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,ACT English Test Prep | Latest & Newest Update | Comprehensive Study Guide, Practice
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Questions
1. Snowflakes form from tiny water droplets, following a specific process of chemical bonding
as they freeze, which results in a six - sided figure.
A. No change
B. form, from tiny, water droplets,
C. form from tiny, water, droplets
D. form, from tiny water droplets
Answer: A
Rationale: The original phrasing is clear and correctly punctuated. The phrase "from tiny water
droplets" is a prepositional phrase that modifies "form" and needs no internal commas.
Commas are not needed to separate the adjectives "tiny" and "water" because they are not
coordinate adjectives (you wouldn't say "tiny and water droplets").
2. The rare "triangular" snowflake, similarly, confounded scientists for years because it
apparently defied the basic laws of chemistry.
F. No change
G. for example,
H. additionally,
J. however,
Answer: J
Rationale: The previous sentence discusses normal six - sided snowflakes. This sentence
introduces the "triangular" snowflake, which is a contradiction or exception to the norm.
"However" is the correct conjunctive adverb to show this contrast.
3. The seemingly triangular shape of those snowflakes suggests that forming through a
different process of chemical bonding.
A. No change
B. the manner in which formation
C. which had formed
D. that they form
,Answer: D
Rationale: The verb "suggests" needs a clause to act as its object. The clause needs a subject
and a verb. "They form" provides a clear subject ("they," referring to the snowflakes) and verb
("form"), creating a grammatically complete and logical clause: "suggests th at they form
through..."
*4. By re - creating snowflake formation, a discovery has revealed to scientists Kenneth
Libbrecht and Hannah Arnold the cause of this apparent variation. *
F. No change
G. the discovery of the cause of this apparent variation has been made by scientists Kenneth
Libbrecht and Hannah Arnold
H. scientists Kenneth Libbrecht and Hannah Arnold have discovered the cause of this
apparent variation.
J. the cause of this apparent variation has been discovered by scientists Kenneth Libbrecht
and Hannah Arnold
Answer: H
Rationale: The introductory phrase "By re - creating..." must be followed by the noun that is
performing the action. The scientists are the ones performing the re - creation, so they must be
the subject of the main clause. Choice H is the only option that correctly place s the scientists
as the subject performing the action.
5. Snowflakes begin to form when water in the atmosphere freezes it causes the water
molecules to bond into a hexagonal shape.
A. No change
B. freezes, causing
C. freezes, it causes
D. freezes, this causes
Answer: B
Rationale: The original creates a comma splice. The best revision is to use a participial phrase.
"freezes, causing..." correctly shows that the act of freezing results in the water molecules
bonding.
6. During the flake's descent from Earth's upper atmosphere, other water vapor
molecules bumps into the hexagonal structure.
F. No change
G. has bumped
H. bumped
J. bump
, Answer: J
Rationale: The subject of the verb is "molecules," which is plural. The present tense verb must
agree with the plural subject, so "bump" is the correct choice. The passage describes a
general scientific process, making the simple present tense appropriate.
7. Bypassing the liquid water phase , those molecules condense directly onto the established
hexagonal pattern. As a result, the flake grows outward into bigger and more complex
hexagonal arrangements surrounding the original hexagonal shape at the center of the flake.
If the writer were to delete the * * portion (adjusting the capitalization as needed), the
sentence could primarily lose:
A. an explanation of the process water molecules undergo to change from liquid to vapor to
solid.
B. a detail that mentions a step some water molecules skip in changing from vapor to solid.
C. a visual description of what water vapor molecules look like.
D. an explanation of how molecules react to various air temperatures.
Answer: B
Rationale: The phrase "Bypassing the liquid water phase" explicitly states that the molecules
are skipping a step (the liquid phase) in the process of going from vapor (gas) to solid (ice).
The rest of the sentence only describes what they do after this step.
8. In 2009, Libbrecht and Arnold's experiments revealed that triangular snowflakes begin with
the same process of chemical bonding and forms a hexagonal shape.
F. No change
G. were they to form
H. if they formed
J. form
Answer: J
Rationale: The clause "triangular snowflakes begin... and forms " has two verbs that share the
same plural subject, "triangular snowflakes." The first verb is "begin." The second must also
be plural to agree with the subject, so "form" is correct.
9. The triangular shape is an illusion resulting from one significant addition to
the process dust.
