Below are answer explanations to the full-length English test of the previously released ACT from the current 2015-2016 “Preparing for the ACT Test” (form 1572CPRE) free study guide available here for free PDF download.

The ACT English test explained below begins on page 12 of the guide. Please note that the 2015-2016 ACT practice test is the same one used in the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 “Preparing for the ACT Test” guides. Other answer explanations in this series of articles:

When you’re finished reviewing this official practice ACT test, start practicing with our own 10 full-length practice ACT tests—absolutely free during the pandemic.

ACT Practice Test English Answer Explanations 2015-2018

Question 1, “form from tiny water droplets,” The answer is A “NO CHANGE.”

This question tests our understanding of comma usage. Read each answer choice, find the ones that have commas out of place, and eliminate them.

  1. Choice A: This answer choice has one comma which sets off the phrase “following a specific process of chemical bonding as they freeze” which appears to be correct.
  2. Choice B: The word “from” is modifying “form” and they shouldn’t be separated by a comma. The phrase “tiny, water droplets” does not need a comma since it is only a list of two things.
  3. Choice C: The phrase “tiny, water, droplets” does not need commas since it is only a list of two things.
  4. Choice D: The word “from” is modifying “form” and they shouldn’t be separated by a comma. There needs to be a comma after droplets to set off the phrase “following a specific process of chemical bonding as they freeze”.

Tip: On the ACT wrong answers for comma questions typically have too many commas, rather than not enough commas. If you’re stuck between 2, pick the one with less commas!

Question 2, “similarly,” The answer is J “however,”

This question is testing our ability to connect ideas with transition words. Read the two sentences (this one and the one before) and see how the ideas in the sentences connect to each other.

  1. Since scientists are “confounded” and these triangular snowflakes “defied the basic laws of chemistry”, this contrasts with the ideas in the preceding sentence.
  2. Choices F, G, and H do not use contrasting words so we may eliminate them.

Question 3, “similarly,” The answer is D “that they form”

This question is testing appropriate word choice. Try each answer out and see which ones have grammatical mistakes.

  1. Choice A: “…forming through a different process of chemical bonding.” makes the sentence incomplete.
  2. Choice B: “…the manner in which formation through a different process of chemical bonding.” makes the sentence incomplete.
  3. Choice C: “…suggests which had formed…” does not make grammatical sense.
  4. Choice D: Can be picked by process of elimination. 

Question 4, “a discovery has revealed…” The answer is H “scientists Kenneth Libbrecht…”

Since all of the answer choices communicate very similar ideas, this question is testing repetition and simplicity.For these questions we will choose the shortest answer choice that doesn’t have any problems.

  1. Begin with the shortest answer choice which is H, and see if it has any mistakes.
  2. Since choice H is grammatically correct, and is not missing any important information it is the correct answer.

Question 5, “freezes it causes” The answer is B “freezes, causing”

This question is testing punctuation between two complete thoughts (independent clauses).

  1. Since “Snowflakes begin to form when water in the atmosphere freezes” and “it causes the water molecules to bond into a hexagonal shape.” could be complete sentences, we need appropriate punctuation between them.
  2. Answer choice A does not have any punctuation, so we may eliminate it.
  3. Answer choice C uses a comma, which may not join two complete thoughts, so we may eliminate it.
  4. Answer choice D uses the word “this” but the second sentence is still a complete thought. Therefore, we may not join them with a comma and answer choice D is wrong.
  5. Answer choice B uses the word “causing” instead and since “causing the water molecules to bond into a hexagonal shape.” is not a complete thought (it’s a dependent clause) we may set it off with a comma.

Question 6, “bumps” The answer is J “bump”

This question is testing verb forms. A verb should agree in number (singular vs plural) with its subject and in tense with other verbs or context clues in the sentence.

  1. The subject is “molecules” which is plural.
  2. This paragraph so far has been in the present tense, and there are no context clues that would tell us to use a different tense.
  3. The only answer choice with a plural verb in the present tense is choice J.

Question 7, “Bypassing the liquid water phase” The answer is B “a detail that mentions…”

This question is asking us what function the underlined portion serves in the sentence. Read the sentence, and then each answer choice and see if they agree.

  1. Answer choice A: Since we are “bypassing the liquid water phase” this cannot explain how “water molecules… change from liquid to vapor”.
  2. Answer choice B: This seems to agree. The “step some water molecules skip” matches to how we are “bypassing the liquid water phase”.
  3. Answer choice C: There is no visual description.
  4. Answer choice D: There is no mention of any “air temperatures”.

Question 8, “forms” The answer is J “form”

This question is testing word choice including verb forms. A verb should agree in number (singular vs plural) with its subject and in tense with other verbs or context clues in the sentence.

  1. Our subject is snowflakes which is plural.
  2. Choice F uses a singular verb, and may be eliminated.
  3. Choice G: “were they to form a hexagonal shape.” makes the sentence incomplete.
  4. Choice H: “If they formed a hexagonal shape.” makes the sentence incomplete.
  5. Choice J is singular and the only remaining answer choice.

Tip: You may have eliminated choices G and H because they were too wordy. This is okay, just make sure that choice J is grammatically correct before picking it.

Question 9, “process” The answer is C “process:”

This question is testing punctuation. Read each answer choice, and eliminate the ones with mistakes.

