Table of Contents<\/h2>\n\n- Best Free Resources for English Grammar Review<\/a><\/li>\n
- Best Free ACT Practice Tests<\/a><\/li>\n
- ACT English Practice Questions<\/a><\/li>\n
- Answers and Explanations<\/a><\/li>\n
- ACT English Study Guide<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
<\/a>
\n <\/p>\nBest Free Resources for English Grammar Review<\/h2>\n
Grammar Bytes!<\/a> is one of my favorite grammar websites for high school students. (Plus it has a great web address: chompchomp.com). Check out this site if you need a simple, straightforward explanation of a grammar term or rule. It also has interactive exercises to practice your skills.<\/p>\nPurdue\u2019s Online Writing Lab (OWL)<\/a> is more academic in tone (it is run by a university after all!), but it has long been my go-to authority on grammar as well as all things having to do with proper academic writing. Here you will find tons of helpful grammar explanations, writing advice, and worksheets. <\/p>\nGrammar Girl<\/a> is also great if you want to totally geek out on comma splices and commonly confused words–although you will want to search for the grammar issues you have questions about; there is a lot to sort through, and the blog is not incredibly well organized. <\/p>\nAnd in case you are wondering exactly what grammar, usage, and style topics you should review for the ACT, we\u2019ve made you a guide here<\/a>!<\/u><\/strong>
\n<\/a>
\n <\/p>\nBest Free ACT Practice Tests<\/h2>\n
You can find a full-length ACT test for free<\/a> on the ACT student website<\/a> along with five additional practice passages<\/a>. <\/p>\nAlthough it\u2019s not free, you should also do your best to get the Real ACT Prep Guide<\/a>, which includes five official retired ACT tests. Check out your local library or school library if you can\u2019t get a new copy. I highly recommend doing all of these tests as part of your test prep plan.<\/p>\n![\"ACT](\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/act\/files\/2015\/04\/ACT-English-TestStudy-Guide-600x450.png\")
<\/a>
\n<\/a>
\n <\/p>\nACT English Practice Questions<\/h2>\n
Ready to try out some ACT English questions? Take a look at the brief passage and the five questions below!<\/em>
\n <\/p>\nIn most busy cities and towns today, you can find automated teller machines, or ATMs, on practically every block. An ATM is an electronic communications device that allows bank customers to perform financial transactions without needing to talk to a human bank clerk. The first modern automated banking machine was developed in (1)<\/span><\/strong> 1969<\/u>, by a Dallas engineer named Donald Wetzel. Wetzel\u2019s machine used plastic cards like the ones we use today. It was not until the late 1970s and early 1980s, however, when more of the population (2)<\/span><\/strong> had became<\/u> comfortable with the idea of (3)<\/span><\/strong> automated technology, that automated banking<\/u> machines became truly popular. Some say that it took a good old-fashioned New York blizzard to truly make ATMs a permanent institution in American life. In 1977, the chairman of Citibank spent over $100 million dollars to install ATMs (4)<\/span><\/strong> all over<\/u> New York City, hoping they would be a success. The following winter, a blizzard shut down banks in the city for days, and ATM usage suddenly increased by 20 percent. This blizzard also launched Citibank\u2019s long-running \u201cThe Citi Never Sleeps\u201d campaign, (5)<\/span><\/strong> with posters and billboards showing customers trudging through snow drifts to get to Citibank ATMs<\/u>. After Citibank\u2019s success, other banks followed suit, and ATMs popped up in every major city in the world. <\/p>\n1. <\/p>\n
A. NO CHANGE
\n B. 1969;
\n C. 1969:
\n D. 1969<\/p>\n
2.<\/p>\n
E. NO CHANGE
\n F. had been becoming
\n G. have become
\n H. became<\/p>\n
3.<\/p>\n
A. NO CHANGE
\n B. automated technologies that automated banking
\n C. automated technologies, automated banking
\n D. automated technologies; automated banking<\/p>\n
4. Which of the following is NOT an acceptable alternative for the underlined phrase?<\/p>\n
E. all throughout
\n F. throughout
\n G. in
\n H. across<\/p>\n
5. If the writer were to delete the underlined portion, deleting the comma and ending the sentence with a period, the paragraph would primarily lose: <\/p>\n
A. an explanation of why so many people used ATMs during the blizzard.
\n B. descriptive detail about the imagery of the advertising campaign.
\n C. a restatement of an idea expressed earlier in the paragraph.
\n D. an explanation of why ATMs became necessary in the late 1970s.
\n
\nDying to know how you did ? Check out the answers and explanations below.<\/em>
\n<\/a>
\n <\/p>\nAnswers and Explanations<\/h2>\n
1. d. 1969<\/p>\n
In this case, we do not want to put a comma after 1969 because the prepositional phrase \u201cin 1969\u201d is connected to the following prepositional phrase \u201cby a Dallas engineer.\u201d So (a) is incorrect. (b) is incorrect because what follows the semicolon cannot stand alone as a sentence. (c) demonstrates an incorrect use of a colon. So our answer is (d).
