Chapter 17 Distractors
Distracter 1: Deceptive Answers
use the authors word but distorts their meaning. The words are familiar, but they've been rearranged to say something that has nothing to do with the passage.
Another thing to look out for
A flip in the meaning of the sentence
Example: Tom loves going to the movies with Mary
A. Tom fell in love with Mary at the movies B. Tome enjoys viewing motion pictures with Mary as his companion. C. Tom and Mary generally enjoy seeing movies about love D. Both Tom and Mary love going to the movies Answer A,C, and D used words that come straight from the passage. Therefore, they're wrong. Answer B is the correct answer
Why are extremes wrong?
Because they're usually debatable
1 thing to look out for
Changes in the wording in the answer choices
Checking Answer
Check back with the question and ask yourself whether the answer choices is just sweet or is it right.
Checking statement
Check to see if the statement was actually made in the passage. IF not, eliminate that answer choice.
Eliminating the switch
Determine which answer choices is a switch and eliminate them.
Don't let deceptive answers snares you
Don't be fooled by answer choices that misuse words and phrases from the passage
Too Nice
Don't fall for answer that sound too nice.
Extreme statements
Easy to write and they're very useful to standardized test writers.
Finding the correct answers
Eliminate all the switches before choosing the answer
Invariably so
If an answer choice indicate that something use invariably so it is wrong
Never so
If an answer choice indicate that something use never so then it is wrong
Distractor 3: Extremes
If an answer choices indicates that something is always so it is wrong
Switch gives you a simple shortcut to the right answer
If the answer choices features two statements that are basically opposites, then one of them is usually right. Eliminate the other answer choices
Changing authors purpose
If the author's purpose is change then it is a switch. Eliminate that answer choice.
Changing meaning
If the meaning is change it is a switch. Eliminate the answer choice
Changing phrase
If the phrase is change it is a switch. Eliminate answer choices
Change of wording
If the statement is reword then it's a switch. Eliminate that answer choices
Skipping question
If you don't know the answer to a question, skip it and move on.
Extreme answer choices
Look for answer choices that are too extreme to be correct answer. These answer choices should be eliminated
Why to do when don't know a question
Make a educated guess is if you know know an answer to a question or reread it.
Rereading the passage
Reread a passage if you don't understand what is saying.
Rereading the question
Reread the question if you don't understand what it's asking.
Distracter 2: Switches
Some ACT distracters take the truth and switch it around.
Distractor 4: Choices that sound TOO "NICE"
Some distracters will appeal to you simply because they sound nice. be careful about it.
Switch involves a sneaky word substitution
The answer choices looks correct but isn't because on word doesn't belong.
ACT Philosophy
The idea that anything has to be ideal, perfect, absolutely precise, completely objective, or totally honest should be eliminated.
4 Kind of Distractors
Their are 4 kinds of distractors that show up on the ACT reading.
ACT test writers
They love distracting answers. They try to get you picking one of the wrong answer by taking you off track.
Example: Patients who are chronically depressed never enjoy their lives
This is an example of a extreme because it contain the word never in the sentence.
POE
Use process of eliminating if you don't know the answer to a question
ACT test writers is sneaky
When they put in a switch into the answer choices they take the authors statement and literally reverses the order of its words
Words like absolutely
Words like absolutely is signal as an extreme choice. Eliminate that answer choice
Words like completely
Words like completely is signal as an extreme choice. Eliminate that answer choice
Words like perfectly
Words like perfectly is signal as an extreme choice. Eliminate that answer choice
Opposite statement
if the statement is opposite then it is a switch. Eliminate that answer choices
Letter of the day
pick the letter of the day if there are questions that you can't answer or don't have time to get back.
TOO NICE
sometimes these statements represent the correct answer. But, at other times they don't
