Download Chapter 6 Sentence Structure and Punctuation The ACT English test

Chapter 6
Sentence Structure and Punctuation
The ACT English test contains a number of questions that
test sentence-structure issues and punctuation errors. This
chapter takes a look at the primary errors in sentence
structure: sentence fragments, comma splices and run-ons,
misplaced modifiers, and non-parallel construction. It also
covers the basics of how and when to use certain
punctuation marks.
Often, a sentence-structure and
punctuation questions can be spotted by looking at the
variations in the answer choices.
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THE BASICS OF SENTENCE STRUCTURE
Good sentence structure is about putting together words, phrases, and clauses—the essential
building blocks of sentences—in logical ways. Before we talk about the errors of sentence
structure, let’s spend a moment talking about correct structure. Here is that example again.
As he ran across the room, Tom broke the vase.
This sentence consists of two clauses. Each clause has a subject and verb. The second clause
(“Tom broke the vase”) is considered the main clause and is independent because it can stand
alone. The first clause (“As he ran across the room,”) is called dependent because it cannot stand
alone.
You can easily change a dependent clause into an independent clause and vice versa. Often, all
it takes is a single word.
He ran across the room.
By removing “as” from the dependent clause, we suddenly have a sentence that can stand on its
own. By adding an “as” to the second clause, we can instantly change it into a dependent clause.
As Tom broke the vase,…
If we stuck these two new clauses together now, the meaning of the sentence would be very
different. Could we have kept the meaning more or less the same and still made the first clause
independent? Sure. Try this
Tom ran across the room, breaking the vase.
Now the first half of the sentence contains the main independent clause. We had to change “he”
to “Tom” so that the reader would know about whom the sentence was talking. We also had to
change the second half of the sentence from a clause into a modifying phrase. While a clause
has a subject and a verb, a phrase is missing at least one of these.
PUTTING THE PIECES TOGETHER
Proficient writers use a mixture of dependent clauses, independent clauses, phrases, and varied
punctuation to add variety to their writing and to create emphasis. By combining these building
blocks in different ways, writers create a rhythm and show readers which thoughts are most
important.
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Here are the most often used structures.





Independent clause (period) new independent clause (period)
o Jane lit the campfire. Frank set up the tent.
Independent clause (comma plus conjunction) independent clause (period)
o Jane lit the campfire, and Frank set up the tent.
Independent clause (semicolon) independent clause (period)
o Jane lit the campfire; Frank set up the tent.
Independent clause (comma) dependent clause (period)
o Jane lit the campfire, while Frank set up the tent.
Dependent clause (comma) independent clause (period)
o As Jane lit the campfire, Frank set up the tent.
All of these examples are correct. A writer might choose one over another to emphasize one
thought over another. For example, in the last sentence, the writer is choosing to make “setting
up the tent” the focus. Perhaps in the next sentence the tent is going to collapse with Frank
inside it.
THE GLUE
Punctuation serves as the glue that holds the pieces of our sentences together. It’s important to
use the correct punctuation; otherwise, the pieces of a sentence won’t form a coherent sentence.
There are several types of punctuation that are used in different ways. Some types, such as the
period, are only used in one way (to end a sentence). Other types, such as the apostrophe, can be
used in many situations (denoting contractions or possession, for example). If that sounds
confusing, don’t worry—we’ll go through each type and explain how it works and affects
sentence structure.
As you saw previously, there are many different ways to combine clauses and phrases. Now
let’s see how punctuation works in these scenarios.
Two Independent Clauses
Mary wondered why there was a bird in the classroom and she decided to ask the teacher
what the bird was doing indoors.
When two independent clauses appear in the same sentence, they are usually joined by a
conjunction (a word like and, or, but, for, not, or yet). Thus, the two independent clauses above
are “Mary wondered why there was a bird in the classroom” and “she decided to ask the teacher
what the bird was doing indoors.” A comma belongs before the conjunction that joins the two
independent clauses.
Mary wondered why there was a bird in the classroom, and she decided to ask the
Teacher what the bird was doing indoors.
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Alternatively, you could separate the two clauses with a period or a semicolon. To do that, you
would also need to remove the conjunction and.
Mary wondered why there was a bird in the classroom. She decided to ask the teacher
what the bird was doing indoors.
