Right Now
Open your binder to the Notes section; get
ready to write.
Dashes
Dashes highlight words and phrases—use dashes
when commas are not enough. The ACT will test you
on two different ways of using a dash:
1. You may use dashes instead of commas
to surround a group of nonessential words.
They fled through the woods, and then Suzy—dear, sweet,
shy Suzy—jumped from behind a tree and stabbed them.
2. You may use a dash before an afterthought.
Sean decided to quit his job as an accountant and pursue a
new line of work—as a pirate.
ACT Notes
Similar Words, Different Meanings
Then/Than
• The group studied hard and then took the test
(sequence).
• The local team swam better than the visiting team
(comparison).
Who’s/Whose
• Who’s coming to dinner? (who is)
• Whose book is this? (possessive)
Affect/Effect
• Lack of sleep affects your work (verb).
• Sleeping in class is an effect of staying up late (noun).
Its/It’s/Its’
It’s is a contraction of it is. Choose “it’s” if plugging in
“it is” makes sense:
•
•
It’s always sunny in Camelot.
It is always sunny in Camelot.
Its is a possessive pronoun. Like all possessive
pronouns (mine, yours, hers, theirs), it does not take
an apostrophe. Its is the correct choice whenever
plugging in “it is” does NOT make sense:
•
•
Its voice was cold and metallic.
It is voice was cold and metallic.
Its/It’s/Its’
Its’ does not exist. In any universe. Anywhere.
The ACT will try to trick you with by using its’ as
an answer choice. It is NEVER correct.
Who/Whom
•
Who is a subject pronoun and does the action:
Who threw the ball?
(Brianna threw the ball. Brianna is the subject.)
•
Whom is an object pronoun and receives the
action.
Brianna threw the ball to whom?
(Brianna threw the ball to Jill. Jill is the object.)
Who/Whom
•
Hint: Who=He and Whom=Him.
•
To check a sentence, rewrite it using he/him.
•
Rewrite
Whom threw the ball to who?
Him threw the ball to he.
Who/Whom
•
Hint: Who=He and Whom=Him.
•
To check a sentence, rewrite it using he/him.
•
Rewrite
Whom threw the ball to who?
Him threw the ball to he.
Who/Whom
•
Hint: Who=He and Whom=Him.
•
To check a sentence, rewrite it using he/him.
•
Rewrite
Whom threw the ball to who?
Him threw the ball to he.
•
Rewrite
Who threw the ball to whom?
He threw the ball to him.
1. Pick up the essays your table evaluated in the last
class.
2. As you did with the six sample essays, work together
to assign a score to each essay (4 to 24).
3. Mark the rubric so the writer can see where his/her
strengths and weaknesses are. Staple the rubric to
the back of the essay.
4. When you are finished, turn in the essays and begin
reviewing your vocabulary words (you may use your
phones and Vocabulary.com).
There will be an extra-credit competition tomorrow!