ACT English Tips

Hi friends! I'm studying for the ACT and I'd love to hear any advice you have for the English section - it seems to be the one where I struggle the most. Thanks in advance!

Hello! It's great to hear that you're preparing for the ACT, and I'm glad to offer some tips to help you improve your performance in the English section. Keep in mind that the English section tests your skills in grammar, sentence structure, punctuation, and style.

1. Review the grammar rules: Strengthen your grammar foundation by reviewing rules like subject-verb agreement, verb tense consistency, pronouns, and parallel structure.

2. Understand rhetorical skills: Familiarize yourself with concepts such as style, tone, and transition. Understand how to organize an essay, create effective paragraphs, and use logical connectors to improve flow.

3. Practice active reading: Read each passage carefully and actively, noting the author's main idea and any supporting details. This will make it easier to answer questions about style, organization, or author intent.

4. Circle of correction: When you encounter a question about an underlined portion of the passage, read it carefully and try to spot an error before looking at the answer choices. This will help you avoid picking incorrect answers based on the choices given.

5. Note answer patterns: Pay attention to patterns in correct answers, such as concise or clear sentence structures. The ACT usually favors answers that are grammatically correct and straightforward.

6. Process of elimination: If you're unsure about an answer, eliminate any obviously incorrect choices first. This will give you better odds of selecting the correct answer among the remaining options.

7. Pacing: You'll have 45 minutes to answer 75 questions, so try to maintain a pace of about 30 seconds per question. This may mean moving quickly through easy questions to allow more time for challenging ones.

8. Focus on context: Look for context clues that can help guide your answers when you're unsure about a particular question. These clues might include the overall theme of the passage, author's intent, or the relationship between sentences.

9. Use practice exams: Familiarize yourself with the structure and types of questions on the ACT English section by taking practice exams. This will help you become more comfortable with the format, and you can identify areas where you need further improvement.

10. Review your mistakes: Analyze any questions you've missed in your practice sessions to understand the underlying concepts you may need to work on. Use these findings to inform your study plan and focus on those areas.

Practice and perseverance are key to improving your performance in the ACT English section, so don't get discouraged and keep working hard. Good luck!