-
5/21/2018 ACT 2 Explanatory Answers - English
1/27
Practice CT Tests
EXPL N TORY NSWERSPassage I
uestion 1. T he best answer is A because it provides punctuation
(in this case, a period)th at approp ri ately sepa rates these two
complete thoughts or statcmen t My grandfather is notknown fo r
embracing technological change and He still d.rives his '59 Chevy
Impala. The best ansvyer is NOT:B because it creates a run-on, or
fused, sentence. There is no punctuation or conjunction (connecting
word)between the two statements.C because the phrase still drivi ng
his '59 Chevy Impa la is not a complete statement (because there
isno stated su bject). It could work in this sentence if it were
set off from the main clause with a comma. lrwould then modify My
grandfather, the subject of the main clause. But this answer
doesn't provide thatpunctuation.D because the con junction nd that
connects the phrase still driving his '59 Chevy Impala to the
mainclause creates confusion by link ing gro ups o f words that are
not grammatically parallel.
uestion 2. The best answer is G because it correctly punctua tes
th is sentence, which sactua ll y a fa irly simple
subjecr-verb-direct object se ntenCe except that the direct object
is a nounclause. Th e sentence could al so be written with rhe word
that introducing the clause .The best answer is NOT;F because it
inserts an unnecessary comma between the verb says and the direct
object, which is what hesays ( he can't imagine needing frivolous
options lik e automatic transmission or power steering ). It's
worthpointing out that the comma would be correct if what fo llowed
the verb were a direct quotation, as inspeech: He says, I can't
imagineneeding frivolous options.H because it inserts an
unnecessary comma between the verb and the direc t object
clause.Jbecause it adds the same unnecessary comma as H does, plus
it places an unnecessary comma between thepronoun that and the
clause it introduces.
uestion 3. The best answer is C because it provides the correct
past tense fo rm of theirregular verb go.The best answer is NOTA
because the verb has went is grammatically incorrect. It should be
has gone (which would still be incorrect here because it would
create an awkward tense sh ift.B because the verb had went is gram
matica lly incorrect. It should be had goneD bccause ir is in rhe
present tense, creating a shift in verb tense in this sentencc. The
three ve rbs that follow this one in the sentence are all in the
past tense-had quit tried and resisted.
The ONLY Official Prep Guide ';:_ 1 from the Makers of the CT
351
-
5/21/2018 ACT 2 Explanatory Answers - English
2/27
Chapter 4
352
Question 4. The best answer is H because rhe coordinating word
bec use clearly and c o ncisely links this parenrhetical clause (
beca use his old b l a c k ~ a n d w h i t e model had finally quit
) tothe preceding clause ( he went to buy a new colo r television
). .The best answer is NOTF because it is excessively wo rdy and
clunky. The phrase owing to th e knowledge that his old
black-andwhite model had fi nally quit doesn't express anything
that the clause because his old b l a c k a n d h i t emodel had
finally quit doesn't express more clearl y and more precisely.G
because it is unnecessarily wordy. The clause du e to the understa
ndable fact that his old bla ck-a nd -whitemodel had fi nally quit
see ms on first glance, impressive. But it is empty, pretentious
language, and not consistent with the style of the rest of th is
essay.J because th e coordinating word so do es not logica lly link
this parenthetical clause to the preceding clause.Question 5. The
best answer is because it adds an ap propriate and relevant deta il
here.In this sentence, the writer is expressing that the grand
father believed he was sti ll healthy and hadno need of a remote
control for bis television- He sa id that he had two good legs and
wa s perfectly capable of getting out of his chai r. The addition
of when he wanted to change the chan-nel fits with the point of the
rest of the sentence. .The best answer is NOTA because th e fact
that th e chair was made of black lea ther is irrelevant to the
writer's purpose here.e because the fact that the chair is located
by the south window in the fami ly room is a pointless d i e s
~sian in this sentence. .o because, again, th e fact that the
grandfather liked to si t in his chair is an insignificant deta il
here. Sinceit was his chai r, he would presumably like to sit
there.Question 6. The best answer is J because, here, no adverb or
phrase is needed to make aconnection between these two se ntences.
Th e essay works fine here without t lla [ kind of help.The best
answer is NOTF because the adverb howefler as it is used here,
indicates that this se nte nce is go ing to contradict or contrast
with the statement in the preceding sentence . This se ntence does
not do that.G because the adverb ddition lly indicates that this
sentence is going to add a point that builds on the statement in
the preceding sentence. This sentence does not do that.H because th
e adverb c llflerse y expresses the sa me ge neral idea that
howeller does. This sentence does notprovide a contrast to th e
statement in the precedin g se ntence.
ohe ONLY Official Prep Guide from the Makers ot the ACT
-
5/21/2018 ACT 2 Explanatory Answers - English
3/27
Practice ACT Tests
PR CTICE TEST EXPL N TORY NSWERSuestion 7. The best answer is C
because rhe absence of commas here creates the clearestand most
understandable sentence. This is another case (like question 6)
where less is more.
The best answer is NOTA because it inserts a comma that
confounds you r ability to understand the sentence. The comma after
theword time makes you think that Grandpa punched in the time and
then he punched in the channel of hisfavorite news program, when
actually he punched in the time that the program came on and the
channel itwas on.B because it also inserts ; Il unnecessary and
confusing comma, this time after the conjunction aud ratherthan
just before ie.D because the comma after the word chOllnel
indicates that th e phrase of his favorite daily news programis not
essential. It's set off frOIll the rest of the sentence with
commas, as if it we re parenthetical-a nice pieceof information but
not necessary to the meaning of the sentence. Bu t if you try
reading the sentence without this phrase, the meaning of the
sentence is no longer clear.uestion 8. The best answer is] because
the phrase n the other hand signa ls that this sentence is going to
provide a contrasting po int or a different perspect ive. Grandpa s
logic goes likethis: The remote control's volume button is great
for drowning out someone he doesn t want tohear; on the other hand
(from anothe r perspective), rhe mute button is great ~ H silencing
the television when he doesn t want to hea r it.
The best answer is NOTF because the phrase For example indicates
that th is sentence will offer an example of the
statement-expressed in the sentence before it. This sentence does
not provide that payoff.G because it is incorrect for the sam e
reason that F is. The phrase To illustrate is fairly close in
meaning toFor example.H because the ph rase 011 the one hand sugges
ts that the writer is going to make a point here and then
makeanother point. Bu t the other point never gets made here; this
is the last sentence in this paragraph.uestion 9. The best answer
is B because advertisers is a spcc.ific noun that clearly
communicates who Grandpa wants to be able to cut off in
midsentencc.
The best answer is NOTA because the pronoun them does not have a
clear antecedent (a noun that it refers to .and stands in for).e
because the pronoun it seems to refer back to the noun sound but
that is nonsensical. How do you cutsound off in midsentence ?D
because the possessive pronoull its might refer back to the noun
sound or to the noun button but bothof those would be nonsensical.
What do you make of the button that mutes the sound lets him cut
the button s function off in midsentence ?
The ONLY Official Prep Guide ,_ ,j from the Makers of the ACT
353
-
5/21/2018 ACT 2 Explanatory Answers - English
4/27
Chapter
354
Question 10. The best answer is F because it ap propr iately
punctuates this complexre nce. A complex semence, by definition,
contains an independent cla use ( This op tion automat-icall y
turns TV off after a preset amount of time ) and on e or more
dependent clauses ( whichis very convenient and when he fa lls
asleep whi le watching a show ).The best answer is NOTG because by
inserri ng a comma before the clause when he falls as leep while
watching a show and settingit o ff from the rest of the sentence,
the writer is signaling th at the clause is not essential to th e
mea ning ofthe rest of the sentence. But tha t is not so. Try read
ing the sen tence without tha t final clause. The op tion
ofautomaticall y turn ing off the TV is not always convenient, but
it's sure handy when Grandpa falls aslee p inthe middle of a show.H
because it creates a sentence fragme nt. When he fa lls asleep
while watchi ng a show cannot stand alone.It's not a complete
thought. Readers want to know more.J because it is incorrect for
the same reason that H is wrong. As it is used here th e se mico
lon is signalingthat the statements on either side of the semicolon
should be independent clauses (complete th oughts).Question 11 .
