Why ACT English Matters
If you want to really rock the ACT English section or, more importantly, write good papers and essays when you get to college, making informed choices about grammar is key. From this point of view, the ACT English section is probably the most useful section of all, as it requires you to acquire a set of skills that will help you throughout your life in expressing your ideas and opinions in a correct and articulate way.
The ACT English section can feel like a bit of a gamble: it can be hard to identify the right answer, and even harder to identify where you went wrong. That’s because we don’t normally learn English like we learn, say, Math. Think back to how you learned to add and subtract, divide and multiply. You had to test the rules on the real world by taking, for example, two apples and three apples and checking whether two and three really makes five. Yes, it does — every time. That’s very reassuring. Grammar is not usually learned in the same way.
But, you’re in luck. Grammar can be learned just like Math — there are set rules and principles that work every time, in every situation. By teaching you these rules, these formulas, we will make sure that you go beyond the score your intuition can get and get a 36.
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Subject-Verb Agreement
The basic requirement of a sentence is that it contains both a subject and a conjugated verb. The subject is the thing doing the verb (e.g. Freddie, Queen, the band); a conjugated verb is a verb matched with the subject and the tense. There will probably also be an object, which is the thing having the verb done to it.
In the ACT, they will always be in this order: Subject + Conjugated Verb (+ Object)
Freddie Mercury (S) sang (CV) the song ‘Radio Gaga’ (O).
Queen’s first No. 1 single (S) was (CV) “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” (O).
Subject-Verb Separators
Sometimes there is a separator (X) between the subject and the conjugated verb. This makes the structure S + X + CV (+ O). The ACT asks questions which make use of a separator to trick you into making mistakes with the subject-verb agreement. When answering these questions, you need to ignore any separators and focus on identifying the actual subject and conjugated verb.1. Prepositional Phrases
Prepositional phrases are noun phrases that start with a preposition (e.g. in, above, of, from). The subject always comes before the preposition: do not be confused by nouns in the prepostiional phrase.
WRONG: The lead singer (S) of a band of four people (PP) are (CV) now dead.
RIGHT: The lead singer (S) of a band of four people (PP) is (CV) now dead.
2. Modifiers
Modifiers add extra information about something in a sentence, and can be removed without affecting the grammar of a sentence. Ignore the modifier when identifying the subject of the sentence.
WRONG: Brian May (S) reflecting on the careers of Queen's band members (M) have admitted (CV) to periods of excess.
RIGHT: Brian May (S) reflecting on the careers of Queen's band members (M) has admitted (CV) to periods of excess.
3. Inserted Clauses
An inserted clause is a (usually short) clause (containing a subject and conjugated verb) that can be placed between the subject and the conjugated verb of the main sentence.
WRONG: We (S) — Queen says (IC) — does (CV) not mean to make our mothers cry.
RIGHT: We (S) — Queen says (IC) — do (CV) not mean to make our mothers cry.
Compound Subjects
A compound subject is a subject that consists of two subjects joined by and. When there are two subjects, the subject becomes plural, so the conjugated verb must be too.WRONG: Scaramouche and Freddie Mercury (S) does (CV) the fandango.
RIGHT: Scaramouche and Freddie Mercury (S) do (CV) the fandango.
SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT: ACT Example
Whenever you see an ACT question that gives options with different forms of the verb, you should always first find the subject of the sentence. Let’s look at a real ACT example:
This question involves a prepositional phrase of Catlos’s colleagues, which makes the subject sound plural. However, the subject is actually one, which is singular. Options G, H, and J are all plural forms of the verb to note, and are therefore incorrect. The correct answer is Option F, which correctly is in the singular form.
Clauses, Sentences, and Fragments
Clauses and Phrases
A clause is the basic unit of a sentenceVery, very frightening
Inspiring to watch
In opposition to his fellow band members
TYPES OF CLAUSES
identifying what type of clauses you are dealing with in the ACT mattersIndependent Clauses
There must be at least one independent clause in every sentence. Independent clauses fulfil three conditions:
1. They have a subject.
1. They have a conjugated verb.
1. They are a complete thought: I could put a full stop at the end of them.
"Bohemian Rhapsody" (S) is (CV) the most streamed song from the 20th century.
