ACT English Grammar and Usage

Pronoun Pronoun – words used to replace the noun –He –she –it –they

Pronoun Agreement Rule #1 –The pronoun must always agree with the noun to which it refers. Spot the error: –Any young boy who watched the first moon landing probably spent the next few years wishing that they could become an astronaut. Who are we talking about? How many? Do boy and they mean the same thing?

Pronouns Singular Pronouns SubjectObjectPossessive IMemy, mine You You, yours HeHimHis SheHerHers It its Plural Pronouns SubjectObjectPossessive WeUsOur, ours You You, yours TheyThemTheir, theirs

Indefinite Pronouns These pronouns are all singluar –Anybody-Someone –Anyone-Nobody –Either –Each –Everybody –Everyone –Somebody

Rule #1 Example Although the American bald eagle has been on the endangered species list for years, they have been sighted in wildlife preserves much more frequently during the past two years. A.NO CHANGE B.they are C.it can be D.it has been What is underlined? –Pronoun Who/what are we talking about? How many? Find the pronoun that agrees. Check for the tense.

Pronoun Agreement Rule #2 –If the pronoun is the subject of the sentence use: I, we, you, he, she, it, they and who. –If the pronoun is the object of the sentence use: me, us, you, him, her, it, them and whom.

Rule #2 Example The students, who had been studying the space program, were thrilled to witness the lunar landing. NO CHANGE A.about whom had been studying the space program, B.whom had been studying the space program, C.who had been studying the space program What is underlined? –who Is who the subject? Which answers can we eliminate? What is the difference between the remaining answers? Is the comma necessary?

Subject-Verb Agreement The verb of the sentence must always agree with the subject. –Singular subject  singluar verb –Plural subject  plural verb Ex: –The best moment during a broadcast filled with many great moments were when the astronaut stepped out of the lunar lander and bounced on the moon. –Moment is the subject so the verb should be was

Pronoun – Verb Agreement Sometimes the subject of the sentence is a pronoun. That’s ok! The verb must still agree with the pronoun. Ex: –Each of these moments have played in my mind again and again as I try to recapture the excitement of that momentous day in June. –Each is the pronoun and it is singular –Have played is plural and should be has played

Verb Tense Present tense Past tense Future tense Present perfect tense –Started in the past, continues to the present Past perfect tense –Happened in the past before another past action Future perfect tense –Will be completed in the future

ACT and Verb Tense ACT doesn’t want you to know the names and meanings of the tenses They want you to be able to spot inconsistencies. EX: –Sam is walking down the street when he found a large suitcase. –Sam was walking…

Adjectives and Adverbs Adjectives – modify the noun Adverbs – modify everything else Which is correct? –He is very intelligent. –He is very intelligently.

Idiomatic Expressions You already know most of the idiomatic expressions ACT will use. EX: My sculpture is based after Rodin’s Thinker. A.No Change B.is based over C.is based on D.based on