Free ACT English Question and Answers 3

Question 1

Identify the error: "The data clearly shows that temperatures have rose significantly."

Accepted Answer

"Rose" should be "risen" — "have risen" is the correct present perfect form

Answer

The present perfect tense requires the past participle. "Rise" → past participle "risen." "Have rose" is incorrect; the correct form is "have risen." (Note: ACT also accepts "data shows" with singular agreement in modern usage.)

Question 2

Select the best word to maintain formal tone: "The scientist's findings were _____ surprising to the research community."

Accepted Answer

considerably

Answer

"Considerably" is formal and precise. "Super," "really," and "totally" are informal intensifiers inappropriate for scientific or academic writing.

Question 3

"Its" vs. "it's": Choose the correct sentence.

Accepted Answer

The committee released its final report on Monday.

Answer

"Its" (no apostrophe) is the possessive pronoun. "It's" is a contraction of "it is." Since the report belongs to the committee, the possessive "its" is correct.

Question 4

Which sentence uses parallel structure correctly?

Accepted Answer

She enjoys hiking, swimming, and cycling.

Answer

Parallel structure requires the same grammatical form for all items in a series. "Hiking, swimming, and cycling" all use the gerund (-ing) form correctly.

Question 5

The underlined portion of the sentence reads: "The ancient ruins, which had stood for over two millennia were discovered by archaeologists in 1972." What correction is needed?

Accepted Answer

Add a comma after "millennia": "which had stood for over two millennia, were discovered"

Answer

The nonrestrictive relative clause "which had stood for over two millennia" must be enclosed in commas on both sides. The closing comma after "millennia" is missing.

ACT Practice Test

ACT Practice Test

Free ACT English Question and Answers 3