Practice Test 6 - ACT English
20 questions. Answer them in any order, then submit to see your score and every explanation.
- The writer is revising the two-paragraph draft below. Paragraph 1: [1] The city installed new bike lanes last spring, and many residents were skeptical. [2] Some worried the lanes would slow traffic and reduce parking. [3] Others doubted that enough people would bike to justify the cost. Paragraph 2: [4] In fact, within months, weekday bicycle counts on the main avenue doubled. [5] Local businesses reported more foot traffic from cyclists who stopped to shop. [6] Even drivers benefited because the number of minor collisions at a busy intersection dropped. Which choice provides the most effective transition at the beginning of Paragraph 2?
- At the city museum, a new exhibit traces the history of local jazz. Visitors can listen to recordings, read band posters, and watch short interviews with musicians. The curator's label explains that many performers learned by playing at neighborhood dances and community events. One panel describes how the music spread through word of mouth communication long before radio stations featured it. Which choice is the clearest and most concise?
- My aunt restores old radios, a hobby that requires patience and a steady hand. When I visited her workshop, she showed me how she labels each screw, cleans each contact, and tests each tube. The most difficult part, she said, is finding replacement pieces that are affordable, and still reliable. Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
- The artist's use of color was intended to complement the natural beauty of the landscape.
- After the editing team read through the manuscript three times, the number of remaining errors was surprisingly high. Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
- A student is drafting a short essay about the value of translating poetry. The draft reads: [1] Translating a poem is not the same as swapping each word for its dictionary equivalent. [2] A translator has to decide which features to preserve—sound, rhythm, imagery, or literal meaning—when not all of them can survive the move into another language. [3] Some translators add brief notes to explain cultural references that would otherwise be confusing. [4] Poetry has existed for a long time in many cultures. [5] Even when a translation cannot match every nuance, it can still carry a poem's central emotion to new readers. The writer wants Sentence 4 to elaborate on the challenge described in Sentences 1–3 without drifting into a broad, unfocused statement. Which choice best replaces the underlined sentence?
- Which choice provides the most effective transition between the two paragraphs? [First Paragraph] The novel explores complex themes of identity and belonging. [Second Paragraph] These themes resonate with readers around the world.
- The couple is planning their wedding for next summer. Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
- Which of the following choices makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
- Running quickly, the finish line was crossed by John.
- During rehearsal for the spring concert, the orchestra focused on balancing the woodwinds and strings. The conductor asked the violins to play more softly under the flute melody and reminded the brass to enter precisely on cue. After running the piece twice, she said the ensemble sounded confident and energetic. She praised the musicians for working together as a team to shape the final chord. Which choice is the clearest and most concise?
- The weather forecast predicted rainy weather conditions for the weekend.
- In the library's quiet study room, a group of seniors worked on scholarship essays while soft rain tapped the windows. The committee of reviewers are meeting later today to select finalists, and the students hope their drafts are strong. Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
- The student council planned a food drive and set a goal of collecting 500 canned goods. To encourage participation, members visited homerooms and explained which items were most needed, like beans and soup. They also posted reminders online. On the final day, the council counted donations and announced that the goal was met at this point in time. Which choice is the clearest and most concise?
- For a science fair project, Jonah tested how quickly different brands of paper towels absorbed 10 milliliters of water. He ran five trials per brand, timed each trial with a stopwatch, and averaged the results. In his conclusion, he explained that the towel with the fastest average time also had the thickest fibers. Jonah revised one sentence to make it smoother: "Due to the fact that the samples were cut to the same size, the test was fair." Which choice is the clearest and most concise?
- Which choice would make the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
- The student council planned a fundraiser to support the school's arts program. Because the event would be held outdoors, the council reserved a backup space in the gym in case of rain. The treasurer wrote a memo explaining the schedule and asked volunteers to arrive early. She added that, at this point in time, all permits had been approved. Which choice is the clearest and most concise?
- The company decided to accept the proposal after reviewing all the details.
- At a neighborhood meeting about traffic calming, residents discussed adding crosswalks and planting trees near the intersection. Neither the mayor nor the city engineers is willing to approve the plan without updated crash data. Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
- At a robotics competition, a team adjusted its code between rounds to improve how the robot followed a taped line. The programmer changed one variable at a time and tested the robot's performance again. After the final run, the coach said the robot just completed the course in under a minute, which surprised the team. Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?