act english: knowledge of language & production …...6 / 28 choosing appropriate language 2. f...
TRANSCRIPT
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ACT English: Knowledge of Language & Production of Writing
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By the end of this lesson, you will be able to: • Maintain a consistent level of style and tone in a passage • Identify and correct wordiness and awkward sentence construction • Choose effective transition words and phrases based on context • Judge the effect of adding, revising, or deleting supporting material • Evaluate the logical order of ideas
Language and Writing Learning Objectives
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Avoiding Ambiguity Choosing Appropriate Language
Some English questions test precise language use. Ambiguity is considered stylistically incorrect.
Words like this, that, and very are too vague and general for the ACT.
When underlined segments include ambiguous language, be sure the correct answer uses accurate, specific equivalents.
Other common ambiguous language includes words such as good, bad, stuff, a lot, and thing.
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Choosing Appropriate Language
1.
Though possibly being a reminder of campus fads of years past, like packing
Volkswagen Bugs, it comes as good news.
A. B. C. D.
NO CHANGE it maybe reminds us this trend might remind us we could be reminded
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Recognizing Tone Choosing Appropriate Language
Other questions test the consistent use of tone throughout the passage. To answer tone questions, ask yourself:
Is the passage positive or negative? Is the author subjective or objective? Is the passage written formally or informally?
Each passage must use words and phrases that fit the overall tone. Ask yourself:
What is the typical tone of this word or phrase? Does this word or phrase match the general tone of the passage?
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Choosing Appropriate Language
2.
Now that the Navajo code is no longer used, the code talkers,
whose secret work saved American lives, can finally receive
public recognition for their actions.
F. G. H. J.
NO CHANGE hush-hush actions concealed, hidden efforts doings, kept under wraps,
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Avoiding Redundancy Sentence Construction
To avoid redundant writing, evaluate whether any part of the current underlined portion is repetitive and, therefore, unnecessary. Repetitive: In addition to his job, Micha also volunteers at the animal shelter. Concise: In addition to his job, Micha volunteers at the animal shelter.
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Sentence Construction
3.
Unfortunately, the code talkers sometimes faced dangerous peril
from their own side.
A. B. C. D.
NO CHANGE hazardous risky OMIT the underlined portion.
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Awkward Sentence Construction Sentence Construction
Underlined segments written in the passive voice should be inspected for wordiness.
In the active voice, the subject is the actor. In the passive voice, the subject is the receiver of the action.
Sentences that are wordy should be changed to be more concise.
Wordy: Every evening after school, Micha travels to work and works for five hours to earn money. Concise: Micha works five hours every weekday evening.
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Sentence Construction
4.
Reading has long been regarded as a private act, a deed of an
individual and personal nature best undertaken in silence.
F. G. H. J.
NO CHANGE one best something best attempted to be a project of activity best
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4
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Transition Words and Phrases Organization
Transitions are used to introduce, connect, and conclude ideas. To answer transition questions, ask yourself:
What type of connection is the author trying to convey?
Use context clues from the paragraph and passage to determine the appropriate transition word or phrase. Transition words can:
Introduce a new assertion Specify a cause-and-effect relationship Advance a related idea Differentiate between contrasting ideas Introduce an example or supporting thought Sort ideas based on time Conclude or summarize a paragraph or passage
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Organization
5.
Sometimes a Salvation Army volunteer boards the subway train
with sandwiches and juice to give to the needy. “Put your pride to
the side!” the volunteer shouts, and I’ve seen many people put out
their hands. The speaker also raises money. It’s impossible to predict
which people will dig into their pockets or open their purses, and I’ve
stopped trying to guess.
A. B. C. D.
NO CHANGE Therefore, the In conclusion, the In other words, the
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Sentence Additions & Paragraph Transitions Organization
In some cases, you will be asked to determine whether a sentence should be added to or deleted from the passage.
These questions often have the most tempting wrong answer choices.
Questions with answer choices that start with Yes or No can be answered using elimination.
First: Answer yes or no and eliminate the answer choices with the wrong yes/no answer.
After eliminating two answer choices, determine which rationale is correct.
Some questions that ask about additional sentences will focus on transitioning between paragraphs.
To answer these questions, read the preceding and following paragraphs and determine the best connection between the two.
