Tip #2 to Get a Top ACT English Reading Science Score

Usually the ACT does not try to be very tricky, but they do love this one subject/verb agreement trick. Every test uses it at least once. And since we expect it, it's not tricky for us.

Let's take a look at this question:

I, with several other interns, were arriving at the "Bermuda Government Offices."

F. No Change

G. had been arrived

H. was arriving

J. were being arriving

Solution: I love these, they are tricky, but we know they are coming! The trick is that "interns" might look like the subject of the underlined verb, but "I" is the subject. "Interns were arriving" sounds correct, but the subject of the verb is "I," so it should be "I was arriving."

Correct answer: H.

"How can I ever tell that?" you say. Ahh, my friend, easy. A prepositional phrase, such as "with several other interns," NEVER counts as the subject. Prepositional phrases always begin with a preposition ("on," "above," "below," "with," "by," "during," "until," … just Google "prepositions" for a full list) and end with a noun, such as "interns." Here are a few more prepositional phrases: "of awards," "with six kids," or "on the table."

So when you are identifying the subject of an underlined verb, if there is a prepositional phrase, cross it out! Then subject/verb agreement is obvious, and a "tricky question" becomes "easy"!

Jimmy with his friends walks

The number of awards proves

Billy along with six kids goes

Example Problems

Cross out any prepositional phrases between the subject and verb, and underline the subject of the bold verb in each of the following sentences.

1. Margarita, with her sisters, currently runs a marketing firm.
2. The way of all samurai is a strict path.
3. The boys, with their dog Alfred, walk to school.
4. The PTA, through generous donations, is building a new school building.

Now, let's see this trick on a few ACT questions.

Grandma's procedure for baking been written in my mind with dough and colored sugar. After the sticks of butter , mix with one cup of sugar. Next, crack two eggs over the edge of the bowl and toss the shells into the compost bin. Add one teaspoon of vanilla. Then, one-half cup of brown and white sugars added, and stir. Add two cups of flour, one teaspoon of salt, and one teaspoon of baking soda, and stir. Then place the dough in the freezer for one hour to harden. When the cookies, baking on the middle rack of the oven, , your nose will tell you.

1.  
   1. NO CHANGE
   2. cookies; have
   3. cookies has
   4. cookies being
2.  
   6. NO CHANGE
   7. has softened
   8. were soft
   10. has been softened
3.  
   1. NO CHANGE
   2. is being
   3. will have been
   4. are
4.  
   6. NO CHANGE
   7. become ready
   8. had become ready
   10. was