Tip #3 to Get a Top ACT English Reading Science Score

When a pronoun (such as "he," "she," "it," "they," "them," "him," or "her") is underlined, we must be totally sure what noun it is referring to. If it is unclear, in any way, it is incorrect. You're smart, so you might be able to figure out which noun a pronoun refers to, but ask yourself, If Borat were translating this sentence, what would he think? If it's at all unclear, it's wrong. Also, once you know what the pronoun refers to, make sure that it matches—singular or plural.

Let's take a look at this question:

I approached the bulletin board that held your summer destiny.  Jostling amongst other eager students, my eyes

A. No Change

B. one's

C.  my

D. whose

Solution: We cannot be sure who "your" refers to, so it's wrong. Also, on the ACT, only use "you" or "your" if it is used consistently throughout the essay, and never switch between "you" and "one."

Correct answer: C

As you learn the English Skills, use them to analyze each underlined word. If the underlined word is a verb, ask, What is its subject? If it's a pronoun, ask, What does it refer to and does it match?

Example Problems

My grandma begins to flatten the dough with a wooden roller coated with flour. I devote my energies to the cookie cutters. all heaped together in an old plastic shopping bag. I become overwhelmed by my options and lay all out. I love the simplicity of the star, but am also intrigued by the complexity of the Santa. There's also the reindeer, the Christmas tree, and the sleigh. I select cookie cutter that we will use and realize I have chosen mostly stars and Santas.

My next task it to decorate the newly born shapes with sugar. takes a step back from the table and watches my eyes widen with excitement. I begin to sprinkle red and green sugar arbitrarily across the top of cookie. I release the crystals from my hand and wherever up is fine with me. When I finally finish, my grandma tells me that they are "just perfect" and places them in the oven.

1.  
   1. NO CHANGE
   2. It
   3. They being
   4. They are
2.  
   6. NO CHANGE
   7. it
   8. each one
   10. those
3.  
   1. NO CHANGE
   2. their
   3. each
   4. these
4.  
   6. NO CHANGE
   7. My grandma
   8. He
   10. Who
5.  
   1. NO CHANGE
   2. each and every
   3. this
   4. which
6.  
   6. NO CHANGE
   7. those end
   8. they end
   10. those released crystals ends