English — Punctuation & Rhetoric
Beyond grammar, the ACT tests punctuation and rhetorical skill: choosing the wording that is clear, concise, and correctly punctuated. This chapter covers commas, semicolons, colons, apostrophes, and the ACT's strong preference for concise phrasing.
Joining and Separating Clauses
Two independent clauses may be joined by a semicolon, or by a comma plus a coordinating conjunction, but never by a comma alone (a comma splice) or by nothing (a run-on). A colon introduces a list or explanation only after a complete independent clause.
Apostrophes and Possession
Use an apostrophe to show possession: the dog's bowl, the children's toys. 'Its' is possessive while 'it's' means 'it is'. Plural nouns already ending in 's' take just an apostrophe (the students' books).
Concision and Rhetoric
When several choices are grammatically correct, the ACT usually prefers the most concise one that preserves meaning. Replace wordy phrases like 'due to the fact that' with 'because', and delete redundant words.