Phrase, Clause, and Sentence Errors
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ACT English › Phrase, Clause, and Sentence Errors
Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence. If the underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
Realizing the game was tied, the ball was immediately shot by the player.
Realizing the game was tied, the player immediately shot the ball.
NO CHANGE
Realizing the game was tied, the ball was shot.
Since the game was tied, the ball was immediately shot.
Explanation
The phrase "realizing the game was tied" describes the player in this sentence. For clarity, it should be followed by mentioning the player to imply that the player realized the game was tied and not "the ball," as is suggested in the sentence as it is presented.
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English.
Scientists have determined that the risk factors for cardiovascular disease include family history, poor diet, and having an excess of stress.
include family history, poor diet, and excessive stress.
includes family history, poor diet, and excessive stress.
tends to include family history, poor diet, and excessive stress.
include family history, poor diet, and having an excessive amount of stress.
include family history, poor diet, and having an excess of stress.
Explanation
The answer choice "include family history, poor diet, and excessive stress" is correct because it contains appropriate parallelism—in this case, a list of three noun phrases.
The original text "include family history, poor diet, and having an excess of stress" and the answer choice "include family history, poor diet, and having an excessive amount of stress" contain faulty parallelism—the last item in the list includes the verb "having" whereas the first two items in the list do not employ verbs. These answers are therefore incorrect.
Answer choices "includes family history, poor diet, and excessive stress" and "tends to include family history, poor diet, and excessive stress" are incorrect because they both use singular predicates for the plural subject, "risk factors for cardiovascular disease."
Communist rule in Poland ended in 1989 and the following year proved disastrous for the Polish economy. Prices rapidly ballooned while incomes dropped. Attempting to find a solution, the Balcerowicz Plan was implemented by Polish officials. The plan liberalized the economy by abolishing price controls, exposing markets to international competition, and it discontinued most industrial subsidies. In the time of the years following these efforts, economic growth has increased steady.
After years of negotiations and economic and political reforms, Poland became a member of The European Union on May 1, 2004. Soon after, Polish officials voted in favor for laws that would eventually mend the unemployment problem in Poland significantly. In fact, the unemployment rate improved for the first time in five years immediately following Poland's membership. The involvement of Poland in the Eastern Bloc is currently greater than the Czech Republic. The passage of two policies regarding energy credits from foreign countries provide evidence of the emergence of Poland in the global economy.
Choose the answer that best corrects the bolded portion of the passage. If the bolded portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
discontinuing most industrial subsidies
NO CHANGE
discontinued most industrial subsidies
it was discontinuing most industrial subsidies
Explanation
Parallelism means that the structure is the same for a group of words. We have a list with two gerund phrases: 1) "abolishing price controls" and 2) "exposing markets to international competition." To have parallel structures, the third item in the list should be a gerund phrase as well. The correct answer choice will have gerund phrase is "discontinuing most industrial subsidies." Notice that the choice, "it was discontinuing most industrial subsidies," has a gerund phrase, but is nevertheless incorrect because it unnecessarily includes "it was." The correct way to express the sentence is "The plan liberalized the economy by abolishing price controls, exposing markets to international competition, and discontinuing most industrial subsidies."
Humanities: This passage is adapted from chapter three of Sir John Lubbock’s The Pleasures of Life. The chapter is entitled “A Song of Books” and was written in 1887.
Of all the privileges we enjoy in this nineteenth century there is none, perhaps, for which we ought to be more thankful than for the easier access to books.
The debt we owe to books was well expressed and articulated by Richard de Bury, Bishop of Durham, author of Philobiblon, written as long ago as 1344, published in 1473, and the earliest English treatise on the delights of literature: "These,” he says, “are the masters who instruct us without rods and ferules, without hard words and anger, without clothes or money. If you approach them, they are not asleep; if you interrogate them, they conceal nothing; if you mistake them, they never grumble; if you are ignorant, they cannot laugh at you. The library, therefore, of wisdom is more precious than all riches, and nothing that can be wished for is worthy to be compared with it. Whosoever therefore acknowledges himself to be a zealous follower of truth, of happiness, of wisdom, of science, or even of the faith, must of necessity make himself a lover of books.”
