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ACT Comma Rule: Items in a series
Answer: Use commas to separate three or more items in a list, including before the final "and" (ACT prefers the Oxford comma).
Before: "I bought apples, bananas and pears." After: "I bought apples, bananas, and pears." The ACT consistently treats the serial comma as correct/preferred.
ACT Comma Rule: Nonessential (nonrestrictive) information
Answer: Set off nonessential phrases/clauses with a comma on each side — the sentence still makes sense if you remove them.
Before: "My brother, who lives in Ohio works at a bank." After: "My brother, who lives in Ohio, works at a bank." Removing "who lives in Ohio" leaves a complete, sensible sentence, so both commas are needed.
ACT Comma Rule: Essential (restrictive) information
Answer: Do NOT use commas around information necessary to identify the noun it modifies.
Before: "The woman, who wrote the letter, is my aunt." (implies only one woman exists) After: "The woman who wrote the letter is my aunt." If the clause narrows down which woman, it's essential — no commas.
ACT Comma Rule: Joining two independent clauses
Answer: Use a comma + coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) between two independent clauses.
Before: "I studied hard I still felt nervous." After: "I studied hard, but I still felt nervous." A comma alone (no conjunction) would be a comma splice error.
ACT Comma Rule: Introductory elements
Answer: Place a comma after an introductory word, phrase, or clause before the main clause begins.
Before: "After the movie ended we went home." After: "After the movie ended, we went home."
What is a comma splice, and how do you fix it?
Answer: A comma splice is two independent clauses joined by only a comma (an error). Fix with: a period, a semicolon, a comma + FANBOYS, or by making one clause dependent.
Before: "The rain stopped, we went outside." After: "The rain stopped, so we went outside." / "The rain stopped; we went outside."
ACT Comma Rule: Don't separate subject from verb or verb from object
Answer: Never place a single comma between a subject and its verb, or between a verb and its direct object, unless setting off nonessential info.
Before: "The students who studied hard, passed the test." After: "The students who studied hard passed the test."
Apostrophe Rule: Singular possession
Answer: Add 's to a singular noun to show possession, even if it ends in s.
Before: "The dogs bowl is empty." After: "The dog's bowl is empty." For a name ending in s like "James": "James's car" is standard ACT style.
Apostrophe Rule: Plural possession
Answer: For a plural noun already ending in s, add only an apostrophe after the s. For irregular plurals not ending in s, add 's.
Before: "The students's books were lost." After: "The students' books were lost." Irregular: "the children's toys."
"Its" vs "It's" — how to tell them apart
Answer: "Its" is the possessive pronoun (no apostrophe); "it's" is a contraction of "it is" or "it has."
Before: "The dog wagged it's tail." After: "The dog wagged its tail." Test: if you can substitute "it is," use "it's."
ACT Apostrophe Trap: Plural nouns vs possessives
Answer: A simple plural noun never takes an apostrophe; only use one when showing possession.
Before: "The teacher's gave us homework." (wrong — not possessive) After: "The teachers gave us homework."
Semicolon Rule: Joining independent clauses
Answer: A semicolon can join two closely related independent clauses without a conjunction (acts like a period).
Before: "She finished the race, she felt proud." After: "She finished the race; she felt proud." Both sides must be able to stand alone as full sentences.
Semicolon Rule: Complex lists
Answer: Use semicolons to separate items in a list when the items themselves contain commas.
Example: "I visited Paris, France; Rome, Italy; and Cairo, Egypt."
Colon Rule: Introducing a list or explanation
Answer: A colon must follow a complete independent clause and introduces a list, explanation, or elaboration.
Before: "My favorite foods are: pizza, sushi, and tacos." (incomplete clause before colon) After: "I have three favorite foods: pizza, sushi, and tacos."
Colon Rule: What cannot precede a colon
Answer: A colon cannot follow an incomplete thought/fragment, or directly after a verb or preposition like "is" or "including."
Before: "The ingredients are: flour, sugar, and eggs." After: "The recipe requires these ingredients: flour, sugar, and eggs."
Dash Rule: Setting off nonessential information
Answer: A pair of dashes can set off nonessential/interrupting information, similar to commas or parentheses, but with more emphasis.
Example: "My sister — who hates spiders — refused to enter the basement."
Dash Rule: Single dash use
Answer: A single dash can introduce an explanation, list, or dramatic afterthought at the end of a sentence (like a colon but less formal).
Example: "He had only one goal — to win."
ACT Punctuation Trap: Mixing dashes, commas, and parentheses
Answer: When setting off a nonessential phrase, use a matching pair of punctuation marks — don't open with one type (comma, dash, parenthesis) and close with another.
Before: "The chef — known for his desserts, left the restaurant." After: "The chef — known for his desserts — left the restaurant."
Independent clause vs. dependent clause — define each
Answer: An independent clause has a subject and verb and expresses a complete thought (can stand alone). A dependent clause has a subject and verb but cannot stand alone, often starting with a subordinating word (because, although, when, which).
Independent: "She left early." Dependent: "Because she left early."
What makes a sentence a fragment, and how is it fixed?
Answer: A fragment lacks a subject, a verb, or is a dependent clause presented as a complete sentence. Fix by adding the missing element or attaching it to an independent clause.
Before: "Because the bridge was closed." After: "Because the bridge was closed, we took a detour."
What is a run-on sentence and how do you fix it?
Answer: A run-on joins two independent clauses with no punctuation or conjunction. Fix with a period, semicolon, comma + FANBOYS, or by subordinating one clause.
Before: "The sun set the sky turned orange." After: "The sun set, and the sky turned orange."
