Grammar
* Subject-Verb Agreement: Understanding how verbs change to match the number and person of their subjects.
* Pronoun Agreement: Ensuring pronouns agree with their antecedents in number, person, and gender.
* Pronoun Case: Knowing the difference between subjective, objective, and possessive cases of pronouns.
* Verb Tense: Using the correct tense of verbs to indicate the time of the action.
* Verb Tense Consistency: Maintaining consistent tense throughout a passage.
* Sentence Structure: Identifying and correcting errors in sentence structure, such as fragments, run-ons, and misplaced modifiers.
* Parallelism: Ensuring that items in a list or series are grammatically parallel.
* Adjectives and Adverbs: Using the correct form of adjectives and adverbs to describe nouns and verbs.
* Comparative and Superlative Forms: Using the correct forms of adjectives and adverbs to make comparisons.
Mechanics
* Punctuation: Understanding the rules for using commas, semicolons, colons, apostrophes, quotation marks, and dashes.
* Capitalization: Knowing when to capitalize words, such as proper nouns, titles, and the beginning of sentences.
* Spelling: Recognizing and correcting common spelling errors.
Specific Areas:
* Idioms: Recognizing and correcting errors in the use of idioms.
* Word Choice: Selecting the best words to fit the context and tone of the passage.
Key Tips:
* Focus on the Basics: Master the core grammar and punctuation rules.
* Read Carefully: Pay attention to the context of the passage and the specific errors being tested.
* Practice Regularly: Familiarize yourself with common errors and practice identifying them.
* Know Your Resources: Utilize grammar guides, online resources, and practice tests to improve your understanding.
By focusing on these areas and practicing regularly, you can improve your score on the Usage and Mechanics section of the ACT English test.