This feeling that books are real friends is constantly present to all who love reading. “I have friends,” said Petrarch, “whose society is extremely agreeable to me; they are of all ages, and of every country. They have distinguished themselves both in the cabinet and in the field, and obtained high honors for their knowledge of the sciences. It is easy to gain access to them, for they are always at my service, and I admit them to my company, and dismiss them from it, whenever I please. They are never troublesome, but immediately answer every question I ask them. Some relate to me the events of past ages, while others reveal to me the secrets of Nature. Some teach me how to live, and others how to die. Some, by their vivacity, drive away my cares and exhilarate my spirits; while others give fortitude to my mind, and teach me the important lesson how to restrain my desires, and to depend wholly on myself. They open to me, in short, the various avenues of all the arts and sciences, and upon their information I may safely rely in all emergencies. In return for all their services, they only ask me to accommodate them with a convenient chamber in some corner of my humble habitation, where they may repose in peace; for these friends are more delighted by the tranquillity of retirement than with the tumults of society.”
“He that loveth a book,” says Isaac Barrow, “will never want a faithful friend, a wholesome counsellor, a cheerful companion, an effectual comforter. By study, by reading, by thinking, one may innocently divert and pleasantly entertain himself, as in all weathers, so in all fortunes.”
Which of the following replacements of the underlined portion is NOT appropriate:
"By study, by reading, by thinking, one may innocently divert and pleasantly entertain himself, as in all weathers, so in all fortunes.”
To studying, to read, to thinking, these
NO CHANGE
Studying, reading, and thinking can
Study, reading, and thought
Explanation
Each noun form must be consistent; the correct answer fails to make "read" into a gerund.
Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence. If the underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
One summer evening, fishing at the lake, rain began to pour from the sky.
while I was fishing at the lake, rain began to pour
while fishing at the lake, rain began to pour
during fishing at the lake, rain began to pour
NO CHANGE
fishing at the lake, rain pouring
Explanation
The sentence as written makes it unclear who was "fishing at the lake," was it the rain? That doesn't make sense, rain can't fish! The correct answer clarifies that "I" was fishing while rain began to pour.
On the weekends, I enjoy hiking, baking, dancing, and to spend time with my friends. Most of all, however, I love to run. I never thought of myself as a talented runner. However, when Jenna moved to my neighborhood, she inspired me to join the track team and find my stride. We met when we were both walking to class, and when I asked Jenna about her elective classes, she enthusiastically began talking about the track team. “You should join”! she exclaimed. I told her I’m not a very good runner, and she responded that anybody could be a decent runner with enough practice and the right attitude.
We started practicing after school and on weekends, and eventually I decided to try out for the team. To my surprise, I made the cut. Even though everybody else had a faster finish time than me, I enjoyed being part of the first race of the semester.
Because she is both dedicated and naturally talented, Jenna is the better runner on the entire team. Despite her success, she is never arrogant and always willing to help others develop their athletic skills. When all of the high schools in the state send they’re top three runners to the championship, everyone on the team travel to support Jenna.
Choose the answer that best corrects the bolded and underlined portion of the passage. If the bolded and underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
a faster finish time than I did,
a faster finish time then me,
a faster finish time then I did,
NO CHANGE
a faster finish time than myself,
Explanation
The two things being compared are everybody else's finish times and the narrator's finish time. As written, the sentence is comparing finish times to the narrator herself. The correct answer choice clarifies that it is the narrator's finish time that is being compared (and also correctly uses the comparative "than" instead of then). "A faster finish time than mine" would also be grammatically correct.
Over winter break, our AP Spanish class took a trip to South America to practice the language and learn more about different Spanish-speaking cultures. Before we left, every student had to get their vaccinations for yellow fever and typhoid. Our first stop was Bolivia. When we landed at El Alto airport the highest in the world, we could see the city of La Paz sprawling up the hillsides in the shadow of the Andes. The first day in La Paz, we went to the Witches’s Market,run by local yatiri. The yatiri are medical practitioners who perform healing rituals in they’re communities. At the market, we saw dried frogs, llama fetuses, herbs, and seeds, used in various rituals. After we visited La Paz, we traveled to Cochabamba. Cochabamba is Bolivia’s culinary capital, with delicious specialties such as salteñas and rellenos. In Cochabamba, we also climbed 1400 steps to see the Cristo de La Concordia statue, the tallest of it’s kind in South America. Next, we visited the salt flats of Uyuni. Several lagoons dotted the high desert landscape, some of who were full of flamingos!
