ACT Preparation / Unit 2 ACT 0105 short lesson, about 20 seconds
The Removal Test
Captions available
The idea
To test information, remove it and reread. Meaning unchanged: nonessential, so commas. Meaning blurred or changed: essential, so no commas.
In practice
"The bridge, which opened in May, is closed." Removing the clause leaves the same bridge.
Where people slip
Test the meaning, not the length. A one-word name can be essential, and a long clause can be removable.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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