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Organizing Sentences and Paragraphs Organization
Organizing sentences will involve deciding whether to move the underlined word or phrase to a different part of the sentence.
Use keywords and context within the sentence to decide the best placement of the underlined word or phrase.
Organizing paragraph questions will test your ability to determine the best order of sentences within a paragraph.
To answer these questions, determine the best introduction and conclusion first and eliminate any answer choices that do not fit.
To answer questions about organizing the passage, follow the same process.
Reorganizing the passage is easier if you focus on the topic sentences of each paragraph.
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Organization
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Her persistence paid off in her twenties, when Cisneros was admitted
prestigious to the Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa.
F. G. H. J.
where it is now. before the word admitted. before the word Writers’. before the word Workshop.
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The best placement for the underlined portion would be:
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Sentence Placement Organization
In some cases, you will need to decide the best placement of a new sentence within the passage. To answer these questions:
Consider each of the four paragraphs listed in the answer choices. Search for keywords that will help you determine the best placement. Be sure your choice makes sense within the context of the chosen paragraph.
These questions will always be located at the end of the passage and will reference four locations, labeled A, B, C, and D.
Although they may seem intimidating, focusing on the topic sentence of each paragraph will help you find the correct answer quickly.
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Goal/Purpose Questions Topic Development
Goal/Purpose questions also appear at the end of passages. To answer goal/purpose questions, follow these steps:
Identify the author's goal If an answer choice is not relevant, eliminate it. If an answer choice conflicts with the author’s goal or the support from the passage, eliminate it. Choose the answer choice that aligns most strongly with the author’s goal and support from the passage.
These questions also include “Yes, . . . ” and “No, . . . ” answer choices.
Use the same elimination strategy to answer both sentence additions and goal questions.
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Mixed Practice
A. B. C. D.
NO CHANGE if whether as to whether
7.
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Mixed Practice
8.
F. G. H. J.
1 2 3 4
The writer wishes to add the following sentence in order to emphasize the uncertainty already expressed about an idea in the paragraph: I still have doubts. The new sentence would best amplify and be placed after Sentence:
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Mixed Practice
9. A. B. C. D.
NO CHANGE While Although Unless
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Mixed Practice
F. G. H. J.
a tone of admiration for the work of the umpires. details about the rules of T-ball. an explanation of why children often fail to hit the ball. a sense of how difficult the task is for the children.
10.
If the writer were to delete the word repeatedly and the phrase “and lots of them do” (and the dashes) from the preceding sentence, the sentence would primarily lose:
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Mixed Practice
11. A. B. C. D.
NO CHANGE accomplishes a result of attains the consequence of ends up
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Mixed Practice
12. F. G. H. J.
NO CHANGE therefore, likewise, meanwhile,
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NO CHANGE regulation-sized ball. ball, which is regulation sized. ball, which is the same size as a regular baseball.
Mixed Practice
13. A. B. C. D.
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Mixed Practice
14. F. G. H. J.
NO CHANGE they would not have been they’re not they’re not to be
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Mixed Practice
15. Suppose the writer had intended to write an essay describing one child’s experiences playing T-ball. Would this essay accomplish the writer’s goal?
A. B. C. D.
Yes, because it reveals that the narrator’s son Joe is now playing T-ball, and then it goes on to describe Joe’s experiences at one of his games. Yes, because it discusses the narrator‘s son Joe’s T-ball skills, such as the fact that he can throw a baseball a few feet. No, because while it mentions that the narrator’s son Joe plays T-ball, it also notes he is more interested in things such as dirt and bugs. No, because although the T-ball experiences of the narrator‘s son Joe are alluded to, it is primarily about the general features of T-ball games.
Question 15 asks about the preceding passage as a whole.
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Now that you have completed this lesson, you should be able to: • Maintain a consistent level of style and tone in a passage • Identify and correct wordiness and awkward sentence construction • Choose effective transition words and phrases based on context • Judge the effect of adding, revising, or deleting supporting material • Evaluate the logical order of ideas
Language and Writing Learning Objectives
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Language and Writing Homework
Effort and practice are the keys to Test Day Success. Now that you have completed this lesson, do the following for homework: • Click on the Practice Tab from your Online Prep Live homepage • Choose Knowledge of Language under English • Answer 30 Questions • Choose Production of Writing under English • Answer 30 Questions • Don’t forget to review the explanations!