ACT English › Word Usage Errors
"Our Family Trip to Hawaii" by Jennifer Mings (2013)
Last summer, my mother, sister, brother, and me took a trip to Honolulu, Hawaii. We were excited to see everything, and couldn’t wait to arrive. After our lengthy plane ride, we stepped off of the plane in a daze. There was two flight attendants who immediately greeted us, putting flower wreaths around our necks. We then met up with our tour guide; and he told us that we would be going straight to Pearl Harbor.
On our way to Pearl Harbor, there was a largely immense amount of traffic, something that aggravated my mother. Luckily, the tour guide was a native of the island, and he was able to calm my mother down.
When we finally arrived at Pearl Harbor, there was many tourists and natives of different nationalities. The first thing we did when we arrived was watching a movie about the history of Pearl Harbor, which included the story of the USS Arizona. During the movie, everyone had been excited to see the USS Arizona Memorial and wanted to get on the boat. After, we all got on a boat and we were driven to the USS Arizona Memorial. It was an amazing, beautiful, gorgeous, and great experience for everyone.
Choose the answer that best corrects the bolded portion of the passage. If the bolded portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
NO CHANGE
Last summer, my mother sister brother and me
Last summer, my mother, sister, brother, and I
Last summer, my mother, sister, brother and I
The comma placement is correct in the passage, but “me” must be changed to “I” in order for the sentence to be grammatically correct.
Adapted from Hard Times by Charles Dickens (1854)
A candle faintly burned in the window, to which the black ladder had often been raised for the sliding away of all that was most precious in this world to a striving wife and a brood of hungry babies. Stephen added to his other thoughts the stern reflection, that of all the casualties of this existence upon earth, not one was dealt out with so unequal a hand as death. The inequality of birth was nothing to it. For example, the child of a king and the child of a weaver were born tonight in the same moment. What would be the disparity between the death of any human creature who was serviceable to, or beloved by, another, while this abandoned woman lived on!
From the outside of his home he gloomily passed to the inside with suspended breath and with a slow footstep. He went up to his door opened it and so into the room.
Quiet and peace was there. Rachael was there, sitting by the bed.
She turned her head, and the light of her face shone in upon the midnight of his mind. She sat by the bed watching and tending his wife. That is to say, he saw that someone lay there and knew too good that it must be she. However, Rachael’s hands had put a curtain up, so that she was screened from his eyes. Her disgraceful garments were removed, and some of Rachael’s were in the room. Everything was in it’s place and order as he had always kept it. The little fire was newly trimmed, and the hearth was freshly swept. It appeared to him that he saw all this in Rachael’s face. While looking at it, it was shut out from his view by the softened tears that filled his eyes; however, this was not before he had seen how earnestly she looked at him, and how her own eyes were filled too.
Which is the best form of the underlined selection "Someone lay there and knew too good that"?
someone lay there and knew too well that
someone lay there and knew to good that
someone lay there, and knew too well that
NO CHANGE
As written, the only problem with the sentence is its improper use of the adjective "good." The proper, adverbial, form is "well." The word is modifying "knew": Stephen knew well—not good!
Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence. If the underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
If one is a writer who wishes to be published in a national magazine, you should expect to re-write pieces several times before they are accepted.
one
NO CHANGE
they
we
yourself
"One" establishes the sentence as being in third-person, singular, thus shifts into 2nd person ("you" "yourself) or plural pronouns would be incorrect.
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. One of the answer choices repeats the underlined portion as it is written.
Problematically, the soldier had backs himself into a corner from which he could not escape.
had backed himself
had backs himself
had backed him
had back him
backed him
The sentence describes what the soldier had already done to his own body. The use of "himself" is correct and necessary to show who the action was done to, but the action occurred in the past, meaning the appropriate verb form is "backed." The correct answer choice is "had backed himself."
Adapted from The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1774; trans. Boylan 1854)
Wilhelm, what is the world to our hearts without love. What is a magic-lantern without light? You have but too kindle the flame within, and the brightest figures shine on the white wall; and, were love only to show us fleeting shadows, we are yet happy, when, like mere children, we behold it, and are transported with the splendid phantoms. I have not been able to see Charlotte today. I was prevented by company from which I could not disengage myself. What was to be done? I sent my servant to her house, that I might at least see somebody today whom had been near her. Oh, the impatience with which I waited for his return! Oh, the joy with which I welcomed him. I should certainly have caught him in my arms and kissed him, if I had not been ashamed.
It is said that the Bonona stone, when placed in the sun, attracts its rays and for a time appears luminous in the dark. So was it with me and this servant. The idea that Charlotte's eyes had dwelt on his countenance, his cheek, his very apparel, endeared it all inestimably to me so that, at that moment, I would not have parted from him for a thousand crowns. His presence made me so happy! Beware of laughing at me, Wilhelm. Can that be a delusion which makes us happy?
Which of hte following is the best form of the underlined selection "And, were love only to show us fleeting shadows, we"?