The best answer is D. T hi nk of thi s sentence as a jigsaw puzzle.
Each puzz lepiece is a phrase o r clause. In thi s version, a ll
the pieces of th is sentence fi t together we ll. And thepi ccure
tha t resul ts looks li ke something that we ca n understand .The
best answer is NOTA beca use the parts of this complex sentence are
poorly arranged-to the point of nonsense. Perhaps thebest way of
answe ring this ques tion is to listen ca refully to each wo rding
as you read it out loud to y u r ~self. The clause what he wants
his TV doing . . . is to know a source of both pleasure and power
is p r t ~ty funny, but it's probably not what the writer mea nt to
say here.B because of a simila rly flawed arra ngeme nt of the
elements of this sentence. Placing the introduc tory clauseEven
when he sleeps directly before the statement Grandpa says gives
readers th e wrong impressionthat Grandpa is ta lking in his
sleep.e because of its clu msiness . The following ma kes little or
no sense at all: Doi ng what he wants . . . is toknow his TV is a
source of both pl easure and power for him. Question 12. T he bes t
answer is F because it prov ides a l l1ai n clause for thi s
sentence:
Grandpa points hi s finger a t the TV and . . . seemi ngly turns
it on . Notice that the phrase n t r o ~duc ing the sentence (which
is often called a pa rticipia l phrase) cannot be a ma in clause
because ithas no stated su bject.The best answer is NOT:G because
it creates a sentence frag ment. There. is no stated subject and no
mai n clause.H because it is incorrect for the same reason that G
is incorrect-no su bject, no mai n clause.J not because of a
fragment problem but because of a tense shift problem. Both the
verb in the precedingsentence uses) and the second verb in the
compound predicate in this sentence tums) express action in
thepresent. It doesn't make sense to place a verb here has
poillted) th at expresses action that began in the pastand
continues in the present.
-
5/21/2018 ACT 2 Explanatory Answers - English
5/27
Practice ACT Tests
PRACTICE TEST EXPLANATORY ANSWERSuestion 13. The best answer is
A becau se it provides a fjtting ending for th is personalessay
because it refers CO Grandpa's cont inuing discovery of creative
ways-of using his new televi
sion remote control.The best answer is NOTB because it provides
a tlescription of Grandpa as u n i n t e ~ s t e d in learning how
to use his remote control.That's inconsistent with the rest of the
essay 's portraY
-
5/21/2018 ACT 2 Explanatory Answers - English
6/27
Chapter 4
356
PR CTICE TEST 2 EXPL N TORY NSWERSPassage II
uestion 16. The best answer is F beca use it provides a correct
supe rlative adjective fO(1)1(liveliest) as well as a singular
subject (One) to match the predicate fOl;lnd later in this sentence
(is).The best answer is NOT:G because the superlative adjective
most liveliest is redundant. T he word most and the ending -est
both signal a comparison of more than two items.H because it
creates a plural sll bj'ect The most lively fo lk music forms
-which does not agree with thesingular predicate is.J because it
also creates a plural u j e c t liveliest folk music forms.Question
17. The best answer is B because it provides the correct for m of
the possessivepronou n its. The p ronoun is s tanding in for Tejano
music s .The best answer is NOT:A beca use it proposes using the
contraction it s (which means it is ) where the possessive pronoun
its isrequired. If we take it s as a contraction he re, then the
clause reads as a sentence structure error: becauseof it is having
origins on both ~ i d e of the Texas-Mexico harder.C because it
proposes using the contractic;m ts where the. possessive pronoun
its is ca lled for.D because it proposes using its where the
possessive pronoun its is called for.Question 18 The best answer is
F because adding this parenthetical phrase does fu r therthe
description of the dance music that the German immigrams brought to
south Texas and nor thern Mex.ico. Maybe some readers might al
ready know that the dance music of late-nineteenthcentury German
iminigranrs was polkas and wa ltzes. Probably many readers wou ldn
't know that.Stating it here does give most readers a better sense
of this in fluence on Tejano music .The best answer is NOTG because
this brief addition does not in any way explain why German dance
music became popular insouth Texas and northern Mexico in the late
nineteenth century.H because this phrase is a relevant addition to
the sentence. It does not explain the connection between theGe rman
dance mus ic and the button accordion; however, that explanation is
irrelevant to the essay.J because this phrase is a releva nt
addition to the sentence. The essay does refe r to other musical
forms,besides Tejano 'of course, so this add ition would not be
inconsistent with the rest of the essay.
- -OJ from the Makers of the ACT
-
5/21/2018 ACT 2 Explanatory Answers - English
7/27
Practice ACT Tests
PR CTICE TEST Question 19. T he best answer is B because it
correctly uses a comma to set off the appositive noun phrase
huapangos and rmlcheras from the preceding noun phrase that it
describesand renames, their own dance music.The bes t answer is
NOT:A because it inserts an unnecessary comma between the noun
accordiOIl and th e prepositional phrase if theirown dance music.
This comma creates a confusing pause or brea k WhCftj none is
needed.C beca use it fails to place 'a comma between those two noun
phrases. Occasionally appositive nouns or nounphrases arc lI ot set
off by comm as but only if they arc essential to th e basic meaning
of th e sentence , Thatis no t the case here.D because it also fai
ls to place a comma be tween th e noun ph rase and thc;apposi ti ve
phrase that furtherdescribes it
Question 20. The best answer is G becau se it offers the most
appropriate punctuat ion forthis sentence . It might help you to
think about words in this sentence that are not expressed
eventhough thei r mea ning is understood . We co uld also write
this se ntence as fo llows: Eventua lly aun ique musical sryle
developed that was based on du et singing and an instrumentation of
accordion, drums, erc.The best answer is NOTF because it places a
semicolon between the main clause- a unique nnisica l style
developed -and a modify ing phrasc- based on duet si ngi ng and an
instrumentation , A semicolon is normally placed onlybetween
independent clauses (that is clauses that express complete
thoughts).H beca use it places an unnecessary and distracting comma
between the preposition on and the object of thatpreposition, duct
singing.J because it pl aces an un necessa ry and distracting comma
between the subject-a unique musical style andthat subject's pr
icate-delle/oped.Question 21 '. The best answer is B because it
provides a wording that is clea r and unambiguous. This style clea
rl y refers the reader back to th e phras,e a unique mu sica l
style at thebeginn ing of the preceding sentence. The clause know n
as cOlljunto (whi ch co uld also have beenwritten wh ich is known
as conjlm to ) mod ifies the noun that precedes it.The best answer
is NOTA beca use the pronoun It has no clear antecedent. What noun
is It standing in for? Spanish twelve-string bassguimr? Upright
bass? Accordion? Instrumenta tion? Du et singi ng? Musical style?
The reader is forced to guess.On top of th at, th e se ntence itse
lf is rather clumsy: It was con;unto and became th e heart of
Tejano music.C because of th e unclear pronoun antecedent, The fact
that it is known as c01l;unto doesn't help th ereader. The Spanish
twelve-string guitar is a ba o sexto. Maybe the upright bass is a
cOlli/mto? We rea llydon't know.D beca use of that sa me pronou n
a\ltecedent problem, In addition, the sen ten ce It being conjunto
becamethe hea rt of Tejano music doesn't work well, raising lUore
questions for the reader tha n it, answers.
The ONLY Official Prep Guide from the Makers of the ACT 35
-
5/21/2018 ACT 2 Explanatory Answers - English
8/27
Chapter 4
358
PR CTICE TEST 2Question 22. The best answer is H. You need to
pay close attention to the sta ted question,because it tells you
that the best answer iil thi s case is the worst answer-the
alrcrnative to theund erlined portion that is not acceptable. The
preposition on in the clause The Mendoza familymade t h ~ i r
living on working is si mp ly the wrong wo rd to use here.The best
answer is NOTF beca use it is an accepwble alternative. The phrase
earned their living means the sa me thing as madetheir living. The
word by sounds fine in the clause The Mendoza fami lYmade their
livin g by working.G because it is an acceptable alternative. The
word {rom so unds fine in th e clause The Me ndoza familymade their
living from working.J because it is an acceptable alternative to
the underl ined portion. As wa s stated ear lier, the phrase
earnedtheir living means the same thing as made their living.