\n <\/p>\n
2. h. became<\/p>\n
On the ACT, we always want to err on the side of conciseness. Shorter is almost always better, which means (h) \u201cbecame\u201d should be a tempting option. But the real grammar issue we are tackling is verb tense consistency. The sentence tells us we are talking about the 1970s and 1980s, so we know we are talking about the past, so we can eliminate (g). Answer choice (e) \u201chad became\u201d is never correct; it should be \u201chad become.\u201d (f) \u201cHad been becoming\u201d is also too wordy and awkward, so our answer is (h).
\n <\/p>\n
3. a. NO CHANGE<\/p>\n
The punctuation in the underlined portion depends on on the punctuation that is not underlined in the sentence. We have a subordinate clause (\u201cwhen more of the population\u2026.with the idea of automated technology\u201d) that needs to be set off with commas, so even though it might otherwise seem odd to put a comma before \u201cthat,\u201d it needs to be there for that reason, so we can eliminate (b). (d) is incorrect because we do not have an independent clause before the semicolon that can stand alone as a sentence. And \u201cc\u201d is missing a key word \u201cthat\u201d that helps link the information together, so it is incomplete. So our answer is (a).
\n <\/p>\n
4. g. in<\/p>\n
This is an idiom question about preposition usage. We can say that something spread \u201cthroughout,\u201d \u201call throughout,\u201d \u201cacross,\u201d or \u201call over\u201d a city, but to say the ATMs were installed \u201cin\u201d New York City changes the meaning. The sentence intends to say that they were spread throughout. So (g) is our answer because it is the one that is not acceptable.
\n <\/p>\n
5. b. descriptive detail about the imagery of the advertising campaign.<\/p>\n
On these questions, we always want to pay attention to the exact information contained in the underlined portion. (a) is incorrect because that underlined portion doesn\u2019t explain why people used ATMs during the blizzard; it just says that they did. (c) is incorrect because that idea is not stated earlier in the paragraph. (d) is trickier because you can infer from the passage that people began to believe ATMs were necessary, but the underlined information doesn\u2019t state that. So our answer is (b): the paragraph would lose descriptive detail about the imagery of the advertising campaign.<\/p>\n
\n<\/a><\/p>\nACT English Study Guide<\/h2>\n
Didn’t do as well as you’d hoped on the above questions? Or just hungry for more ACT practice? We’ve got you covered! For the below schedule, you’ll need the FREE Magoosh ACT App<\/a> and about an hour and a half. Happy practicing!<\/p>\nToday’s Tasks<\/h3>\n
Estimated time: 85 minutes<\/em><\/p>\n
<\/a> Grammar Bytes!<\/a> is one of my favorite grammar websites for high school students. (Plus it has a great web address: chompchomp.com). Check out this site if you need a simple, straightforward explanation of a grammar term or rule. It also has interactive exercises to practice your skills.<\/p>\n Purdue\u2019s Online Writing Lab (OWL)<\/a> is more academic in tone (it is run by a university after all!), but it has long been my go-to authority on grammar as well as all things having to do with proper academic writing. Here you will find tons of helpful grammar explanations, writing advice, and worksheets. <\/p>\n Grammar Girl<\/a> is also great if you want to totally geek out on comma splices and commonly confused words–although you will want to search for the grammar issues you have questions about; there is a lot to sort through, and the blog is not incredibly well organized. <\/p>\n And in case you are wondering exactly what grammar, usage, and style topics you should review for the ACT, we\u2019ve made you a guide here<\/a>!<\/u><\/strong> You can find a full-length ACT test for free<\/a> on the ACT student website<\/a> along with five additional practice passages<\/a>. <\/p>\n Although it\u2019s not free, you should also do your best to get the Real ACT Prep Guide<\/a>, which includes five official retired ACT tests. Check out your local library or school library if you can\u2019t get a new copy. I highly recommend doing all of these tests as part of your test prep plan.<\/p>\n Ready to try out some ACT English questions? Take a look at the brief passage and the five questions below!