Mastering Key Punctuation Rules for the ACT

What is the primary use of commas in a sentence?

• To indicate possession

• To introduce a list or a pause

• To connect two independent clauses without a conjunction

• To replace periods in complex sentences

What is the correct way to use commas with nonessential phrases?

• Place a comma before and after the phrase

• Use a comma only at the beginning of the phrase

• No commas are necessary for nonessential phrases

• Use a semicolon instead of commas

What does FANBOYS stand for?

• For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So

• First, And, Now, But, Or, Yet, Soon

• First, Also, Next, Because, Otherwise, Yet, So

• For, After, Not, But, Or, Yet, Since

When should you use an apostrophe to show possession?

• Only when the noun is plural

• Never use apostrophes for possession

• Always add 's after the noun, regardless of its ending

• Add 's to singular nouns and just an apostrophe for plural nouns ending in s

When should an apostrophe be used for 'its'?

• To indicate possession

• To pluralize it

• To start a sentence

• When it's a contraction for 'it is' or 'it has'

What is the rule for subject-verb agreement?

• The subject and verb must be in plural form

• The verb must always be in the past tense

• The verb must match the subject in number

• The subject always comes before the verb

Which pronoun should be used with 'everyone'?

• Their

• His or her

• Them

• Those

What is a run-on sentence?

• A sentence that combines two independent clauses without proper punctuation

• A sentence that lacks a subject

• A sentence that uses too many commas

• A sentence that is too short

What is parallelism in sentence structure?

• Repeating the subject at the beginning and end of a sentence

• Using the same verb tense throughout a sentence

• Starting and ending a sentence with the same word

• Balancing elements in a sentence that are of equal importance

How can misplaced modifiers be corrected?

• By adding more modifiers

• By moving the modifier closer to the word it describes

• By removing the modifier entirely

• By changing the tense of the modifier