Faulty Modifiers on ACT English: Grammar Rule Prep

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Posted by Alex Heimbach | Jun 13, 2015 3:30:00 PM

ACT English

One of comedian Groucho Marx's most famous jokes involves a pachyderm and some sleepwear.

"One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas," he says. "How he got in my pajamas I don't know!"

This joke is a play on a grammatical error called a misplaced modifier. 

The modifier errors on the ACT English may not be quite as funny as Groucho's, but you still have to understand how they work. To that end, we'll be covering both the basic grammatical concepts behind faulty modifiers and how to apply that knowledge on the test:

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Last Minute SAT Prep Programs

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Posted by Samantha Lindsay | Jun 13, 2015 3:06:00 PM

SAT

Only have a couple days left before the SAT? There’s still time to improve your scores! A few hours of focused prep can make a big difference in your test performance, especially if you have obvious mistakes that you haven't noticed.

Here are some guidelines that will help you design a last minute SAT study plan that works for you. I'll also give you a bunch of last minute SAT tips to raise your score.

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Punctuation on ACT English: Apostrophes, Colons, and More

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Posted by Alex Heimbach | Jun 13, 2015 3:00:00 PM

ACT English

What's the difference between a period and a semicolon? Between a comma and a dash? These questions bedevil not just students, but even professional writers. Punctuation can be one of the weirdest, most confusing parts of writing.

However, the ACT English section isn't writing—it's a multiple choice test, which means that every question has to have only one correct answer. The ACT tests a specific set of punctuation rules, most of which deal with commas. I covered commas in a separate post—here I'll be explaining the other punctuation rules you need to know, which deal with apostrophes, semicolons, colons, and dashes.

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Pronoun Agreement on the SAT: Tips and Practice

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Posted by Alex Heimbach | Jun 13, 2015 11:00:00 AM

SAT Writing

Pronoun agreement errors are some of the most common on the SAT Reading & Writing section, and they can be confusing because people often misuse pronouns, especially when we speak. In fact, I just made a pronoun mistake: can you spot it?

Take a closer look at the second half of my first sentence: "people often misuse pronouns, especially when we speak." Who is "we" referring to here: "people." However, the correct pronoun for the third person plural is they. The correct version is "people often misuse pronouns, especially when they speak."

On SAT Reading & Writing, you'll be expected to spot many such errors. We'll be covering both the basic SAT writing rules regarding pronouns you need to know and the common mistakes you'll see on the test:

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SAT Homeschool Code for Registration

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Posted by Anna Aldric | Jun 13, 2015 10:35:00 AM

SAT

 

The Code

The universal SAT Home School Code, needed to register for the SAT and applicable anywhere in the USA, is 970000.

When you use this, it means that the score results will be sent directly to your home. Using this code simply indicates, for the sake of data gathering, that you are a home schooled student. Home schooled students, on average, score higher on the SAT than their public school counterparts. This code is the College Board's way of tracking the results accurately. Also, the SAT compares you to the local average, but as a home schooled student, you won't provide an accurate representation of the local district scores.

However, if you want to, you can use the local high school's code as well.

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How to Register for the SAT as a Homeschooled Student

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Posted by Anna Aldric | Jun 13, 2015 10:30:00 AM

SAT

What registration code to you use to register for the SAT as a homeschooled student, and what considerations should you remember? Read our guide to get the details.

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How to Register for the ACT as a Homeschooled Student

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Posted by Anna Aldric | Jun 13, 2015 10:30:00 AM

ACT

How do homeschooled students register for the ACT, and what is the ACT homeschool code? What important considerations should you keep in mind? Find out here.

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Last Minute ACT Prep Programs

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Posted by Samantha Lindsay | Jun 12, 2015 4:20:30 PM

ACT

If you don’t have much time left before the ACT, you may be wondering how you can maximize your scores with a short term study plan. If you’re looking for a big score improvement and you only have a few days before the test, you might not be able to reach your goal this time, but you can get a good head start towards it (and you’ll be better prepared to study harder before your next test session).