  1. Choice A: We need some sort of punctuation between “process” and “dust”.
  2. Choice B: “process is dust” does not make grammatical sense.
  3. Choice C: Since “dust” explains the “significant addition to the process” a colon is a good choice.
  4. Choice D: A semicolon is used to separate two complete sentences (independent clauses). “Dust” is not a complete sentence.

Question 10, “the pressure from the wind” The answer is J “pressure from the wind”

This question is testing word choice. Read each answer choice, and eliminate the ones with mistakes.

  1. The subject of our sentence is “the pressure from the wind” since the “pressure” is what “causes bonds to form…”. Choices F, G, and H all misstate this. They also all make incomplete sentences.

Question 11, “quick” The answer is J “more quickly”

This question is testing word choice with adverbs and comparisons.

  1. The context clue “than in the rest of the snowflake” tells us that we are comparing two things.
  2. Choice A does not indicate comparison.
  3. Choices C and D could only indicate comparisons of three or more things.

Question 12, “shape-” The answer is G “shape,”

This question is testing punctuation between incomplete and complete thoughts (independent and dependent clauses).

  1. “Although these snowflakes appear to have a triangular shape” could not be a complete sentence (it is a dependent clause). “They actually have a hexagonal pattern.” could be a complete sentence (independent clause). 
  2. A semicolon “;”, a colon “:”, and a dash “-” can only be used after an independent clause. Answer choices F, H, and J may be eliminated.

Question 13, “the basic laws of chemistry still apply” The answer is A “NO CHANGE”

This question is asking about conclusions. We will need to think about what the main ideas were and see which answer choices connect to them.

  1. This essay was primarily focused on understanding and explaining triangular snowflakes.
  2. Choice A: When combined with the rest of the sentence, this connects strongly to our main idea about solving the problem posed by the triangular snowflake.
  3. Choice B: This is too broad – does solving one mystery make us certain that we can solve them all?
  4. Choice C: This connects to the topic of snowflakes, but does not connect to the scientific discussion of the triangular snowflake.
  5. Choice D: This connects to the topic of snowflakes, but does not connect to the scientific discussion of the triangular snowflake.

Question 14 “The writer is considering adding the following sentence…” the answer is H “B in paragraph 1”

This question tests our ability to connect ideas. Look for specific ideas in the sentence that can connect to something somewhere else in the passage.

  1. Since we talk about “This growth” as opposed to just “growth” this sentence should go somewhere in the passage where we are already discussing growth. Reread each of these portions and see if they connect.
  2. At point C in paragraph 2, the previous sentence discusses how “the flake grows outward…” which is our strongest connection to the ideas in the given sentence.

Question 15 “Suppose the writer’s primary purpose…” the answer is D “No, because it explains…”

This question tests our understanding of the main ideas of the passage. If we’re unsure whether the given primary purpose is correct, we can work from the answer choices and see how well the reasoning connects to the passage.

  1. Choice A: Scientists did not discover that “their understanding of the basic laws of chemistry is flawed.” They found an explanation for triangular snowflakes.
  2. Choice B: We never discussed applying knowledge to “other areas of chemistry”.
  3. Choice C: Scientists did find an answer to the question of triangular snowflakes.
  4. Choice D: This matches very strongly to the ideas in paragraph 5.

Question 16 “coats, and we watched” the answer is H “coats, we watched”

This question is testing punctuation between incomplete and complete thoughts (independent and dependent clauses).

  1. “Bundled up in wool sweaters and thick coats” is an incomplete thought (it is a dependent clause) and “we watched the sun setting on Mt. Fuji in Japan.” could be a complete sentence (independent clause).
  2. Choice A: “, and” joins two complete thoughts together, so we may eliminate it.
  3. Choices G and J: By changing “watched” to “watching” both of these answer choices make the whole sentence incomplete, so we may eliminate them.
  4. The only remaining choice is H. This correctly joins the incomplete thought to the complete thought with a comma.

Question 17 “would have needed” the answer is B “would need”

This question tests verb forms. A verb should agree in tense with other verbs or context clues in the sentence.

  1. Since it “was August” and “we hiked” we can tell the sentence is in the past tense. C is in the future tense and D is in the present tense, so they may both be eliminated.
  2. Choice A: The phrase “would have needed” suggests that we didn’t need “the warmth from our bodies”. This doesn’t make sense in context. We may eliminate choice A.
  3. Answer choice B is correct by process of elimination. It also is correctly in the past tense.

Question 18 “because of the jumbled rocks we were slipping on” the answer is J “with each step”

Since all of the answer choices communicate very similar ideas, this question is testing repetition and simplicity. For these questions we will choose the shortest answer choice that doesn’t have any problems.

  1. Begin with the shortest answer choice which is J, and see if it has any mistakes.
  2. Since J is grammatically correct, and is not missing any important information it is the correct answer.

Note: Notice how all of the other answer choices repeat information from the first part of the sentence. This is a big clue that lets us know what this question is testing.

Question 19 “piled high on” the answer is C “piled high with”

This question is testing word choice. Read each answer choice, and eliminate the ones with mistakes.