Subject-Verb Agreement: Basic rule
Answer: A verb must agree in number with its true subject, singular subject takes singular verb, plural subject takes plural verb.
Before: "The list of items are long." After: "The list of items is long." (subject is "list," not "items")
Subject-Verb Agreement: Intervening phrases
Answer: Ignore prepositional phrases or other interrupters between the subject and verb when checking agreement.
Before: "The box of chocolates are on the table." After: "The box of chocolates is on the table."
Subject-Verb Agreement: Collective nouns
Answer: Collective nouns (team, group, committee, family) are usually treated as singular on the ACT.
Example: "The committee has reached its decision."
Subject-Verb Agreement: Compound subjects with "and" vs "or"
Answer: Subjects joined by "and" take a plural verb; subjects joined by "or"/"nor" agree with the nearer subject.
Example: "Tom and Jerry are friends." vs. "Either the cat or the dogs are responsible."
Pronoun Case: Subject vs. object pronouns
Answer: Use subject pronouns (I, he, she, we, they, who) when the pronoun performs the action; use object pronouns (me, him, her, us, them, whom) when it receives the action.
Before: "Me and him went to the store." After: "He and I went to the store." Test each pronoun alone: "I went," not "Me went."
"Who" vs. "Whom" — how to choose
Answer: Use "who" as a subject pronoun (performs the action); use "whom" as an object pronoun (receives the action).
Test: substitute "he/she" for who, "him/her" for whom. "Who called?" (He called.) "To whom did you speak?" (You spoke to him.)
Pronoun Agreement: Number and clear antecedent
Answer: A pronoun must agree in number with its antecedent, and the antecedent must be unambiguous.
Before: "Each student must bring their own pencil." (singular/plural mismatch, though common usage debates this; ACT wants) After: "Each student must bring his or her own pencil." Ambiguous: "Sarah told Amy that she passed." (unclear "she") — fix by naming the person directly.
Verb Tense: Consistency rule
Answer: Keep verb tense consistent within a sentence or passage unless a clear time shift is indicated.
Before: "She walks to school and then ate lunch." After: "She walked to school and then ate lunch."
Verb Tense: Past perfect for sequence of past events
Answer: Use past perfect ("had + past participle") for an action that occurred before another past action.
Example: "By the time the movie started, we had already eaten dinner."
Verb Form: Common ACT verb-form traps
Answer: Watch for correct use of gerunds vs. infinitives, irregular past participles, and "had" vs. "would have" constructions.
Before: "If I would have known, I would have come." After: "If I had known, I would have come."
What is a misplaced modifier, and how is it fixed?
Answer: A misplaced modifier is positioned so it appears to describe the wrong word; fix by moving it next to what it actually modifies.
Before: "She almost drove her kids to school every day." (implies she almost drove them but didn't) After: "She drove her kids to school almost every day."
What is a dangling modifier, and how is it fixed?
Answer: A dangling modifier describes a noun that isn't actually present in the sentence; fix by adding the correct subject right after the modifier.
Before: "Walking to the store, the rain started pouring." (rain can't walk) After: "Walking to the store, I got caught in the pouring rain."
Parallel Structure Rule: Items in a list or series
Answer: All items joined in a list or comparison must share the same grammatical form.
Before: "She likes hiking, to swim, and biking." After: "She likes hiking, swimming, and biking."
Parallel Structure Rule: Correlative conjunctions
Answer: Paired conjunctions (not only...but also, either...or, both...and) must join grammatically matching elements.
Before: "She not only enjoys reading but also to write." After: "She not only enjoys reading but also enjoys writing."
Idioms and Prepositions: What does the ACT test here?
Answer: The ACT tests fixed preposition pairings with specific words (idiomatic expressions) that don't follow a general rule and must be memorized.
Examples: "capable of," "different from," "responsible for," "preoccupied with." Before: "different than" (often considered less correct) After: "different from."
Concision Rule: "Shortest answer that is grammatically correct"
Answer: When all answer choices are grammatically correct and convey the same meaning, choose the one that says it in the fewest, clearest words.
Before: "Due to the fact that it was raining, we stayed inside." After: "Because it was raining, we stayed inside."
Redundancy Rule: Eliminate repeated meaning
Answer: Remove words or phrases that repeat an idea already expressed elsewhere in the sentence.
Before: "She returned back to her house again." After: "She returned to her house."
Word Choice: Commonly confused word pairs tested on the ACT
Answer: Know pairs like affect/effect, then/than, accept/except, fewer/less, among/between — each has a distinct, non-interchangeable meaning.
"Affect" is usually a verb (to influence); "effect" is usually a noun (a result). "Than" compares; "then" shows sequence/time. Before: "The storm will effect the game." After: "The storm will affect the game."
Transitions: What are the main categories tested?
Answer: Transitions signal relationships: continuation/addition (furthermore, also), contrast (however, although, on the other hand), cause-effect (therefore, as a result), and sequence (then, next, finally). Choose the one matching the logical relationship between ideas.
Before: "It rained all day; therefore, we went to the beach." (illogical) After: "It rained all day; however, we went to the beach anyway."
Organization: How do you decide where a sentence belongs?
Answer: Place sentences based on logical flow — chronological order, topic introduction before detail, and clear pronoun/transition references to surrounding sentences.
If a sentence uses "this" or "however," check that the sentence before it logically sets up that reference.
Adding or Deleting Sentences: What's the key test to apply?
Answer: Ask whether the sentence is relevant to the paragraph's main point and whether it adds necessary information; irrelevant or redundant sentences should be deleted, relevant supporting detail should be kept/added.
ACT question stems often ask "Should the writer add this sentence?" — check if it supports the paragraph's focus or merely restates/digresses.
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