English ACT skills

The squirrels in the ceiling was keeping us awake at night.

• NO CHANGE

• were keeping

• is keeping

• keeps

Tags

CCSS.L.3.1E

CCSS.L.4.1B

CCSS.L.5.1.B-D

CCSS.L.5.1C

CCSS.L.5.1D

Every single one of the cars in my parents’ driveway were red.

• NO CHANGE

• are

• being

• is

Tags

CCSS.L.3.1F

The rock band playing bad cover songs outside my apartment is really annoying me.

• NO CHANGE

• are

• is  being

• and is

Tags

CCSS.L.3.1E

CCSS.L.4.1B

CCSS.L.5.1.B-D

CCSS.L.5.1C

CCSS.L.5.1D

Neither Johnny nor June is married.

• NO CHANGE

• are

• were

• have been

Answer explanation

The conjunction or/nor is disjunctive. This means that the two nouns connected by it take a singular verb since the idea is that both are being discussed separately.

Tags

CCSS.L.3.1F

Snowflakes begin with the process of chemical bonding and forms a hexagonal shape.

• NO CHANGE

• were they to form

• if they formed

• form

Answer explanation

The subject of the sentence is the plural noun 'Snowflakes'; therefore, the sentence needs the plural form of the verb 'form.'

Tags

CCSS.L.4.1C

CCSS.L.9-10.1B

I wear red socks they are the best kind.

• NO CHANGE

• wear red socks are

• wear; red socks, they are

• wear red socks, so they are

Answer explanation

D is the correct option because the sentence contains two independent clauses. Joining the clauses with a comma and the coordinating conjunction 'so' is the only correct option.

Tags

CCSS.L.9-10.2A

Because none of us could remember the way we had come, we got lost.

• NO CHANGE

• Although

• Being

• DELETE the underlined words

Answer explanation

A is correct because the sentence is a correct instance of a dependent clause separated from an independent clause by a comma. Beginning a sentence with because is fine as long as the dependent clause is followed by a comma and an independent clause.

Tags

CCSS.L.2.1E

CCSS.L.3.1A

CCSS.L.3.1G

As the river supplied less and less water, the tribal population declined, their civilization eventually collapsed. 

• NO CHANGE

• declined the tribal

• declined. Their 

• declined their

Answer explanation

The answer is (C) because 'the tribal population declined' and 'their civilization eventually collapsed' are both Independent clauses. Therefore, they can only be joined with a comma and a coordinating conjunction. Since there is no answer option with a coordinating conjunction and a comma, the ONLY option is (C) which ends the clause with a period and begins the next clause with a capital letter creating a new stand alone sentence.

Tags

CCSS.L.4.1F

Good drivers slow down in difficult conditions, these include traffic, bad weather, and construction areas.

• NO CHANGE

• conditions these

• conditions, and these

• conditions! These

Answer explanation

The answer is ( C ). There are two independent clauses -- both able to stand on their own. Therefore, they must either be separated by a semicolon or a comma and coordinating conjunction, or be made into two sentences. This choice separates them with a comma and a conjunction. The first clause does not need special emphasis, so an exclamation mark is incorrect.

Tags

CCSS.L.1.2B

CCSS.L.4.3B

CCSS.L.K.2B

The music festival was expensive and in the middle of nowhere, therefore we didn't go.

• NO CHANGE

• nowhere and, therefore we

• nowhere, therefore, we

• nowhere; therefore, we

Answer explanation

The answer is ( D ). The sentence contains the conjunctive adverb ‘therefore.’ Both clauses are independent. To join two independent clauses with a conjunctive adverb, writers often use a semicolon before a conjunctive adverb and then a comma.

Tags

CCSS.L.9-10.2A