Question 23. The best answer is D beca use rhe preposition as
provides rhe parallel o nsrruction rhat is ca ll ed for by the ad
verb alternately (mean ing simp ly by turn s ) and the o n ~neeting
word and, resulting in the phrase uworking alternately as field
hand s and as touringmusicians.The best answer is NOTA because of
the lac k of parallelism of as field han ds and they were touring
musicians. For th is sentenceto flow smoothly and to make sense,
the phrases on either side of the conjunction mz should mirror or
near-ly mir ror each other in ter ms of sentence structure.B
because of this same lac k of para llelism. The phrase as field
hands and as we ll touring mu sicians isclunky and raises doubt
about w h e t h e ~ the fa mil y worked l t ~ r n t l in these two
roTes.C because it is, likewise, incorrect beca use of lack of
parallelism: wo rki ng alternately as field hands andbeing touring
musicians.Question 24. The best answer is H because th is cla use
sho uld be kepr in th e essay. Althoughthi s information about
music publishers print in g song lyrics on bubble gum wrappets as a
way topromote the songs seems irreleva nt to this essay about
Tejano music, it sllre helps to ex plain thatpreceding statement:
Mendoza learned the words to many of her songs from bubble gum w r
p ~pers.The best answer is NOTF because this clause should lOt be
del eted from the essay. It's [rue that this information is rather
un relatedto the main topic of the paragraph, but it is crucial to
this particular sentence. Wit hout this clause, the sen-tence would
mystify most of us. Have you ever seen a bubble gum wrapper with
entire song lyrics printedon it?G because this clause should lot
deleted from the essay, and bes ides, the info rm at ion irl this
clause does notdimin ish the musical accom plishments of Lyd ia
Mendoza.J because it's true that th is clause shou ld be kept in
the essay. but the information preseuted in th e clausedoes lot
show that the songs that Lydia Mendoza perfo rmed were popular,
only that mu sic publishers hadhopes of popularizing many of the
songs that she performed.
from the Makers of the ACT
-
5/21/2018 ACT 2 Explanatory Answers - English
9/27
Prac tice CT Tests
PR CTICE TEST 2 EXPL N TORY NSWERSuestion 25 The best answer is
D because it creates a complete sentence. When we deletethe underl
ined por tion, t he sentence reads, In 1928 in San Antoni o, Texas,
Me ndoza and her fam-
ily made their first recording. . T h ~ best answer is NOTA beca
use it creates a sentence fragment. There is a dependent c1ause-
where Mendoza and her fam ilymade their first recording -but no
independent clause.B because it is needlessly wordy arid because it
prov ides a weak link between the two in troductory p r e p o s i
~tiona I phrases and the mai n clause: it was there seems to refer
only to in San Antonio, Texas and notto ''In 1928. 'C because it
creates a sentence fragment. The clause lacks a subject.uestion 26
The best answer is F because it appropriately and effectively
punctuates this
sentence. Sometimes, less pu nctuation is best .The best answer
is NOT. .G because it places an unnecessa ry and distracting colon
between the nou n phrase her wi espread popular-ity and the
prepositional phrase that follows and desc ribes it .H because it
places unnecessary and distracting commas between the noun phrase
her widespread popul rity and the preposi tional phrase (hat fo
llows it, and be tween the prepositional phrase in the
Spanish-speakhlg regions and the prepositional phrase that follows
it.J because it places an unnecessary and dis tracting comma be
tween the noun phrase the Spanish speakingregions and the
prepositional phrase that follows and describes it.uestion 27 The
best answer is D beca use this addition a bout how she became
widely
known as La Alondra ,de la Fronrera fi ts best af ter the
sentence that states that she soon gained. . . widespread
popularity (Sentence 6).The best answer is NOTA because of the f ~
n o l o g i c a l arrangement of the information in this paragraph;
it doesn't make sense toinsert this sentence about Lyd ia Mendoza's
popularity right after a sentence about the Me ndoza familywo rking
as field hands and touring musicians (Sentence 3).B because it is
incorrect for the same reason as that given for A. It doesn't make
sense to inse rt this senten ceright before the sentence about the
Mendoza fam ily making their first record ing (Sentence 5).C
because it is incorrect for the same reason as that given for A and
B. It doesn't make sense to inse rt thissentence about her
established reputation right before the selltence about her singing
sty le soon ga ining herwidespread popularity.
-- _ .
@)b
The ONLY Official Prep Guide Jr from the MaKers .Of the ACT
359
-
5/21/2018 ACT 2 Explanatory Answers - English
10/27
Chapter 4
l360
PRACTICE TEST EXPLANATORY ANSWERSQuestion 28. The best answer is
C because it ties together Tejano music and LydiaMendqza, wh ich a
r arguab ly the two main subjects of thi s essay. With rhe wording
of G, rhe se ntence reads, O thers have fo llowed Lydia Mendoza's
lead and have expanded the influence ofTejano mu sic. .The best
answer is NOTF because it brings in the issue of immigration from
Mexico to the u s Although the immigration ofGermans to Texas and
Mexico is mentioned in the second paragraph and the Mendoza
family's immigration to the U. S. is mentioned in the third
paragraph, im migration is not one of the main topics of the
essay.H because it inttOduces Santiago and Flaco Jimenez, who are
not mentioned elsewhere in this essay.J beca use it foc uses on
large recording contrac ts. Although the preceding paragraph
mentions that theMendoza fam ily made a recording, the essay makes
no reference to large or lucrative record ing contracts.
Question 29. The best answer is D because ir provides word ing
that is most consistent withthe overall style and tone of th is st
raight forward informative essay.The best answer is NOTA because
the sratement that Tejano music will stick around a whi le uses an
informal or casual phrasingthat is unlike anything else in this
essay. That phrasing also suggests a l ess respectful attitude
toward Tejanomu sic than is expressed elsewhere in this piece.8
bec:luse it is unnecessa ri ly wordy, vague, and repetitive. The
phrase causes it to be cou ld be more succinctly expressed by
results in , for example. Do we know what the writer means y
enduring things ?Bes ides, someth ing that is enduring is, by
definition, timeless. What is gai ned by using both of thesead
jectives here?C because, like A it is more informal or casual than
the rest of the essay. We might easily say lots of people really
like It in conversation with friends, but wou ld we use that
phrasing in a schoo l resea rch paper orin a college admi ssions
essay? At the very least, we can reasonably conclude that, in light
of the res t of thisessay, we would not do so here. .Question 30.
The best answer is F because this essay ha s foclised on the
history and deve lopment of Tejano music, in part by describing the
career of one o f the ea rliest Tejano music stars.The best answer
is NOT:G because alt hough the essay does describe how various
Spanish, German, and English musical trad itionsinfluenced rhe
development of Tejano music, the essay makes no mention of Tej:lno
music's contributions toot her folk mu sic traditions.H because the
essay does tell the story of Tejano music. Anyway, just because an
essay mentions other folkmusic forms and traditions, that doesn 't
mean the essay can't also focus on describing the hi story of one
particu lar folk music. . -J because it's rrue rhat Lydia Mendoza
is the only Tejano mu sicia n described in any detail, bur she's
not mentioned unti l halfwa y through the es"Say. The essay does
not limit its focus to Mendoza and, in fact, uses theSto ry of
Mendoza's life as a way to continue the larger story of Teja no
music.
-
5/21/2018 ACT 2 Explanatory Answers - English
11/27
Practice ACT Tests
PR CTICE TESTPassage III
uestion 31. The best answer is A because it provides the
punctuation a comma) that bestindicates the relationship between
the introductory prepositional phrases ("Duri ng the early morn-ing
hours of October 28, 1965 ') and the main clause ( engineers
stationed 630 feet above theground made careful measurements").The
best answer is NOTB because the con nec ting word and creates
confusion here. A word like nd usua lly connects similar kindsof
grammacical units-nouns Tom and Mary), verbs (wander and search),
adverbs high and low), etc.Here, the wo rd tries to connect an
introductory phrase and a main clause.C because placi ng a period
here creates a sentence fragment: "During the early morning hours
of October28, 1965."D because it is incorrect fo r the same reason
that C is wrong. A semicolon is normally used to connect
twoindependent clauses that is, clauses that could each stand alone
as complete senrences).uestion 32. The best answer is H because it
shows the ~ use of the apostrophe inexpressions of time. You're
probably more familiar with the uses of the apostrop he to express
pos-sess ion or ownership or to indicate a contraction (letters
left out when words are combined ). Butyou've probably seen phrases
such as "yesterday's news and tomorrow's . headlines" and anhour's
delay -they all fo llow the same puncruation rule as the day's
work.