  1. There are only two things we have to consider to answer this question: “piled vs piling” and “with vs on”.
  2. The rocks are on the roof, but if we use the word “on” in the sentence it sounds like the roof is on the rocks. We may eliminate choices A and D since they use the word on.
  3. The word piling is in the present tense, but our story is in the past tense (“we noted”, “and felt”) so we may eliminate choices B and D.
  4. By process of elimination, the correct answer is C.

Question 20 “sticks which it was proof of” the answer is H “sticks, proof of”

This question may appear to be testing repetition and simplicity, but it is actually testing complete and incomplete thoughts (independent and dependent clauses).

  1. Choice G: Removing the word “which” creates two complete thoughts (independent clauses) which may never be joined by a comma. We may eliminate G.
  2. Choice J: This answer choice is missing the word “which”. To be correct it should read “which proved our progress…”
  3. Choice F: The word “which” should introduce an incomplete thought (dependent clause), but “it was proof of our progress through the darkness” could be a complete sentence.
  4. By process of elimination H is the correct answer. 

Question 21 “most” the answer is A “NO CHANGE”

This question is testing word choice. Read each answer and eliminate the ones with mistakes.

  1. Choice A does not appear to have any mistakes.
  2. Choice B: “For the most part” means “usually” which does not work in this context. We could also note that this couldn’t be a better answer than choice A because it is too wordy.
  3. Choice C is missing the word “the” to be grammatically correct. It should read “…for the majority of the route…”
  4. Choice D: The word more would indicate we are comparing two things, which we are not in the sentence.

Question 22 “forming” the answer is F “NO CHANGE”

This question is testing punctuation between two complete thoughts (independent clauses).

  1. Don’t be fooled by the phrase between the dashes. When you try to answer this question, read it without that phrase. 
  2. “As we neared the summit, the whole group of hikers condensed” could be a complete sentence (independent clause).
  3. Answer choices G, H, and J all add a subject to the second part of the sentence, which makes it a complete thought (independent clause). Two complete thoughts can never be joined by a comma, so we may eliminate these answer choices.
  4. By process of elimination the answer is F.

Note: Do you ever worry about picking “NO CHANGE” twice in a row? Don’t! “NO CHANGE” is the right answer just as often as any of the other answer choices.

Question 23 “Progressing along the trail,” the answer is B “Able to advance only a few steps at a time,”

This question is asking us to connect ideas to the question stem.

  1. Don’t lose sight of the question! We need to connect to the idea that the group “did not set their own pace”.
  2. Choice B: Being “able to advance only…” expresses the idea that they could not go at their own pace. None of the other answer choices express this idea at all.
  3. Choice B is the right answer, since it’s the only one that connects to the ideas in the question.

Question 24 “Sun:” the answer is H “Sun,”

This question is testing punctuation between incomplete and complete thoughts (independent and dependent clauses).

  1. “In the first half-light of the rising sun” could not be a complete sentence.
  2. “We began to make out the dark lines of the cliffs’ at the crater’s edge.” could be a complete sentence (independent clause).
  3. A semicolon “;”, a colon “:”, and a dash “-” can only be used after an independent clause. Answer choices F, G, and J may be eliminated.
  4. By process of elimination H is the answer.

Question 25 “cliffs’ at the crater’s edge” the answer is C “cliffs at the crater’s edge”

This question is testing apostrophes.

  1. “Cliff’s” or “cliff’s” would indicate that the word “cliffs” is possessive, which is incorrect. This eliminates choices A and B.
  2. “Craters” should be possessive, since we are talking about the edge of the crater. We will need to use an apostrophe, so choice D is wrong and choice C is correct.

Note: It may have been difficult to tell if “craters” should have been singular or plural. By looking at “cliffs” first, we didn’t have to figure this out.

Question 26 “We waited for the sun.” the answer is F “a restatement of an idea”

This question is asking us what function the underlined portion serves in the sentence. Read the paragraph, and then each answer choice and see if they connect.

  1. Choice F: “We waited for the sun.” Restates “waited for the shifting clouds to clear”, so this seems supported.
  2. Choice G: This does not introduce the idea of waiting, since they “waited for the shifting clouds to clear”
  3. Choice H: While this detail may be unnecessary, it does not contradict anything in the paragraph.
  4. Choice J: This does not tell us what they “saw when they reached the summit”. It only tells us what they will see in the future.

 Question 27 “Generally,” the answer is D “Finally,”

This question is testing our ability to connect ideas with transition words. Read the two sentences (this one and the one before) and see how the ideas in the sentences connect to each other.

  1. In the previous sentence they “waited for the sun”. In this sentence the sun comes out. We need an answer choice that best expresses that they were waiting for something, and then it happened.
  2. The only answer choice that connects to the idea of waiting choice D, so it is the correct answer.

 Question 28 “squelched out” the answer is G “shattered over”

This question is asking us to connect ideas to the question stem.

  1. Don’t lose sight of the question! We need to “dramatically emphasize the ruggedness” when we answer this question.
  2. The only idea in the answer choices that connects to the idea of ruggedness is the word “shattered” in choice G. Therefore, choice G is the only answer that could be correct.

Question 29 “The writer wants to add the following sentence…” the answer is A “A in paragraph 1”

This question tests our ability to connect ideas. Look for specific ideas in the sentence that can connect to something somewhere else in the passage.

