ACT Practice Questions — All Questions

Which punctuation correctly joins these two independent clauses: 'The rain stopped ___ we went outside.'

• a.stopped, we went
• b.stopped; we went✓
• c.stopped we went
• d.stopped, we, went

Two independent clauses cannot be joined by a comma alone (a comma splice) or by nothing (a run-on). A semicolon correctly links two closely related independent clauses without a conjunction.

The ___ toys were scattered across the floor. Which choice is the correct plural possessive?

• a.childrens
• b.children
• c.children's✓
• d.childrens'

'Children' is already plural, so the possessive is formed by adding an apostrophe and 's': children's. 'Childrens' and 'childrens'' are not real words.

The dog wagged ___ tail happily. Which choice is correct?

• a.it's
• b.it is
• c.its'
• d.its✓

'Its' is the possessive form meaning 'belonging to it'. 'It's' is a contraction of 'it is', and 'its'' is not a word, so 'its tail' is correct.

She packed three things ___ a map, a compass, and a bottle of water. Which punctuation best introduces the list?

• a.a colon (:)✓
• b.a comma (,)
• c.a semicolon (;)
• d.no punctuation

A colon correctly introduces a list that follows a complete independent clause ('She packed three things'). A comma or semicolon would be incorrect here.

Choose the most concise phrasing: 'We rescheduled the meeting ___ several members were traveling.'

• a.due to the fact that
• b.because✓
• c.on account of the fact that
• d.in light of the fact that

ACT rhetoric rewards concise wording that keeps the meaning. 'Because' conveys the same cause-and-effect relationship as the wordier alternatives in a single word.