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English passages How should I read the passages? English passages You should skim the first paragraph (and perhaps read the first line of the next paragraph) and then answer the questions that pertain to that paragraph. Grasp the context, style, and verb tense! Think like an editor. Keep in mind the author’s intent and intended audience. English passages Answer choices can give you clues. Let’s look at this example. After the devastating hurricane, the Red Cross offered food and medical aid to the Mexican government and they accepted. A. NO CHANGE B. and they accept. C. and it accepted. D. and it accepts. Correct answer = C English passages If you’re stuck, consider the shortest answer first. Let’s look at this example: Due to the fact that Juan did not want or desire to change his diet or exercise, he continued to gain weight. A. NO CHANGE B. Since Juan did not want to change his diet or exercise, C. Due to the fact that Juan did not desire to be changing his diet or exercising, D. Because Juan did not want or desire to change his diet or exercise, Correct answer = B English passages Omit the underlined portion – correct more than 25% of the time!!!! BUT DO NOT PICK IT WILLY NILLY! REMEMBER, THAT IT IS ALSO INCORRECT 75% OF THE TIME. The officer stepped cautiously into the darkened building, being extremely careful as he did. A. NO CHANGE B. being extremely careful as he stepped. C. being extremely careful. D. OMIT the underlined portion and end the sentence with a period. Corect answer = d English passages The “NO CHANGE” answer choice is not just put in to throw you off track, but it is actually correct 20-25% of the time. Neither the teacher nor the students know where the maps are kept. A. NO CHANGE B. knows where C. knew where D. knows how Correct answer = a English passages Let’s look at this minor change to the previous question. Neither the students nor the teacher know where the maps are kept. A. NO CHANGE B. knows where C. knew where D. knows where Correct answer = d English passages Check the context for clues that are not in the underlined portion. Trust your ear: if the original sentence doesn’t sound good when spoke out loud, then it probably needs to be corrected. CHECK THE CONTEXT! FIX IT YOURSELF! FIND A MATCH! PLUG IN THE ANSWER! English passages Comma questions usually ask you to recognize the presence of a short modifying phrase that needs to be set off by commas: Wandering through the park, we came across a large and, possibly dangerous wild dog. A. NO CHANGE B. a large, and possibly dangerous, wild C. a large and possibly dangerous, wild D. a large and possibly dangerous wild, Correct answer = b English passages A correctly written English sentence should have only one independent subject and predicate (or two independent clauses which have been joined properly); if a group of words has two or more independent subject/verb combinations, it is called a “run-on” or “comma splice” and is incorrect. I wanted to see the movie that night, I did not stay for the end of Professor Duvall’s class. A. NO CHANGE B. that night the point being I did not stay C. that night! D. that night, so I did not stay Correct answer = D RARELY WILL THE CORRECT ANSWER CONTAIN AN EXCLAMATION MARK. English passages BOYFANS = coordinating conjunctions But Or Yet For And Nor So English passages If a comma is added to the word in front of the BOYFANS, you can separate two independent clauses. The dog barks, and the cat meows. EQUAL to the comma + BOYFANS is a semicolon: The dog barks; the cat meows. OR you could subordinate one of the two clauses: The dog barks because the cat meows. English passages Watch for misplaced modifiers, a word or phrase that describes or defines another word or phrase other than what is intended: Crested with an impressive rack of antlers, Howard and Jake were startled by a large moose. A. B. C. D. NO CHANGE Crested with an impressive rack of antlers, the large moose startled Howard and Jake. Howard and Jake startled the moose. Crested with a large impressive rack of antlers. Crested with an impressive rack of antlers. The large moose startled Howard and Jake. Correct answer = b English passages Now that so many people have access to the Internet, frequently government offices offer forms that can be downloaded. A. NO CHANGE B. (Place before offices) C. (Place before offer) D. (Place before downloaded) Correct answer = c English passages She would intricately follow these exchanges carefully, without ever lifting an eye from her needlework. A. NO CHANGE B. follow these intricate C. intricate follow these D. follow these intricately Correct answer = b English passages One-third of the grammar questions involve verbs – about four or five questions. The error in the underlined part of the sentence will depend upon the grammatical structure of a non-underlined part of the sentence. The majority of the verb questions will involve tense: since the proper tense of a verb can only be determined by context, you must read the material carefully. Few scientific discoveries are the work of a single person; often discoveries were made simultaneously by researchers who have no contact with each other. A. NO CHANGE B. made C. are made D. have been made Correct answer = c English passages On first hearing it in 1959, many people called Coleman’s music “the death of jazz;” even today, it seemed incomprehensible to many. A. NO CHANGE B. seems C. seemingly was D. has seemed Correct answer = b English passages Subject-verb agreement can be boiled down to this simple rule: If the subject is the “s-form,” the verb does NOT need the “s-form.” The cats meow. The dog and cat meow. On the other hand, if the subject does not have the “s-form,” the verb needs the “s-form.” The cat meows. The cat with the yellow paws meows. English passages Learning disabilities, in spite of being recognized by the American Psychiatric Association, is often dismissed by the general public. A. NO CHANGE B. Association is C. Association, are D. Association are Correct answer = c English passages Pronouns should not confuse the reader. In other words, each pronoun should have a clear antecedent. But just as the prize fish was about to clear the water, Stretch’s rod bent sharply toward the sea, then straightened abruptly. It was gone, and, with it, his six-dollar lure. A. NO CHANGE B. The thing C. The fish D. Suddenly, it Correct answer = c English passages Be consistent with the “person” of the pronoun. Rarely will you (second person) be correct. Look to see if it is used in the rest of the text – where there are no underlined opportunities to change it. English passages There, their, they’re – often confused: There is related to here and where – it’s a location! Their is a possessive pronoun (like its and your). They’re is a contraction for they are (like it’s for it is and you’re for you are). They grabbed there coats, hats, and big rubber galoshes and headed for the door. A. NO CHANGE B. there coats, there hats, and, C. their coats, hats, and D. they’re coats, hats, and