  1. Notice that they “started up the trail” and there were “other hikers”. Reread these portions and look for connections to those ideas.
  2. Answer choice A is in paragraph 1 which discusses the beginning of their journey. The preceding sentence is also the only one that mentions “other hikers.” so it is our strongest connection to the ideas in the sentence.

Question 30 “The writer wants to add the following sentence…” the answer is A “A in paragraph 1”

This question tests our understanding of the main ideas of the passage. If we’re unsure whether the given primary purpose is correct, we can work from the answer choices and see how well the reasoning connects to the passage.

  1. Choice F: The hikers did face a variety of challenges. For instance, paragraph 2 mentions how they “slipped and stumbled”.
  2. Choice G: While walking sticks and tools were mentioned the entire passage was not focused on them. 
  3. Choice H: The hike is described as challenging. Paragraphs 2, 3, and 4 all mention challenges.
  4. Choice J: The beauty is mentioned, but it is not the focus of the passage. In fact, many parts of the passage explicitly contradict this. For instance paragraph 5 describes a “severe landscape”.

Question 31 “boy named, Juan Quezada,” the answer is B “boy named Juan Quezada”

This question is tests our understanding of comma usage

  1. We might be tempted to use commas to set off the name Juan Quezada, but this is incorrect here because his name is essential information. Notice also that if it had been correct to do so, the commas would go around the phrase “boy, named Juan Quezada,” which isn’t an answer choice.
  2. Since we don’t need commas to set this phrase off, we choose choice B.

Tip: On the ACT wrong answers for comma questions typically have too many commas, rather than not enough commas. If you’re stuck between 2, pick the one with less commas!

Question 32 “pots, and an occasional complete pot,” the answer is H “pots, (and an occasional complete pot)”

For questions that ask for acceptable/unacceptable alternatives, the underlined portion will be correct as written.

  1. Since the phrase “and an occasional complete pot” is set off with commas, it should be set off somehow in all of the answer choices.
  2. Each answer choice does this, but choice H uses a comma and parentheses which is overkill.

Question 33 “wondered, if he could make pots like these?” the answer is B “wondered if he could make pots like these.”

  1. There are two things to consider in these answer choices. Does the comma go after “wondered” and should the sentence end with a question mark or not.
  2. Since this is not a question, we should end it with a period. We can eliminate choices A and D.
  3. The word “if” is modifying “wondered” here: it tells us what he is wondering. They should not be separated by a comma. We can eliminate choice C.
  4. Choice B is the right answer by process of elimination.

Question 34 “Which of the following statements would provide the best transition…” the answer is H “Quezada began working with clay from the mountains.”

This question is testing our ability to connect ideas between paragraphs. Read the end of the last paragraph and the beginning of this paragraph and see how the ideas connect to each other.

  1. In the previous paragraph Quezada “wondered if he could make pots like these.” In this paragraph, Quezada is working with clay and trying to “shape it into a pot”.
  2. The only answer choice that connects to the idea of Quezada working with clay is H. Since this is the only choice that connects to this paragraph, it must be correct.

Note: The phrase “He dug the clay…” tells us that we are already talking about clay, so the missing sentence must mention it.

Question 35 “had taught” the answer is A “NO CHANGE”

This question is testing word choice including verb forms. A verb should agree in tense with other verbs or context clues in the sentence.

  1. Choices B and C change the meaning of the sentence. Choice B sounds as if he is selling “a dedication to teaching” and choice C sounds as if he is selling pots to “a teacher”, neither of which make sense in context.
  2. Since he “was selling” pots, we need to match the past tense of that verb. Choice A “had taught” does this correctly.

Question 36 “In the preceding sentence…” the answer is F “how closely Quezada had created…”

This question can be worked as a “delete” question. What do the ideas in this clause connect to?

  1. Since “anthropologist Spencer MacCallum… thought they were prehistoric”, we need to connect to the idea that his pots closely resemble an older traditional style.
  2. Choices F and J both express this idea to some degree, but the word “outmoded” is a critical word. This clause isn’t criticizing, so we may eliminate choice J. This leaves choice F as the correct answer.

Question 37 “led him” the answer is A “NO CHANGE”

This question is testing word choice including verb forms. A verb should agree in tense with other verbs or context clues in the sentence.

  1. Since our paragraph so far is in the past tense, and there are no context clues to suggest otherwise, we should use a past tense verb. Led is past tense, so we may eliminate choices B and D.
  2. The word “himself” would only be used if he was also the subject of this sentence. Since the subject is “his search” we should use “him” instead. Therefore choice A is the correct answer.

Be careful! “Lead” and “led” are commonly confused words! “Led” is past tense and “lead” is present tense.

Question 38 “an eventual” the answer is F “NO CHANGE”

This question is asking us to connect ideas to the question stem.

  1. Don’t lose sight of the question! We need to connect to the idea that the partnership “was not formed right away.”
  2. Of these answer choices, “eventual” is the only one that connects to the idea that there was some sort of delay.

Note: Do you ever worry about picking “NO CHANGE” twice in a row? Don’t! “NO CHANGE” is the right answer just as often as any of the other answer choices.

Question 39 “the places in which” the answer is C “where”

Since all of the answer choices communicate very similar ideas, this question is testing repetition and simplicity. For these questions we will choose the shortest answer choice that doesn’t have any problems.

