AccelePrep for the ACT Test 2nd Edition Student Text

10 • S URGE TO S UCCESS ! E NGLISH T EST P REP

ENGLISH TEST DESIGN

Here are the basics of the English test design: • Five passages • 15 questions per passage, 75 questions total • 45 minutes ƒ…Š ‘ˆ –Š‡ ϐ‹˜‡ ’ƒ••ƒ‰‡• ‹…Ž—†‡• —†‡”Ž‹‡† ™‘”†• ƒ† ’Š”ƒ•‡• –Šƒ– may contain errors in grammar, sentence structure, punctuation, or style. Some passages also include boxed numbers used to ask about passage development and organization. Essentially, the test is asking you to play editor, and, fortunately, the ’‘–‡–‹ƒŽ ’”‘„Ž‡ ƒ”‡ƒ• ‹ ƒ ’‹‡…‡ ‘ˆ ™”‹–‹‰ ƒ”‡ ƒŽ”‡ƒ†› ’‘‹–‡† ‘—– ™‹–Š four potential solutions for you to choose from. Everything you need is right there in front of you. The test includes three main types of tested topics: • Nuts and Bolts of English Conventions (approximately 40 items) • Passage Development (approximately 23 items) • Style (approximately 12 items) Let’s go through these types one by one. The nuts and bolts of the English test are items that test the conventions of •–ƒ†ƒ”† ‰Ž‹•ŠǤ Š‡•‡ ‹–‡• ƒ”‡ Œ—•– ™Šƒ– ›‘— ™‘—Ž† ‡š’‡…– –‘ ϐ‹† ‘ ƒ Dz ‰Ž‹•Š –‡•–dz ƒ†…‘˜‡” –Š‡ ‡…Šƒ‹…ƒŽ ƒ•’‡…–• ‘ˆ ™”‹–‹‰Ǥ 1. Š‡ ”‡…‡–Ž›…”‡ƒ–‡† ™‹Ž†Ž‹ˆ‡ ”‡ˆ—‰‡ǡ ™Š‹…Š ‹…Ž—†‡• ‡ƒ”Ž› ͵Ͳ small ponds for migrating geese and ducks, ™‡”‡ made possible by substantial gifts from an anonymous donor to the Wildlife Protection Fund. A. NO CHANGE Ǥ ™ƒ• C. have been D. being Although these questions test the rules of English usage, you are not ”‡“—‹”‡† –‘ ‘™ ƒ› –‡…Š‹…ƒŽ Œƒ”‰‘Ǥ  –Š‡ “—‡•–‹‘ ƒ„‘˜‡ǡ ˆ‘” ‡šƒ’Ž‡ǡ you do not have to justify your choice using terms such as “agreement,”

NUTS AND BOLTS

Example:

TEST SPECS Nuts and bolts questions ask about basic grammar principles. For example: • subject-verb agreement • pronoun-antecedent agreement • ‘†‹ϐ‹‡” ’Žƒ…‡‡– • choice of verb tense