Or:
Mary wondered why there was a bird in the classroom; she decided to ask the teacher
what the bird was doing indoors.
The first example using a period separates the two clauses completely. A semicolon, on the
other hand, indicates that the two clauses are related. However, the ACT doesn’t tend to
differentiate between the two.
You can also use a colon to connect two independent clauses if the second is an expansion or
explanation of the first clause. Let’s look at an example.
I didn’t know what to do: I could either go camping or stay home and study for the ACT.
An Independent Clause and a Dependent Clause
Commas are also used to separate independent clauses from dependent clauses. You’ll
remember that a dependent clause is one that cannot stand on its own as a sentence. Identify the
dependent clause in the sentence below.
Before Mary could reach the teacher she saw the woman offer the bird part of the bagel.
The first clause, “Before Mary could reach the teacher,” cannot stand by itself and therefore is a
dependent clause. “She saw the woman offer the bird part of the bagel” can stand by itself, so it
is an independent clause. Here, the two must be separated by a comma.
Before Mary could reach the teacher, she saw the woman offer the bird part of the bagel.
An Independent Clause and a Modifying Phrase
Commas are also used to separate independent clauses from modifying phrases of more than just
a couple of words. A modifying phrase modifies or describes something else, usually a noun.
Identify the modifying phrase in the sentence below.
Hungry and excited the bird snapped up the bagel.
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“Hungry and excited” is a modifying phrase (it modifies and noun “bird” and is a participial
phrase—you know how to use them!) “The bird snapped up the bagel” is an independent clause.
The two must be separated by a comma.
Hungry and excited the bird snapped up the bagel.
Additional Information Within an Independent Clause
You might decide to include some extra information or details in you independent clause. You
can set that information apart from the rest of the sentence by using commas or dashes. You can
also use a colon to add a list of related details.
Josh, who needed to stock up for the party, went to the story to buy the
necessary supplies: soda, chips, balloons, and weasels.
Commas
Commas can change restrictive clauses or phrases to being nonrestrictive. What does that mean?
A “restrictive” clause or phrase is essential to the meaning of a sentence, and it should not be
separated from the rest of the sentence by commas.
People who snore are advised to sleep on their sides.
“Who snore” is essential to the meaning of this sentence. The sentence is not saying that all
people should sleep on their sides, just the ones who snore.
A “nonrestrictive” clause or phrase is not essential to the meaning of the sentence. It merely
adds a parenthetical thought, and therefore, it needs to be separated from the rest of the sentence
by commas.
My father, who snores loudly, always sleeps in his long johns.
Identify the nonrestrictive clause in the sentence below.
Mary who by now was very confused stopped in front of the woman.
The nonrestrictive clause is “who by now was very confused.” This clause modifies the noun
that precedes it—in this case, “Mary”—but is not essential to the meaning of the sentence.
“Mary stopped in front of the woman” does not need the clause in order to make sense as a
sentence. To set off the clause from the rest of the sentence, you need to surround it with a pair
of commas.
Mary, who by now was very confused, stopped in front of the woman
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Identify the restrictive clause in the sentence below.
“Only a person who is a little peculiar would feed a bagel to a bird!” thought Mary.
“Who is a little particular”’ is a restrictive clause because it adds essential information to the
sentence. Thus, it does not require separation by commas.
How Do You Spot Restrictive/Nonrestrictive Comma Errors?
As always, the answer choices prove you with a very small menu of options from which to
choose. If you see differences in punctuation among the choices, check to see whether the
underlined portion of the sentence is part of a restrictive or nonrestrictive phrase or clause.
Dashes
Dashes (—) separate a word or group of words from the rest of the sentence. Dashes are used
either to indicate an abrupt break in thought or to introduce an explanation or afterthought.
In the example below, which group of words should be separated from the rest of the sentence?
I tried to express my gratitude not that any words could be adequate but she
just nodded and walked away.
The phrase “not that any words could be adequate” must be isolated from the rest of the
sentence.
I tried to express my gratitude—not that any words could be adequate—but she
just nodded and walked away.
When the group of words that needs isolating is in the middle of a sentence, dashes function as a
pair of less formal parentheses. However, when the phrase that needs isolating is at the end of
the sentence instead, only one dash is required.
