1 ACT English 1, Set 1
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Answers & Explanations
1. B This is the best answer because Anorexia
is the subject of the sentence, followed by
the verb is. No punctuation is necessary in
between.
2. H This is the best answer because it provides the
most specific supporting detail about how dan-
gerous anorexia can be.
3. A This is the best answer because it is correct as
is.
4. F This is the best answer in order to maintain
parallel structure. F provides the most concise
noun to parallel the rest of the sentence.
5. D This is the best answer. This is a general
sentence that should be placed at the opening
of the paragraph directly before the details
about anorexia and bulimia.
6. J This is the best answer because
unfortunately should be offset by commas,
as it is acting as a parenthetical phrase.
7. A This is the best answer in order to maintain
pronoun/antecedent agreement. Their is
plural and refers to patients which is
also plural.
8. F This is the best answer because it is the most
concise. The other choices are wordy or
awkward.
9. A This is the best answer because the
construction of the sentence calls for an
adjective/noun combination. The use of an
adverb is inappropriate in this case.
10. G This is the best answer because Usually
have.. is a dependent clause and therefore
must be preceded a comma.
ACT HOMEWORK ENGLISH 1, SET 1
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11. C This is the best answer because paragraph 4
is the only paragraph that speaks generally
about the disease. All other paragraphs have
specific information about causes or symptoms
of the disease.
12. H This is the best answer because two
independent clauses separated by a
conjunction (i.e. but) require a comma.
13. D This is the best answer because paragraph 2
and paragraph 4 are the most general and
therefore should be the opening and closing
paragraphs. The transition sentence at the
beginning of paragraph 3 indicates that it
should follow paragraph 5.
14. F This is the best answer because the word
overweight is not appropriate in this
context. Than indicates a comparison;
then indicates chronology.
15. D This is the best answer because the other
choices are not relevant to the paragraph. The
tone of choices A and B clash with the rest of
the essay.
16. J This is the best answer because the context of
the sentence calls for a simple past tense.
17. A This is the best answer because the context of
the sentence calls for present tense. Its
should be used because it is reflecting
the possessive (the way belongs to the
buzzword).
18. H This is the best answer because it preserves the
chronology of the paragraph. Sentence 5
should be placed between sentences 3 and
4.
19. B This is the best answer because it is the only
choice that is not wordy or redundant.
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20. F This is the best answer because that, as
opposed to who, is appropriate to refer to a
company. Company is a singular noun, so
is is the correct verb form.
21. D This is the best answer because by opening
an essay on identity theft with this paragraph,
the writer makes the subject more accessible
and inviting.
22. G This is the best answer because no
punctuation is necessary here. To find a
job. is a sentence fragment that cannot
stand alone.
23. B This is the best answer. Paragraph 3 focuses
on the frustrations of recovering from
identity theft, with a particular focus on the
challenges. Choice B ties in the topic of
paragraph 2 (the number of victims) to
paragraph 3.
24. H This is the best answer because the subject
of the sentence is response. With this
singular subject, the correct verb is is.
25. A This is the best answer because the context of
the sentence calls for a contrasting word.
26. J This is the best answer because the pronoun
them later in the sentence indicates the
antecedent must be plural (victims).
27. D This is the best answer because the dash
should be used to correspond to the dash at
the beginning of the clause.
28. F This is the best answer because this passage
does not contain enough detail for any
of the other choices.
29. D This is the best answer because this broad
statement would best fit as the topic sentence
of paragraph 3.
30. G This is the best answer because each is
the subject of this sentence. Each is
singular and therefore the pronoun his must
be used.
ACT HOMEWORK ENGLISH 1, SET 1
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31. A This is the best answer because the
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construction calls for past tense and passive
construction.
32. J This is the best answer. This sentence is
referring to one Pope, so it should read
Popes. A comma must precede even
to offset that parenthetical phrase.
33. B This is the best answer because effect is a
noun, and therefore the correct word choice.
Choice A clashes with the tone of the essay
and is wordy.
34. G This is the best answer because paragraph 2
focuses on the hardships in the Popes early
life, so it is appropriate to mention his
poverty. The other choices do not relate to
his hardships.
35. A This is the best answer because sentence 3
refers to the emotional pain of the two deaths.
For the sake of chronology, this is the best
placement.
36. F This is the best answer because this clause
calls for an adjective/noun combination.
37. C This is the best answer because simple past
tense is appropriate here.
38. J This is the best answer because a colon is
used when following an independent clause
and preceding a list.