NO CHANGE
and, was love only to show us fleeting shadows, we
and, if love was only to show us fleeting shadows, we
and, if love is only to show us fleeting shadows, we
As written, the selection is correct. The form of the verb is the subjunctive mood. We do not use this very often in English. Often, you will find it used in conditional expressions like, "If I were . . ." Though it appears to be a misuse of a plural form ("were") with a singular subject ("love"), such is not the case here.
Adapted from The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1774; trans. Boylan 1854)
Wilhelm, what is the world to our hearts without love. What is a magic-lantern without light? You have but too kindle the flame within, and the brightest figures shine on the white wall; and, were love only to show us fleeting shadows, we are yet happy, when, like mere children, we behold it, and are transported with the splendid phantoms. I have not been able to see Charlotte today. I was prevented by company from which I could not disengage myself. What was to be done? I sent my servant to her house, that I might at least see somebody today whom had been near her. Oh, the impatience with which I waited for his return! Oh, the joy with which I welcomed him. I should certainly have caught him in my arms and kissed him, if I had not been ashamed.
It is said that the Bonona stone, when placed in the sun, attracts its rays and for a time appears luminous in the dark. So was it with me and this servant. The idea that Charlotte's eyes had dwelt on his countenance, his cheek, his very apparel, endeared it all inestimably to me so that, at that moment, I would not have parted from him for a thousand crowns. His presence made me so happy! Beware of laughing at me, Wilhelm. Can that be a delusion which makes us happy?
Which of hte following is the best form of the underlined selection "And, were love only to show us fleeting shadows, we"?
NO CHANGE
and, was love only to show us fleeting shadows, we
and, if love was only to show us fleeting shadows, we
and, if love is only to show us fleeting shadows, we
As written, the selection is correct. The form of the verb is the subjunctive mood. We do not use this very often in English. Often, you will find it used in conditional expressions like, "If I were . . ." Though it appears to be a misuse of a plural form ("were") with a singular subject ("love"), such is not the case here.
Adapted from “The Fear of the Past” in What’s Wrong with the World by G.K. Chesterton (1910)
The last few decades have marked by a special cultivation of the romance of the future. We seem to have made up our minds to misunderstand what has happened; and we turn, with a sort of relief, to stating what will happen—which is (apparently) more easy. The modern man no longer presents the memoirs of his great grandfather; but is engaged in writing a detailed and authoritative biography of his great-grandson. Instead of trembling before the specters of the dead, we shudder abject under the shadow of the babe unborn. This spirit is apparent everywhere, even to the creation of a form of futurist romance. Sir Walter Scott stands at the dawn of the nineteenth century for the novel of the past; Mr. H. G. Wells stands at the beginning of the twentieth century for the novel of the future. The old story, we know, was supposed to begin: "Late on a winter's evening two horsemen might have been seen . . ." The new story has to begin: "Late on a winter's evening two aviators will be seen . . ." The movement is not without its elements of charm; theres something spirited, if eccentric, in the sight of so many people fighting over again the fights that have not yet happened; of people still aglow with the memory of tomorrow morning. A man in advance of the age is a familiar phrase enough. An age in advance of the age is really rather odd.
Choose the answer that best corrects the bolded portion of the passage. If the bolded portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
easier
NO CHANGE
easiest
the easiest
the easy
Two things must be considered here. First, the passage incorrectly forms the comparative degree of the adjective "easy." The correct form is "easier." Now, it is more appropriate to choose "easier" than "the easiest" because the author is here making a comparison. We cannot guarantee that he really wishes to make the superlative claim that statements about the future are the easiest to make.
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. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
Some writers use literary illusions to tactfully reference authors who previously wrote about similar themes.
tactfully use literary allusions to reference authors
tactfully use literary illusions to reference authors
use literary allusions to tactfully reference authors
use literary illusions tactfully to reference authors
use literary illusions to tactfully reference authors
An illusion is a hallucination, an image that isn’t really there. An allusion is a reference or citation, especially to/from another text. Also, there is a split infinitive; the adverb “tactfully” must be moved elsewhere in the sentence so the verb “to reference” is kept together.
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. One of the answer choices repeats the underlined portion as it is written.
Problematically, the soldier had backs himself into a corner from which he could not escape.
had backed himself
had backs himself
had backed him
had back him
backed him
The sentence describes what the soldier had already done to his own body. The use of "himself" is correct and necessary to show who the action was done to, but the action occurred in the past, meaning the appropriate verb form is "backed." The correct answer choice is "had backed himself."
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. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
The students were shocked learning of their teacher's past life as a rock musician.
were shocked to learn
were shocked learning
were shocking to learn
were shocking learning
were shocking to learn
The use of the verb "learn" is essentially as a modifier of the students "shock." This means that "learning" must be turned into a form that will describe why the students were "shocked." "Were shocked to learn," using an infinitive form, is the best choice among the answers.