The musical We Will Rock You (S) proved (CV) to be very popular in theatres.
Dependent Clauses
Dependent clauses are still clauses: i.e. they contain a subject and a conjugated verb. However, dependent clauses start with a subordinating conjunction (e.g. because, while, when). The effect of the subordinating conjunction is to make the clause dependent; that is, a dependent clause must be attached to an independent clause. Otherwise, it forms an incomplete sentence.
When (SC) Queen (S) formed (CV) in 1970
After (SC) John Deacon (S) retired (CV)
Relative Clauses
Relative clauses are like modifiers: they give us more information about something in the sentence. Like dependent clauses, relative clauses cannot stand on their own. A relative clause begins with a relative pronoun (which, that, who, and whose), which stands in place of a subject. Which and that are used for things, and who is used for people. That does not have a comma before it.
The guitar (S), which was (CV) made by Brian May, produced (CV) a lot of feedback.
Queen (S) was (CV) fronted by Freddie Mercury, who died (CV) in 1991.
JOINING CLAUSES
The Full Stop
The most obvious way to join two independent clauses is with a full stop (a period).
I (S) would (CV) sit alone. I (S) would (CV) watch your light.
The Semicolon
The semicolon is grammatically identical to the full stop: it must have an independent clause on either side of it. While it is true that we generally use the semicolon to join related information, for the purposes of the ACT, treat a semicolon just like you would a full stop. You can find out more about the semicolon here.
You (S) had (CV) your time; you (S) had (CV) the power.
The Colon
The colon can be used to join two independent clauses. A colon is not about lists or definitions, whatever you might have learnt at school: it is about keeping an independent clause separate from the rest of the sentence. A colon MUST be preceded by an independent clause. A colon is not about what comes after it: it’s about what comes before it. In order to correctly use a colon, you must read what comes before it and ask yourself if it’s an IC. Could you put a full stop there? If the answer is yes, then you can use a colon. You can find out more about the colon here.
You (S) have (CV) got mud on your face: you (S) are (CV) a big disgrace.
You (S) have (CV) got mud on your face: a big disgrace.
The Dash
A single dash is grammatically equivalent to a colon. It must be preceded by an independent clause, and can be followed by an independent clause or a phrase. A single dash is not to be confused with a pair of dashes, which perform a different function.
1.9 billion people (S) tuned (CV) in to watch Live Aid in 1985 — this (S) was (CV) the biggest TV audience ever.
1.9 billion people (S) tuned (CV) in to watch Live Aid in 1985 — the biggest TV audience ever.
Comma FANBOYS
FANBOYS is an acronym for the coordinating conjunctions: these seven words are the ONLY way to join independent clauses that does not rely on punctuation alone. The FANBOYS are: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So. It is essential that there is a comma before the FANBOYS when they are used to join two independent clauses.
Freddie Mercury (S) sung (CV), and (FANBOYS) he (S) also played (CV) the piano.
Freddie Mercury (S) loved (CV) the Swiss town of Montreux, so (FANBOYS) six (S) of Queen's albums were (CV) recorded there.
Joining Dependent Clauses to Independent Clauses
There are ONLY two ways dependent clauses can be joined to independent clauses.
As (SC) he (S) was (CV) shy, he (S) gave (CV) very few interviews.
We (S) have (CV) no time for losers because (SC) we (S) are (CV) the champions of the world.
Clauses happily joined together
INDEPENDENT CLAUSES: FIXING ERRORS
The Comma Splice (IC, IC)
We cannot join two independent clauses together with just with a comma: this is called a comma splice. Wherever we find two independent clauses joined only with a comma, we can use one of the options above to correct it.