  1. We begin with the shortest answer choice, which is D. If we choose choice D, however, the sentence has two complete thoughts (independent clauses) joined by a comma which is incorrect.
  2. After eliminating choice D, we examine the next shortest answer choice which is C. Since C is the shortest answer choice that doesn’t have any grammatical mistakes and doesn’t omit any relevant information, it is the correct answer.

Question 40 “more so.” the answer is J “more.”

Since all of the answer choices communicate very similar ideas, this question is testing repetition and simplicity. For these questions we will choose the shortest answer choice that doesn’t have any problems.

  1. Begin with the shortest answer choice which is H, and see if it has any mistakes.
  2. Since choice J is grammatically correct, and is not missing any important information it is the correct answer.

Question 41 “potters around,” the answer is C “potters in Mata Ortiz”

This question appears to be testing repetition and simplicity, but all of the answer choices don’t communicate the same information.

  1. Choice C provides a detail “in Mata Ortiz” that none of the other answer choices provide. Since this detail is not present anywhere else in the sentence, we should include it. Therefore, choice C is correct.

Note: The wrong answers for this one are pretty silly. For example, choice A says “Today there are more than four hundred people creating art”. That’s definitely true, but we could probably be more specific.

Question 42 “which” the answer is G “whom”

This question is testing pronoun choice. Pronouns should agree with what they refer to.

  1. Our pronoun refers to the “potters” who are people. The word which does not refer to people, so we may eliminate choice F.
  2. If we use “them” the phrase “all of them make their pots by hand, following the traditions of the Paquime Indians.” could be a complete sentence (independent clause). We would then have two complete thoughts (independent clauses) joined by a comma, which is incorrect.
  3. Since our pronoun is the object of the preposition “of” we should use the objective case, which is “whom”. The correct answer is therefore choice G.

Tip: Confused about “who” and “whom”? The difference between these words is the same as between “he” and “him” and as between “they” and “them”. Trying out these words instead can help you tell which one to use. In this sentence “all of them” is fine, but “all of they” sounds weird. So, we use “whom” instead of “who”.

Question 43 “which” the answer is G “whom”

This question is testing pronoun choice. Pronouns should agree with what they refer to.

  1. This question can quickly be done by elimination.
  2. “They’re” means “they are” which does not make sense in this context, so choice A is incorrect.
  3. “Herselves creations” doesn’t make sense, so choice B is incorrect.
  4. “Hers creations” doesn’t make sense, so choice C is incorrect.
  5. By process of elimination, D is the correct answer. 

Question 44 “For the sake of logic and coherence…” the answer is J “after Sentence 2”

This question tests our ability to connect ideas. Look for specific ideas in the sentence that can connect to something somewhere else in the passage.

  1. There are two clues in this sentence. “Each artist” tells us that we need to connect to a sentence that discusses artists. The past tense verb “brought” tells us this sentence should come before the shift to present tense, which starts with “today” in sentence 3.
  2. Of our 4 options, the only one that connects to artists at all is choice J “after sentence 2”, so it must be the correct answer.

Question 45 “Suppose the writer’s primary purpose…” the answer is C “No, because it focuses instead on how one artist…”

This question tests our understanding of the main ideas of the passage. If we’re unsure whether the given primary purpose is correct, we can work from the answer choices and see how well the reasoning connects to the passage.

  1. If we recognize that the focus of the passage was on the work of one person (Quezada) we may eliminate any answer choices that do not reference him.
  2. The only reference to Quezada is “one artist” in choice C, so that is the correct answer.

Question 46 “it’s” the answer is J “its”

This question is testing pronoun choice. Pronouns should agree with what they refer to.

  1. Our pronoun refers to the Lyceum Theatre which is an “it” not a “they”.
  2. “It’s” means “it is”, but we need a possessive pronoun, which is spelled “its”.

Tip: Ever confused by “it’s” vs “its”, “their” vs “they’re”, or “who’s” vs “whose”? In these cases, the apostrophe is always the contraction: “it’s” means “it is”, “they’re” means “they are”, and “who’s” means “who is”. The other spelling is the possessive form.

Question 47 “alike regularly filling” the answer is D “alike regularly fill”

This question is testing complete and incomplete thoughts (independent and dependent clauses).

  1. Using the word “filling” makes the sentence incomplete. We can eliminate choices A and B.
  2. There is no reason to put a comma after alike. “Tourists and New Yorkers alike” are the subject of our sentence! We can eliminate choice C, making D the correct answer.

Tip: On the ACT wrong answers for comma questions typically have too many commas, rather than not enough commas. If you’re stuck between 2, pick the one with less commas!

Question 48 “for example” the answer is H “however,”

This question is testing our ability to connect ideas with transition words. Read the two portions of this sentence (before and after the semicolon) and see how the ideas connect to each other.

  1. We are connecting the ideas that “most are there to attend a performance” to “a few… come to admire the stunning building itself.” Since we have contrasting ideas (“most do this” vs “a few do that”), we need to choose a contrasting word.
  2. The only choice that offers a contrast is “however,” so the correct answer is H.

Question 49 “they come to” the answer is H “they”

This question is testing complete and incomplete thoughts (independent and dependent clauses).

