Download ACT English Test Strategy

ACT English Test Strategy
The English Test includes: 75 Questions, 45 minutes, or about 30 seconds per question.
There are: 5 Passages, each with 15 questions.
The ACT English Test does not test vocabulary, spelling or rote rules of grammar, but
rather conventions in English, such as punctuation, grammar and sentence structure,
along with rhetorical skills) organizing text, using a clear style and strategy.
Most ACT English questions follow a standard format. A word, phrase or sentence is
underlined and you decide whether to leave the underlined portion as is (“NO
CHANGE”) or to replace it with one of three alternatives.
About 10 questions, usually at the end of the passages, follow a non-standard format,
and may ask about the meaning, purpose or tone of a passage, or may ask you to evaluate
the passage or to determine the proper order of words, sentences or paragraphs that have
been scrambled.
Students tend to score better on the English section that other sections of the ACT!
YOU SHOULD FOLLOW THIS PLAN OF ATTACK WHEN
ANSWERING ENGLISH SECTON QUESTIONS.
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Read the whole passage, and look at the underlined part in relation to the rest of
the passage. Do not pay attention simply to the underlined words. The words that
are not underlined can determine whether or not the underlined words are correct.
Try to determine what, if anything is wrong with the sentence before looking at
the answer choices. Do not be afraid to choose (A) if you think the original is the
best version. Do not read choice (A) since it merely repeats the question.
Examine the choices carefully and eliminate the obviously incorrect. Remember
that this is a test of STANDARD WRITTEN ENGLISH. Look for choices that
reflect the language of formal writing you would find in a textbook.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
Is the sentence complete? Find the subject and the predicate.
In compound sentences, are clauses connected to avoid run-ons?
Make sure subject and predicate verb agree in number and in person.
Check verb tense. Is the sequence of events properly expressed?
Are there misplaced modifiers? Is there ambiguity in the sentence?
Check the pronouns. Does each pronoun have one clear antecedent? Do they
agree with their antecedents in number, person, and gender?
G. Check for problems with parallel structures or comparisons.
H. Is the active voice used? Is the sentence too wordy or redundant?
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Choose the best answer. In deciding between two choices, select the one that is
more concise and effective. If you are unsure, take a guess. Sometimes it helps
to say the sentence to yourself. This enables you to determine if the pauses
reflected by the punctuation are correct.
Reread the passage with your answer to see if it makes sense.
The questions that do not refer to underlined sections test your rhetorical skills.
A. Is language appropriate to author’s purpose and intended audience?
B. Make sure the sentences within paragraphs share a main idea.
C. Transitional sentences should be logically arranged within the context of the
text.
D. A text should be organized in the following sequence: an introductory
paragraph, at least one paragraph that develops the idea(s), and a concluding
paragraph.
Do not create a one-sentence paragraph. Most paragraphs are composed of at
least two to three sentences.
ACT English questions fall into these three categories:
1. Economy Questions
2. Sense Questions
3. Technical Grammar Questions
ECONOMY QUESTIONS
More than 20 questions, almost 1/3, test awareness of REDUNDANCY,
VERBOSITY and RELEVANCE.
REDUNDANCY - Never let the text in a sentence repeat itself or say the same
thing over again. Wrong answers repeat or say the same thing twice.
VERBOSITY – The best way to write is clearly and concisely. Wrong answers
are verbose: they use more words, but are less clear and do not add meaning. In
Economy Questions, start with the shortest answer.
IRRELEVANCE - Omit ideas that are not directly and logically tied in with the
purpose of the passage. Wrong answers introduce irrelevant concepts.
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Questions in which the lengths of the answers vary greatly, or which
contain the answer choice “OMIT” are usually Economy Questions.
Ask yourself, do these words belong here? Can the passage or sentence
work without it? Cut everything that is not necessary.
Start with the shortest answer choice.
If you are not sure whether an idea is redundant, too verbose or not
relevant, it probably is, so take it out.
SENSE QUESTIONS
Your job is to make the passage make sense. As readers we often skim over writing that
is not clearly written, we understand what the writer intends to say and we keep reading.
On the ACT, you must make sure every sentence says exactly what it is supposed to
mean.
When answer choices are all about the same length, the question is most likely a Sense
Question. Think about the effect each choice has on the meaning of the sentence. In this
case, the shortest answer may not make the most sense.
Pay attention to the tone of the passage. ACT English passages are written at various
levels of formality. Some read like textbooks, others are casual. Informal writing is not
necessarily incorrect. Stay with the author’s tone.
Logic and Structure: Structural clues, (however, moreover, on the contrary, etc.) help the
passage fit together logically. Many ACT English questions mix up the logic by
providing the wrong structural clue.