But if you only need to improve by one or two points, really intense studying for a few hours could get you where you want to be, if you have some clear weaknesses you didn't know about!

In this article I'll show how to create a last minute ACT study program and give last minute ACT tips to boost your score.

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ACT Test Results: How to Get and Interpret Your Results

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Posted by Samantha Lindsay | Jun 12, 2015 3:43:00 PM

ACT

If you took the ACT recently, you’re probably eager to see how you did so you can send your scores to colleges or prepare for the next test date. But how do you get your score report, and what’s the best way to interpret your scores?

In this article, I’ll go through how and when you can get your report, what’s on it, and how to get the most out of the information you’re given.

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SAT Test Results: How to Get and Interpret Your Results

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Posted by Samantha Lindsay | Jun 12, 2015 3:36:00 PM

SAT

So you just took the SAT, and you’re eager (or terrified) to see your scores. Especially if this is your first time taking the test, the score report can be confusing. But reading it correctly will help you to identify weak spots and do better on the test next time and get real SAT results.

I’ll go over how to get your SAT score report and read it so you’re getting the most out of the information the College Board gives you.

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How Homeschooled Students Should Prep for the ACT

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Posted by Rebecca Safier | Jun 12, 2015 2:40:00 PM

ACT

Do you receive your education at home or outside the formal setting of a public or private school? If you're a homeschooled student aiming to go to a 4-year college, then you're probably planning to take the ACT (or its equivalent, the SAT).

This guide will go over how you can prep for the ACT as a homeschooled student, come up with a solid test plan, and be strategic in your approach to taking this important test. The first step is asking yourself about your strengths and weaknesses as a student.

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2015 & 2016 Full Review of All SAT Test Dates

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Posted by Samantha Lindsay | Jun 12, 2015 2:30:00 PM

SAT

We go through exact SAT test dates for 2015 and 2016 for freshman, sophomores, juniors, and seniors, and tell you the advantage of each testing date.

I’ll break it down date-by-date and class-by-class so you can easily figure out the best time for you to take the test.

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My SAT Testing Center Was a Nightmare - Make Sure This Doesn't Happen to You

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Posted by Dora Seigel | Jun 12, 2015 9:00:00 AM

ACT, SAT

On Saturday, June 6th, I sat alongside high school students to take the SAT at George Washington Prep High School in South Los Angeles. I knew what to expect. I’d taken the test back in 2009 in South Florida when I was beginning my own college application process.

I could never have imagined how different my experience would be this time. My SAT Testing center, located in a poor area of Los Angeles, had HUGE flaws that resulted in extremely unfair testing conditions for the students. When I shared these experiences with my co-workers, they were flabbergasted. But others shared experiences that were just as deplorable.

I wish I were joking. I wish this were satire.

But this isn't Saturday Night Live, and there were serious problems that ruined the experience for the other test-takers, many of whom were taking it for the first time and using vouchers. This is undoubtedly happening across the country and crippling the scores and futures of thousands of students. 

Unfortunately, as in my experience, these problems may be especially prevalent in lower income areas where students aren't as well prepared for how the test SHOULD go, and incompetent proctors may be overlooked.

Read this and make sure this doesn't happen to you.

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If Your SAT/ACT Test Center Has These Problems - SPEAK UP

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Posted by Dora Seigel | Jun 12, 2015 8:30:00 AM

ACT, SAT

 

No one likes to be a tattletale. Okay, most people don’t like to be a tattletale. However, when your future dream college is at stake, which it is when you take the SAT/ACT as it accounts for 30-50% of your college application, you NEED to be a tattletale when there are testing issues.

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Sentence Fragments and Run-ons in SAT Writing: Tips and Questions

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Posted by Mary Ann Barge | Jun 11, 2015 6:47:00 PM

SAT Writing

 

Can you recognize a sentence when you see one?

Most people will automatically answer that they can. But correct sentence structure is one of the most commonly-tested grammatical concepts on the SAT Writing section.

What does it take to make a sentence complete? How can you recognize a fragment or a run-on? Read on to figure out how the SAT manages to trick so many students with this seemingly easy concept.

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