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English ACT tips, anyone?

So I've been studying for the upcoming ACT, and I realize that the English section is tripping me up. I'm struggling with grammar rules and also making silly mistakes. Has anyone got any tips on how to improve my English score on the ACT and avoid common errors?

Any help is much appreciated!

8 months ago

I'm happy to provide some tips for the English section of the ACT. Improving in this area comes down to practice, understanding grammar rules, managing your time, and being mindful of common mistakes.

1. Practice, practice, practice: Familiarize yourself with ACT-style questions by using official practice tests and materials. The more you practice, the more comfortable you'll become with the format, question styles, and pacing.

2. Brush up on grammar rules: The ACT English section tests your knowledge of punctuation, subject-verb agreement, pronoun usage, parallelism, among other grammar concepts. You might want to review these concepts and make flashcards to help solidify your understanding.

3. Process of elimination: For questions with multiple choices, eliminate any answer choices that are obviously incorrect. This narrows down your options, improving your chances of selecting the correct one.

4. Read the whole sentence or passage: Avoid making snap judgments about questions before reading the full context. Sometimes an error might not be apparent until you have a complete understanding of the sentence or passage.

5. Manage your time: The English section has 75 questions and a 45-minute time limit, so you have about 36 seconds per question. Practice maintaining a steady pace, and don't spend too much time on any single question.

6. Be cautious with "no change" answers: Although sometimes the original sentence may be correct, don't fall into the trap of frequently choosing "no change" because it seems easier. Evaluate every option with care.

7. Know your punctuation: Be aware of the proper use of commas, semicolons, colons, and apostrophes. Many questions in the English section focus on proper punctuation usage, so it's vital to have a firm grasp of these rules.

8. Be mindful of commonly confused words: There are many words in English that sound or look similar but have different meanings (e.g., their/there/they're, its/it's). Be aware of these common pitfalls and check your answers for such errors.

9. Review your mistakes: After taking practice tests, analyze your mistakes and understand why you got certain questions wrong. This helps you avoid repeating the same errors on the actual test.

Remember that improvement takes time, so don't get discouraged if you don't see immediate results. Stick to a study plan, practice regularly, and keep these tips in mind to help boost your English score on the ACT. Good luck!

8 months ago

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