COMMA SPLICE:
Montreux (S) sits (CV) on the shores of Lake Geneva, Lake Geneva (S) is (CV) also known as Lac Léman.
FULL STOP:
Montreux (S) sits (CV) on the shores of Lake Geneva. Lake Geneva (S) is (CV) also known as Lac Léman.
SEMICOLON:
Montreux (S) sits (CV) on the shores of Lake Geneva; Lake Geneva (S) is (CV) also known as Lac Léman.
COLON:
Montreux (S) sits (CV) on the shores of Lake Geneva: Lake Geneva (S) is (CV) also known as Lac Léman.
COMMA FANBOYS:
Montreux (S) sits (CV) on the shores of Lake Geneva, and Lake Geneva (S) is (CV) also known as Lac Léman.
IC DC:
Montreux (S) sits (CV) on the shores of Lake Geneva though (SC) Lake Geneva (S) is (CV) also known as Lac Léman.
IC, RC:
Montreux (S) sits (CV) on the shores of Lake Geneva, which (RP) is (CV) also known as Lac Léman.
IC, Phrase:
Montreux (S) sits (CV) on the shores of Lake Geneva, also known as Lac Léman.
The Run-On Sentence (IC IC)
Even worse than the comma splice is the run-on sentence: two independent clauses with nothing between them. This too can be fixed in any of the ways we just explored above.
I (S) feel (CV) alive I (S) will (CV) turn the world inside out.
COLON:
I (S) feel (CV) alive: I (S) will (CV) turn the world inside out.
FULL STOP:
I (S) feel (CV) alive. I (S) will (CV) turn the world inside out.
JOINING CLAUSES: ACT Example
always check what the sentence structure is in terms of clauses.
In this example, He (S) started (CV) by making a marshmallow-like base of fluffy meringue is an independent clause; it’s (S + CV) a blend of whipped egg whites and sugar is also an independent clause. Option F is therefore a comma splice; Options G, H, and J all turn the second clause into a phrase; phrases cannot be on their own, which rules out Options H and J. That leaves me with Option G: IC, Phrase.
Fragments: Fixing Errors
Sentence fragments are groups of words that look like sentences — they begin with a capitalised word and end with a full stop — but contain neither an independent clause nor a complete thought. Fragments either need to be modified or attached to an independent clause.Relative Clause Fragments
If we make a fragment containing a relative clause long enough, it can look like a full sentence, especially as the relative clause will contain a conjugated verb, and the fragment might begin with a subject.
WRONG (Subject + Relative Clause):
A shooting star (S) that (RP) is (CV) leaping through the sky.
RIGHT (Delete Relative Pronoun):
A shooting star (S) is (CV) leaping through the sky.
RIGHT (Add a conjugated verb for the subject):
A shooting star (S) that (RP) is (CV) leaping through the sky cannot (CV) be stopped.
Phrase Fragments
Just as with relative clauses, if we make a phrase long enough, it can sound like a complete sentence; this is particularly true if we throw in participles which can look like conjugated verbs. We can either turn the phrase into an independent clause, or find a way to attach it to an independent clause.
WRONG (IC; Phrase):
Freddie (S) has (CV) been singing with his band; singing with his band across the land.
RIGHT (IC, Phrase):
Freddie (S) has (CV) been singing with his band, singing with his band across the land.
RIGHT (IC; IC):
Freddie (S) has (CV) been singing with his band; he (S) has (CV) been singing with his band across the land.
Dependent Clause Fragments
Occasionally, the ACT will either make a dependent clause its own sentence, or join it incorrectly to an independent clause (e.g. DC; IC.). This needs correcting either by turning the dependent clause into a clause or by attaching it properly to an independent clause.
When (SC) you (S) are (CV) in need of love; they (S) give (CV) you care and attention.
RIGHT (DC, IC):
When (SC) you (S) are (CV) in need of love, they (S) give (CV) you care and attention.