<\/em> In most busy cities and towns today, you can find automated teller machines, or ATMs, on practically every block. An ATM is an electronic communications device that allows bank customers to perform financial transactions without needing to talk to a human bank clerk. The first modern automated banking machine was developed in (1)<\/span><\/strong> 1969<\/u>, by a Dallas engineer named Donald Wetzel. Wetzel\u2019s machine used plastic cards like the ones we use today. It was not until the late 1970s and early 1980s, however, when more of the population (2)<\/span><\/strong> had became<\/u> comfortable with the idea of (3)<\/span><\/strong> automated technology, that automated banking<\/u> machines became truly popular. Some say that it took a good old-fashioned New York blizzard to truly make ATMs a permanent institution in American life. In 1977, the chairman of Citibank spent over $100 million dollars to install ATMs (4)<\/span><\/strong> all over<\/u> New York City, hoping they would be a success. The following winter, a blizzard shut down banks in the city for days, and ATM usage suddenly increased by 20 percent. This blizzard also launched Citibank\u2019s long-running \u201cThe Citi Never Sleeps\u201d campaign, (5)<\/span><\/strong> with posters and billboards showing customers trudging through snow drifts to get to Citibank ATMs<\/u>. After Citibank\u2019s success, other banks followed suit, and ATMs popped up in every major city in the world. <\/p>\n 1. <\/p>\n A. NO CHANGE 2.<\/p>\n E. NO CHANGE 3.<\/p>\n A. NO CHANGE 4. Which of the following is NOT an acceptable alternative for the underlined phrase?<\/p>\n E. all throughout 5. If the writer were to delete the underlined portion, deleting the comma and ending the sentence with a period, the paragraph would primarily lose: <\/p>\n A. an explanation of why so many people used ATMs during the blizzard. 1. d. 1969<\/p>\n In this case, we do not want to put a comma after 1969 because the prepositional phrase \u201cin 1969\u201d is connected to the following prepositional phrase \u201cby a Dallas engineer.\u201d So (a) is incorrect. (b) is incorrect because what follows the semicolon cannot stand alone as a sentence. (c) demonstrates an incorrect use of a colon. So our answer is (d). 2. h. became<\/p>\n On the ACT, we always want to err on the side of conciseness. Shorter is almost always better, which means (h) \u201cbecame\u201d should be a tempting option. But the real grammar issue we are tackling is verb tense consistency. The sentence tells us we are talking about the 1970s and 1980s, so we know we are talking about the past, so we can eliminate (g). Answer choice (e) \u201chad became\u201d is never correct; it should be \u201chad become.\u201d (f) \u201cHad been becoming\u201d is also too wordy and awkward, so our answer is (h). 3. a. NO CHANGE<\/p>\n The punctuation in the underlined portion depends on on the punctuation that is not underlined in the sentence. We have a subordinate clause (\u201cwhen more of the population\u2026.with the idea of automated technology\u201d) that needs to be set off with commas, so even though it might otherwise seem odd to put a comma before \u201cthat,\u201d it needs to be there for that reason, so we can eliminate (b). (d) is incorrect because we do not have an independent clause before the semicolon that can stand alone as a sentence. And \u201cc\u201d is missing a key word \u201cthat\u201d that helps link the information together, so it is incomplete. So our answer is (a). 4. g. in<\/p>\n This is an idiom question about preposition usage. We can say that something spread \u201cthroughout,\u201d \u201call throughout,\u201d \u201cacross,\u201d or \u201call over\u201d a city, but to say the ATMs were installed \u201cin\u201d New York City changes the meaning. The sentence intends to say that they were spread throughout. So (g) is our answer because it is the one that is not acceptable. 5. b. descriptive detail about the imagery of the advertising campaign.<\/p>\n On these questions, we always want to pay attention to the exact information contained in the underlined portion. (a) is incorrect because that underlined portion doesn\u2019t explain why people used ATMs during the blizzard; it just says that they did. (c) is incorrect because that idea is not stated earlier in the paragraph. (d) is trickier because you can infer from the passage that people began to believe ATMs were necessary, but the underlined information doesn\u2019t state that. So our answer is (b): the paragraph would lose descriptive detail about the imagery of the advertising campaign.<\/p>\n Didn’t do as well as you’d hoped on the above questions? Or just hungry for more ACT practice? We’ve got you covered! For the below schedule, you’ll need the FREE Magoosh ACT App<\/a> and about an hour and a half. Happy practicing!<\/p>\n Estimated time: 85 minutes<\/em><\/p>\n
\n <\/p>\nBest Free Resources for English Grammar Review<\/h2>\n
\n<\/a>
\n <\/p>\nBest Free ACT Practice Tests<\/h2>\n
<\/a>
\n<\/a>
\n <\/p>\nACT English Practice Questions<\/h2>\n
\n <\/p>\n
\n B. 1969;
\n C. 1969:
\n D. 1969<\/p>\n
\n F. had been becoming
\n G. have become
\n H. became<\/p>\n
\n B. automated technologies that automated banking
\n C. automated technologies, automated banking
\n D. automated technologies; automated banking<\/p>\n
\n F. throughout
\n G. in
\n H. across<\/p>\n
\n B. descriptive detail about the imagery of the advertising campaign.
\n C. a restatement of an idea expressed earlier in the paragraph.
\n D. an explanation of why ATMs became necessary in the late 1970s.
\n
\nDying to know how you did ? Check out the answers and explanations below.<\/em>
\n<\/a>
\n <\/p>\nAnswers and Explanations<\/h2>\n
\n <\/p>\n
\n <\/p>\n
\n <\/p>\n
\n <\/p>\n
\n<\/a><\/p>\nACT English Study Guide<\/h2>\n
Today’s Tasks<\/h3>\n