ACT Lesson 9

There have been many people who have made significant contributions to the field of aviation. These pioneers helped give birth to modern aviation; out of this group, one stands out above all the others. Charles Lindbergh, at the age of twenty-five, piloted the first non-stop flight from New York to Paris in over thirty-three hours.

The writer is thinking of revising the preceding sentence to read: Charles Lindbergh piloted the first nonstop flight from New York to Paris.

If this revision was made, the sentence would primarily lose:

• unnecessary details that disrupt the flow of the narrative

• specific details that enrich the narrative

• additional details that make the paragraph confusing

• repetitive information that is given earlier in the narrative

Tags

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

Stuart considered himself a man of mystery and was greatly amused by his own talent as a performer. He looked at his whole life as an act carried out for the benefit of the world around him. He regularly assumed the names of legendary illusionists, registering at hotels as Harry Houdini or Mandrake the Magician.

The writer is considering deleting the phrase "registering at hotels as Harry Houdini or Mandrake the Magician" (adjusting the punctuation as needed). if the writer were to make this deletion, the sentence would primarily lose:

• an explanation of why Stuart chose to assume these particular names

• an indication of the many different places where Stuart used these names

• details about the way hotel guests react to Stuart's use of pseudonyms

• examples of illusionists whom Stuart considered worthy of emulation

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

My grandparents' estate has been in our family for generations. When we arrived, the sun was beginning to set, adding an ephemeral quality to the landscape. At the entrance to the home, the last of the daylight bounced off the smooth surface of the front door's dark brown, mahogany frame.

If the writer were to delete the words smooth, dark brown, and mahogany from the preceding sentence, the paragraph would lose descriptive details that primarily:

• reveal the narrator's emotions upon approaching the estate

• support the narrator's case for keeping family heirlooms intact

• help depict what the narrator saw when arriving at the estate

• describe the craftsmanship required to build such a home

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.5

CCSS.RI.6.5

CCSS.RI.7.5

CCSS.RI.8.5

CCSS.RI.9-10.5

Francis couldn't wait for P.E. because he got to play dodgeball. His strategy was to stay on the fringe for the first half of the game, appearing to be unfocused while quietly observing the players' movements. In the second half of the game, Francis would catch his opponents off guard and lead his team to victory.

If the writer were to delete the preceding sentence, the paragraph would primarily lose a statement that:

• describes a specific instance in which Francis outwitted his opponents.

• adds an amusing tone to an otherwise formal paragraph

• sets up the reader for the contrast described in the next sentence

• helps explain a point about Francis's technique that is made earlier in the paragraph

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

There is some upsetting news about deer in our area: their habitats are being destroyed for other areas. For example, fields on which deer graze are being cleared for the construction of shopping centers and condominiums. As a result, the deer population is diminishing every year.

The writer is considering deleting the preceding sentence from the paragraph. If the writer makes this deletion, the paragraph would primarily lose:

• an example of ways residents can help stop the destruction of deer habitats

• information that strays from the main idea about the endangered deer population

• an example that supports the claim that deer habitats are destroyed

• scientific evidence that proves the deer population is being diminished.

Tags

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

I had worked harder on this book report than anything else in my life. Thanks to this assignment, I ate, drank, and dreamed The Odyssey. I knew it would be devastating if Mrs. Daniels gave me anything less than a perfect grade. I was prepared to see a typical letter grade of A, B, C, D, or even F, but instead she has written, "See me after class."

The writer is considering deleting the first part of the preceding sentence, so that the sentence would read:

She had written, "See me after class."

If the writer were to make this change, the essay would primarily lose:

• examples of the grades the narrator typically receives on book reports.

• a contrast between what Mrs. Daniels wrote and what the narrator was anticipating.

• details that suggest that the narrator knew the grade before the book report was returned to her.

• an indication that the narrator deeply respected Mrs. Daniels.

Sometimes the hardest part of writing a book is putting that very first word down onto the page. Staring at a blank page in August of 1998 was the most terrifying feeling Chang had ever experienced. By December, he was celebrating with his friends and family: Chang had just completed the first chapter of what would become his best-selling masterpiece.

The writer is concerned about the level of detail in the preceding sentence and is considering deleting the phrase "the first chapter of" from it. If the writer were to make this deletion, the paragraph would primarily lose information that:

• clarifies that only one chapter of the novel had been written by December of 1998.

• makes clear that by December of 1998, Chang had already begun writing the second chapter of his novel.

• provides evidence that Chang's loved ones believed the entire novel was completed at this time.

• reveals how much time and effort would go into writing a novel the length of Chang's.

Tags

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

In the late twentieth century, sculpture was making an enormous comeback. A new generation of artists has found their passion within the medium, and they took to it in innovative and modern ways. In the mid-1980s, the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art commissioned three local artists to sculpt a seventeen-foot statue in the museum's lobby.

If the italics phrase were deleted the sentence would primarily lose a detail that:

• provides new and relevant information to the sentence

• is vague and unnecessary to the sentence

• repeats details that have already been mentioned in the paragraph

• must be included for the sentence to be grammatically correct

Tags

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

I grew up with a Christmas tree farm in my backyard and loved examining the trees. Each new sapling had its own distinct shape that I found captivating. I quickly became an expert arborist and worked my way up to managing the family business.

The writer is considering revising "Each new sapling had its own distinct shape that I found captivating" to read "Each new sapling had its own unique shape." That revision would cause the sentence to lose primarily:

• variation on the writer's theme of his career as an arborist

• fascination with the writer's own use of descriptive language

• emphasis on the narrator's enthusiasm for the trees

• details describing the various characteristics of the tree

Tags

CCSS.L.11-12.5

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.W.11-12.2D

CCSS.W.11-12.3D

Industry outsiders are always surprised by how many recorded songs musicians have in their repertoire. Record producers will typically have an artist record as many songs as possible so they can edit them and pick out the best songs. Generally, an album will only include about twenty percent of what was originally recorded in the studio. Why don't we ever hear the other songs?

If the writer were to delete the preceding sentence, the essay would primarily lose:

• a detail about the volume of songs an artist records when making an album

• a factual detail about how song selection increases an artist's fan base

• information that helps put record production into a broader context

• a potential answer to the question asked next in the paragraph

Tags

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.2