Use of modifiers: A modifier is any word or group of words that describe another. All
modifiers must clearly indicate what they modify. As a rule of thumb, always make sure
that the modifiers are placed as close as possible to the words they describe.
Misplaced Modifier: I read that the FBI captured a criminal in today’s newspaper.
Correction; I read in today’s newspaper that the FBI captured a criminal.
TECHNICAL (GRAMMAR) QUESTIONS
Don’t worry about needing to know grammar rules by rote or definitions of grammar
terms, but it does help to be familiar with some often-tested technical rules, which reflect
common errors students make in grammar. Fortunately, you can often detect these errors
because they sound funny, so use your ear. Listening is very helpful in the English
section.
Grammar Rules to Review:
1. Subject/Verb Agreement. Singular nouns take singular verbs and pronouns; plural
nouns take plural verbs and pronouns. The most common error is the use of they.
Incorrect: If a student won’t study, they won’t do well.
Correction: If a student won’t study, he or she won’t do well, or, If students won’t
study, they won’t do well.
2. Compound Phrases. Another matching error.
Incorrect: The man gave the wrong tickets to Bob and I.
Correction: The man gave the wrong tickets to Bob and me.
3. Parenthetical Phrases. Parenthetical phrases must begin and end with the same
Punctuation mark, whether a set of commas, dashes or parentheses.
Incorrect: Sara – on her way to the store, saw a lizard.
Correction: Sara, on her way to the store, saw a lizard.
4. Run On Sentences. A sentence can have two thoughts, but they must be combined
correctly.
Incorrect: I like coffee, she likes tea.
Correction (with a semicolon): I like coffee; she likes tea.
Correction (with a comma and conjunction): I like coffee, and she likes tea.
Correction (making one of the thoughts dependent or incomplete): Though I like
coffee, she likes tea,
5. Sentence Fragments. A sentence must stand alone as a complete thought.
Incorrect: Emily listened to music. While she studied.
Correction: Emily listened to music while she studied.
6. Proper Use of Punctuation.
A. Period (.) – Means “full stop” or “end of sentence.”
B. Question Mark (?) – Serves the same purpose, but for questions.
C. Exclamation Mark (!) – Used at the end of a sentence, but shows extreme emotion
and is considered inappropriate for all but the most informal writing.
D. Comma (,) – Sets off items on a list of three or more items.
Example: Please buy milk, eggs, bread, and tomatoes.
Separates two independent clauses with a conjunction.
Example: I didn’t think I could do it, but I tried anyway.
Separates an introductory phrase from the rest of the sentence.
Example: Meanwhile, the thief entered the house.
Separates nonessential information from the rest of the sentence.
Example: Jennifer, my neighbor, drives a silver car.
E. Semicolon (;) - Joins two independent clauses.
Example: Ed’s a slacker; Molly isn’t.
F. Colon (:) – Introduces an important short phrase, quotation, explanation, example,
or list.
Example: For our camping trip, we need the following: food, sleeping bags,
cooking equipment and a tent.
G. Dash (-) – Sets off an explanatory element in a sentence. Indicates a break in
thought.
H. Apostrophe (‘) – Indicates the possessive form of a noun.
Example: The dog’s tail.
Stands in for a letter or letters in a contraction.
Example: don’t = do not; can’t = cannot
7. Difference between adverbs and adjectives. Nouns and pronouns must be modified
by adjectives, while other words, especially verbs and adjectives themselves, must be
modified by adverbs.
Incorrect: Emily is an extremely gifted child, and she sings beautiful too.
Correction: Emily is an extremely gifted child, and she sings beautifully too.
8. Good/Well. Good is an adjective, and modifies a noun or pronoun. Well is an
adverb, which can modify verbs and adjectives.
Incorrect: Joe did good on the ACT.
Correction: Joe did well on the ACT.
One exception: Well can be used as an adjective when it means “healthy.”
9. Lie/Lay. The verb “to lie” means “to recline,” while the verb “to lay” means “to put
or place something.” The principle parts of “to lie” are lie (present), lying (past
participle), lay (past), lain (past participle). Example: The fox lies down in the grass.
Yesterday, he lay in the grass. He has lain in the grass many times before.
The principal parts of “to lay” are lay (present), laying (present participle), laid (past),
laid (past participle).
Example: The mother lays the baby in the cradle. She is laying the baby in the
cradle. Yesterday, she laid the baby in the cradle. She has laid the baby in the cradle
many times before.
10. Idiomatic Preposition Use. Whenever you see a preposition, make sure it makes
sense in the context. Many words require particular prepositions by convention.
Incorrect: She tried to instill on me a respect for the law.
