Below are answer explanations to the full-length English test of the previously released ACT from the current 2020-2021 “Preparing for the ACT Test” (form 1874FPRE) free study guide available here from ACT for free. Show The ACT English test explained below begins on page 13 of the guide. Please note that the 2020-2021 guide features the same practice test as the 2019-2020 guide. Other answer explanations in this series of articles:
When you’re finished reviewing this official practice ACT test, start practicing with our own 10 full-length practice ACT tests—absolutely free during the pandemic. ACT English Test Answer ExplanationsPassage 1: Mystery Paper SculptorQuestion 1, “intricately.” The answer is “NO CHANGE.” This question falls under the category of “Production of Writing.” More specifically, this question tests your understanding of the purpose and emphasis of word choice.
Question 2, “Delighted, each sculpture was left secretly..” The answer is “Each sculpture was left secretly and later discovered by delighted staff.” This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English.” More specifically, this question tests your understanding of clauses and phrases.
Question 3, “dubbed.” The answer is “NO CHANGE.” This question falls under the category of “Knowledge of Language.” More specifically, it tests your understanding of word choice and tone/style.
Question 4, “Cinema, a three-dimensional sculpted scene.” The answer is “NO CHANGE.” This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English.” More specifically, it tests your understanding of punctuation using commas.
Question 5, “a movie theater as horse leaps.” The correct answer is “a movie theater as horses leap.” This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English.” More specifically, it tests your understanding of subject/verb agreement.
Question 6, “dragon crafted from the pages of a mystery novel.” The correct answer is “NO CHANGE.” This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English.” More specifically, it tests your understanding of punctuation and clauses/phrases.
Question 7, “more than a few additional places where literature and artifacts are related to.” The correct answer is “several libraries and museums devoted to.” This question falls under the category of “Knowledge of Language.” More specifically, it tests your understanding of word choice and redundancy.
Question 8, “Therefore.” The correct answer is “Eventually.” This question falls under the category of “Production of Writing.” It tests your understanding of transition words and phrases.
Question 9, “creator of these sculptures are.” The answer is “creator of these sculptures is.” This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English” and tests your understanding of subject/verb agreement.
Question 10, “Whatever:whoever.” The answer is “Regardless of who.” This question falls under the category of “Knowledge of Language” and tests your understanding of redundancy and word choice.
Question 11, “your.” The answer is “her.” This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English” and tests your understanding of pronouns.
Question 12, “note expressing special gratitude.” The answer is “NO CHANGE.” This question falls under the category of “Knowledge of Language” and tests your understanding of redundancy.
Question 13, “If the writer were to delete…” The answer is “explains why the artist created the sculptures.” This question falls under the category of “Production of Writing” and tests your understanding of additions and subtractions.
Question 14, “who destroyed books–.” The answer is “destroyed books–” This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English” and tests your understanding of clauses/phrases and punctuation using dashes.
Question 15, “with.” The answer is “and.” This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English” and tests your understanding of conjunctions.
Passage II: Building a Cork BoatQuestion 16, “began as Pollack is likely to point out,”. The answer is “began, as Pollack is likely to point out,” aka choice G. This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English” and tests your understanding of clauses/phrases and punctuation using commas.
Question 17, “165,231 in all, Pollack convinced the staff, of several restaurants.” The answer is “boat–165,231 in all–Pollack convinced the staff of several restaurants.” This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English” and tests your understanding of punctuation using commas and dashes.
Question 18, “donations from a cork-importing company.” The answer is “NO CHANGE.” This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English” and tests your understanding of punctuation using commas.
Question 19, “finally.” The answer is “first.” This question falls under the category of “Production of Writing” and tests your understanding of transition words and phrases.
Question 20, “then a year’s.” The answer is “than a year’s.” This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English” and tests your understanding of conjunctions.
Question 21, “Piles of corks threatened to take over Pollack’s apartment.” The answer is “After a series of trials, Pollack devised a workable strategy.” This question falls under the category of “Production of Language” and tests your understanding of organization, unity, and cohesion of the passage.
