Free ACT English Question and Answers 2

Question 1

Read the sentence: "Having studied all night, the exam seemed easy to Maria." What error does this sentence contain?

Accepted Answer

Dangling modifier — "Having studied all night" modifies "exam" instead of "Maria"

Answer

A dangling modifier occurs when the participial phrase "Having studied all night" cannot logically modify the subject "exam." Correction: "Having studied all night, Maria found the exam easy."

Question 2

Which version best maintains conciseness? "The reason that she was late was due to the fact that there was heavy traffic."

Accepted Answer

She was late because of heavy traffic.

Answer

"She was late because of heavy traffic" eliminates redundant phrases ("The reason that," "was due to the fact that") while preserving complete meaning.

Question 3

In ACT English, a question asks whether to add this sentence to a paragraph about the history of jazz: "Miles Davis was born in 1926 in Alton, Illinois." The paragraph focuses on jazz's African origins. Should the sentence be added?

Accepted Answer

No, because it shifts focus from the paragraph's topic of jazz's African origins

Answer

ACT Rhetorical Skills questions assess whether additions serve the paragraph's specific purpose. A sentence about Davis's birthdate does not support a discussion of jazz's African origins and would disrupt unity.

Question 4

Choose the correct verb form: "Neither the students nor the teacher _____ prepared for the fire drill."

Accepted Answer

was

Answer

With "neither...nor," the verb agrees with the subject closest to it ("teacher," singular). Therefore, "was" is correct.

Question 5

Which punctuation correctly joins these two independent clauses? "The concert was sold out [BLANK] we decided to watch it online."

Accepted Answer

semicolon: "The concert was sold out; we decided to watch it online."

Answer

Two independent clauses can be joined with a semicolon. A comma alone creates a comma splice. A colon is used before explanations or lists, not between two equally weighted clauses.

ACT Practice Test

ACT Practice Test

Free ACT English Question and Answers 2