Grammar Error #1 Agreement The most tested grammatical rule on the ACT is subject/verb and pronoun antecedent agreement.

Sample Agreement Item If a student won’t study they won’t do well. The owner of the bicycles are going to sell them.

Sample Agreement Item If a student won’t study, he or she won’t do well. If students won’t study, they won’t do well. The owner of the bicycles is going to sell them.

Grammar Error #2 Agreement Errors with Compound Subjects and Objects

Sample Agreement Item The fool gave the wrong tickets to Bob and I. The fool gave the wrong tickets to Bob and me.

Grammar Error #3 Punctuating Parenthetical Phrases

Sample Parenthetical Phrase Liz—the last girl on the right, is always late. Liz, the last girl on the right, is always late.

Grammar Error #4 Fragments and Run-ons

Sample Run-On Sentence Ed’s a slacker, Sara isn’t. Ed’s a slacker, but Sara isn’t. Ed’s a slacker; Sara isn’t. Ed’s a slacker. Sara isn’t. Ed, unlike Sara, is a slacker.

Sample Fragment Item Emily listened to music. While she studied. Emily listened to music while she studied.

Grammar Error #5 Punctuation Marks

Semicolon – used to separate two complete thoughts. (think period) Colon – follows a complete thought and often begins a listing. Dash – can be used for any pause. (think comma)

Grammar Error #6 Recognizing the need for adverb or adjective

Adjective or Adverb? Anna is an extreme gifted child, and she speaks beautiful too. Anna is an extremely gifted child, and she speaks beautifully too.

Grammar Error #7 Good or Well

Sample Usage Joe did good on the ACT. Joe did well on the ACT.

Grammar Error #8 Idioms Double check to make sure idioms utilize the correct preposition. Many words require particular prepositions.

Idiom Example An idiom is an established phrase that has a unique or special meaning that can be looked down in the dictionary.

Grammar Error #10 Who or Whom Who functions as a subject. Whom functions as an object.

Who or Whom Example Who washed the car? She gave the present to whom?

Grammar Error #11 Apostrophe Use When you make a noun possessive by adding an “s,” you use an apostrophe. You never use an apostrophe to make a pronoun possessive. Pronouns have special possessive forms.

Apostrophe Example The company claims its illegal to use it’s name that way. The company claims it’s illegal to use its name that way.

Grammar Error #12 Comparative and Superlatives Comparing two things – use –er or more. Comparing more than two things – use –est or most.

Comparative/Superlative Example My goldfish is more smarter than your brother. *Never use both more or most and an ending. I think vanilla is the most tastiest pudding ever!

Grammar Error #13 Between or Among Between – Two things Among – More than two things

Usage Example I will walk among the two sections of the class. I will walk between the many students. I will walk between the two sections of the class. I will walk among the many students.

Grammar Error #14 Less or Fewer Use the word less only for uncountable things. When things can be counted, use fewer.

Usage Example I have less people here tonight than last week. I have fewer people here tonight than last week.

Grammar Error #15 Verb Forms Fritz had just began to toast Lydia’s marshmallows when the rabbits stampeded.

Grammar Error #16 Misplaced Modifiers Snarling and snapping, Juanita attempted to control her pet turtle.

Grammar Error #17 Shifts in Pronoun Person or Number Hamsters should work at the most efficient pace that one can.

Grammar Error #18 Pronoun Forms and Cases Sam and Susie annoyed there parents all the time. After the incident with the peanut butter, John and me were never invited back.