RIGHT (IC; IC):
You (S) are (CV) in need of love; they (S) give (CV) you care and attention.
| LEGAL | ILLEGAL |
|---|---|
| IC; IC. | IC, IC. |
| IC; IC. | IC IC. |
| IC – IC. | IC FANBOYS IC. |
| IC. IC. | IC; Phrase. |
| IC, FANBOYS IC. | IC; DC. |
| IC DC. | DC; IC. |
| DC, IC. | IC, DC. |
| IC, RC. | DC IC. |
Fragments: ACT Example
Let's have a look at the example below from a real ACT.
This is a tricky question – it really sounds like a full sentence. It has subjects (images and instrument) and it has conjugated verbs (were and captures). However, there is a that between both subjects and both conjugated verbs, meaning I actually have two relative clauses, and no independent clauses. Therefore, I need to choose Option H, which creates an independent clause.
Commas
Commas are used to set off grammatical elements within a sentence. We have already seen that a comma is used to join independent clauses with a FANBOYS, and also to join a dependent clause to an independent clause. However, there’s lots of other uses for the comma.
Modifiers
A modifier is a word or a phrase that gives additional information about the word that it is modifying. Modifiers are placed next to the word they are modifying, and are commonly set off from the rest of the sentence with commas.Rain (S), pouring through your window pane, (M) is (CV) ruining your carpet.
Freddie (S) sung (CV) "The Show Must Go ON", recording the vocals in one take. (M)
Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers
Modifiers must apply to what they’re next to: in the ACT, that means we sometimes have to rearrange the sentence to fit the modifier, or move the modifier so that it’s next to what it should be modifying.
RIGHT (Change Clause): Strutting across the stage, (M) Freddie (S) was (CV) cheered on by the crowds.
RIGHT (Change Modifier): Thrilled by his singing, (M) the crowds (S) cheered (CV) Freddie's performance.
Appositives
An appositive is a noun or noun phrase that follows another noun or noun phrase. An appositive defines or gives more information about the word that precedes it.Non-Essential Appositives
An appositive is non-essential if the noun or noun phrase to the left of it is specific; i.e., the appositive is giving us extra information that is not essential to the understanding or grammar of the sentence. Non-essential appositives are set off by commas from the rest of the sentence. Find out more about non-essential appositives here.
Queen's first album (S) was (CV) released by EMI, a record label. (A)
Essential Appositives
An appositive is essential if the noun or noun phrase to the left of it is not specific; i.e., the appositive is giving us information that is essential to the understanding or grammar of the sentence. Essential appositives are not separated from the rest of the sentence.
In 1975, Queen (S) embarked (CV) on a world tour, wearing costumes made by fashion designer Zandra Rhodes. (A)
Other Comma Uses
Inserted Clauses
An inserted clause is a (usually short) clause inserted within another clause to give context. It normally comes between the subject and the conjugated verb.
Introductory Phrases
An introductory phrase gives information about time and/or place at the beginning of a sentence.
Lists
Commas are used to separate items in a list of three or more. Use the oxford comma: there should be a comma before a FANBOYS (normally and or but) in a list of three or more.
Adjectives
Commas are used to separate adjectives if the adjectives are interchangeable and the comma could be replaced by and. We do not put a comma before the main noun or noun phrase.
Queen (S) was (CV) known for their operatic and sprawling sound.
Excessive Commas
If you cannot justify a comma based on one of the rules above, then do not use a comma – commas are not about pauses.
RIGHT: "Bohemian Rhapsody" (S) sat (CV) at number one in the UK for nine weeks.
Dashes and Parentheses
A pair of dashes or a pair of brackets can be used instead of a pair of commas to set off non-essential information. The important thing is they must be a pair: don't mix dashes and commas, for example.Rami Malek (S) (the actor) (A) portrayed (CV) Freddie Mercury in the 2018 movie Bohemian Rhapsody.
Rami Malek (S) – the actor – (A) portrayed (CV) Freddie Mercury in the 2018 movie Bohemian Rhapsody.
