Pronoun Agreement - ACT English Test

Whenever the ACT Writing and Language section asks you for the best transition between two paragraphs or sentences, read the sentence before and after the transition and determine the relationship between the two sentences. The sentence before in this case states that the original vision of the church was based on Gothic revival churches from Italy. The sentence after the transition word states that this ideal wasn't built. Because of the contrast between the two sentences, you're looking for a word that indicates contrast. The only choice that indicates contrast is, NO CHANGE. Since the other options all indicate that the next sentence should be a continuation, they can all be eliminated.

Whenever you are asked to join two thoughts with a comma, you should make sure that the sentence that is created is both not a run-on and a complete sentence. In this case, your hint should be the second comma after "Catalonia" later in the sentence. The portion directly after the first comma is meant to be a piece of additional information bracketed within commas. It therefore shouldn't have a verb, since having a verb would create a run-on sentence. That should allow you to eliminate all choices except for "DELETE the underlined portion."

Whenever the ACT asks you to differentiate between four synonyms or near-synonyms on the Writing and Language section, it is either testing formality (whether the word choice matches the tone of the rest of the passage) or meaning (whether you recognize which of several closely related words to use). In this case, it is testing formality. Good writing has a consistent tone and is appropriate to the audience it is being presented to. This essay is about the history of a famous architectural site and has a formal tone. To fit with that, you need to have an equally formal word in this sentence. The only word that fits the tone of the passage is, well-known. The other three answer choices vary from informal ("big name") to vague ("big") and can be eliminated.

Whenever you are choosing between different forms of the main verb of a sentence, you should check to make sure that the resulting sentence is in the appropriate tense and that it leaves a complete sentence. In this case, the given sentence is incomplete: if you are "deciding that departing" from a course of action, you are left without a main verb in the sentence and don't have a complete sentence. This means that choice, NO CHANGE, can be eliminated. The same logic can be used to eliminate "deciding in favor of departing" and "deciding to depart" since both will leave you with an incomplete sentence. The only choice, "decided to depart" leaves you with a complete sentence in the appropriate tense.

This sentence presents you with two major decision points: between the comma and semicolon and between "and featuring" and "featuring". Check the difference between the comma and semicolon first. Remember that a comma cannot be used to link two complete sentences without a conjunction and that a semicolon can only be used to link two complete sentences. "ambitious; featuring" can be eliminated since what follows the semicolon is not a complete sentence, and "ambitious, it featured" can be eliminated because there is a complete sentence on either side of the comma without a conjunction. Since the sentence is not a list and what follows after the comma isn't a complete sentence, "and featuring" does not make sense. "ambitious, featuring" turns the second part of the sentence into an appositive, allowing you to use the comma.

Whenever you see commas or dashes used to offset a piece of nonessential information, remember that either piece of punctuation is correct as long as it is consistent. If you use one dash, you need to close with a dash (or end the sentence) and if you use one comma, you need to close the thought with a comma. Each of the wrong answers either uses the comma or dash by itself without correctly closing off the other side of the additional information or incorrectly pairs the comma and dash together. The only answer choice that has the same piece of punctuation on their side of the added information is NO CHANGE, which adds a dash on either side of the additional information.

Whenever the ACT gives you a choice between a singular or a plural noun, it is probably testing some form of noun agreement. Just like pronouns have to agree with the nouns they refer to, nouns must also be consistent. The question you should ask yourself, therefore, is what the noun is referring back to. In this case, the word "job" refers to the positions of curators and museum curators. Because multiple people want these jobs (and because there is more than one job), you must have a plural noun here, making "these jobs," the only viable option.

This question has two distinct decision points: between "phases" and "phase's" and between "its" and "it's." In both cases, the correct answer hinges on whether the word is meant to be possessive. The word "phase" should be plural rather than possessive (the phase of the construction can't possess anything), so the correct form of the word is "phases." Between "its" and "it's," you need to determine whether the word should be possessive (its) or the contraction "it is" (it's). Since you are looking at the construction of the Sagrada Familia, you need the possessive form "its."

This example tests us on pronoun ambiguity. In the original construction, it is unclear whether “he” refers back to John or James. Since we do not have a clear antecedent for our pronoun, any answer choice that utilizes “he” can be eliminated. In fact, in many cases, we correct pronoun ambiguity by eliminating the pronoun entirely, as the correct answer, “but only the former” has done. By referring to “the former,” the sentence has made it clear that we’re referring to John. The correct answer also includes the logical coordinating conjunction “but” after the comma to connect the two independent clauses in the sentence. Our final incorrect answer, “only the former” fails to include this conjunction and creates a comma splice.

This question primarily tests us on reference and the use of the proper, possessive form “its.” In the sentence, it would be illogical to use the contraction “it’s,” as the sentence is not attempting to say “it gained it is inspiration.” Instead, if we use “its,” the single possessive pronoun to refer to the inspiration Jazz gained. It is also important that we begin the underlined portion with “where,” as “which” illogically refers back to New Orleans and implies that New Orleans gained its inspiration from ragtime and blues. The correct answer, “where it gained its” correctly addresses that New Orleans is the location where Jazz gained the inspiration it possesses.