T he best answer is NOTF beca use it leaves out that necessary
apostrophe. Without the apostrophe, a reader might misread
"thedays" as a subject and "work" as a predicate.G because it
places the apostrophe in the wrong location. The rast of this
sentence makes it clear that thi sis one day's work.J beca use one
wou ld never use an apostrophe like this-by adding's to the end of
a plural noun.uestion 33. T he best answer is A because this s tory
of the la st step in the co nstruction ofrhe Gateway Arch is told
in the past tense. The past tense verb threatened is consistent
with theother predicate verbs used in this paragraph-statio ted
made btdicated.
The best answer is NOTB because the passive voice of the verb
had been threatened doesn't make sense in this sentence.C because
the future perfect tense ve rb will have threatened creates an
awkward and confusing shift fromthe past tense used elsewhere in
thi s essay.D because the present tense verb th reatens creates a
similarly awkward and confusing .shift in tense.
o .The ONLY Official Prep Guide from the Makers of the ACT
36
-
5/21/2018 ACT 2 Explanatory Answers - English
12/27
Chapter 4
362
PR CTICE TEST Question 34. The best answer is J because it
provides the most concise wording for thissentence a nd avo ids the
poi ntless repetition of tpe other choices.The best answer is NOTF
because it is pointlessly repetit ive. The word delay doesn't add
any information here that's not alreadyclearly expressed by the
word postpone.G because the phrase postpone to a later time is
pointlessly wordy. Can you postpone someth ing to anea rlier time?
The information to a later time is already clearly expressed by the
word postpone.H because it is incorrect for the same reason that F
is The phrase postpone by delaying is another exam*pie of e r b ~ l
overki ll Re aders can somet imes feel disrespected when an essay
te lls them the same thing overand over.
Question 35. The best answer is B because th is sentence ex
plains t ~ a t the topping*out cer*emon y be ing referred to here
is the placement of the fina l section between th e two
freestandinglegs of th e St. Louis Gateway Arch. Without this
phrase, we wouldn't be able to figure o ut w hat
topping out meanr until we we re halfway inro the essay.T he
best answer is NOTA ~ e c a l l s e the essay would tlot lose a
minor detail if this phrase were deleted. This is a key piece of
info rmationC becaus.e the wording of this phrase is
straightforward and factual-there's nothi ng to suggest tha t thewr
iter is expressing his or her opinion on the Sign ificance of
anythi ngo because the phrase does not state the ceremony's
importance toSt Louis residents. Readers might draw aconclusion
about the ceremony's importance based on the essay as a whole, but
that's something else entirelyQuestion 36. T he best answer is F
because the phrase Luther Ely Sm ith is an appositive fo r (rena
mes or explains) th e phrase it fo llows, attorney and civic lea
der. Most ap pos itivephrases are set off by commas, bu t this one
shou ld no t be, beca use it is essentia l to th e mean ingof th e
Sentence. T ry rea d ing th e sentence without Luther Ely Smith o
es n't it sound stra ngeo r cl un ky?The best answer is NOTG
because the comma between the nouns ttomey and civic leader is
unnecessary and distracti ng. The worda ld is linking up these two
nouns; the comma jus t gets in the way of that.H because there
should not be a com ma separating the noun phrase attorney and
civic leader and thenOlln phrase that defines and specifies it,
Luther Ely Smith.J because it is incorrect for the reasons i v e ~
for G and H as well as the reason that the proliferation of com-mas
just tota y confuses th ings: In 1933, attorney, and civic leader
startS look ing like it might be a seriesof three items.
The ONLY Official Prep Guide from the Makers of the ACT,.c';
,j
-
5/21/2018 ACT 2 Explanatory Answers - English
13/27
Pract ice ACT Tests
PR CTICE TEST uestion 37. T he bes t answer is C because this
sentence sta tes, Uln 19l3, attorney and civicleader Luther Ely
Smith envisioned a memorial that would recognize Sr . LOl,lis s ma
jo r role in the
westward expansion of the United States. Ir does provide so me
helpful background about the history leading up to the co
nstruction of rhe Gareway Arch, and ie s the only place in rhe
essay wheresuch background is provided.The bes t answer is NOTA
because the sentence docs state that St. Lo uis played a role in t
he westward expansion, but it does notex plain whY ,St. Louis
played that role.B because the se ntence does state that Sm ith
envisioned a memorial, but it docs not mention what the memorial
that he envisioned migh t look like.D because the se.ntence does
provide some biographica l facts abou t Smi th he was an attorney
and a civicleader, and he had an idea about a memorial. However,
this information is not pa rticularly cruciaL Theinformation that
is most re leva nt and meaningful to this pa ragra ph is that a me
morial to Sr. Louis s role inthe U.S. westward expansion (that is,
the Gateway Arch) was first envisioned in 1933.uestion 38. The best
answer is H because it iN he o nl y choice that makes thi s a
completesentence.
The best answer is NOTF because it creates a se ntence fragment
a noun phrase ( Architect Ecro Saari nen ) and a depend ent
clausethat modifies the noun phrase ( who created the design that
symbolized the memoria l's theme ).G because it too creates a sente
nce fragment- th at same noun phrase and an appositive phrase that
renamesthe noun phrase ( creator of the design that sym bo lized th
e me moria ls th eme ).j-beca llse it too creates a sentence
fragment that same noun ph rase and a participial phrase modifying
thenoun ph rase ( creating the design that symbol ized th e
memorial's th eme ).uestion 39. The best answer is D beca use this
qu estion as ks you to decid e which word
wou ld prov ide the most logical and effective t ransition fro m
one sentence to another. The bestdecision here is to use no
transitional adve rb at a ll . The preced ing sentence states that
Saarinendesigned the Gateway Arch. T hi s sentence is t he first of
three that desc ribe the deta ils of thatdesign.The best answer is
NOTA because the se nse of Meanwhile is that this even t ta kes
place at th e sa me time that the preceding eventrakes place. That
se nse doesn't work logica lly here.B because th e se nse of
Therefore is that this cond it ion exists or event takes place as a
resu lt of the preceding condition or event. That se nse wou ld
work here only if we'd already been told that Saa rinen's
designsalways look like the description that fo llows.C because the
se nse of owever is that this cond ition exists or event takes
place in contrast to the preceding condition or event. That sense
would work only if we'd already been told that Saarinens designs
neve rlook like the description that follows.
The ONLY Official Prep Guida from the Makers of the ACT\ 0_
36
-
5/21/2018 ACT 2 Explanatory Answers - English
14/27
Chapter 4
364
PRACTICE TEST 2 Question 40_ The best answer is F All of these
wo rd choices are similar in meaning, having someth ing to do with
decreasing or redu ci ng in size, but they are not intercha ngeable
syno nyms. The co ntext of this sen tence helps us to decide the
best choice: spraying the [metal andconcrete} leg [of the Gateway
Arch] with water to cool it would make it contract. Merriam-Webster
s Collegiate Dictionary (11th cd.) supports the accuracy of th is
ch oice, stating that CON-TRACT app lies to a drawing togetber of
surfaces or particles or a reduction of area or length (p. 271).The
best answer is NOT:G because reduce has more of a sense of bringing
down or lowering in size or deg ree or intensity, which isno t
exactly the action being described in this sentence. It 's a much
less precise wo rd choice tha n contract is.H because decrease has
more of a sense of decl ining in size or numbe r or amounr, which
is not exactlythe action being described here. It's a much less
precise word choice than contract is.. J because compress primar
ily means to reduce in size by pressing or squeezing, which is not
the actionbeing described here.
u ~ s t i o n 41. T he best answer is C because this phrasing
uses the correct forms of th e possessive pronouns their an d its:
in their attempt to reduce its expans io n.The best answer is NOT:A
because it uses the contraction they re (meaning they arc ) where
the possessive pJ'OIlOUIl their is ~ d for.B because it uses the
conrraction they re and the contraction it s (meaning it is ) where
the possessive pro-nouns their and its are called for. ' .o because
i,t uses the contraction it s where the possessive pronoun its is
ca lled for.Question 42. The best answer is G because it provides
the most logical and fluent arrange-ment of the possible parts of
this sentence: an introducrory dependent clause ( as the
crowdcheered ) fo llowed by a main clause w ith a compound
predicate ( the final section was hoisted upan d welded to the two
legs of the arch ).The best answer is NOT:F because this
arrangement of the pieces of information provides us with the
nonsensica l image of the finalsection being hoisted up after it
had been welded to the legs of the arch.H because this arrangement
of the pieces of information provides us with the absurd image of
the crowdbeing welded to the legs of the arch.J because this
arrangement of the pieces of information provides us with the
c9nfusing image of the crowdeither doing some of the weldi ng or be
ing welded to the legs of the arch.
