This study guide aims to help you improve your writing skills and prepare for the ACT writing section by focusing on three common writing errors: misplaced modifiers, run-on sentences, and fragments. It provides examples of each error and offers tips on how to correct them.

Part I: Misplaced Modifiers Misplaced modifiers are words, phrases, or clauses that are not positioned correctly in a sentence, causing confusion or ambiguity. To identify and correct misplaced modifiers, follow these tips:

  1. Look for modifiers that modify the wrong word. Example: Misplaced Modifier: The boy saw a cat riding his bicycle. Correction: The boy saw a cat riding its bicycle.
  2. Look for modifiers that are too far away from the word they modify. Example: Misplaced Modifier: After eating lunch, the dog slept on the mat outside. Correction: After eating lunch, the dog slept outside on the mat.

Part II: Run-on Sentences Run-on sentences are sentences that have two or more independent clauses without proper punctuation or conjunctions. To identify and correct run-on sentences, follow these tips:

  1. Look for two or more independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction or proper punctuation. Example: Run-on Sentence: I like to swim in the pool my sister likes to read books. Correction: I like to swim in the pool, and my sister likes to read books.
  2. Look for two or more independent clauses joined by a comma without a coordinating conjunction. Example: Run-on Sentence: The cat is sleeping, the dog is barking. Correction: The cat is sleeping, and the dog is barking.

Part III: Fragments Fragments are incomplete sentences that lack either a subject, a verb, or a complete thought. To identify and correct fragments, follow these tips:

  1. Look for groups of words that are not complete sentences. Example: Fragment: Because I was tired. Correction: Because I was tired, I went to bed early.
  2. Look for phrases or clauses that are not connected to a complete sentence. Example: Fragment: Walking in the park on a sunny day. Correction: I enjoyed walking in the park on a sunny day.