Core grammar, punctuation, and rhetorical skills rules tested on the ACT English section.
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- When should you use a comma to separate items in a series?
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Use a comma between each item, including before the final 'and' (the Oxford comma).- What punctuation is required when joining two independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction?
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Place a comma before the coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, yet, so).- How should you punctuate an introductory phrase followed by an independent clause?
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Place a comma after the introductory phrase.- Should a comma separate a subject from its verb?
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Never. Never place a comma between a subject and its verb.- How should a non-restrictive clause be punctuated?
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Set it off with commas on both sides because it provides extra, non-essential information.- When can a semicolon join two sentences?
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A semicolon can connect two independent clauses when they are closely related in meaning.- What is parallel structure?
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Items in a series, list, or comparison must use the same grammatical form or structure.- What is a sentence fragment?
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An incomplete sentence that lacks a subject, verb, or independent clause and cannot stand alone.- What is a comma splice?
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Joining two independent clauses with only a comma, without a coordinating conjunction or semicolon.- What is a dangling modifier?
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A phrase that appears to modify the wrong word because the intended subject is missing or unclear.- How should you correct a misplaced modifier?
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Move the modifier close to the word it is intended to describe.- What is the difference between 'their,' 'there,' and 'they're'?
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'Their' is possessive, 'there' indicates a place, and 'they're' is the contraction of 'they are'.- What is the difference between 'its' and 'it's'?
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'Its' is possessive, and 'it's' is a contraction of 'it is' or 'it has'.- When should you use 'who' versus 'whom'?
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Use 'who' as the subject of a clause and 'whom' as the object of a verb or preposition.- What is the difference between 'affect' and 'effect'?
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'Affect' is typically a verb meaning to influence; 'effect' is typically a noun meaning a result.
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