ACT Preparation / Unit 4 ACT 0325 worked example, 60 to 90 seconds
Choosing Between Confused Words
The idea
A confused-word question is answered in three steps. First, name the job the word does in the sentence: a verb or a noun, a comparison or a time, a possessive or a contraction, a count or an amount. Second, expand any contraction and test it: if the full words fit, the apostrophe form is right. Third, match the job to the word that does it, and read the whole sentence again.
In practice
Worked example: "The new schedule had less delays then the old one, and it's effect on riders was immediate." Delays can be counted, so fewer. The sentence compares two schedules, so than. It's expands to it is, which does not fit, so its. Effect follows its, so it is a noun, and effect is right. Corrected: "The new schedule had fewer delays than the old one, and its effect on riders was immediate."
Where people slip
Confused words sound alike, so reading by ear will not catch them. Each needs the job test, and one sentence can hold several.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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