Just outside the door to the cabin we heard the howling of wolves—a
sound that made our hair stand on end.
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How Do You Spot Dash Errors?
If the underlined portion or any of the answer choices contains a dash, compare the dash to the
punctuation marks available in the other answer choices. Also check the non-underlined portion
of the passage for dashes that might be linking up with this one to isolate a clause or phrase. Ask
yourself whether the sentence contains a sudden break in thought, an explanation, or an
afterthought.
Remember that if the group of words that needs isolating is in the middle of the sentence, there
should be a pair of dashes. If the group of words is at the end of the sentence, there should be
only one.
Colons
Colons are usually used after a complete statement to introduce a list of related details. The list
can have many items or just one. In the following sentence, try to decide where the statement
ends and the details begin.
Maria just purchased all the camping supplies for our trip, a backpack
a sleeping bag, and a pair of hiking boots.
“Maria just purchased all the camping supplies for our trip” is the complete statement in the
sentence above. “A backpack, a sleeping bag, and a pair of hiking boots” are the related details.
A colon belongs between the two.
Maria just purchased all the camping supplies for our trip: a backpack
a sleeping bag, and a pair of hiking boots.
How Do You Spot Colon Errors?
If the underlined phrase or any of the answer choices contains a colon, you should ask yourself
the following question:
Is a list of some kind introduced by an independent clause?
If so, a colon preceding the list or statement is correct. If not, a colon is probably incorrect.
One of ACT’s favorite tricks is to write a sentence that utilizes a colon to introduce a list but to
do so incorrectly because it follows an incomplete thought. Look out for colons that follow the
verb including or the phrase such as.
Maria just purchased all the camping supplies for our trip, including: a backpack
a sleeping bag, and a pair of hiking boots
In this example, the colon is used improperly. By adding the word “including,” the part of the
sentence preceding the colon is no longer an independent clause, and therefore, the sentence, as
written, is incorrect.
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To make a sentence more complex, you can always add more clauses and phrases (with the
appropriate punctuation, of course), but those are the basic building blocks. Now that we know
how to put these pieces together, let’s look at some the ways the ACT tests sentence structure
errors.
AVOID THESE COMMON ERRORS IN SENTENCE
STRUCTURE
There are four main types of errors in sentence structure.
1.
2.
3.
4.
sentence fragments
run-ons and comma splices
misplaced modifiers
non-parallel construction
All of these errors are the result of incorrect placement of the building blocks that make up
sentences. Sentence structure on the ACT is closely tied to punctuation. The two are related
because sentence structure errors can often be fixed by using the appropriate punctuation. In
fact, you will find that by using punctuation clues from the answer choices, you will often be
able to zero in on sentence structure errors in the passages.
Error #1: Sentence Fragments
A complete sentence must have a subject and a verb, and it must be able to stand alone. In other
words, it must be or contain an independent clause. Remember the very first example in this
chapter?
Tom broke the vase.
This is an independent clause. We can change it into a dependent clause by adding just one
word.
When Tom broke the vase,…
Even though it still has a subject and a verb, this clause can no longer stand alone. It is now
waiting for an independent clause to finish the sentence.
When Tom broke the vase, Sid ran to tell their aunt Sally.
You can turn any independent clause into a dependent clause by adding one of the words in the
box below to the beginning of the clause.
when, where, why, how, if, as, because,
although, while, despite, that, who, what
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(You may see these words referred to as subordinating conjunctions, relative pronouns, or
prepositions.)
By the same token, you can turn most dependent clauses into independent clauses by taking
away these words.
The First Type of Sentence Fragment
There are two kinds of sentence fragments. The first is just a dependent clause waiting for a
second half that isn’t there. Here’s an example.
The bride and groom drove away in their
car. As the children ran behind, shouting and
1
laughing.
1. A.
B.
C.
D.
NO CHANGE
While the
During which the
The
Here’s How to Crack It
The second “sentence” in the example isn’t a sentence at all; it is a dependent clause. Answer
choices (B) and (C) repeat the error. The only answer that makes the clause independent is (D).
Could we have combined the second “sentence” with the first to make a correct sentence? Yes,
but in this case, the ACT doesn’t give us that option: The period at the end of the first sentence
isn’t underlined, so we can’t change it.