If we look to the answer choices, we can see that this question primarily tests the singular vs. plural nature of the verb was vs. were, and the possessive pronoun its vs. their. Two of our choices, “was well known for their​” and “were well known for its” are illogical given that they utilize a plural verb with a singular pronoun, or a singular verb with a plural pronoun. Since both of these terms refer back to the same subject: “Egyptians.” Since “Egyptians” is a plural subject, we need a plural verb and a plural pronoun, so the correct answer is “were well known for their.” Here, if we remove the modifying phrase “who inhabited ancient Egypt from 1500-1000 B.C.” the agreement of “Egyptians” to “were well known for their” becomes more straightforward and clear.

This example tests us on meaning and pronoun ambiguity. In the original construction, we can clearly see that two things have led to a rebound in the eagle population: prohibitions and the ban of a pesticide. However, our incorrect constructions introduce either the singular pronoun “it” or “its,” or the plural possessive pronoun “their.” This is illogical, as it is unclear whether the pronoun should refer to the bald eagle (an illogical construction) or the United States (a more logical but unclear antecedent. Additionally, “because it has prohibited” introduces a sentence construction error by forming the underlined portion as a verb phrase that does not parallel the rest of the sentence as intended. This leaves us with our original answer, “because prohibitions on.”

In this example, we’re being tested on the use of singular vs. plural possessive pronouns to refer back to their proper antecedents. In the original construction, “their” illogically attempts to refer back to “the host mother.” This is incorrect, as we need to match a singular possessive pronoun with a singular antecedent, or a plural possessive pronoun with a plural antecedent. Only our correct answer, “host mothers try to identify their own eggs” accomplishes this. We want to be particularly careful when both elements of an agreement or ambiguity-based question are within the underline, as the author of the question could choose to change both components of the agreement at hand, as we see in this example.

This example tests us on pronoun ambiguity and meaning. In the original construction, the underlined portion seems to imply that officials are “threatened by the potential for overpopulation,” since the modifier at the start of the sentence must logically modify what follows. This is illogical, as officials are neither threatened by or limiting “their” population growth. “officials of Central New Jersey has limited its” makes a similar mistake, and also incorrectly attempts to agree “officials” with the singular pronoun “its.” When we begin the underlined portion of the sentence with “Central New Jersey,” rather than “officials,” we correct the modifier error previously described. However, in “Central New Jersey has limited their,” we incorrectly agree the singular noun “Central New Jersey” with the plural pronoun “their.” Our correct answer, “Central New Jersey has limited its” corrects both of these issues by presenting the location itself as threatened and creating proper agreement to that location with the singular pronoun “its.”

This example tests us on pronoun ambiguity. In the original construction, and in all constructions that utilize the pronoun “they,” the pronoun is ambiguous and creates a reference error. A reference error exists when it is unclear who or what the pronoun refers back to. In this case, the pronoun “they” could refer back to the managers, or to the employees. Does the manual outline rules for employees about contacting managers while the managers are out of the office, or while the employees are? Because we are uncertain of the pronoun’s antecedent, all answers that utilize “they” can be eliminated, and we’re left with “who are.” “Who are” is logical in this case, as the relative clause opener “who” must logically refer back to the noun or noun phrase before, in this case, managers.

This question has two distinct decision points: between "phases" and "phase's" and between "its" and "it's." In both cases, the correct answer hinges on whether the word is meant to be possessive. The word "phase" should be plural rather than possessive (the phase of the construction can't possess anything), so the correct form of the word is "phases." Between "its" and "it's," you need to determine whether the word should be possessive (its) or the contraction "it is" (it's). Since you are looking at the construction of the Sagrada Familia, you need the possessive form "its."

Whenever the ACT Writing and Language section asks you for the best transition between two paragraphs or sentences, read the sentence before and after the transition and determine the relationship between the two sentences. The sentence before in this case states that the original vision of the church was based on Gothic revival churches from Italy. The sentence after the transition word states that this ideal wasn't built. Because of the contrast between the two sentences, you're looking for a word that indicates contrast. The only choice that indicates contrast is, NO CHANGE. Since the other options all indicate that the next sentence should be a continuation, they can all be eliminated.

Whenever you are asked to join two thoughts with a comma, you should make sure that the sentence that is created is both not a run-on and a complete sentence. In this case, your hint should be the second comma after "Catalonia" later in the sentence. The portion directly after the first comma is meant to be a piece of additional information bracketed within commas. It therefore shouldn't have a verb, since having a verb would create a run-on sentence. That should allow you to eliminate all choices except for "DELETE the underlined portion."

Whenever the ACT asks you to differentiate between four synonyms or near-synonyms on the Writing and Language section, it is either testing formality (whether the word choice matches the tone of the rest of the passage) or meaning (whether you recognize which of several closely related words to use). In this case, it is testing formality. Good writing has a consistent tone and is appropriate to the audience it is being presented to. This essay is about the history of a famous architectural site and has a formal tone. To fit with that, you need to have an equally formal word in this sentence. The only word that fits the tone of the passage is, well-known. The other three answer choices vary from informal ("big name") to vague ("big") and can be eliminated.