Chapter 7 Grammar And Usage Slideshow Format

April 10, 2023 1

Grammar and Usage

Chapter 7

April 10, 2023 Grammar and Usage 2

PRONOUNS

Pronouns are used to replace nouns. The ACT writers like to see if you understand the rules of pronouns. There will probably be several pronoun questions on the test you take.


The first pronoun rule: Agreement

A pronoun must always agree with the noun to which it refers.

Try to spot the error in the sentence below

Any young boy who watched the first moon landing probably spent the next few years wishing that they could become an astronaut.


Any young boy who watched the first moon landing probably spent the next few years wishing that they could become an astronaut.

In the spoken English, people make pronoun agreement errors all the time. In written English, you have to be precise.

As you read the above sentence, try to decide which noun is being referred to by the pronoun “they”

If you decided that “they” was referring to “boy” then you are correct.


Any young boy who watched the first moon landing, probably spent the next few years wishing that he could be an astronaut.

Because “boy” is singular, the pronoun referring to boy has to be singular as well.

“He” correctly referrers back to “boy”.

The following charts contain some commonly used singular and plural nouns.


SINGULAR PRONOUNSSINGULAR PRONOUNS

SUBJECT OBJECT POSSESSIVE

I me my, mine

You You you, yours

he him his

she her hers

it it its


PLURAL PRONOUNS

PLURAL PRONOUNS

SUBJECT OBJECT POSSESSIVE

we us our, ours

you you you, yours

they them their, theirs


Another example:

Neither of the two young girls

with whom I watched the first

moon landing expressed their

feelings out loud, but I knew

that all three of us wanted to

be astronauts.


Neither of the two young girls with whom I watched the first moon landing expressed her feelings out loud, but I knew that all three of us wanted to be astronauts.

Neither and either are considered singular

Therefore we should use the singular pronoun “her”

The following indefinite pronouns are singularINDEFINITE SINGULAR PRONOUNS

anybody each somebody

anyone everybody someone

either everyone nobody


The Second Pronoun Rule: Case

If a pronoun is the subject of a sentence, it must be expressed as a subject

Subject pronouns include

I, we you, he, she, it they, and who

If a pronoun is the object of a sentence, or the object of a preposition, it must be expressed as an object.

Object pronouns include

Me, us you, him, her, it, them and whom


Which choice best fits the sentence?

(She/Her) bought a souvenir sweatshirt.

•Because the person who buys the shirt is the subject of the sentence,

the correct pronoun is “she”.


Which choice best fits the sentence?

Jane bought a souvenir NASA

sweatshirt for (he/him).

•Because the person who receives the shirt is the

object of the preposition “for”, the correct pronoun is

“him”.


Which choice best fits the sentence?Before the moon landing, the TV

announcer gave some additional

background on the astronauts, about

(whom/who) we were all quite

interested.

•A pronoun following a preposition is suppose to be the object

of that preposition. The correct answer is “whom”.


How Do You Spot Pronoun Errors?

Look for pronouns

Don’t forget that many indefinite pronouns are singular

If the pronoun is being used as a subject, it must be in the subject

If the pronoun is being used as an object, it must be in the form of an object

If who or whom appears in the underline portion of the question you must determine if the subject or the object of the clause in which it appears


How Do You Spot Pronoun Errors?

if it is in the subject, “who” is correct

If it is an object “whom” is correct

Generally, if the relative pronoun follows a preposition, the correct form will be “whom”


VERBS


Subject – Verb Agreement

The verb of sentence must always agree with its subject

If a sentence contains a singular subject, the verb that goes with it must also be singular

If the sentence contains a plural subject, the verb that goes with it must also be plural


Look at an example:

The best moment during a broadcast filled with many great moments were when the astronaut step out of the Lunar Lander and bounced on the moon.

What is the subject of this sentence?

Is the subject singular or plural?

What is the verb in this sentence?

Should it be singular or plural?

How should the sentence read?


ACT writers use many modifying phrases and clauses between the subject and the

verb to confuse you.

ACT form

The best moment during a broadcast filled with many great moments were when the astronaut stepped out of the Lunar Lander and bounced on the moon.

ACT form minus the modifiers

The best moment were when the astronaut stepped out of the Lunar Lander and bounced on the moon.


