Practice 3 Choose the best answer to each question below. 1. While waiting for the bus, the bench I sat on was wet. a. NO CHANGE b. While waiting for the bus, I sat on the bench that was wet. c. While waiting for the bus, I sat on a wet bench. d. While I sat on a wet bench, I waited for the bus. 2. He told reporters he would quit politics after he lost the election. f. NO CHANGE g. After he lost the election, he told reporters he would quit politics. h. After he lost the election, he would quit politics, he told reporters. j. After he quit politics, he told reporters he’d lost the election. 3. Sleeping soundly, I tiptoed through the baby’s room. a. NO CHANGE b. I was sleeping soundly as I tiptoed through the baby’s room. c. I tiptoed through the baby’s room sleeping soundly. d. While the baby slept soundly, I tiptoed through the room. 4. Please be sure to throw out your trash, place your silverware in the bin, and your tray should go on the counter. f. NO CHANGE g. Please be sure to throw out your trash, your silverware should go in the bin, and put your tray on the counter. h. Please be sure to throw out your trash and silverware in the bin and tray on the counter. j. Please be sure to throw out your trash, place your silverware in the bin, and put your tray on the counter. 5. I am an experienced babysitter, housecleaner, and cook. a. NO CHANGE b. I am experienced at babysitting, cleaning houses, and a cook. c. I am an experienced babysitter, making houses clean, and cooking. d. I am an experienced babysitter, housecleaner, and a good cook. – ACT ENGLISH TEST PRACTICE– 44 Answers 1. c is the best choice. The subject I is right next to the modifier while waiting for the bus, and wet bench is the most concise phrase. 2. g is the best choice. It most logically and clearly conveys the intended meaning. 3. d is the best choice. The subject baby needs to be inserted next to the verb form of sleep to make it clear who was sleeping soundly. 4. j is the best choice. Here the sentence maintains parallel structure (verb + object + prepositional phrase). 5. a is the best choice. The sentence maintains parallel structure (noun, noun, noun). Prepositional Idioms Another aspect of usage covered on the ACT is prepositional idioms: the specific word or preposition com- binations that we use in the English language, such as take care o f and according t o . Below is a list of some of the most common prepositional idioms. Review the list carefully to be sure you are using prepositional idioms correctly. according to afraid of anxious about apologize for (something) apologize to (someone) approve of ashamed of aware of blame (someone) for (something) bored with capable of compete with complain about composed of concentrate on concerned with congratulate on conscious of consist of depend on/upon equal to except for fond of from now on from time to time frown on/upon full of glance at (something) glance through (something, grateful for (something) e.g., a book) grateful to (someone) in accordance with in conflict in the habit of in the near future incapable of inferior to insist on/upon interested in knowledge of next to of the opinion – ACT ENGLISH TEST PRACTICE– 45 on top of opposite of prior to proud of regard to related to rely on/upon respect for responsible for satisfied with similar to sorry for suspicious of take care of thank (someone) for (something) tired of with regard to Practice 4 Answer the questions below. 1. I am having difficulty c oncentrating in this assignment. a. NO CHANGE b. concentrating with c. concentrating on d. concentrating through 2. I am very sat isfied about how things turned out. f. NO CHANGE g. satisfied with h. satisfied by j. satisfied of 3. When I g lanced at my gas gauge, I realized it was on “empty.” a. NO CHANGE b. glanced on c. glanced in d. glanced through 4. She has great kno wledge about the eighteenth century. f. NO CHANGE g. knowledge in h. knowledge with j. knowledge of – ACT ENGLISH TEST PRACTICE– 46 5. I plan to remodel this room at the v ery near future. a. NO CHANGE b. in the very near future c. on the very near future d. within the very near future Answers 1. c. 2. g. 3. a. 4. j. 5. b. Punctuation Punctuation marks are the symbols we use to separate sentences, express emotions, and show relationships between objects and ideas. Correct punctuation is essential for clarity; punctuation marks make our mean- ing clear and add drama and style to our sentences. Poor punctuation, on the other hand, can lead to a great deal of confusion for your readers and can send a message other than what you intended. For example, take a look at the following two versions of the same sentence: Don’t call me, stupid! Don’t call me stupid! Both use the same words but have two very different meanings because of punctuation. In the first sen- tence, the comma tells us that the speaker is calling the listener “stupid.” In the second sentence, the speaker is angry because the listener has called him “stupid.” Punctuation helps to create meaning, and it also has another important function: it enables writers to express a variety of tones and emotions. For example, take a look at these two versions of the same sentence: Wait—I’m coming with you! Wait, I’m coming with you. The first sentence clearly expresses more urgency and excitement thanks to the dash and exclamation point. The second sentence, with its comma and period, does not express emotion; the sentence is neutral. – ACT ENGLISH TEST PRACTICE– 47 PUNCTUATION GUIDELINES There are many rules for punctuation, and the better you know them, the more correctly and effectively you can punctuate your sentences. The table below lists the main punctuation marks and guidelines for when to use them: IF YOUR PURPOSE IS TO: USE THIS PUNCTUATION: EXAMPLE: End a sentence. period [.] This sentence ends in a period. Connect complete semicolon [;] A semi-colon can connect two sentences; sentences (two it is an excellent way to show that two independent ideas are related. clauses). comma [,] and a conjunction I want pizza, but he wants steak. [and, or, nor, for, so, but, yet] dash [—] (less common, I told you he’d be here—here he is! but more dramatic) Connect items comma [,] but if one or more items The table was overturned, the mattress in a list. in that list already has a comma, was torn apart, and the dresser drawers use a semicolon [;] were strewn all over the floor. The castaways included a professor, who was the group’s leader; an actress; and a housewife. Introduce a list of colon [:] We need three things: money, money, and three or more items. more money. Colons have three functions: introducing long lists, introducing quotations, and introducing explanations. Introduce an colon [:] There’s only one thing to do: go to the explanation (what police and tell them everything. follows “explains” or “answers” what precedes). – ACT ENGLISH TEST PRACTICE– 48 IF YOUR PURPOSE IS TO: USE THIS PUNCTUATION: EXAMPLE: Introduce a colon [:] or comma [,] He said, “This simply won’t do.” quotation (words directly spoken). The American writer Kate Chopin said this of French short story master Guy de Maupassant: “In a direct, simple way, he told us what he saw.” Indicate a quotation marks [“ ”] “To be or not to be?” is one of the most quotation. famous lines from Hamlet. Indicate a question mark [?] Why are so many people fascinated by question. Star Trek? Connect two words hyphen [-] brother-in-law, well-known author that work together as one object or modifier. Separate a word dash [—] I never lie—never. or phrase for emphasis. Separate a word commas [,] The group, led by Max, made its way or phrase that is through the forest. relevant but not essential information. That restaurant, I heard, is going out of business. Separate a word parentheses [( )] There is an exception to every rule or phrase that is (including this one). relevant but secon- dary information. Show possession apostrophe [’] That’s Jane’s car. or contraction. – ACT ENGLISH TEST PRACTICE– 49 . cooking. d. I am an experienced babysitter, housecleaner, and a good cook. – ACT ENGLISH TEST PRACTICE– 44 Answers 1. c is the best choice. The subject I is right next to the modifier while waiting. ACT ENGLISH TEST PRACTICE– 46 5. I plan to remodel this room at the v ery near future. a. NO CHANGE b. in the very near future c. on the very near future d. within the very near future Answers 1. . incapable of inferior to insist on/upon interested in knowledge of next to of the opinion – ACT ENGLISH TEST PRACTICE– 45 on top of opposite of prior to proud of regard to related to rely on/upon