The Second Type f Sentence Fragment
In the second type of sentence fragment question, the ACT writers ask you to incorporate the
sentence fragment into the complete sentence coming immediately before or after the fragment
through the use of different punctuation marks. In the example that follows, notice that the
underlining extends from the end of one sentence through the beginning of the next sentence, so
it includes the punctuation as well.
Although it will always be associated with
Shakespeare’s famous literary character. The
2
castle at Elsinore was never home to Hamlet.
2. F.
G.
H.
J.
NO CHANGE
character, the
character; the
character. A
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Here’s How to Crack It
The underlined portion of this passage includes pieces of two sentences and the punctuation in
between. We have to check both “sentences” to make sure they are complete. Let’s check the
first “sentence” first. Can it stand on its own? No. It’s a dependent clause. Aha! This is the
error. Could we have removed the “Although” at the beginning to create an independent clause?
Sure, but that isn’t an option in this case because “Although” isn’t underlined.
This time, the only way to fix the passage is to combine the dependent clause with the
independent clause to form one big sentence. As we mentioned earlier in the chapter, you need a
comma between a dependent and an independent clause. The only answer choice that contains a
comma is (G). This must be the correct answer.
How Do You Spot Sentence Fragments
You will often be able to spot this type of error as you read the passage itself, now that you know
to look for a dependent clause all by itself. If you don’t see the error as you read the passage the
first time, however, don’t despair. There are three terrific clues waiting for you—the three
remaining answer choices after NO CHANGE.
The Answer Choices Contain Valuable Clues
If you’re having trouble deciding whether a passage has a sentence-construction error, it helps to
look at the answer choices. They often contain great clues as to what is going on in the minds of
the test writers. In the last question, for example, it may have helped to look at the differences in
punctuation among the answer choices. Some of the choices break the two clauses into two
sentences. Others combine them. This should make you ask, “Why would ACT give me this
choice? Maybe this question is about sentence construction. Would it be better to combine the
two clauses? Hmm. Let me check for sentence fragments.”
Sometimes, of course, there will be no need to change the sentence at all. Remember, the answer
NO CHANGE is correct slightly less than a quarter of the time. However, the flip side of this is
that NO CHANGE is wrong slightly more than three-quarters of the time.
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Error #2: Comma Splices and Run-Ons
In a comma splice, two independent clauses are jammed together into one sentence, with only a
comma to try to hold them together.
Aunt Sally ran into the room, Tom was already gone.
There are several ways to fix this sentence. The easiest way would be to break it up into two
sentences.
Aunt Sally ran into the room. Tom was
already gone.
If there is a clear reason that one clause might be
connected to the other (for example, if Tom has
just broken Aunt Sally’s vase), you can also fix it
by putting a conjunction (such as “and” or “but”)
between the two thoughts.
Conjunctions
Conjunctions plus commas can be used to link
two independent clauses.
Mary wondered why there was a bird
in the classroom, and she decided to
ask the teacher what the bird was
doing indoors.
You will also see conjunctions linking
dependent clauses to independent clauses, as in
this example.
Susie was sick because she ate seven
hamburgers.
Aunt Sally ran into the room. Tom was
already gone.
You can also break up the two thoughts with a
semicolon instead of a period.
Aunt Sally arrived home several hours later;
Tom was already gone.
The first part of the sentence does give a
complete thought, but the “because” in the
second part means that clause cannot stand on
its own. The “because” is a conjunction,
however, and links the dependent clause to the
independent clause.
A run-on sentence is the same thing as a comma splice but without the comma.
Aunt Sally swept up the shards of glass she was furious.
Again, the easiest way to solve the problem is to break up the sentence into two new sentences.
Aunt Sally swept up the shards of glass. She was furious.
A run-on sentence is often much longer than our example, running on and on, you might actually
be out of breath if you read it out loud and then wonder whether perhaps it would have been
better to split it up into more than one sentence. That last sentence, of course, was a run-on as
well.
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Here’s How They Look on the ACT
Here’s how a comma splice or run-on might look on the ACT.
There is not much difference between the
decision to enter politics and the decision to
jump into a pit full of rattlesnakes, in fact, you
3
might find a friendlier environment in the
snake pit
3.
A.
B.
C.
D.