Commas: ACT Example
Commas are some of the trickier questions to get right in the ACT. Remember, if it doesn't fulfil one of of the rule above, don't use commas. Let's have a look at a real ACT question:
Instantly, from the answer choices, we can see we’re dealing with a commas question. Let’s apply some of our rules. We have a pair of adjective (clear and acrylic) and a noun (box). We do not put a comma before the noun, so we can eliminate Option G and H. We do not put commas before prepositions (with), so eliminate Option J. Option F is correct: clear is referring to the acrylic, so there should not be a comma between them.
Pronouns
There will always be a few questions in ACT English that test you on pronoun usage. Remember, a pronoun is a word that replaces a noun in a sentence, such as we or she or they.
Pronoun Agreement
Pronouns must agree with what they are being substituted for. That means you need to check back to see what is being replaced; the main thing to look for is number: is it singular or plural. It also means that if you start with one type of pronoun, you can't change pronoun if it's still referring to the same thing.RIGHT: A guitar is a rock band's best friend. It is the core of most modern rock bands.
WRONG: One sometimes struggles to decide on one's favourite Queen song; you have so many great songs from which to choose.
RIGHT: One sometimes struggles to decide on one's favourite Queen song; one has so many great songs from which to choose.
Ambiguous Pronouns
Pronouns must not be ambiguous: it must be clear what a pronoun refers to. If it is at all unclear, we should use nouns instead of pronouns.RIGHT: Brian May and Tim Staffell were both members of Queen's predecessor, Smile. Brian May formed the band in 1968.
Subject vs Objective Pronouns
Remember, we have subjects and objects: subjects do the verb, and objects have the verb done to them. We use different pronouns depending on whether the pronouns are the subjects or object of a sentence.RIGHT: Ironically, "I Want To Break Free" was the favourite song of my ex-girlfriend and me.
Who vs Whom
One important case of subjective vs objective pronoun is the difference between the relative pronouns who and whom. We use who if it is substituting for a subject, and whom if it is substituting for an object.
WRONG: I wonder who Freddie Mercury had in mind when he sung "Heaven for Everyone".
RIGHT: I wonder whom Freddie Mercury had in mind when he sung "Heaven for Everyone".
Relative Pronouns: Who vs That vs Which
Who is used for people; that and which are used for non-people (and yes, that include animals!). As a relative pronoun, that is never preceded by a comma; which can be (and normally is) preceded by a comma.RIGHT: Over the course of his life, Freddie Mercury owned ten cats, which were his favourite companions.
WRONG: I have posed next to the statue of Freddie Mercury, that is in Montreux, Switzerland.
RIGHT: I have posed next to the statue of Freddie Mercury that is in Montreux, Switzerland.
RIGHT: I have posed next to the statue of Freddie Mercury , which is in Montreux, Switzerland.
Pronouns: ACT Example
Pronoun questions are relatively straight forward in the ACT. Always check what the pronoun is substituting for. Is it ambiguous? Then use a noun, not a pronoun. Is it a subject or an object? Is it singular or plural? Use the right form of pronoun accordingly.
In this example, Hurt is Lily’s (female) dog. Hurt’s job is to find the plant. The problem with Question 50 is that both Hurt and Lily are female. So when it says she watches, it is unclear whether it is Lily or Hurt who is doing the watching: it is ambiguous. As it’s ambiguous, we should use a noun, not a pronoun: therefore, Option H.
Possessives and Contractions
In the ACT, apostrophes are used for possessives and contractions. Possessives indicate ownership; contractions indicate omitted words.
Possessives
Apostrophes are used to indicate possession. If the noun is singular, then the form is apostrophe s. If the noun is plural, then the form is s apostrophe.
Queen's sixth album was News of the World. = The sixth album of Queen was News of the World.
Freddie's first cats' names were Tom and Jerry. = The name of the first cats of Freddie were Tom and Jerry.