Question 22, “pretty interesting.” The answer is “hexagonal.” This question falls under the category of “Knowledge of Language” and tests your understanding of word choice.
Question 23, “To bind clusters together and shaping.” The answer is “binding clusters together and shaping.” This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English” and tests your understanding of verb tenses.
Question 24, “proper.” The answer is “rigorous.” This question falls under the category of “Production of Writing” and tests your understanding of word choice.
Question 25, “had saw himself.” The answer is “had seen himself.” This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English” and tests your understanding of verb tenses.
Question 26, “length of twenty-two feet.” The answer is “NO CHANGE.” This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English” and tests your understanding of clauses/phrases and punctuation with commas.
Question 27, “best suited with.” The answer is “better suited for.” This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English” and tests your understanding of adjectives and word choice.
Question 28, “company that.” The answer is “NO CHANGE.” This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English” and tests your understanding of pronouns.
Question 29, “River, in the country of Portugal,.” The answer is “River,.” This question falls under the category of “Knowledge of Language” and tests your understanding of redundancy.
Question 30, “The writer wants to add…” The answer is “Point B in Paragraph 2.” This question falls under the category of “Production of Writing” and tests your understanding of additions and subtractions.
Passage III: Lightning in the SandQuestion 31, “as the southeastern New Mexico sands around us.” The answer is “as these sands.” This question falls under the category of “Knowledge of Language” and tests your understanding of redundancy.
Question 32, “sand heated by a lightning blast melts,.” The answer is “sand heated by a lightning blast melts.” This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English” and tests your understanding of punctuation using commas.
Question 33, “places.” The answer is “burns.” This question falls under the category of “Production of Writing” and tests your understanding of the purpose and emphasis of words.
Question 34, “explained though that even experts.” The answer is “explained, though, that even experts.” This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English” and tests your understanding of punctuation and phrases.
Question 35, “The thin, brittle glass tubes break easily.” The answer is “NO CHANGE.” This question falls under the category of “Production of Writing” and tests your understanding of organization unity and cohesion.
Question 36, “while.” The answer is “DELETE the underlined portion.” This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English” and tests your understanding of word choice.
Question 37, “Which of the following sentences, if added here, best connects…” The answer is “Swift winds were moving the white sands that day.” This question falls under the category of “Production of Writing” and tests your understanding of organization unity and cohesion.
Question 38, “uncovered.” The answer is “NO CHANGE.” This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English” and tests your understanding of word choice and redundancy.
Question 39, “no one had ever told me what to look for.” The answer is “on their surface, they look like pieces of tree branches.” This question falls under the category of “Production of Writing” and tests your understanding of organization unity and cohesion.
Question 40, “stained.” The answer is “speckled.” This question falls under the category of “Production of Writing” and tests your understanding of purpose and emphasis in word choices.
Question 41, “formed by air and moisture.” The answer is “after the word bubbles.” This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English” and tests your understanding of clauses and phrases.
Question 42, “to unearth.” The answer is “NO CHANGE.” This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English” and tests your understanding of verb tenses.
Question 43, “If the writer deleted the preceding sentence…” The answer is “light moment in the form of a good-natured joke by Anna about how easy it could be to find a white fulgurite.” This question falls under the category of “Production of Writing” and tests your understanding of purpose and emphasis.
Question 44, “our.” The answer is “her.” This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English” and tests your understanding of pronouns.
Question 45, “beaches.” The answer is “beaches in Florida, Utah, California and Nevada,.” This question falls under the category of “Knowledge of Language” and tests your understanding of redundancy.
Passage IV: Planet Earth’s Windiest ObservatoryQuestion 46, “its.” The answer is “NO CHANGE.” This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English” and tests your understanding of pronouns.
Question 47, “Hampshire, has earned.” The answer is “Hampshire, have earned.” This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English” and tests your understanding of verb tenses.
Question 48, “mountains, (Colorado’s Pikes Peak),”. The answer is “mountains (Colorado’s Pikes Peak,”. This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English” and tests your understanding of punctuation using commas.
Question 49, “is the tallest peak in the Presidential Range.” The answer is “has weather that rivals that of Antarctica.” This question falls under the category of “Production of Writing” and tests your understanding of purpose and emphasis.