-
5/21/2018 ACT 2 Explanatory Answers - English
15/27
Practice ACT Tests
PR CTICE TEST 2Question 43. The best answer is D because it
offers the most co ncise wording and avoidsthe redundancy of the ot
her choices. (Have you ever heard of the Department of
RedundancyDepartment? That might be a handy way to remember what
the word redund nt means.)The best answer is NOTA because, since a
decade is ten years an d three decades are thirty years, the phrase
Over three deca des andmore than thirty years is redundant.B
because its phrasing is red undant and pointless, Over three
decades do amount to more than thirtyyea rs, but there's no reason
to inform readers of that here. C because the pa renthetical phrase
over th irty years merely repeats the time span just reported in a
dif-ferent measure of time (decades).Question 44. The best answer
is G because this is the LEAST acceptable alternative to
theunderlined portion. The sentence with the underlined portion
reads, Over three decades of plan-ning and bu ilding had come to a
conclusion, and the ta llest monument in the Uni ted States wasnow
complete, Replacing the word conclusion with h lt creates a meaning
problem in the con-text of this sentence because co ming to a halt
expresses rhe idea of stopping or suspendingbefore or without
completion.The best answer is NOTF because it provides an
acceptable wording The phrase rcached completion works in the
context of thissentence just as well as come to a conclusion docs.H
because it provides an acceptable wording. The phrase come to an
end works in this sentence just aswell as come to a conclusion
does.Jbecause it provides an acceptable wording. The word ended
works in this sentence just as we ll as comecd a conclusion
does,Question 45. The best answer is C because the title of t his
essay- 'Topping Out' theGateway Arch -is a fairly good summary of
the piece and a ~ r helps us to arrive at theanswer. T he essay
does ot do a good job of describing the entire process of designing
and build-ing the Gateway Arch because it focuses instead on
telling the story of this one step in the process.The best answer
is NOTA because this essay does men tion the ma terials used to
make the exterior and interior structural supports,but that doesn't
n ~ e a n it has described the entire design and construction
process.B simply b e ~ ; a u s e it presents an inaccurate desc
ription of this essay An essay that did do what B claims todo would
indeed fulfi ll the intended goal.D because it is incorrect for the
sa me reason as B i it inaccurately describes this essay This essay
devotesjust a few sentences to the early stages in the development
of the arch.
The ONLY Official Prep Guide from the Makers of the ACT 36
-
5/21/2018 ACT 2 Explanatory Answers - English
16/27
Chapter 4
366
PR CTICE TEST 2 EXPL N TORY NSWERSPassage IV
uestion 46 The best answer is F because it ptovides the word
that sounds right in tlusse ntence. When we refer to periods of the
day, such as the dusk of a later summer evening, wegenera lly use
the preposition in: in the morning I got up; in the 'afternoon he
took a nap; we wentto a movie in the evening.The best answer is
NOTG because the preposition On s ~ u n wrong here, especia lly
when you co;nbine this introductory phrasewith the main clause: On
the dusk of a late summer eve ning, I walked. This wording makes
the dusksound like some sort of hard surface that can be walked
upon.H because the preposi tion With sounds wrong here. Try to
imagine walking with the dusk of a late sum-mer evening -maybe hand
in hand? It just doesn't work.J beoause the preposition From sounds
wrong here. From the dusk of a late summer evening, I wa lkedtoward
a shelter. This wording makes the dusk s{)Und like a location
rather than a period of time.uestion 47 The best answer is C
because it provides the correct pronouns-most andtpho in this
context. The pronou n most carries the se nse of the greatest part
-not all of thepeople but not merely a few of them. The pronoun
lvho is a relative pronoun; in an adjective orrelative clause, it
takes the place of the noun that precedes it. In this se ntence,
who is standing infor the people in the clause who wal ked with
me.
The best answer is NOTA because the pronoun more doe sn't fit
here. It calls fo r some sort of comparison: 'more of the people
thanyou met or more of the people than I knew before this evening.
But those compa risons are not being ma dein this sentence. .B
because the pronoun more doesn't fit here. The pronoun whom is also
wrong here: this pronoun is usedonly when it is functioni ng as the
direct object or the object of a preposi tion in the adjective
clause. In th isclause, the pronoun is functioning as the subject.D
because the pron,oun whom doesn't fit here. In this clause, the
pronoun is serving as the subject. The pro-noun whom is used only
when i ~ serves as the direct object or the object of a preposition
in the clause. (Haveyou heard of Ernest Hemingway's war novel For
Whom the ell Tolls?
The ONLY Official Prep Guide . ~ . U from the Makers of the
ACT
-
5/21/2018 ACT 2 Explanatory Answers - English
17/27
Practice ACT Tests
PR CTICE TEST 2 EXPL N TORY NSWERSQuestion 48. The best answer
is J beca use it achieves exactly wha t the writer wants toachieve,
according to the question. The clause I felt a kins hip with them
balances the statementmade in the first part of th is sentence with
a decai l that suggests th e unity of these people.The best answer
is NOTF because, although th is cla use wo rks we ll with the first
half of the sentence, it's not successful at express-ing a sense of
unity among the people. It only mentions that the narrator knew a
few of the people that heor she walked with.e because it not on ly
fa ils to suggest a sense of unity among the people, it expresses
the somewhat contra-dictory 'sense of ind ividualism: we each h ~
our own ~ o reasons for being there.H because thi s cla use
expresses the na rrator's hope of making friends with some of these
people, which isnot the s ~ m e as ex pressi ng a feeling of unity
that actua lly exists among a group of people.
Question 49. The best answer is A beca use this word is l ot an
acceptable alternative tothe underlined word. This writing issue is
simi lar to the issue presented in question 46. These lit-tle
prepositions can be hard to pin down and explain, but if we just
liste n to how they fit in apar ticular sentence, we often know
what is right. Would you ma ke this jou rney among Miami.land ?
This p reposition usua lly has th e mea ning of in the mjdst of or
surrounded by obj ectso r people.The best answer is NOT:B because
this wo rd is an acceptable alternative to the underlined word. In
thi s sen tence, the prepositionoller works JUS t about as well as
across does.C because this word is an acceptable alternative to the
underlined word. The preposition on does not giveas .strong a sense
of traversing as across and oller do, but it still makes sense
here. The bottom line is this:onc ca n travel across or over or on
land, but one ca n't travel among land.o because this word is an
acceptable alte rnative to the underlined word. As with oller and
011 the preposi-tion throu h works we here. When the narrator makes
thi s journey across Miami land, he or she is alsoma king it throu
h that lan d.Question 50. The best answer is G because, in the
opening sentence of this paragraph, thereader is told that the
people ~ r e wa lking toward a shelter at the edge of a field in
northernIndiana. But this phrase adds some important description
about the shelter hat it s made ofsaplings and earth, that it's
called a longhouse, and that it has a ceremonial function or
purpose.The best answer is NOTF beca use thi s phrase does not
offer a comparison to the journeys made by the members of other
Amer icanInd ian tribes.H beca use this ph rase does help es
tablish the place of the events described in thi s paragraph, but
it doesn'tcontribute anything to es tablishing the timc of those
events.Jbecause this phrase provides relevant information; it
introduces and explains the term longhouse wruch isused elsewhere
in the essay, as a ceremonial building made of saplings and
earth.