  1. “A few, for example, are likely to be architecture buffs” could be a complete sentence. So could “they come to admire the stunning building itself.” Two complete thoughts (independent clauses) cannot be joined with no punctuation. We can eliminate choice A.
  2. Choice D: “They admire the stunning building itself” could be a complete sentence. We may eliminate choice D for the same reasons as choice A.
  3. Choice C: “whom admire” is not correct; it should be “who admire”. We may eliminate this choice.
  4. By process of elimination the answer is D.

Tip: Confused about “who” and “whom”? The difference between these words is the same as between “he” and “him” and as between “they” and “them”. Trying out these words instead can help you tell which one to use. In this sentence “they admire” is fine, but “them admire” sounds weird. So, we use “whom” instead of “who”.

Question 50 “frieze; carved into it are” the answer is F “NO CHANGE”

This question is testing punctuation between two complete thoughts (independent clauses).

  1. “Above the columns extends a horizontal stone band called a frieze” could be a complete sentence. So could “Carved into it are the classical theatrical masks that represent comedy and tragedy.” Two complete thoughts (independent clauses) can be joined by a semicolon, so the sentence is correct as written.
  2. For the other choices: Choice J joins these two complete thoughts with a comma, which is not okay. Choices G and H use correct punctuation to join two complete thoughts, but using the phrase “into which” makes the second portion of the sentence an incomplete thought.

Tip: Not sure about semicolons? On the ACT a semicolon can be used anywhere a period could.

Question 51 “The writer is considering adding the following sentence” the answer is D “No, because it deviates from the paragraph’s focus…”

When adding a sentence, reread the surrounding sentences and consider whether the information in the sentence is both new and relevant.

  1. Each sentence in this paragraph is discussing the “Lyceum Theater”.
  2. The sentence we’re considering adding is discussing theatrical masks.
  3. Since these topics are not related, we shouldn’t add the sentence. Choice D expresses this reasoning.

Tip: The correct “reasoning” for these types of questions should generally reference the text that is already in the paragraph. Even though both choices C and D say “no”, Choice D discusses the “paragraph’s focus”, but Choice C doesn’t reference the paragraph at all.

Question 52 “gray” the answer is J “DELETE the underlined portion”

This question is testing repetition and simplicity. For these questions we will choose the shortest answer choice that doesn’t have any problems.

  1. Begin with the shortest answer choice which is J, and see if it has any mistakes.
  2. Since choice J is grammatically correct, and is not missing any important information it is the correct answer.

Note: A different approach would have been to note that the previous sentence described the “gray limestone structure”. Answer choices F, G, and H all repeat this information and are thus incorrect.

Question 53 “balustrade,” the answer is A “NO CHANGE”

This question is testing punctuation between incomplete and complete thoughts (independent and dependent clauses).

  1. “The balcony is fenced with a balustrade” could be a complete sentence (independent clause). “A stone railing supported by a row of waist-high, vase-shaped pillars.” is an incomplete thought (dependent clause). A comma can join a complete thought to an incomplete thought. Keep answer choice A.
  2. Answer choices B and C use a period, but they end with an incomplete sentence. They can be eliminated.
  3. Answer choice D uses a comma, but “this is a stone railing supported by a row of waist-high, vase-shaped pillars.” could be a complete sentence (independent clause). We can’t join two complete thoughts with a comma. Eliminate answer choice D.
  4. By process of elimination, answer choice A is correct.

Question 54 “elegant chandeliers illuminate” the answer is F “NO CHANGE”

This question is testing verb forms. A verb should agree in number (singular vs plural) with its subject.

  1. “Chandeliers” is a plural word, so we need to use the plural verb “illuminate”. Eliminate choices G and J.
  2. The “chandeliers” are being described as “elegant” so we need the adjective “elegant” not the adverb “elegantly”. Eliminate choice H.

Note: Do you ever worry about picking “NO CHANGE” twice in a row? Don’t! “NO CHANGE” is the right answer just as often as any of the other answer choices.

Question 55 “Which choice maintains the essay’s positive tone…” the answer is F “NO CHANGE”

This question is asking us to connect ideas to the question stem.

  1. Don’t lose sight of the question! We need to have a “positive tone” and “mimic the elaborate style of decor”.
  2. Choice C uses the negative word “marred” and may be eliminated.
  3. Choices A and D both have a relatively neutral tone, and are not “elaborate” and may be eliminated.
  4. By process of elimination choice B is the answer. “Embellished with myriad…” correctly “mimics the elaborate style…”

Question 56 “If the writer were to delete…” the answer is G “contribute to the description…”

This question is asking us what function the underlined portion serves in the essay. Reread the sentence as well as the last few sentences, and then each answer choice to see if they connect.

  1. Choice F: The sentence says “in keeping with the sumptuous Beaux Arts style…” which is the opposite of this answer choice. Eliminate choice F.
  2. Choice G: The sentence describes “plush purple chairs” which matches with “the description of the Lyceum Theatre’s elaborate interior.” Keep choice G.
  3. Choice H: Neither this sentence nor any of the preceding sentences discuss how “popular” the Beaux Arts style is. Eliminate choice H.
  4. Choice J: This sentence does not define an “architectural term”. Eliminate choice J.

Question 57 “The writer wants to divide this paragraph…” the answer is C “C”

This question is asking us to connect ideas to the question stem.