Contractions
Apostrophes are also used to show contractions. For instance, they're is short for they are. In the ACT, apostrophe s is ONLY used as a contraction for it's (it is). Otherwise, apostrophe s should only be used to show possession. There are a few confusing cases surrouning contractions and possessives.It's vs Its
It's is short for it is (or it has). Its is singular possessive. If in doubt which to use, always expand: it's will only be the correct option if I need a conjugated verb. Its' is not a word.
It's difficult to believe that Queen is 50 years old. = It is difficult to believe that Queen is 50 years old.
The recent popularity of "Don't Stop Me Now" has been attributed to its appearance in the cult movie Shaun of the Dead. = The recent popularity of "Don't Stop Me Now" has been attributed to the appearance of it in the cult movie Shaun of the Dead.
You're vs Your
You're is short for you are. Your is possessive.
You're my best friend.
I am your best friend.
They're vs Their
They're is short for they are. Their is plural possessive.
They're one of the most famous bands in the world.
I love their music.
Who's vs Whose
Who's is short for who is. Whose is the possessive form of who.
Freddie, whose real name was Farrokh Bulsara, joined Queen in 1970.
Who's your favourite member of Queen?
Possessives and Contractions: ACT Example
Because possessives and contractions both play with apostrophes, ACT questions will often play with both simultaneously. If in doubt, always expand (e.g. it's to it is) or flip (e.g. dog's bed to bed of the dog).
This question is relatively straight forward. Who’s is short for who is. It appears to be the first known animal who is repertoire… sounds wrong (eliminate Option A): that’s because we want a possessive. Option C gives us the possessive, which is the correct answer.
Redundancy and Wordiness
Apart from testing your knowledge of grammar, the ACT also tests your rhetorical skills: do you know how to express things clearly and concisely? Redundancy and wordiness questions, which are related but not quite the same, test this skill.
Redundancy
Words, phrases, or sentences are redundant if the information has already been given elsewhere, and it does not need to be repeated to aide our understanding. The general rule is shorter is better.WRONG: In 1970, Queen was started and formed, which was half a century ago.
RIGHT: In 1970, Queen was formed.
Wordiness
Wordiness is not quite the same as redundancy. With wordiness, the writer is saying something in a more complicated way than necessary: for example, in order to instead of the simpler so.WRONG: The stadium rock style that Queen adopted established the foundational elements that were the basis for their success.
RIGHT: The stadium rock style that Queen adopted provided the basis for their success.
Redundancy and Wordiness: ACT Example
A redundancy or wordiness question will contain grammatically correct options, but the options will be of different lengths, with information you already know, or just overly complex. As we said above, the general rule is shorter is better.
Here, all the options are grammatically correct, and of varying lengths. The initial assumption should therefore be Option A, NO CHANGE, as it is the shortest option. We already know that it (an octopus) turns brown to blend in. So Options B, C, and D needlessly provide redundant or wordy information. Choose Option A.
Word Choice
Word choice questions are by far the most common type of question on the ACT. However, these come in a variety of forms.
Confusing Words
Then vs Than
Then is used to express time; than is used for comparisons.
Freddie was born in Zanzibar; then his family moved to the UK when he was 18.
Queen's eleventh album, The Works, did better in the UK than in the US.
Affect vs Effect
In the ACT, affect is a verb meaning to influence or to change; by contrast, effect is a noun, meaning the result or impact of something.
Fans were deeply affected by the death of Freddie Mercury.
The effect of Freddie's death was an outpouring of public grief.
Of vs Have
In spoken English, should've (short for should have) sounds a lot like should of. This can lead us to make a mistake in written English. Might of, should of, could of, would of – all of these are incorrect. We should use have in these contexts, not of.
WRONG: You could of been a super star.
RIGHT: You could have been a super star.
Fewer vs Less
In spoken English, we tend to use less more than fewer. However, they are not interchangeable. Fewer should be used for countable things (e.g. people, dollars, jobs), and less should be used for uncountable things (e.g. water, money, work).
Queen has sold no fewer than 170 million records.