_. ---
367
-
5/21/2018 ACT 2 Explanatory Answers - English
18/27
Chapter 4
368
PR CTICE TEST 2 EXPL N TORY NSWERSQuestion 51. The best answer
is C because it provides t ; ckart:st and most concise word-ing in
this sentence This wording ensures that the pronoun that fo llows
in this sentence , them, hasa clear anrecedem other Miami) .The
best answer is NOTA because this wording leads to an ambiguity late
r in the sentence. The pronoun them in the phrase manyof them the
ancesrors of the people wou ld seem to be referring back to the
nearest noun, pictures, eventhough that n t e c e d ~ n t doesn't
make sense.R because it is clunky phrasing and needlessly wordy.
Nothing meaningful is gained by stati ng that otherMiami were
present in the pictures that the narrator had seen for years.o
because it, too, is needlessly wordy. It also has [h e sa me sense
problem that choice A has- this wordingmakes pictures the most
likely antecedent' for the pronoun them that appears later in the
sentence.Question 52. The best answer is J because it provides the
correct punctuation for thisclause. The relative clause who walked
along with me to the longhouse that summer eveningmodifies or
describes the noun p op . This clause is not set off from the rest
of the sentence witha comma because it is restrictive, or
necessary: it provides information that the reader needs toknow in
order to make sense of the sentence.The best answer is NOTF because
the comma setting off the relative clause from the noun it
describes is wrong, and the commabetween the prepositional phrase
wi th me and the prepositional phrase to the longhouse is
unnecessaryand distracting.G because the comma between the relative
pronoun who, which.is standing in for the noun people) and
thepredicare verb of this clause walked) is ,:,rong and
distracting.H because the commas setting off the relative clause
from the noun ir describes is wrong, and the commabetween the
adverb along and the preposirional phrase w ith me is unnecessary
and distracting.
Question 53. The best answer is D because, by introducing the
rooms that the narrator'sgrandmother and mother had dedicated to
their tribe, this sentence effectively bridges the preced-ing
sentence (about having seen pictures of the ancestors of many of
the Miami walking with thenarrator that evening) and the following
two sentences (about .the rooms and the framed photoslining their
walls and what the grandmother and mother did there).The best
answer is NOTA because it makes no mention of the rooms that are
referred ro in rhe next twO sentences. If this sentencewere used
here, how would we know what the wrirer meant by these rooms in the
next sentence?B because it is incorrect for the same reason that A
is. This sentence does a good job of explaining the pic-tures
mentioned in the preceding sentence, bur it makes no mention of the
rooms referred to in the follow-ing sentences.C because it is
incorrect (or the same reason. This sentence also mentions the
pictures and at least nares rhatrhey are displayed in the
grandmorher's and mother's houses, but the sentence sti ll fails to
mention any spe-cific rooms, which makes rhe reference to these
rooms in the next sentence a confusing one.
The ONLY Official Prep Guide from the Makers of the ACT. ~ /
-
5/21/2018 ACT 2 Explanatory Answers - English
19/27
Practice ACT Tests
PR CTICE TEST uestion 54. The best answer is H because it
provides th e most logica l referent in terms ofthe information al
read y provided. Th e preceding two sentences refer to . these
rooms and my
mother and grandmother each sittin g quietly in her own room.
This sentence clearl y co ntinuesthat description of th ose
rooms.The best answer is NOTF because we are not sure what That
room refers to-the mother's room or the grandmother's room. Itcould
be ei ther one, and we readers are left to wonder.G b.ecause we are
not sure who er refers to-the narrator's mother or grandmo th er.
Each bne has her ownspecial room, so using the plural rooms with
the singular Her also makes no sense.J beca use it is incorrect for
the same reason that F is. The phrase This room leaves us wondering
whedlerthe writer is referring to the mother's room or the
grandmother's room.
uestion 55. The best answer is D because it correctly and
effectively punctuates these twoclauses as separate sentences.
Sometimes, co mbining clauses into one sentence can be a good
w'riting decis ion . In this case, however, the statements in these
two clauses are too different from eachother-one is about the room;
the other is about the tri be .The best answer is NOTA because this
sentence rambles. Sometimes we might talk this way but we should
try to avoid writing sen-tenCes in which clauses are randomly
connected by the conjunc tion and We mig ht call this kind of
sentenceproblem an on-and-on sentence.B because it creates a
,fun-on, or fused, sentence. Where does one statement end and the
other begin? Asreaders, we're not really sure what to do with that
prepositional phrase unlike the larger Plains tribes.
. C because it creates a comma splice. As with the punctuation
decision in B this one doesn't give us a dueabout where one
statement ends and the other begins.uestion 56. The best answer is
H because it provides relevant information in ter ms of thefocus of
this paragraph. The preceding sentence states that the M iami had
not retained reservationlands. Later in the paragraph, we learn
that the tribe owned no ' land where a tribal longhouse
cou ld be built or religious ceremonies held. Thus, the info
rmation provided by H that the Miamialso had [ hold their powy.'ow
on borrowed land builds on the poinr that the Miami were lacking
because they had no tr ibal or communal land.The best answer is
NOTF because the t ~ o n l that the powwow was always well attended
doesn't fit here. In the context ofthis paragraph, which is bui
lding a case for the tribe's need [Q own a piece of land what is
the POillt of sharing this detail?G because the detail that the
Miami powwow is notable for its exquisite dancing is pointless and
pe ripheral in terms of the main foc lls and purpose of this
paragraph.J because the detai l that the powwow lasted several days
is random. As with the information provided inF and G the writer
makes no attempt to link this deta il to the other statements being
made in th is paragraph.
36
-
5/21/2018 ACT 2 Explanatory Answers - English
20/27
Chapter 4
370
PR CTICE TEST 2 Question 57. The best answer is A because this
wording creates parallelism in verb formand clause st ructure. In
this compound dependent clause, the two parts are inrroduced by
theative pronoun which and linked by the conjunction and, and the
auxi liary verbs are understood(not stated) in the second part: no
land on which a longhouse cou ld be builr and M iami
religiousceremonies [could be] conducted. Both verbs are in the
passive voice. Us ing the passive a lot isoften a bad move, but
here it places emphasis on that which could be built a longhouse)
and conducted (religiolls ceremonies).The best answer is NOT
. B because th is wording causes the verbs in the two parts of
the compound clause to shift from could bebuilt to were conducted ,
Also, the adverb there is confusing and unnecessary; the relative
pronoun in theprepositional phrase on which has al ready
communicated a sense of place or location.C because this wording is
awkward and unnecessarily wordy, Here, the parts of the compound
clause shiftfrom a longhouse could be built to there were Miami
ceremonies conducted. As in B, the adverb thereis redundant.o
because the parts of the compound clause ate not para llel in
structure. The first part contains a passive voiceverb; the second
part consists of the participial phrase the conducting of Miami
ceremonies. n Notice, forexample, how the para llel verb forms and
clause struc tures of A make it mu ch easier to understand than
D.Question 58. The best answer is H because it logically connects
the statements in these twosenrences. The preceding sentence states
that the narrator had never attended a Miami religiousceremony,
neyer danced in frOnt of a crowd of Miami. The phrase In fact
communicates toreade'rs that the statement to fo llow will build on
the preceding one, perhaps tak ing it one step further. The sta
tement that the narrator had never known any other Mjami children
outside of myown fami ly does that.The bestanswer is NOTF because
the word Still, when used as a transitional adverb, generally
communicates a time relat ionship ora sense of contradiction
(similar to nevertheless . Neither one of those meanings logically
works to connectthese two sentences.G because the tra nsitional
adverb Meanwhile expresses a time relationship that doesn't make
sense in termsof conn ecting the statements in these two
sentences.Jbecause the transitional ph rase On the other hand
expresses a sense of contrast, which doesn't work log-ically to
connect the statements in these two sentences. .
The ONLY Official Prep Guide from the Makers of the ACT
-
5/21/2018 ACT 2 Explanatory Answers - English
21/27
Practice ACT Tests
PRAC ICE TEST 2 EXPLANATORY ANSWERSQuestion 59. The best answer
is D because it provides a verb form that makes th is a complete
sentence. The introductory clause As we walked together through the
open i eld thateve ning is a subord inate, or dependent, clause It
cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. Theverb flashed enables
the second clause in this sentence to be an independent clause:
hundreds oftiny fireflies fla shed softly from the tall grasses.
