On recent ACTs, the shortest answer has been
correct, and absolutely right, for about half of all English
1
questions. Because this is true, a student who knows no
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English at all could earn – and justly so – an English
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subject score of about 15. Such a student could compare
the choices carefully and choose the single shortest one
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every time. Where the answers are the same length, the
student could pick at random. On recent published
ACTs, guessing in this way would have yielded between
35 and 38 correct answers out of 75 questions. Of
course, you’re going to be doing much better than that.
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You actually are capable of speaking the English
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language. You may not know every little rule of English
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usage, but you certainly know something. Obviously,
getting the question right because you know the right
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answer is better than getting it right because you guessed
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well. But you should always remember that the ACT test
makers like the shortest answers. Why? Why should the
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ACT make life so easy for you? Why can’t History or
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Science classes in high school be so easy? Because
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usually, the best way to write something really is the
shortest way to write it. The ACT can’t help that, any
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more than you can help the fact that you must take the
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ACT to get into college. Good writing is concise and
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clear. There are many rules of English, but many of them
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grow from one dominant principle: use only the words
you need to say what you mean. [12]
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Question 1
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NO CHANGE
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correct
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right, that is, correct,
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correct, absolutely, and right,
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Question 2
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NO CHANGE
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correct
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factually correct
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factual – and true too –
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Question 3
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NO CHANGE
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, and justly so,
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and justify
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OMIT the underlined portion.
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Question 4
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NO CHANGE
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singularly shortest one
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uniquely short item
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shortest one
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Question 5
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NO CHANGE
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do
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achieve
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be, achieving,
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Question 6
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NO CHANGE
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possess the capability of speaking that wonderful language called the language of England
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possess the capability of speaking in the land called England
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speak English
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Question 7
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NO CHANGE
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best choice to select
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most correct answer of the choices given
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answer considered as correct
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Question 8
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NO CHANGE
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have a habit of liking
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habitually tend to like
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are in the habit of liking
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Question 9
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NO CHANGE
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Why isn’t History or Science?
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History and Science aren’t so easy, either!
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OMIT the underlined portion.
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Question 10
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NO CHANGE
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just as you are helpless to avoid the requirement of taking the ACT
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whether or not they’d want to
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OMIT the underlined portion and end the sentence with a period after “that.”
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Question 11
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NO CHANGE
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clearly better
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translucent, like clear water
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clear. Thus it is short and to the point.
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Suppose the author considers adding this final sentence: “Thus, if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” Would this be an effective conclusion for the paragraph?
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Yes, because this concept is needed to explain the meaning of the previous sentence.
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Yes, because it adds an uplifting moral tone to an otherwise depressing, amoral text.
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Yes, because this thought is relevant to the next paragraph.
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No, because the paragraph is not concerned with being nice.
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