ACT English

*Pause at each underline portion*Identify the issue and then go to

the question.

•Read the answer choices looking for the pattern•Rule out choices that don’t address the issue

*Test your answer in the sentence*This step may be skipped when you’ve the first two steps and the answer seems quite obvious.

Word Choice, Verb Tense, and Idiom issues

These questions ask you to find the right subject-verb agreement, pronoun agreement, or use of words in context.

The train whistle in the station.

The train whistles in the station.

The players and his or her coaches celebrated the end of the season at a banquet.

The players and their coaches celebrated the end of the season at a banquet.

At the zoo, Minh watched the otters. They are playing, swimming, and eating.

While the boy has been at school, his little sister colored on his desk.

At the zoo, Minh watched the otters. They were playing, swimming, and eating.

While the boy was at school, his little sister colored on his desk.

Our senior economics seminar is much like a debating a club than a high-school class.

Everyone regarded him to be a genius.

Our senior economics seminar is more like a debating club than a high-school class.

Everyone regarded him as a genius.

Conjunctions and Wordiness

Conjunction questions will be asking you to choose a conjunction because one is missing or the one used does not fit the meaning of the whole sentence.

She is allergic to flowers, she always buys bouquets for presents.

She is allergic to flowers, yet she always buys bouquets for presents.

Liliana studied diligently, yet she wanted to become a physician.

Liliana studied diligently, because she wanted to become a physician.

AC T-wordiness questions are asking you to choose the most concise way to express an idea.

There are different reasons a sentence could be too wordy: too many words; repetitive words’ or there are words (or whole sentences) that are irrelevant.

Regardless of the fact that it is two below zero, the mail has to be delivered.

Although it is two below zero, the mail still has to be delivered.

The baby fussed and cried and sobbed and made a lot of noise.

The baby cried loudly. Tessa was quite happy to be at her

grandparents’ again, and it was very cloudy. * Omit underlined portion.

Incomplete and run-on sentencesMisplaced modifiers

Passive voice

Correct the sentence if: It is punctuated as a sentence but it is

not a complete thought. It sounds like a compound sentence but it

is not properly connected.

If it is an incomplete thought it is most likely missing a subject or a verb. Look for the choice that joins it with another

sentence so that it functions as a phrase. Look for the choice that adds a subject or verb

to make it complete (this is a less likely type of choice).

If there is a transitional word. It likely needs to be part of a neighboring sentence.

(‘If’ makes the reader expectant of ‘what’ thought)

These fixes often mean replacing the period with a comma.

Commas Semicolons Colons Apostrophes Dashes

1. Use commas correctly in a list:*I bought sticky notes, gel pens, a binder, and some stickers for my little brother.

2. Use a comma after an independent clause beginning with a conjunction (FANBOYS).* Helen wanted to go home, but Paris wouldn’t let her.

3. Use commas to set off an introductory phrase.* Taking one step at a time, the toddler worked to climb the stairs successfully.

4. Use commas to separate an appositive or a nonessential element.*The rules, as you well know, do not allow late admittance.

1. Use a semicolon to combine two independent clauses.

The snow fell heavily during the night; by five o’clock the next morning, Peter was plowing the city streets.

2. Use a semicolon to separate items in a list when the items themselves contain commas.

She served croissants, jam and honey in the morning; quiche and salad at lunch; and roast chicken, baked potatoes, and apple tart for dinner.

Every Sunday I love to go out for chocolate ice cream; however, since Murray’s closed it is not the same.

3. Use a colon to introduce or emphasize a short phrase, quotation, explanation, or example.

*One animal in particular uses its distinctive white stripe as a way of standing out from its surroundings: the skunk.

4. Use a colon to introduce a list.*F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote several well-known novels: The Great Gatsby, This Side of Paradise, Tender is the Night, and The Beautiful and Damned.

1. Use an apostrophe with a possessive noun.

*Alda’s small dog, Frantic, amused everyone in the neighborhood.

2. Use an apostrophe to signal a contraction.*It’s never going to stop snowing!

1. Use a dash to indicate hesitation or an interruption in the main thought.

*Lou rushed down the street, bought the paper, raced toward the subway and –Oh, no!—his lunch was on the counter at home.

2. Use a dash to enclose explanations (where you could use parentheses).

*Cross-stitching—a form of embroidery—seems very simple, but is quite difficult to master.

Organization questions ask you to find the most logical order.

Expect to see 2 on the test. Writing Strategy questions represent

about 1/6 of the test. Expect to see 12 on the test.

Ask yourself: What does the author want me to know? Does this sentence in question fit with the main idea?

If you are asked to insert a sentence, find the choice that is consistent with the author’s main idea and tone.