This clause can stand alone or function as themain clause of a
sentence.The best answer is NOTA because inserting the participle
verb flashing here makes this into a participial phrase instead of
a clause.Because there is no main clause, this becomes a sentence
fragment.B because it creates a sen tence fragmen t. There are two
dependent clauses here- As we walked togetherthrough the open fiel
d that evening and which fla shed softly from the tall grasses -but
no main or independent clause.e because it is incorrect for the
same reason that B is. This choice creates two dependent clauses
but nomain clause.Question 60 The best answer is F beca use the
preposition like fits well here because itexpresses the co mparison
.of the fireflies and the ancestral spirits. In this setting, like
means in themanner of or similarly to (de finition 2 in Merrial l
Webster s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edi tion).The best answer is
NOTG because the phrase just as causes readers to stumbl e over
various mi sreadings. The first misreadingleads one to as in its
role as a conjunction meaning as if or in the way or manner chac.
The second misreading leads one to the most common meaning of the
preposition as- in the capac ity, character, condi tion, or role of
- wbich makes no sense here. The p reposition as can also mean
similarly to, but what dowe make of the adverb just meaning
exactly, precisely ? Here, jus t as would mean' precisely
similarlyto, which sounds overstated if not redundant:H because
this combination of two prepositions ( as lik e ) is not found in
standard written Engl ish.J because the phrase such as usually
means for example,' which doesn't make sense in the contex t ofthis
sentence.
he ONLY Official Prep Guide from the Makers of the ACT 37
-
5/21/2018 ACT 2 Explanatory Answers - English
22/27
:
Chapter 4
37
PR CTICE TEST EXPL N TORY NSWERSPassage V
uestion 61. The best answer is A because this choi ce provides a
sentence structure thatwon't fall down on us. Here, rhe subjecr- Ho
:,,ling -is followed by an appositive- 'the soundmost often
associated with wolves. Do you recall that an appositive renames or
describes thenoun it follows? The word howling may look morc like a
verb tha n a noun, but it's what's ca lleda ge rund , a verb form
being used as a noun. The verb in this sentence shows up later and
is eitherperform or erfo rms , depending on how you answer question
62. You may already be thinkingthat the sentence will sound best
like thi s: Howling by itself perfo rms several social functionswit
hin wolf packs.The best answer is NOTB because it creates an
awkwardly constructed sen tence: two verb phrases- has been the
sound most oftenassociated with wolves and by itself performs
severa l key social functions within wolf packs that areconnecred
by a mere comma.e because it creates an introductory dependenr
clause- While howling is rhe sound most often associatedwith wolves
-which can serve as a wing or annex to this sentence structure. Bur
the main clause is missing; rhere's no foundation .o because it
results in basically the same lopsided senrence construction that B
does.uestion 62. The best answer is H because we've already been
thinking about this problem while answering question 61. If th e
subject of this sentence is HOf.uJing then the pronoun thatrefers
back to it must agree w ith it in number (the singular itseJf , and
the verb of this subject mustalso be in ag reement (the th
ird-person singular performs . The result, of course, is an
agreeablesentence.
The best answer is NOTF because of its probl ms with
pronoun-antecedent and s u b j e ~ t v e r b agreemenr. It's easier
to see the problem with this sentence when we leave ol}t the apposi
tive: Howling by themselves perform several keysocial function s.'C
because of the same pronou n-a ntecedent and subject-verb agreement
problems described in F.J because it is incorrecr for a different r
e ~ t s o n . The phrase by itse lf expresses rhe meaning alone
orwithout help or company, which firs well in this sentence. The
phrase on itself does not have that samesense. In fact, do we know
what the phrase howling on itse lf might mean?
from the Makers of the ACT
-
5/21/2018 ACT 2 Explanatory Answers - English
23/27
Practice ACT Test
PRACTICE TEST 2 Question 63. The best answer is B because it
creates a complete sentence. Here, the mainclause is One of these
is l f d e f e n s e , which is fo llowed by a dependent cla use
that modifies thenoun s e l f ~ d e f e n s e ( which includes
protecting terr itory ).The best answer is NOT:A because it s a
sentence fragment. There's no verb in the main claus it feels like
all the action has beensucked out of the statement One of these, s
e l f ~ d e f e n s e .C beca use, like A, it creates a sentence
fragment. We start off with a noun ( One ), then a partici pial
phrase( bei ng s e d e f e n s e ) , then a dependent clause (
which includes protecting territory ).o because it is incorrect for
the same reason that A is. Those'words posing as a main clause have
now beenpared down to less than their bare essentials: One, s e l f
d e f e n s e . This migh t work when taking nOes foroneself bu t
not when communicating with someone else.Question 64. The best
answer is J because it wraps up thi s sentence in a way that is apt
andcorrect. This phrase after the comma ( usually other wolves'?)
becomes an appositive that rena mesor defines the preceding noun
phrase ( po tential intrude rs ). This wraps up a u n of q u e s
~tions about sentence structure (see questions 61 and 63).The best
answer is NOTF because it creates a confusing comma splice. When
just a com ma (without a conjunction word) connectstwo clauses, its
hard to tell what that connection means. The comma normally isn't
strong enough to s i g ~nal that these two clauses can each stand
on their own.G because it is incorrect for the same reason that F
is-that pesky comllla splice.H gecause the phrase that wraps up the
sentence- and are typically other wolves is poorly attached tothe
mai n trunk of the sentence. Are the po tential intruders (the
closest noun) typically other wolves? Orare the packs (the main
subject) typically other wolves? The struc tu re of the sentence
seems to sugges t thelatter is the case, bu 't good sense s u g g ~
t s otherwise. And readers are left to scra tch their
heads.Question 65. The best answer is A. This is one of those
questions where you have to choosethe wording that is least or ot
acceptable. The underlined word, because is a co njunction l i ning
two cla uses. It expresses the idea that [he statement to follow is
a reason for or cause of theot her statement in the sentence. The
conjunction although expresses a re lationship between thesetwo
clauses- one of counteraction or counterba lance that is not
logical here.The best answer is NOT:B because it is an acceptable
alternative. The conjunctive phrase in that 'expresses the same kin
d of causalrelationship that the underlined word does.C because it
is acceptable. The conjunction since is closely synonymous to the
word becaus.e.o beca use it, too, is acceptable. One of the
meanings of the conjunction s is ide ntical to the meaning
f because. .
from the Makers 1 the ACT 37
-
5/21/2018 ACT 2 Explanatory Answers - English
24/27
Chapter 4
374
PR CTICE TEST 2 Question 66. The best answer is F because it
states thfs action in the active voice, thus pro-viding an agent
for the action Wolves"- which ensures that the pronoun tha t
appears later inthe sentence (in the phrase with o ne another ) has
a nou n to refer back to.The best answer is NOT:G beca use it is
unnecessarily wordy and because the sentelfce that it creates
offers no antecedent for th e pronoun "one another." The reader is
left asking the question, One another what?"H because, like G, it
is wordy and 90esn't provide a clear antecedent for the pronoun.
That pronoun has tobe stand ing in for some noun. The most likely
candidate would b th e subject ~ f the sentence, but ho.wling"
doesn't make sense. The reader then re treats to the last sentence
of the preceding paragraph--coul d itbe "mates" or "prey" or
"packs"'? ,At that point, he or she is lost.J because it, too,
fails to offer a no un that provides the pronoun "one another" t h
a clear and logicalmeamng.Question 67. The best answer is C because
the adjective acute, meaning sensitive" o r
sharp, is an appropriate word choice to describe the sense of
hea ring. The context of this sentence makes it clear that the
hearing of the wolves is being described as very good.The best
answer is NOT:A because the adjective Intense doesn't fit here. One
common meaning of this word is "deeply felt" or "profound," which
doesn't make sense here. Another common meaning is "ex treme in
degree or size," whichseems close but no cigar. Would it sound
right to you to say that "wolves possess extreme hearing"?B because
the adjective cunning, which generally means "crafty" or "sly" or
"havi tg skill or keen insight,"isn't the right word to d e s r i ~
e the sense of hearing.D because the adjective vivid is usually
used to describe a color or graphic image. It can also mean
producing a strong impression on the senses," but this meaning wou
ldn't make sense when describing hea ri ng.Question 68. The best
answer is J because it provides wording tha t is succinct n ~
thatavoids he poin tless repetition of meaning that the other cho
ices offer.The best answer is NOT:F because of the repetitiousness
of Frequently, common activities often. Both of these adverbs
meanthe same thing. It's unnecessary to use them together in this
sentence to describe the same action.G because of the
repetitiousness of Quite regular/y, common activities often.
