ACT Preparation

Fenger High SchoolSession 1

February 2, 2009

Meet Your Instructors

Mr. Towns - MathMs. Long - English/ ReadingMs. Hebeler - ScienceMs. Moroni - English/ Reading

Meet Your Classmates

Introduce yourselfTell the class why you are taking

this courseTell the class one interesting thing

about you

The Purpose of ACT Prep

Learn which areas of the test have the most questions, and can help get you most points

Learn to identify patterns question formats. Identify the type of question and understand which skill to use.

The Purpose of ACT Prep

Practice on the test puts you in control of the test – you understand what others don’t.

Gain confidence! There are lots of questions you know how to answer. Improve your score by tackling them with confidence.

General Approaches to the Test

Understand what you are being asked to do.

There is no penalty for guessing. NEVER leave a question blank. Guessing can gain you 1-scale point!

General Approaches to the Test

Double-mark your test. Circle your answer in the test book and on your answer sheet – this can save you from disaster if you get out of order.

There is no penalty for writing in the test booklet. Mark it up! It helps!

General Approaches to the Test

Read the passage as you take the test! You don’t have to read the whole passage first, but keep track of what is happening in the passage!

Concision Questions

The KISS Rule:

The simplest, correct answer is ALWAYS the right one!

You can improve your score up to 5 points by mastering concision!

Concision Exercises

Try #1

The answer is:

C. a life of ease and luxury

This answer is the simplest way of conveying the author’s idea.

Concision Exercises

Try #2

The answer is:

B. since

What the author really wants us to know is that the novels have enchanted children since 1950. “Forever” is just another way of saying “for a long time”

Concision Exercises

Try #3

The answer is:

B. alone

“By his lonesome” is a colloquial way of saying, “alone.” Alone is the most conventional choice.

Concision Exercises

Try #4

The answer is:

B. live

Live and dwell are synonyms. Using both these words is redundant.

Concision Questions

Try #5-12 all by your lone selves!

Check Your Answers

5 – D6 – D7 – D8 – B9 – D10 – D

11 – D12 – D13 – B

How many did you get correct?

Which items would you like to review?

Try it on the test!

Go to Q. 18

The answer is:

J. To alter that

Recognize this pattern – repetition of two similar words. Alter and change mean about the same thing.

Go to Q. 39

The answer is:

B. the equivalent of

Same pattern as 18. “Equivalent of” has a similar meaning to “similar to.”

Go to Q. 67

The answer is:

A. NO CHANGE

Why is “A” the correct answer?

Go to Q. 37

The answer is:

D. supported.

This question is more complex. The repetition here is between two different parts of the sentence!

To “elect” someone is the same as to choose him to be mayor.

Go to Q. 53

The answer is: C. work a long time. This question brings questions of

style and diction to the table. The other options are too wordy and formal to suit the rest of the passage.

Go to Q. 58

The answer is:

J. would lead to it

Always choose the simplest way to correctly answer the question.

Go to Q. 1

The answer is:

D. OMIT the underlined portion.

Take apart the sentence? What is the verb? What is the subject?

Is “the weight of” necessary to the meaning of the sentence?

Final Notes on Concision

In 20 tests surveyed, OMIT was the correct answer 92% of the time:

When in doubt, leave it out!

You can expect from 8 – 12 concision questions on the test.

Apostrophe Questions

There are only a few rules you need to master on apostrophe questions.

Once you master these, you can get them right every time!

Mastery of apostrophes can get you between 1.5 and 3 scale points on your test!

Try it on the test first!

Go to Q. 10

The answer is:

H. its squeakier

Its/ it’s/ its’

There are at least three questions of this type on every test.

Its is the possessive pronoun (like his)

It’s is the contraction it + isThere is no such thing as its!!!

Go to Q. 13

The answer is:

D. Families’

This is an irregular plural possessive.

The plural of family is families

To make families possessive, just add an apostrophe.

Go to Q. 28

The answer is:

H. patients’ needs

First, decide if the noun is singular or plural. Then, add an apostrophe to make it possessive!

Go to Q. 34

The answer is:

H. bet’s terms

How many bets are there?

Are we talking about the terms of the bet?

Go to Q. 44

The answer is:

F. Its

What is the antecedent for it?

Is it singular or plural?

Go to Q. 47

The answer is:

C. Its

What rule makes this answer correct?