Queen's gigs involved less piano playing over time as Freddie preferred striding around the stage.
Appropriate Word Choice
Context
Some word choice questions offer four (roughly) synonymous options, but only one of the options will be appropriate in the context.
WRONG: It would be anybody's claim how many gigs Queen played over the course of their career.
RIGHT: It would be anybody's guess how many gigs Queen played over the course of their career.
Tone
Some word choice questions are based around tone: ACT passages are generally relatively formal in tone, though personal narrative passages are a little less formal. In general, assume the tone should match that of a newspaper article.
WRONG: Sales for A Night at the Opera were revved up by the music video for "Bohemian Rhapsody".
RIGHT: Sales for A Night at the Opera were bolstered by the music video for "Bohemian Rhapsody".
Idioms
Idioms are set phrases in a language. They do not follow rules, but there are simply certain ways we can and can't say things.
WRONG: He was blinded on the light.
RIGHT: He was blinded by the light.
Specificity
Clear writing is specific: some word choice questions require you to identify the most specific and concrete phrase, avoiding vague abstractions.
WRONG: For his 41st birthday, Freddie celebrated with a big party, which had a variety of things.
RIGHT: For his 41st birthday, Freddie celebrated with a big party, including 700 guests and a 2-metre sponge cake.
Purpose
Some questions will give you a mission or purpose to fulfil. You must pay careful attention to the purpose, as that is the only way to identify the correct answer.
The British press followed Queen, especially the lead singer, Freddie Mercurcy.
The writer wishes to emphasise the aggressive nature of the British paparazzi. Which option best achieve that goal?
A. NO CHANGE
B. hounded
C. accompanied
D. travelled along with
Transitions
Transition words or phrases express the relationship between sentences and information. There are six broad categories of transition words: chronology (e.g. subsequently), contrast (e.g. however), causation (e.g. therefore), exemplication (e.g. for instance), addition (e.g. furthermore), and summary (e.g. in short). The ACT will never ask you to choose between two transition words of the same category.
Freddie made two solo albums; however, they were not as successful as his work with Queen.
You've stolen my love. Now, you desert me.
Word Choice: ACT EXAMPLE
As we said above, word choice questions are the most common types of questions in the ACT, and as we've seen above, they come in a wide variety. However, the general question to ask yourself is what fits best here? That means re-reading the sentence with each option and deciding which sounds best and fits the context best.
Revision, Addition, and Deletion
In the ACT, some questions will ask you if you should revise, add, or delete a sentence from the passage. The general rule is that we should keep (or add) information only if it directly relates to, and furthers, the main point of the paragraph or passage.
Addition
With addition questions, the writer will be considering adding a sentence. You have to decide whether it should be added, and why or why not. Generally, add the sentence if it supports a claim, provides extra (relevant) detail, and does not break up the flow of the paragraph.Deletion
Deletion requires the same skill as addition. Delete if the sentence interrupts the paragraph and/or provides only tangential detail. Another type of deletion question asks you to decide what would be lot if the writer deleted the underlined portion.Revision
Revision combines the ideas of deletion and revision: the writer will be considering revising the sentence to something longer or shorter.Revision, Addition, Deletion: ACT Example
This is an addition question. The passage is about Eddie Sweat, the horse groom to a horse named Secretariat. The (possibly) added information provides concrete examples of the stressful racing environment mentioned in the passage. Exemplification of claims, and the addition of concrete details, is a good reason to add information. Therefore, we should add the information (eliminate Options H and J). The added information does not give examples of what Sweat did, therefore eliminate Option G, and choose Option F.
Ordering
Ordering questions, like transition questions, ask us to think about the logic of a passage: what order of information makes the most sense? The ACT will ask you about word, sentence, and paragraph order. The main thing to keep in mind is chronology (in terms of time and also what has or has not been mentioned in the passage so far).
Word Order
Some questions require you to choose the position for a word or phrase within a sentence. This is very similar to dangling or misplaced modifiers: what is the underlined portion supposed to be referring to?WRONG: 160,000-strong Mercury had his final performance at Knebworth Park in front of an audience.