NO CHANGE
rattlesnakes. In fact
rattlesnakes in fact
rattlesnakes, in fact
Here’s How to Crack It
Check the punctuation. As soon as you see that one or more of the answer choices gives you the
option of breaking up the sentence into two pieces, you should immediately consider that there
might be a comma splice or a run-on problem. Are the two clauses surrounding the punctuation
both independent? Yes! This is probably a comma splice error. Now the question is how to fix
it. Only one of the answer choices breaks the long sentence into two smaller ones. Answer
choice (B) is probably correct. Remember, however, that there are other ways to fix a comma
splice; to be certain, try out the other answer choices in the sentence. Perhaps one of them will
use a conjunction to bridge the two clauses. Is that the case here? No. Therefore, the correct
answer is (B).
The college’s plans for expansion included a
new science building and a new dormitory if
4
the funding drive is successful, there will be
enough money for both.
4. F. NO CHANGE
G. dormitory, if
H. dormitory; if,
J. dormitory. If
Here’s How to Crack It
If you could start from scratch, there would be many different ways of expressing the thoughts in
this passage. However, as always, you must find the way that the ACT writers decided to use.
Again, the answer choices provide immediate clues. In some, the sentence is broken up into two
smaller sentences. Check to see if there are independent clauses on either side of the
punctuation. Bingo: This is a run-on sentence. Which choices can we eliminate? (F) and (G)
bite the dust. Both (H) and (J) successfully break up the two clauses. (Remember, a semicolon
will often do the trick if the subjects of the two clauses are related.)
Is there anything wrong with either of them? Come to think of it, the comma at the end of (H) is
unnecessary. The correct answer is (J).
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Error #3: Misplaced Modifiers
A modifying phrase needs to be near what it is modifying. If it gets too far away, it can get
misplaced.
Sweeping up the shards of glass, the missing key to the jewelry box was found by Aunt
Sally.
As written, this sentence gives the impression that the missing key was sweeping up the shards of
glass. When a sentence begins with a modifying phrase (a group of words without a subject),
the noun being modified must follow the phrase. Who was sweeping up the shards of glass?
Aunt Sally, of course. The correct version of this sentence would be
Sweeping up the shards of glass, Aunt Sally found the missing key to her jewelry box.
A more subtle version of the same type of error
Ecstatic and happy, Aunt Sally’s key opened the jewelry box for the first time in weeks.
At first glance, it looks like a modifying phrase “ecstatic and happy” is modifying Aunt Sally.
However, what is the real subject of this sentence, as written? The key. “Aunt Sally’s” is
actually modifying the key. A correct version of this sentence would be
Ecstatic and happy, Aunt Sally used her key to open the jewelry box for the first time in
weeks.
Here’s How They Look on the Act
Here’s how a misplaced modifier might look on the ACT.
Walking into the pawnshop, Bob’s watch
dropped into the sewer.
5
5. A.
B.
C.
D.
NO CHANGE
Bob’s watch dropped in the sewer
Bob dropped his watch into the sewer
Bob’s dropped watch into the sewer
Here’s How to Crack It
Bob’s watch may have dropped into the sewer, but it certainly isn’t walking to the pawnshop.
We’ve got to get Bob closer to the comma so it’s clear that the modifying phrase in the first half
of the sentence refers to him. Only (C) does that.
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How Do You Spot Misplaced Modifiers?
That’s easy! If the underlined portion of the sentence includes the noun that is supposed to be
modified, check to make sure it is the correct noun.
Construction Shifts
A related type of error is what the ACT writers call a construction shift. These resemble
misplaced modifiers in that the modifier is in the wrong place, but construction shifts require no
words to be changed. Instead, the modifying word or phrase simply has to be moved over
slightly.
Stepping to avoid the large puddle, I carefully
6
tripped and fell.
6. F. NO CHANGE
G. (Place after Stepping)
H. (Place after and)
J. (Place after fell)
Here’s How to Crack It
These questions require just a little common sense. “Carefully” is an adverb. It must modify a
verb. The only question for us is, which verb. Only a stunt man trips or falls “carefully.” This
effectively disposes of answer choices (F), (H), and (J). If we put “carefully” after “stepping,”
does the sentence make sense? Yes, so the answer if (G).
How Do You Spot Construction Shifts?
