*Notes --  Sneaky wrong answers (Day 1)

This week, we will look at sneaky wrong answers on the reading section– answers that seem right, but are actually just being sneaky. If you can recognize them, you can avoid them.

*Type #1:  Stolen Words – the answer uses the same words that the author used in the passage, but their meaning has been changed (to make them wrong!)

Look at this sentence:     Tom loves going to the movies with Mary.

        I could say,           “Tom fell in love with Mary at the movies” OR

                                    “Tom and Mary enjoy seeing movies about love”

All three sentences use the same words “Tom”, “Mary” and “movies”. But they mean very different things!

*The ACT uses “stolen words” like these to trick you.

Imagine you read:  Tom loves going to the movies with Mary. Which answer would be correct?

    A. Tom fell in love with Mary at the movies.

    B. Tom enjoys viewing motion pictures with Mary as a companion.

    C. Tom and Mary generally enjoy seeing movies about love.

    D. Both Tom and Mary love going to the movies.

*To sum up: Don't be fooled by words that have been “stolen” directly from the passage – because they are often just to trick you.

*Notes --  Sneaky wrong answers (Day 2)

*Type #2: Switches – the answer looks a lot like the truth, only it is switched around.

            Here's what I mean-    

Look at this sentence: Professor Thorne generally explains a discovery first in terms of its history and then in terms of the science on which it was founded.

Now this one: Professor Thorne generally explains a discovery first in terms of the science on which it was founded, and then in terms of its history.

* To get even sneakier, the ACT will do a switch to change the meaning, and they will also change the wording a bit!

*Notes --  Sneaky wrong answers (Day 3)

*Type #3: Extremes – if an answer says that something is always, invariably, never, completely, perfectly, or absolutely, then it is usually wrong. They tend to be wrong because they are arguable – you can find an exception.

    Example: Patients who are chronically depressed never enjoy their lives.

It's pretty hard to prove that this is true at all times.

*Type #4: “Too Nice” - answers that appeal to you because they sound “nice”, but are wrong because they don't have much to do with the question or the passage.

Example: All people have a right to live and die with dignity. OR

        The ideal society is one that allows for individual difference but creates a people united in interest.

These answers are so “nice-sounding”, that some students read them and think, “this must be right”.

*If you are drawn to an answer like this, make sure you check back and ask yourself if the answer really answers the question.