Question 50, “its steep slopes force.” The answer is “NO CHANGE.” This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English” and tests your understanding of clauses, phrases, and conjunctions.
Question 51, “speed (of 231 mph):.” The answer is “speed of 231 mph–.” This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English” and tests your understanding of punctuation using dashes and parentheses.
Question 52, “The.” The answer is “NO CHANGE.” This question falls under the category of “Knowledge of Language” and tests your understanding of redundancy.
Question 53, “of ice physics,”. The answer is “ice physics,”. This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English” and tests your understanding of parallelism.
Question 54, “Observers, who work.” The answer is “Observers work.” This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English” and tests your understanding of verb tenses.
Question 55, “winter, though,”. The answer is “winter,”. This question falls under the category of “Production of Writing” and tests your understanding of transition words and phrases.
Question 56, “vehicle, gripping.” The answer is “vehicle that grips.” This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English” and tests your understanding of clauses, phrases, and verb tenses.
Question 57, “research. The.” The answer is “NO CHANGE.” This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English” and tests your understanding of conjunctions, clauses and phrases.
Question 58, “are planning to make a trip to Mount Washington.” The answer is “prefer a warm recliner to an icy peak,”. This question falls under the category of “Production of Writing” and tests your understanding of purpose and emphasis.
Question 59, “The writer is considering adding…” The answer is “Point C in Paragraph 4.” This question falls under the category of “Production of Writing” and tests your understanding of organization unity and cohesion.
Question 60, “Suppose the writer’s main purpose…” The answer is “No, because it provides an overview of the Mount Washington Observatory and its research.” This question falls under the category of “Production of Writing” and tests your understanding of purpose and emphasis.
Passage V: The Real McCoyQuestion 61, “its’.” The answer is “that something is.” This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English” and tests your understanding of pronouns.
Question 62, “American engineer named,”. The answer is “American engineer named.” This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English” and tests your understanding of punctuation using commas.
Question 63, “operations, affecting both incredibly.” The answer is “operations.” This question falls under the category of “Knowledge of Language” and tests your understanding of redundancy.
Question 64, “then.” The answer is “DELETE the underlined portion.” This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English” and tests your understanding of redundancy and transition words.
Question 65, “In the preceding sentence, the writer…” The answer is “Yes, because the revision provides a clearer connection between McCoy’s main task as a railroad worker and his first patented device.” This question falls under the category of “Production of Writing” and tests your understanding of cohesion and purpose.
Question 66, “reducing the number.” The answer is “NO CHANGE.” This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English” and tests your understanding of redundancy.
Question 67, “had the effect of making.” The answer is “and making.” This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English” and tests your understanding of parallelism and verb tenses.
Question 68, “for example,”. The answer is “NO CHANGE.” This question falls under the category of “Production of Writing” and tests your understanding of transition words and phrases.
Question 69, “therefore.” The answer is “DELETE the underlined portion.” This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English” and tests your understanding of redundancy and transition words.
Question 70, “McCoy, recognizing.” The answer is “NO CHANGE.” This question falls under the category of “Conventions of Standard English” and tests your understanding of verb tenses.
Question 71, “.” The answer is “run machines continuously,.” This question falls under the category of “Knowledge of Language” and tests your understanding of word choice, tone, and style.
Question 72, “The writer is considering deleting…” The answer is “No, because the phrase is relevant to the paragraph’s discussion of the positive effects that the use of McCoy’s inventions had in factories.” This question falls under the category of “Production of Writing” and tests your understanding of additions and subtractions.
Question 73, “do it.” The answer is “work well.” This question falls under the category of “Knowledge of Language” and tests your understanding of word choice and redundancy.
Question 74, “as his name became synonymous with quality and authenticity.” The answer is “NO CHANGE.” This question falls under the category of “Production of Writing” and tests your understanding of purpose and emphasis.
Question 75, “The writer is considering adding…” The answer is “Point D in Paragraph 4.” This question falls under the category of “Production of Writing” and tests your understanding of organization unity and cohesion.
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