ACT English

Subject-Verb Agreement Rule

A subject and verb must agree in number. Singular subjects take singular verbs; plural subjects take plural verbs. Watch for phrases between subject and verb.

Comma Splice

Two independent clauses joined only by a comma. Fix with a period, semicolon, or comma + coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS).

Run-on Sentence

Two independent clauses joined with no punctuation. Fix with a period, semicolon, comma + conjunction, or subordination.

Who vs. Whom

Who = subject (he/she). Whom = object (him/her). Substitute he/him to test: 'He did it' = who; 'Give it to him' = whom.

Semicolon Usage

Use a semicolon to join two closely related independent clauses without a conjunction. Also used to separate items in a list that contain commas.

Colon Usage

Use a colon after a complete sentence to introduce a list, explanation, or elaboration. What comes before the colon must be a complete sentence.

Apostrophe: Its vs. It's

Its = possessive (the dog wagged its tail). It's = contraction of 'it is' or 'it has.'

Dangling Modifier

An introductory modifying phrase must be immediately followed by the noun it modifies. 'Running to class, my book fell' is incorrect.

Parallel Structure

Items in a list or comparison must be in the same grammatical form. 'She likes running, swimming, and biking' (not 'to bike').

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

A pronoun must agree with its antecedent in number and gender. 'Each student must bring their book' is commonly tested.