Apostrophe Exercises

Try #1

A. NO CHANGE

B. children’s books

C. children’s book’s,

D. children’s book’s

Apostrophe Exercises

A. NO CHANGE

B. children’s books,

C. children’s book’s,

D. children’s book’s

Apostrophe Exercises

Try #2

A. NO CHANGE

B. one’s

C. ones’

D. there

Apostrophe Exercises

Try #2

A. NO CHANGE

B. one’s

C. ones’

D. there

Apostrophe Exercises

Try #3

A. NO CHANGE

B. still, other’s

C. Still others

D. Still others,

Apostrophe Exercises

Try #3

A. NO CHANGE

B. still, other’s

C. Still others

D. Still others,

Sentence combining

The single most important skill for the ACT is knowing how to combine two sentences

successfully.

Sentence Combining

There are usually 12-14 questions on the test related to this skill.

6-7 scaled points can be earned by answering sentence combining questions correctly.

Sentence Combining

Try it!

Go to test question #59

The answer is:

A. NO CHANGE

#59 is the simplest combining question on the test.

Look at what is underlined. They want you to combine the

sentences, but ask yourself if it’s ok the way it is.

KISS works with this questions.

Sentence Combining

Go to question #66

The answer is:

G. sax. This is another example of KISS. Remember ACT loves clear,

concise writing.

Sentence combining

Go to question #45

The answer is:

A. NO CHANGE Ask yourself if any of the

conditional clauses work?

Sentence combining

Go to #40

The answer is:

F. brisk, townspeople

Sentence combining

The 7 ways sentences can be combined:

1. Use a period.2. Use a semi colon to take the place of a period. 3. A comma and a FANBOY4. Make one sentence dependant on the other by use of a

conditional clause (because, since, if, so, when, while, etc…)5. Use a colon6. Use a dash when adding dramatic statements7. Use a compound verb

Sentence combining

Go to #60

The answer is:

H. agent, the

Sentence combining

Go to # 54

The answer is:

G. Clerk where

Sentence combining

Go to # 74

The answer is:

J. offstage as if the

Sentence combining

Go to # 38

The answer is:

G. ribbons, shouldered itA semi-colon can’t be used

because these are not two complete sentences.

Sentence combining

Go to # 42

The answer is:

G. time, GridleyYou would have a fragment

sentence without the change.

Sentence combining

Go to #36

The answer is:

J. Voters

Sentence combining

Go to # 29

The answer is:

D. Although this processThe real error in this sentence is the

comma splice, but you can correct it by using a FANBOY.

Rhetoric Questions

35 questions on the exam are related to rhetoric.

Most students don’t know what is being asked of them from these questions.

20 questions correct = 10 scaled points!

Rhetoric Questions

Let’s try one together.

Go to Question # 5

The answer is:

C. establishes a logical transition to the information in the remainder of the

paragraph.

Rhetoric Questions

Strategies for Rhetoric Questions: Follow the directionsIf they tell you to cross something out,

cross it out with your pencil to see what you are left with.

What is the key phrase in the question? The key phrase is: the paragraph would

primarily lose a phrase that

Rhetoric Questions

Use the 100% Rule.Your choice cannot be partially correct. It has to be 100% correct.

Read the rest of the choices. The only choice that is 100% correct is C.

Rhetoric Questions

Go to #8

The answer is:

F. No change

What is the key phrase in the sentence?

“visualize the specifics”

Rhetoric Questions

Go to #9 The answer is:

C. No, because the sentence is consistent with the paragraph’s focus on the

aspects of canning tomatoes that are memorable to the narrator.

* Think about what kind of passage it is. Narrative essays rely on details like this.

Rhetoric Questions

Go to #4

The answer is:

J. After sentence 2Always look for the clue in the

sentences that will join the ideas. In this case, the smell is the clue.

Rhetoric Questions

Go to #12 The answer is: F. No change

What is the key phrase in the question? “visual contrast…final sentence of the

paragraph.”

Rhetoric Questions

Go to # 15The answer is:

C. Information that indicates that distance contributes to the narrator’s nostalgia

about canning tomatoes. Ask yourself again what type of essay

this is and why this passage is important. What does nostalgia mean???

Rhetoric Questions

Now, try the following questions in order:

#62, #64, #68, #71, #73, and #75

Rhetoric Questions