That’s easy. The answer choices in construction shifts are either presented as shown above, or as
follows:
Stepping to avoid the large puddle, I carefully
7
tripped and fell.
7
7. A. NO CHANGE
B. Stepping carefully over the puddle, I
tripped and fell.
C. Stepping over the puddle, I
tripped and carefully fell.
D. Stepping over the puddle, I
tripped and fell carefully.
Here’s How to Crack It
In either case, it is easy to see that the only difference in each of the answer choices is the
position of the word “carefully.” This should alert you to consider the position of the modifier.
Once again, you must keep your focus on the differences among the answers.
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Error #4: Non-Parallel Construction
There are two major types of parallel construction errors tested on the ACT. They both involve
some kind of list. You might see a list of verbs.
When Tom finally came home, Aunt Sally kissed him, hugged him, and
gives him his favorite dessert after dinner.
The sentence above has an error because all of the items on the list must be in the same tense.
The first two verbs in the example above (“kissed” and “hugged”) are in the past tense, but the
third verb (“gives”) is in the present tense. It is not “parallel” with the other two. The correct
sentence should read
When Tom finally came home, Aunt Sally kissed him, hugged him, and
gave him his favorite dessert after dinner.
You might also see a list of nouns.
The Serial Comma
Commas are used to separate items in a
series. Let’s look at an example.
When Mary walked into the
classroom, she saw a teacher, a
doctor, a woman eating a bagel
and a bird.
A comma should be placed after each
item in a series. Thus, we need a
comma after the phrase “woman eating
a bagel.” As this sentence stands, you
might the impression that the woman
was eating the bird as well.
In some writing, it is acceptable to omit
the commas before the “and” in a
series of three or more items.
However, the ACT test writers prefer a
more formal version of English, so use
a comma to separate every item in a
series, including the last one.
Three explanations for Sid’s locking himself in his
room were a desire to do his homework, a sense
that he needed to hone his college essays, and
disliking his brother Tom, who always got away
with murder.
The sentence above is wrong because while “a
desire” and “a sense” are both nouns, “disliking” is
a gerund, or a verb functioning as a noun. Is there a
more noun-like way to say the same thing? If you
said “a dislike of,” you are absolutely right. Now
the sentence is parallel. Here’s the corrected
version.
Three explanations for Sid’s locking himself in his
room were a desire to do his homework, a sense
that he needed to hone his college essays, and a
dislike of his brother Tom, who always got away
with murder.
The lists do not have to have three nouns or three
verbs. Sometimes there are only two.
To see the beauty of a sunset in Venice is
experiencing perfection.
This is wrong because if the first half of the sentence begins with the infinitive “to see,” the
second half of the sentence must also begin with an infinitive.
To see the beauty of a sunset in Venice is to experience perfection.
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How Do You Spot Parallel-Construction Problems?
That’s easy. First, as you read the passage, be on the lookout for a series of actions or nouns.
Now that you know what to look for, you may spot an error even without having to go to the
answer choices. Second, look for changes in verb tense or the way in which nouns are set up
among the answer choices.
“Just the Punctuation, Ma’am”
The ACT likes to test one kind of punctuation all by itself: the apostrophe. These errors aren’t
related to sentence structure, but they are fairly common.
Apostrophes
An apostrophe is used either to indicate possession or to mark missing letters in a word.
When it is used to indicate possession, it appears either right before or right after the s at the end
of the possessive noun.
Peter’s new care is extremely expensive.
Women’s issues will be important in the next election.
The girls’ rooms will be renovated this summer.
The apostrophe tells us that the car belongs to Peter. If the noun in possession is singular—as in
the case of Peter—the apostrophe falls before the “s.” If the noun in possession is singular and
ends in “s”—such as “boss”—add an apostrophe and an “s” if the possessive form would be
pronounced the same as the plural form (in this case, “boss’s” is pronounced “bosses”). The
ACT does not test the few exceptions to this rule.
If it is plural and it doesn’t end in “s”—as in the case of women—the apostrophe falls before the
“s.” If it is plural and it ends in “s”—as in the case of “girls”—the apostrophe falls after the “s.”
Note: Don’t worry too much about the plural nouns. ACT seems more interested in your ability
to form singular possessives correctly.