RIGHT: Mercury had his final performance at Knebworth Park in front of an 160,000-strong audience.
Sentence Order
The ACT will either ask you to decide the position of a particular sentence, or to decide the order of all the sentences in a given paragraph.Paragraph Order
Just like sentence order questions, paragraph order questions ask you to decide the placement of a given paragraph, or of all the paragraphs.Paragraph Division
A related question type to paragraph ordering is paragraph division. With paragraph division, the author will want to split a long paragraph in two. They will want one (or both) paragraphs to fulfil a particular purpose (e.g. to describe the author's childhood).
Ordering: ACT Example
As said above, chronology is important. To successfully order, you need to understand when things are happening, and what is the logic of the paragraph. For example, if the author uses a pronoun (e.g. he) we need a proper noun before it. If the author write this change, then we can assume they (should) have already referred to the change.
This is a sentence ordering question. First, we know that Sentence 3 has to come after Sentence 1; we cannot use just someone’s last name (Struve in Sentence 3) before we have used their full name (Otto Struve in Sentence 1). Eliminate Option H. Sentence 1 should be the first sentence in the paragraph, as the previous paragraph highlighted opposition to Payne-Gopschkin’s idea, so the use of a contrast word here (however) makes sense. Eliminate Option J. Sentence 3 should come directly after Sentence 1, and before Sentence 2; Sentence 3 continues the description of Struve’s opinion about Payne-Gopschkin’s thesis, while Sentence 2 describes Payne-Gopschkin’s work after her thesis. Choose Option G.
Main Purpose
Roughly two or three of the five ACT English passages will finish with a main purpose question. These questions will state the intended aim of the author in writing the passage. You then have to decide whether or not that purpose has been achieved, and why or why not.
Main Purpose: ACT Example
The trick with these questions is to think in terms of general versus specific. For example, the writer's purpose might have been to describe the lives of several famous authors. But if they only described the life of one famour author, and just mentioned other famous authors in passing, then the writer will not have achieved their purpose.
This passage is about how mosquitoes fly, and, specifically, how they manage to fly through rain. Therefore it is not about how insects fly. Eliminate Options A and B. The last paragraph does reference robots that could be developed based on mosquito flight, but that is not a main part of the passage. Eliminate Option C, and choose Option D, which correctly describes the passage.
A Final Word
That's it! All you need to know in order to succeed in ACT English. Remember, ACT English (and English in general) is surprisingly rule-based. If you learn the rules and apply the principles (and practice!), there's nothing to stop you from getting a 36 in ACT English.
Essai's Ten Commandments
The ACT English section is composed of 75 questions, spread over 5 passages. You have 45 minutes to complete the section, equating to 9 minutes per passage. That works out at 36 seconds per question: we recommend you aim to spend 30 seconds on each question. Here's a video of us doing 15 questions from a real ACT test.If you get stuck on a question, don’t worry too much about it: move on. There’s no negative marking, so a guess is better than no answer at all. If you have time, come back to it at the end. Better to finish the section than to get hung up on one or two questions.
At first, answering 75 questions in a row might seem scary, so here are essai’s top tips and tricks to help as you attempt the practice tests:
- Answer the questions as you read the passage. Don’t skip sentences that don’t have questions in them — these sentences will still be relevant to other questions in the passage.
- Determine what kind of question you’re dealing with before answering it.
- Read the entire sentence before choosing an answer; reread the entire sentence after choosing an answer.
- Justify your answers with rules and formulas: ‘sounds right’ is not a justification.
- Eliminate grammatically or rhetorically identical options.
- If you cannot justify a comma, don’t use one.
- If in doubt, identify the subject, identify the conjugated verb, and look for lonely commas.
- Always choose the most specific and concrete information wherever possible.
- Shorter is generally better.
- Not all questions are created equal: some take longer than others. If short on time, answer the simple grammatical questions first.