39. A This is the best answer because this choice is
the most concise.
40. G This is the best answer because the subject of
the sentence is campaign, which is singular,
so the verb must be was.
41. C This is the best answer because the focus of
paragraph 4 is the Popes continued health
problems. Only choice C provides a clear
transition between the war and the Popes
later injuries and illness.
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42. H This is the best answer to preserve parallel
construction. This sentence calls for a noun
to mirror dislocated shoulder and
femur-replacement surgery.
43. B This is the best answer because choice B
shows how his injury affected his ministry.
The other choices focus on the physical
details of the assassination attempt.
44. J This is the best answer. The given choice
is ambiguous (who did the shooting?) and the
other choices are wordy and awkward.
45. A This is the best answer. The opening clause
of the sentence is a modifier referring to
the Pope. Therefore that clause must
immediately precede that which it
modifies. It does not modify some of the
damage, his wounds, or the marks.
46. J This is the best answer because the other
choices are superfluous and wordy.
47. A This is the best answer because the clause
as a... does not need to be offset by a form
of punctuation.
48. G This is the best answer because it arranges
the sentences in the chronological order of
Knowles life.
49. C This is the best answer because at Exeter
modifies the summer session, and should be
placed next to it. No comma is necessary.
50. F This is the best answer because the subject
of the sentence is Knowles father, and
therefore the he in the second clause should
refer to the father. Choice F indicates that
Knowles saw the ad in the magazine, not his
father.
51. B This is the best answer because the subject
of the sentence is Gene, and therefore
singular. The verb must correspond with a
singular subject.
ACT HOMEWORK ENGLISH 1, SET 1
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52. J This is the best answer because it is the
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only choice that refers to the plot of the
novel, not Knowles life.
53. A This is the best answer because While or
Although could both be correct, but it is
not appropriate to begin a new paragraph
here. The following sentences support the
similarities between Knowles and the
characters in the book.
54. F This is the best answer because the subject of
the sentence should be members.
55. A This is the best answer because modeled is
idiomatically correct.
56. F This is the best answer because this is the
only choice that uses active construction. F
also places the modifier a visiting
student. next to the appropriate
noun: David Hackett.
57. B This is the best answer because whose is
possessive, which is not appropriate
here. The correct construction must also be
books because book is singular.
58. H This is the best answer because itself refers
to World War II, which is a singular noun.
59. D This is the best answer because it is the only
choice that mentions the plot of the novel.
The second part of this sentence refers
to Knowles life.
60. F This is the best answer because it maintains
the meaning of the sentence without a double
negative.
61. C This is the best answer because the sentence
deals with the summer of 1943, which is
discussed in paragraph 2. This is an
opening sentence to the topic of the summer
session, so it should be placed before
sentence 4.
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62. F This is the best answer because sentence 2
describes the disorder of children packing
weeks before the event. F contributes to and
supports that disorder with visual images.
63. B This is the best answer because the context of
the paragraph calls for past tense.
73. D This is the best answer because the context of
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this sentence calls for a contrasting word.
74. H This is the best answer because it uses the
gerund construction having. Having
serves as a noun; it is what the author reveled
in.

64. F This is the best answer because commas are
needed to show the separation of ideas in
the sentence. We need to offset in order to
avoid the endless questions.
65. D This is the best answer because this passage
has an informal 1st person tone that is not
appropriate for academic writing.
75. B This is the best answer because B is the only
choice that refers back to the content of
paragraph 1. The opening paragraph of
this passage focuses on the childhood
anticipation of a vacation.

66. F This is the best answer because the sentence

calls for the object pronoun me. No
punctuation is necessary after me.

67. A This is the best answer. To avoid ending the

sentence in a preposition it is appropriate to
end the sentence with the word embark.

68. H This is the best answer because the word

them in sentence 5 must follow parents
in sentence 1.

69. D This is the best answer because it uses the

parallel structure of three nouns.

70. G This is the best answer because the other

choices are awkward or idiomatically
inappropriate.

71. B This is the best answer because B is the only

choice in which the description indicates
what the R.V. may have looked like. The
other choices are vague or clichd
expressions that give no vivid description of
the contents of the agency.

72. F This is the best answer because when a

compound adjective is followed by a noun,
the compound adjective should be
hyphenated.

ACT HOMEWORK ENGLISH 1, SET 1

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