The ACT folks also seem very interested in whether you know when an apostrophe is
unnecessary; some apostrophe questions require you to drop an apostrophe. Remember, for the
apostrophe to be correct when forming a possessive, the noun containing it must be followed by
another noun or an adjective and a noun.
Peter’s new car
Women’s issues
Girls’ room
The apostrophe is also used to indicate missing letters in a word.
I’m sorry. I couldn’t make it to your party.
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In the sentence above, the apostrophe takes the place of “a” (I’m instead of I am) and the place of
“o” (couldn’t instead of could not). Words that use apostrophes in this way are called
contractions. Common contractions include don’t, isn’t, won’t, and can’t.
Its/It’s/Its’
The most common apostrophe error you’ll see tested on the ACT is misuse of it’s and its, which
have their own special rules.
The word “it’s”—with an apostrophe—is used only when you want to say “it is” or “it has.”
It’s important. (It is important.)
It’s been nice talking to you. (It has been nice talking to you.)
The word “its”—without an apostrophe—is the possessive form of the word it
The baby bear could not find its mother.
We realize this is a little confusing because you usually use an apostrophe to form the
possessive. The ACT writers realize this is confusing, too; that’s why this error is on the test.
Possessive pronouns (such as his, her, your, our) NEVER take apostrophes.
The word its’ isn’t a word at all. That doesn’t stop ACT from throwing it on the test to try to trip
you up. Most ACT English tests have at least one made-up word on them somewhere.
How Do You Spot Apostrophe Errors?
If a word in the underlined portion or any of the answer choices contains an apostrophe, you
should ask yourself whether the apostrophe is meant to form a contraction or to make a noun
possessive and which you need for the sentence. When the word(s) it’s or it is is in the
underlined portion or any of the answer choices, use the special rules we just discussed.
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What About !(“)*?
It seems that the ACT test writers just aren’t that interested in whether you know how to use
exclamation points, parentheses, asterisks, and question marks correctly. They mention in their
guide that the ACT tests some of these points, but not one of the ACTs in The Real ACT Prep
Guide contains any such questions.
Quotation marks sometimes surround words in the underlined portion and the answer choices,
but when they do appear, they show up in every answer choice (you aren’t given the option of
removing them) and seem intended to distract you from some other error.
As a result, we think you’re safe spending your time worrying about other kinds of punctuation.
The most common punctuation errors on the ACT deal with commas, semicolons, colons,
dashes, and apostrophes. Learn how to use these correctly, and you should be covered.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
How Do You Spot Punctuation Errors?
That’s easy. Look for changes in punctuation among the answer choices. These changes tell you
what the ACT writers are up to.
Look at the following example:
A.
B.
C.
D.
NO CHANGE
cities environmental problems
city’s environmental problems
citys’ environmental problems
Clearly, this question is about the proper use of the apostrophe. Read the entire sentence and use
the rules you’ve learned in this chapter to pick the best answer.
One Last Note
There are some forms of punctuation that can be used interchangeably. As we stated above, a
semicolon can sometimes take the place of a period. Dashes can sometimes be used instead of
parentheses. Sometimes a colon can be replaced by a dash. We haven’t discussed these
possibilities at length because on the ACT, you will never be asked to make a decision between
two correct alternatives.
If two kinds of punctuation can both be considered correct, only one will appear among the
answer choices.
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Summary
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
ACT writers like to test your knowledge
of whether sentences are put together and
punctuated correctly.
Watch for sentence fragments, run-ons
and comma splices, serial commas,
restrictive/nonrestrictive
clause
separation errors, misplaced modifiers,
and non-parallel construction.
ACT test writers also like to test semicolon usage. Semicolons should be used
to connect two related yet independent
clauses.
You might also see colons being used in
sentences. A colon typically introduces a
list that follows an independent clause.
Dashes can be used to separate a word or
group of words from the rest of a
sentence, but a dash cannot be combined
with a comma. Dashes typically come in
pairs unless the isolated group of words is
at the end of the sentence.
Watch for apostrophes. They can either
indicate possessives or contractions.
It’s can be used only to replace it is or it
has. Its is the possessive form of the
word it. Its’ is not a word.
If you are not sure what the question is
asking you to do, check the answer
choices. The differences among the
answer choices can provide clues to what
the ACT is testing.
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