A. No change
B. process is
C. process:
D. process;
Answer: C
Rationale: The word "dust" is presented as an appositive, specifically defining what the "one
,ACT English Test Prep | Latest & Newest Update | Comprehensive Study Guide, Practice
Questions, Verified Answers, Detailed Explanations, Grammar & Usage Review, Sentence
Structure, Punctuation, Rhetorical Skills, Reading & Editing Strategies, Timed Practice
Tests & Comprehensive ACT English Exam Preparation PDF
Questions
1. Snowflakes form from tiny water droplets, following a specific process of chemical bonding
as they freeze, which results in a six - sided figure.
A. No change
B. form, from tiny, water droplets,
C. form from tiny, water, droplets
D. form, from tiny water droplets
Answer: A
Rationale: The original phrasing is clear and correctly punctuated. The phrase "from tiny water
droplets" is a prepositional phrase that modifies "form" and needs no internal commas.
Commas are not needed to separate the adjectives "tiny" and "water" because they are not
coordinate adjectives (you wouldn't say "tiny and water droplets").
2. The rare "triangular" snowflake, similarly, confounded scientists for years because it
apparently defied the basic laws of chemistry.
F. No change
G. for example,
H. additionally,
J. however,
Answer: J
Rationale: The previous sentence discusses normal six - sided snowflakes. This sentence
introduces the "triangular" snowflake, which is a contradiction or exception to the norm.
"However" is the correct conjunctive adverb to show this contrast.
3. The seemingly triangular shape of those snowflakes suggests that forming through a
different process of chemical bonding.
A. No change
B. the manner in which formation
C. which had formed
D. that they form
,Answer: D
Rationale: The verb "suggests" needs a clause to act as its object. The clause needs a subject
and a verb. "They form" provides a clear subject ("they," referring to the snowflakes) and verb
("form"), creating a grammatically complete and logical clause: "suggests th at they form
through..."
*4. By re - creating snowflake formation, a discovery has revealed to scientists Kenneth
Libbrecht and Hannah Arnold the cause of this apparent variation. *
F. No change
G. the discovery of the cause of this apparent variation has been made by scientists Kenneth
Libbrecht and Hannah Arnold
H. scientists Kenneth Libbrecht and Hannah Arnold have discovered the cause of this
apparent variation.
J. the cause of this apparent variation has been discovered by scientists Kenneth Libbrecht
and Hannah Arnold
Answer: H
Rationale: The introductory phrase "By re - creating..." must be followed by the noun that is
performing the action. The scientists are the ones performing the re - creation, so they must be
the subject of the main clause. Choice H is the only option that correctly place s the scientists
as the subject performing the action.
5. Snowflakes begin to form when water in the atmosphere freezes it causes the water
molecules to bond into a hexagonal shape.
A. No change
B. freezes, causing
C. freezes, it causes
D. freezes, this causes
Answer: B
Rationale: The original creates a comma splice. The best revision is to use a participial phrase.
"freezes, causing..." correctly shows that the act of freezing results in the water molecules
bonding.
6. During the flake's descent from Earth's upper atmosphere, other water vapor
molecules bumps into the hexagonal structure.
F. No change
G. has bumped
H. bumped
J. bump
, Answer: J
Rationale: The subject of the verb is "molecules," which is plural. The present tense verb must
agree with the plural subject, so "bump" is the correct choice. The passage describes a
general scientific process, making the simple present tense appropriate.
7. Bypassing the liquid water phase , those molecules condense directly onto the established
hexagonal pattern. As a result, the flake grows outward into bigger and more complex
hexagonal arrangements surrounding the original hexagonal shape at the center of the flake.
If the writer were to delete the * * portion (adjusting the capitalization as needed), the
sentence could primarily lose:
A. an explanation of the process water molecules undergo to change from liquid to vapor to
solid.
B. a detail that mentions a step some water molecules skip in changing from vapor to solid.
C. a visual description of what water vapor molecules look like.
D. an explanation of how molecules react to various air temperatures.
Answer: B
Rationale: The phrase "Bypassing the liquid water phase" explicitly states that the molecules
are skipping a step (the liquid phase) in the process of going from vapor (gas) to solid (ice).
The rest of the sentence only describes what they do after this step.
8. In 2009, Libbrecht and Arnold's experiments revealed that triangular snowflakes begin with
the same process of chemical bonding and forms a hexagonal shape.
F. No change
G. were they to form
H. if they formed
J. form
Answer: J
Rationale: The clause "triangular snowflakes begin... and forms " has two verbs that share the
same plural subject, "triangular snowflakes." The first verb is "begin." The second must also
be plural to agree with the subject, so "form" is correct.
9. The triangular shape is an illusion resulting from one significant addition to
the process dust.
A. No change
B. process is
C. process:
D. process;
Answer: C
Rationale: The word "dust" is presented as an appositive, specifically defining what the "one