Correction: She tried to instill in me a respect for the law.
11. Who/Whom. “Who” is always the subject of the sentence, while “whom” is the
object. Who and whom work just like “he” and “him.” When you can use “he,” you
would use “who,” and when you can substitute “him,” you would use “whom.”
Incorrect: Always remember who you are speaking to.
Correction: Always remember whom you are speaking to. (Turn it around: you are
speaking to “him.”)
12. Its/It’s. Its is the possessive form of it, as in “its (the dog’s) tail.” It’s is the
contraction for it is. Think of his and he’s – his is the possessive form and has no
apostrophe, and he’s a contraction for “he is” and requires an apostrophe.
Incorrect: The kangaroo carries it’s young in a pouch.
Correction: The kangaroo carries its young in a pouch.
13. There, Their, They’re and Are/Our. There denotes a place, like here, their is the
possessive pronoun of they, and they’re is a contraction for “they are.” Likewise,
are is a form of the verb to be and our is a possessive pronoun.
Incorrect: The girls are bringing they’re projects to school today.
Correction: The girls are bringing their projects to school today.
14. Irregular Verb Forms. Most verbs are regular but there are some verbs that have
irregular forms. For example, the past tense of sing is sang and not singed. ACT
tests knowledge of common irregular verb forms.
Incorrect: I’ve brung my umbrella to work today.
Correction: I’ve brought my umbrella to work today.
15. Forms of the verb To Be. In some dialects, nonstandard forms of the verb “to be”
are used in everyday speech, but the ACT tests standard English verb forms.
Incorrect: They be going home, or They was going home.
Correction: They are (or were) going home.
16. –Ing endings. Don’t use –ing endings of verbs when they aren’t needed. They are
used to indicate repeated or continuous action in the past and shouldn’t be used for
an action that occurs once.
Incorrect: When I left for the store, I was forgetting my list.
Correction: When I left for the store, I forgot my list.
17. Comparative and Superlatives: Words with –er or with more compare only two
things. If you compare three or more things, use –est or most.
Incorrect: George is the fastest of the two runners.
Correction: George is the faster of the two runners.
18. Between/Among. Between is used when there are only two things involved. For
more than two things, or an unknown number of things, use among.
Incorrect: I will walk between the many students in the class.
Correction: I will walk among the many students in the class.
19. Less/Fewer. Less is used for uncountable things, while fewer is used for things that
can be counted.
Incorrect: That team has less players than ours does.
Correction: That team has fewer players than ours does.
20. Affect/Effect. Affect is a verb which means “to influence.” Effect is usually used
as a noun which means “result.” As a verb, effect means “to bring about.”
The rain did not affect our outing.
The rain had no effect on our outing.
21. Amount/Number. Amount is used to refer to a collective. Number is used to refer
to a quantity that can be counted.
The amount of money I have is rather small.
I have a rather small number of bills in my wallet.
22. As good as/or better than. The correct idiom is as good as. Therefore, the
expression should be as good as, or better.
Incorrect: My dog is as strong or stronger than yours.
Correction: My dog is as strong as your dog, or stronger.
23. Compare to/Compare with: To compare to is to point out a resemblance between
essentially different things. To compare with is to point out a difference between
essentially similar things.
Writing has sometimes been compared to boxing.
New York has often been compared with London.
24. Different from. Since one thing differs from another, the expression is different
from.
Incorrect: Huskies are different than Labradors.
Correction: Huskies are different from Labradors.
25. Each other/One another. Each other is used to refer to two things. One another is
used to refer to three or more things.
Dolly and John really like each other.
The members of the group got along with one another.
26. Hopefully. This is an adverb meaning with hope. It is wrong to use it to mean “I
hope” or “it is to be hoped.”
Incorrect: Hopefully, you will be accepted by the school of your choice.
Correction: I hope you will be accepted by the school of your choice.
27. Like, As. Like should be followed by a noun or a pronoun. As introduces phrases
and clauses.
My dog looks like a German shepherd.
That dog looks as if he is going to attack.
28. Not only…but also. Not only must always be used with but also.
Incorrect: Ted not only dances and sings.
Correction: Ted not only dances but also sings.
29. Regard…as. The correct idiom is regard as.
Incorrect: I regard Chaucer to be the greatest poet.
Correction: I regard Chaucer as the greatest poet.
30. That, Which. That is the restrictive pronoun. A phrase or subordinate clause
introduced by that limits the meaning of the word it modifies. A restrictive phrase
or clause is essential to the meaning of the sentence and is not set off by commas.
Which is nonrestrictive.
The bus that stops near my house just left.
The bus, which stops near my house, just left.