  1. Don’t lose sight of the question! We need to “separate details about the building’s outdoor features from details about its indoor features”.
  2. The sentence before [c] discusses the building’s balcony. The sentence after begins with “The ornate interior…”, so point C separates the discussion of the buildings outdoor and indoor features.

Question 58 “Patrons” the answer is F “NO CHANGE”

This question appears to be testing our ability to connect ideas with transition words. Since we are offered a choice with no transition word, this question is actually testing simplicity.

  1. Begin with the shortest answer choice which is F, and see if it has any mistakes.
  2. Since choice F is grammatically correct, and is not missing any important information it is the correct answer.

Note: We could also have tried out all of the offered transition words, and seen if they made sense in context. None of them do.

Question 59 “adding enhancement to” the answer is D “enhancing”

Since all of the answer choices communicate very similar ideas, this question is testing repetition and simplicity. For these questions we will choose the shortest answer choice that doesn’t have any problems.

  1. Begin with the shortest answer choice which is D, and see if it has any mistakes.
  2. Since D is grammatically correct, and is not missing any important information it is the correct answer.

Question 60 “Suppose the writer’s primary purpose…” the answer is G “Yes, because it enumerates…”

This question tests our understanding of the main ideas of the passage. If we’re unsure whether the given primary purpose is correct, we can work from the answer choices and see how well the reasoning connects to the passage.

  1. Choice F: We never discuss “several New York theater buildings”, we just discuss one. Eliminate choice F.
  2. Choice G: This passage lists many specific architectural features of the Lyceum Theater. Keep choice G.
  3. Choice H: We don’t discuss the “set design for the Lyceum Theatre’s productions”. Eliminate choice H.
  4. Choice J: This passage only ever discusses the Beaux Art style. Eliminate choice J.

Question 61 “factual inaccurate.” the answer is C “factual inaccuracies.”

This question is testing word choice. Read each answer choice, and eliminate the ones with mistakes.

  1. The preposition “with” takes a noun. It’s “with inaccuracies” not “with inaccurate”. Eliminate choices A and D.
  2. “Factual” is describing inaccuracies, so we need the adjective “factual” not the adverb “factually”. Eliminate choice B.

Question 62 “birth, she falsely lists” the answer is G “birth: she falsely lists”

This question is testing punctuation between incomplete and complete thoughts (independent and dependent clauses).

  1. “Jones even fudges her date of birth” could be a complete sentence (independent clause), so is “she falsely lists May 1, International Workers’ Day, and ages herself by nearly a decade”. Two complete thoughts may not be joined by a comma. Eliminate choice A.
  2. Choice H uses a semicolon, but using the words “falsely listing” makes the second part an incomplete thought (dependent clause).
  3. In choice J “Jones even fudges her date of birth, falsely listing” is an incomplete thought (dependent clause). A colon must be preceded by a complete thought (independent clause).
  4. By process of elimination H is the correct answer. It does correctly join the two complete thoughts with a semicolon.

Question 63 “matters” the answer is D “matter”

This question is testing verb forms. A verb should agree in number (singular vs plural) with its subject and in tense with other verbs or context clues in the sentence.

  1. When we read this sentence, it can help to take out the phrase between the dashes. “These untruths ultimately matters…”
  2. The subject of our sentence is untruths, so we need to use a plural verb.
  3. Since the “autobiography isn’t…” our sentence is in the present tense, so we should choose a present tense verb.
  4. Choice D “matter” is the only plural verb in the present tense, so it is the correct answer. 

Question 64 “little, for” the answer is F “NO CHANGE”

This question is testing punctuation between complete thoughts (independent clauses).

  1. When we read this sentence, it can help to take out the phrase between the dashes.
  2. “These untruths ultimately matter very little” could be a complete sentence (independent clause), so is “the autobiography isn’t about the life of Mary Harris Jones.” We cannot join two complete thoughts with a comma, so eliminate choice J.
  3. “, for” is a correct way to join two complete thoughts. A period or a semicolon could also be correct, but they don’t need the word “for” as well. The word “for” makes the second part incomplete. Eliminate choices G and H.
  4. By process of elimination choice F is correct.

Question 65 “Given that all the choices are true…” the answer is C “Rather, it’s the story…”

This question is asking us to connect ideas to the rest of the essay. Read the next few sentences, and see what ideas there are to connect with.

  1. The next sentence talks about her involvement in “labor politics”. Answer choice C connects most strongly to this idea, because it refers to her as a “labor activist”. 

Note: Answer choice D may have been tempting, but the transition word “instead” doesn’t make sense in context.

Question 66 “movement’s most powerful and controversial advocate’s” the answer is H “movement’s most powerful and controversial advocates”

This question is testing apostrophes.

  1. “Movement’s” is possessive, which is correct here since she is an advocate of the movement. Eliminate choice J.
  2. “Advocate’s” or “advocates’” would be possessive, which is not correct here. Eliminate choices F and G.
  3. By process of elimination choice H is correct.

Question 67 “She herself,” the answer is D “She herself”

This question tests our understanding of comma usage.

  1. It might be tempting to set off “herself” with commas, but it is not necessary. Eliminate choice B.
  2. Choices C and A could never be correct, as they are missing the comma that would set off “herself”.
  3. By process of elimination choice D is correct.

