ACT Grammar Diagnostic

Front

What is a dependent clause?

Back

A dependent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb but does not express a complete thought. It cannot stand alone as a sentence.

Front

What is the difference between 'who' and 'whom'?

Back

'Who' is used as a subject pronoun, while 'whom' is used as an object pronoun. For example, 'Who is coming?' vs. 'To whom should I address the letter?'

Front

What is subject-verb agreement?

Back

Subject-verb agreement means that the subject and verb in a sentence must agree in number. For example, 'He runs' (singular) vs. 'They run' (plural).

Front

What is a compound sentence?

Back

A compound sentence is made up of two or more independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so). Example: 'I wanted to go for a walk, but it started to rain.'

Front

What is a complex sentence?

Back

A complex sentence contains one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. Example: 'Although it was raining, I went for a walk.'

Front

What is a run-on sentence?

Back

A run-on sentence occurs when two or more independent clauses are joined without proper punctuation or conjunctions. Example: 'I love to read I have many books.'

Front

What is a fragment?

Back

A fragment is a group of words that does not express a complete thought. It is often missing a subject or a verb. Example: 'When we went to the store.'

Front

What is the purpose of a semicolon?

Back

A semicolon is used to connect closely related independent clauses or to separate items in a complex list. Example: 'I have a big test tomorrow; I can't go out tonight.'

Front

What is the correct use of apostrophes?

Back

Apostrophes are used to show possession (e.g., 'the dog's leash') or to form contractions (e.g., 'don't' for 'do not').

Front

What is the difference between 'its' and 'it's'?

Back

'Its' is a possessive pronoun meaning 'belonging to it,' while 'it's' is a contraction for 'it is' or 'it has.'