Repetition can occasionally be used in writing to emphasize a
point, but there's no need for that ki nd of emphasis here.H
because of the repetitiousness of Many times, common activities
oftetl. Sometimes in w.riting, lessis more.
from the Makers of the CT
-
5/21/2018 ACT 2 Explanatory Answers - English
25/27
Practice CT Test
PR CTICE TEST 2 EXPL N TORY NSWERSQuestion 69. The best answer
is B because it describes a situation ac t ivities, such ashunting
for prey, often disperse a pack over large areas of land t hat
clearly and logically leadsto the act ion described later in this
senrence- in order to relmite, the separated wolves howl toone
another. Because the wolves become widely spread out over a hunting
territory, howlingserves a spec ific role in br inging the wolves
back together.The best answer is NOTA because the clau se that
follows this underlined portion sta tes, in order to reunite, the
separated wolveshowl fO one another. As readers, we; have to wonder
why thc pack became separated in the first placc.This statemcnt
activities, such as hunting for prcr, oftcn call upon ani,uals'
sharp instincts -docsn'tgive us a cl ue.C bcca usc this statement
that activities such as hunting often require the pa ck to travel
some distancemight seem to lead readers to the second statement in
this sentence; however, that first statement suggestSthat the pa ck
is traveling together. If so, why wou ld they need to howl to be
reunited ?o because this statement that activities such as hunting
often involve the ent ire pack also seems to leadto that second
statement, but it doesn't go far enough in providing a logical
reason for the pack's howling.Through this Sta tement, readers
learn that :he entire pack participates in activities such as
hunting. But it atleast suggestS that they do these activities
together. And if they do, then there's no need to reunite.Question
70. The best answer is F because the adverb Finally provides an
effective and logical transition from the preceding paragraph to
this one . As the title suggests, this essay is attempting to ex
plain Why Wolves Howl. The second paragraph explai ns the purpose
of sel fdefenseand protecting terr itory. Tne third paragraph
focllses on the purpose of communication amongpack members. This
paragraph addresses the role of how ling in terms of the pack's
social rituals.It's the third and final reason given for why wolves
howl.The best answer is NOTG because th e adverb Nevertheless
creates an odd' logical shift here. Th is sentence and paragraph
are notpJ Oviding a contrast O( counterbalance to what came before
them. The movement of this essay is more dea rIy that of an acc
umulation of points. .H because.rhe adverb Second doesn't logica
lly fit here. The secon l pa ragraph begi ns with One of these
[keysocial functionsJ. The third paragraph begins with Wolves also
howl. If the writer wanted to count th efun ctions of howling, thcn
this paragraph would begin with h ird wolves use howling.J because
the adverb Tlms doesn't work logically here. This word normally
introduces an effect that resultsfrom a previously stated cond
ition or cause. There's no indication th at the wolves' use of
howling in packsocial rituals has a cause-effect relationship with
statements in the preceding paragraph about the wolfpacks use of
howling to communicate with each other.
.he ONLY Official Prep Guide AGn' from the Makers of t ~ ACT
37
-
5/21/2018 ACT 2 Explanatory Answers - English
26/27
Chapter 4
376
PR CTICE TEST 2 EXPL N TORY NSWERSQuestion 71 The best answer is
B because it provides a phrasing that is parallel in s t r lture
with the.other two h r s e ~ in this se ries. This kind of parallel
const ru ction not only results in
p l e s n t ~ s o u n d i n g prose b.ut also contributes to
clear communication.The best answer is NOTA because it upsets the
parallel ism suggested by the two phrases on either sid e of it
wagging their tailsand engaging in mock fights. n This wording also
creates a comma spl ice that makes the sentence confus-ing and
difficult to read.e because it, too, upsetS the parallelism and
confuses th e meaning of the se ntence. The verbs in the otherrwo
phrases in thi s series have -ing endings, suggesting ongoing
action, while this middle one has an -ed end-ing, which causes an
odd shift to action completed in the pa st.o because it is
incorrect for rhe same reason as C is. Here, the proposed wording
creates a troubling shiftin this se ries of actions from ongoing to
present nllzzle and then back to ongoing.Question 72. The best
answer is G because it effectively uses comm as toset off the p p o
sitive or dominant from the word it is explaining, alpha. The
conjunction or giVes readers a cluethat this is an appositive, but
the commas make it clear that the word dominant is actuaUy
restat-ing what precedes it and not desc ribing a sepa rate
item.The best answer is NOTF because it places the first of two
commas after the conju nction rather th an before it. The commas
usedwith an appositive signal that the appositive can be deleted
without disturbing the senrence. Compare thesetwo versions of this
phrase: Usua lly begun by the alpha pair of wolves G) an d Usua lly
begun by thealpha or pair of wolves F).H because the apposilive is
nor set off with commas and an unnecessary and distracting comma
has beenplaced between the noun pair and the prepositional phrase o
wolves.J because it places a single comma after the conjunction or,
which does nor set off the appositive from theword it restates or
from the r e s ~ of the senrence
The ONLY Official Prep Guide from the Makers of the ACT
-
5/21/2018 ACT 2 Explanatory Answers - English
27/27
Practice ACT Test
uestion 73. The best answer is D because it provides the best
arrangement of the parts ofthis sentence. The participial phrase at
the beginning of this sentence- Usually begun by thealpha, or
dominant, pair ofwolves -is modifying a noun. Such phrases shou ld
be p laced as closeas possible to the noun they modify. By making
chorus howling the subject of the main clause,and placing it d
irectly after the phrase that logically modifies it, D provides a
good solution to thiswriting problem.The best answer is NOT:A
because it res ults in a mi splaced modifier. The prepositional
phrase str ing in preparation for the bunt, placed right after th e
verb phrase is excited, wea kly modifies that verb. The
prepositiona l phrase thatmore effectively and more closely
modifies the verb- by chorus howling is placed farther away fromthe
ver bS because it results in a mi sp la ced modifier. As the
sentence reads, the purp ose of chorus howling is us u-ally begun
by th e alpha pair of wolves. This arrangement creates a nonsense
se ntence.C because it results in misplaced modifiers. As the
sentence reads, excitement in the pack is usua lly begunby the
alpha pair of wolves. Furthermore, the prepositional phrase string
in prepara tion for the hunt,placed right after the verb phrase is
raised, weakly modifies that verb. Again, the phrase that more
close-ly modifies the verb- by chorus howling -is located farther
away from ituestion 74. The best answer is J because it ensures
thar the verb makes agrees in num-ber with the subject the
collective sound. Both are singu lar in number.
The best answer is NOT:F because the plural verb make doesn't
agree with the singular subj ect th e collective sound. One wayto
confirm that this is wrong is to rake ou[ all the words that come
between the su bject and its verb- ofwolves howli ng in va riOliS
keys also. Now read the openi ng of this sentence: The collective
sound makethe pack seem large r and mo re powerful. Does that sound
right to you?G because the pl ural verb have doesn't agree with the
si ngu lar su bject the collective sound.H beca use the pl ural
verb are intended doesn't agree with the singular subj ect the
collective sound.uestion 75. The best answer is 'D because ir
effectively punctuates th is sentence (by resist-ing the impulse to
add a comma when one is not necessary).
The best answer is NOT:A because it inse rts an unnecessary and
distracting comma between the subjec t clatlse What's already
clearand the verb is .B because it inserts an unnecessary and
distracting comma between th e relative pronoun that and the
clauseit introduces.C because it inserts an unnecessary and
distracting comma between the verb is and the predicate noun
clausethat tb e stereotypical image of the lone wolf howling at the
full mo on obscures the importance howling hasin the social life of
these anim als. If yo u're not familiar with the term predicate
noun think of is or anyother linking verb as an equal sign In stich
cases, [the subject} = [the predicate noun].)
,The ONLY Official Prep Guide from the Makers of the ACT