Pronoun-Verb Agreement

Sometimes the subject of a sentence is pronoun

The verb must still agree with the subject, even if the subject is a pronoun.


Look at another example:Each of these moments have played in our mind again and again as I try to recapture the excitement of that momentous day in June.

What is the subject of the sentence?

Is the subject singular or plural?

What is the verb of the sentence?

Is the verb singular or plural?

How do you fix the sentence?


The fixed sentence…

Each of these moments has played in my mind again and again as I try to recapture the excitement of that momentous day in June.

Sounds awkward?

But it is correct.

This is a great example of how knowing and applying the rules leads you to the correct answer, while using your ear may not.


How do you spot Subject-Verb Agreement Errors?

Isolate the subject and the verb of the sentence

Try drawing a line between any words or phrases between them to see the relationship

Remember answer choices can provide valuable clues

If the underlined portion of the sentence contains a verb, check to see if the answer choices contains different forms of that verb. If they do, you have a potential subject-verb agreement error.


Verb Tense (do not put in notes)Verb tense tells us WHEN the action of the

sentence is taking place

Present tense

He runs the 440 in 50 seconds.

Past tense

He ran the 440 in 50 seconds last week.

Future tense

He will run the race next Saturday.

Present perfect tense

He has run the 440 in under 50 seconds in the last four races.

Future perfect tense

He will have finished the race by next Sunday.

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How does the ACT test Verb Tense

The ACT writers do not care if you know the names of the verb tenses

They sometimes do not care if you know what tense the passage is written in

They want to see if you can spot inconsistencies in verb tense

If the verb in the non-underlined portion of the sentence is in one tense,

The verb of the underlined portion tends to be in the same tense


Look at an example:

Sam is walking down the street when he found a large suitcase.

The verb “is walking” and “found” are in two different tenses


How does the ACT test Verb Tense

You will not be asked to make a decision as to which tense would be more appropriate for the sentence

Only one verb will be underlined and it will be up to you to look at other verbs in the sentence or verbs in the surrounding sentence to decide how to change the underlined verb

Look at underlined verbs in the “…ing” form very carefully

Especially the verbs “having” and “being” which are almost always used improperly


How Do You Spot Verb Tense Errors

If you spot a verb in the underlined portion of the passage or

In any of the answer choices

Immediately anticipate subject-verb agreement error or

Verb tense error


One more ACT Verb Error

Sometimes ACT will put together two perfectly fine past tense verbs to create a past tense construction that does not work

For Example: Mike has ate all the cookies in the cookie jar.

In this sentence either “ate” or “has eaten” would be correct

But “has ate” is incorrect

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Adjectives and Adverbs

ADJECTIVES ADVERBS

Grammar and Usage


Adjective vs. AdverbThe ACT sometimes tests to see if you know the difference

between the two.

Adjective

Modifies a noun

Passes the “He is very ____” test

A comparative adjective is often used when a sentence is comparing two things. For example: Juanita is taller than Jane.

Adverbs

Modifies everything else (verbs, adjectives and other adverbs)

Usually end in “…ly”

A comparative adverb is often used when a sentence is comparing two actions. For example: Juanita dances more graceful than Jane.


SuperlativesWhen more than two THINGs are being compared, the sentence needs a superlative adjective

To make a comparison of three or more things add “…est” to the adjective

Of the many men in the room, John is the strongest.

When more than two ACTIONS are being compared, a sentence often needs a superlative adverb

to make a superlative adverb, add the words “most” or “least” before the adverb

Compared with the other boys in the school, Sid behaves the most politely.

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Idiomatic Expressions

Idioms are expressions that require the use of specific prepositions

Fortunately, you will be familiar with many of the idioms on the ACT

The best way to spot them would be to look for preposition in the answer choices

I’m in love (with/for) you.

My sculpture is based (on/after) Rodin’s Thinker.

Grammar and Usage


Grammar Drill7 questions focusing on grammar

Set up in ACT form

Review Chp 7 materials and techniques including:

Pronoun Agreement

Verb Tense

Adjective vs. adverb

Subject- Verb agreement

Idiomatic expressions

Superlatives

Chapter 7 Grammar And Usage Slideshow Format

Education

correct pronoun

pronoun errors

singular subject

subject singular

pronoun rule

relative pronoun

agreementa pronoun

pronoun questions