perfect tense expresses action completed before some other past action. When I had spent all my money, I had to ask my parents to lend me some. |
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Term
| What does the present perfect tense express? |
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Definition
The present perfect tense expresses action occurring at no definite time in the past or continuing into the past.
Stacy has sold more books than any other girl in her class.
Jeff has been selling candy bars since his sophomore year. |
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Term
| The first thing we had to do was clear the room. We couldn't move around in it. |
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Definition
| Relationship words To make the close relationship between these two sentences clearer, we could continue them with a semicolon. But they would be even clearer if combined with a transition word that states the relationship between them, like because. |
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Term
| After a long summer vacation in the Caribbean, Janet was loathe/loath to go back to work. |
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Definition
| Loath is an adjective that means "unwilling" or "reluctant", so it is correct. Loathe is a verb meaning "to hate." |
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Term
| Give me both of the eyeglasses, and I'll get them repaired. |
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Definition
| Give is the verb in the first clause. Both is a pronoun representing eyeglasses. And is a conjuntion joining two independent clauses. Them is a pronoun referring to both of the eyeglasses. |
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Term
| The whole school was proud of/about the football team's victory. |
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Definition
| The correct idiom is proud of. |
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Term
| Unlike Colorado and Utah, Vermont's ski slopes are frequently icy, frigid, and overcrowded. |
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Definition
Logical comparison
The comparison here is between Colorado and Utah, on the one hand, and ski slopes on the other. (The possessive Vermont's |
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Term
The professor didn't find
janes excuse for missing class credible/credulous. |
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Definition
| Credible means ''believable.'' Credulous means "gullible," which is incorrect. |
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