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ACT English: Punctuation Drill 2, Problem 3. Where does the semicolon fit best?
ACT English: Punctuation Drill 3, Problem 4. Which choice best formats this list of items?
ACT English Punctuation Drill 3, Problem 3. Where should we place the apostrophe to properly indicate possession?
ACT English 3.5 Sentence Structure 221 Views
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Description:
ACT English: Sentence Structure Drill 3, Problem 5. Which choice indicates the best organization for the sentence?
Transcript
- 00:04
Here's your Shmoop du jour, brought to you by misplaced modifiers. We put signs up all
- 00:09
over town, but as of yet, no report of their whereabouts.
- 00:12
How should you change the below sentence, if at all?
- 00:15
Stepping to avoid the large hole, I carefully tripped and fell.
- 00:30
In the original sentence, the
Full Transcript
- 00:31
adverb "carefully" modifies the verbs "tripped and fell."
- 00:35
Remember, adverbs are modifiers that only describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.
- 00:41
When we see this particular modification we have to ask ourselves: when was the last time
- 00:46
we saw somebody trip and fall, carefully?
- 00:50
We're going to go out on a limb and say that choice (A) is incorrect because
- 00:53
"carefully" is modifying the wrong thing.
- 00:55
Choice (B) actually makes the same mistake, so we'll go ahead and cross it out as well.
- 00:59
(D) makes a similar mistake to (A), only this time the speaker tells us that he or she "tripped
- 01:04
carefully," but apparently "fell" in a normal way.
- 01:07
Tripping is almost always something that happens when people are being careless not careful.
- 01:13
(C) is the correct answer. Here, "carefully" modifies "stepping," and the sentence makes
- 01:18
it understood that that speaker was doing his or her best to avoid what was apparently
- 01:22
a treacherous hole.
- 01:24
All right everyone, now watch your step.
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