On our way out of Bolivia, we stopped at Lake Titicaca on the Peruvian border. Because the lake’s elevation is over 12,000 feet, some of my classmates experienced a bit of altitude sickness. Despite the altitude sickness, everyone said they loved seeing the beautiful scenery and visiting the mysterious “floating islands” made of reeds. When we crossed the border into Peru, one of my classmates thought she had lost her passport. I would of had a panic attack! She ended up finding it buried in a pocket of her backpack and we were on our way.
My favorite part of Peru was our trek to the ancient Incan ruins of Machu Picchu. We spent four days hiking in the Andes on a trail to the ruins. Our guides, whom spoke Spanish, English, and Quechua, were very knowledgeable about the history, flora, and fauna in the region. Upon waking up the next morning, a beautiful sunrise greeted us and cast the mountains in its soft pink glow. After we explored the ruins, we took a train ride back to Cuzco. The next day, we flew to Lima and prepared to return home. I was sad to leave, but I know I would be back some day!
Select the answer choice that best corrects the bolded underlined portion of the passage. If the sentence is correct as written, select NO CHANGE.
we saw a beautiful sunrise that cast the mountains in a soft pink glow.
was seen by us a beautiful sunrise that cast the mountains in a soft pink glow.
a beautiful sunrise was our greeting that cast the mountains in a soft pink glow.
NO CHANGE
a beautiful sunrise that cast the mountains in a soft pink glow was our greeting.
Explanation
The sentence as written implies that the sunrise was waking up, not the students. To correct this ambiguous modifier, you need an answer choice that makes it clear that the students woke up and saw the sunrise (it wouldn't make any sense for the sunrise to be the one doing the waking up!). You could also have said "we were greeted by a sunrise...." but this uses passive voice (we were greeted) rather than active voice, so the active voice "we saw...." is preferable.
Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence. If the underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
Excited to move into her new apartment, Anna's furniture was quickly removed from the truck and assembled.
Anna quickly removed her furniture from the truck and assembled it.
NO CHANGE
Anna's furniture quickly removed from the truck and she assembled it.
quickly removed from the truck and assembled was Anna's furniture.
Anna quickly removed from the truck and assembled the furniture.
Explanation
As it reads, the sentence sounds as though Anna's furniture was excited to move into a new home when it was Anna who was excited, and as such, Anna should be the one performing the action in the underlined portion of the sentence. Only two of the answer choices correct this error, but one of them is still incorrect and confusing in the order it places the actions that Anna performs-who or what did she quickly remove from the truck? "Anna quickly removed the furniture from the truck and assembled it" is the most clear and grammatically correct answer.
When I was little, my family lived far from my school, and I had to get up very early to catch the school bus. In the winter, I waited for the bus in the dark. Sometimes I looked up at the stars. One cold morning, waiting in the dark, a meteor left a bright trail in the black sky.
Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence. If the underlined portion is correct as written, choose “NO CHANGE.”
as I waited in the dark, a meteor left a bright trail in the black sky.
NO CHANGE
a meteor left a bright trail in the black sky, waiting in the dark.
a meteor, waiting in the dark, left a bright trail in the black sky.
Explanation
The way this sentence is currently worded, the phrase “waiting in the dark” sounds like it is describing the meteor; however, from the context, we know that it is actually the narrator who was waiting in the dark. To better communicate this idea, we can rephrase the sentence to specify who was waiting: “as I waited in the dark, a meteor left a bright trail in the black sky.”
Even now, I don't have a car. Instead, I take the bus. Every morning, after getting ready, the bus picks me up at a corner a few minutes' walk from my house.
Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence. If the underlined portion is correct as written, choose “NO CHANGE.”
after I get ready
NO CHANGE
when ready
after having gotten ready
Explanation
The way this sentence is currently written, it sounds like the bus “gets ready” and then picks up the narrator; however, given the context, it would make more sense that the narrator is the one “getting ready.” To fix this sentence, we should specify who is really getting ready. The best replacement for the underlined phrase is to say “after I get ready.”