Tip: On the ACT wrong answers for comma questions typically have too many commas, rather than not enough commas. If you’re stuck between 2, pick the one with less commas!

Question 68 “At this point the writer is considering adding…” the answer is G “Yes, because it adds…”

When adding a sentence, reread the surrounding sentences and consider whether the information in the sentence is both new and relevant.

  1. The previous sentence says that “her audiences came to expect ‘Mother Jones’” which connects very strongly with “to meet their expectations”. The information in this sentence is relevant.
  2. The specific descriptions of how Jones met their expectations is not stated in surrounding sentences, so the information in this sentence is new. Since it is new and relevant we will add it. Eliminate choices H and J.
  3. The reasoning for choice F says it highlights “the contrast between Jones… and her audiences.” Since we never describe her audience, we cannot have a contrast. Eliminate choice F.
  4. By process of elimination, the correct answer is G.

Question 69 “Jones,” the answer is D “Jones;”

This question is testing punctuation between two complete thoughts (independent clauses).

  1. “By 1900, the white-haired, calico-frocked figure was no longer known as Mary Harris Jones” could be a complete sentence (independent clause), so could “the media, union leaders and workers, and even U.S. presidents referred to her as Mother Jones.”
  2. If we add the phrase “in fact”, the second part could still be a complete sentence (independent clause).
  3. Two complete thoughts can never be joined by a comma or no punctuation. Eliminate choices A, B, and C. By process of elimination, choice D is the correct answer. 

Tip: Not sure about semicolons? On the ACT a semicolon can be used anywhere a period could.

Question 70 “If the writer were to delete…” the answer is J “provides support for the claim…”

This question is asking us what function the underlined portion serves in the paragraph. Reread the entire paragraph, and then each answer choice to see if they connect.

  1. Choice F: The underlined portion is not a question, and does not call anything into question. Eliminate choice F.
  2. Choice G: While, at a stretch, the underlined portion offers a little support to characterize her as a “vagabond”, there is no support to the phrase “happy-go-lucky”. Eliminate choice G.
  3. Choice H: The underlined portion only suggests that she does travel. There is no concrete indication that she “enjoys” it. Eliminate choice H.
  4. By process of elimination the answer is J.

Note: Notice how choice J is the only answer choice that connects to the rest of the paragraph. The phrase “redefined the boundaries of the home” makes an explicit connection to the preceding sentence. 

Question 71 “In the preceding sentence…” the answer is A “yes, because it completes…”

This question may be worked as an “adding” question. Look for the connection between the new text and the surrounding sentences.

  1. The phrase “her family of workers” connects to “redefined the boundaries of home and family” from the first sentence of the paragraph. Since it connects, we should make this revision. Eliminate choices C and D.
  2. Choice B says she cared most about “family relatives”, but the passage suggests she cares for all workers. Eliminate choice B.
  3. By process of elimination the answer is A.

If you wanted to say “no” to keep the sentence simple, you can eliminate choices C and D based on their reasoning. “Family of workers” is not a repetition, and the comparison is not unrelated as it connects to the first sentence.

Question 72 “protect them she did:” the answer is F “NO CHANGE”

Since all of the answer choices communicate very similar ideas, this question is testing repetition and simplicity. For these questions we will choose the shortest answer choice that doesn’t have any problems.

  1. The shortest answer choice is J, but “and she did this by” is not a complete thought (independent clause). Colons can only come after a complete thought, we can eliminate choice J.
  2. The next shortest choice is F. Since choice F is grammatically correct, and is not missing any important information it is the correct answer.

Question 73 “Instead of” the answer is B “Because of”

This question is testing our ability to connect ideas with transition words. Read the two sentences (this one and the one before) and see how the ideas in the sentences connect to each other.

  1. In the previous sentence she “fought for workers’ rights”. In this sentence we see that the “workers trusted Mother Jones.” These two ideas do not contrast, so we should not choose a contrasting word.
  2. Choices A, C, and D all present contrasting words, so they may be eliminated.
  3. By process of elimination, choice B is the correct answer.

Question 74 “there behalf” the answer is H “their behalf”

This question tests commonly misspelled words.

  1. “There” refers to location, which does not make sense in context. Eliminate choice A.
  2. “They’re” is a contraction for “they are”, which does not make sense in context. Eliminate choice B.
  3. The appropriate spelling of “behalf” is “behalf”. Choice H is the correct answer.

Tip: Ever confused by “it’s” vs “its”, “their” vs “they’re”, or “who’s” vs “whose”? In these cases, the apostrophe is always the contraction: “it’s” means “it is”, “they’re” means “they are”, and “who’s” means “who is”. The other spelling is the possessive form.

Question 75 “Suppose the writer’s goal had been…” the answer is D “No, because it focuses…”

This question tests our understanding of the main ideas of the passage. If we’re unsure whether the given goal was accomplished, we can work from the answer choices and see how well the reasoning connects to the passage.

  1. Since this entire passage was concerned with Mother Jones, this passage doesn’t summarize “women’s contributions”. It only summarizes one woman’s contribution. Eliminate choices A and B.
  2. Choice C says “it focuses more specifically on labor law reform” but labor laws were barely mentioned. Eliminate choice C.
  3. By process of elimination D is the correct answer.