ACT English Skills

Question 1

What are the 3 steps for every ACT English question?

Answer 1

For every ACT English question:

1. DETERMINE THE ISSUE by analyzing the underlined portion and answers (agreement? punctuation? redundancy? Modifier? pronoun? idiom?)
2. ELIMINATE choices that do not address the issue.
3. PLUG IN remaining choices and choose the one that is most correct, concise (short), and relevant.

Question 2

USE transitions to correctly reflect the flow of the passage.

Answer 2

Eliminate answers with transition words that do not fit.

Question 3

Transition words that show “Similarity”
As with
Similarly
Much like
In the same manner/way
As
As if
As though
Just as
As well as

Answer 3

Similarity Word

Example: Ethan worked hard to get a better grade, in the same manner that he worked in improving his basketball skills.

Question 4

Transition words that show Continuation

And
Plus
In addition
Additionally
Also
With
Along with
Too
As well

Question 5

Transition words showing CONTRAST:

Conversely
Unlike
Instead
On the other hand
While
Though
Although
But
Nevertheless
Yet
Rather than
Nor
Despite

Question 6

Transition words that show CAUSE-and-EFFECT:

Because
Resulting in
Since
Due to
As a result of
So
For
In response to
In order to
Caused
Caused by
As a consequence

Question 7

Transition words that help FURTHER EXPLAIN or GIVE EXAMPLE:

Namely
In essence
That is
To put it another way
Moreover
Clearly
Most importantly
In fact
Indeed
Surely
Certainly

Question 8

Learn to identify when the wrong verb tense is being use. It should be correct and consistent.

present tense - Jill attends class every week.

past tense - Jill attended class last year.

future - Jill will attend class next week.

present perfect - Jill has attended every class so far.

past perfect - Before Jill signed up for the class, she had never attended an exercise class.

future perfect - By the end of the course, Jill will have attended every class.

Question 9

Learn how to identify and correct errors in comma usage.

There are 4 situations that commas should be use. Answer options that contain extra commas will not be the correct answer.

What are the 4 situations where commas should be used?

Answer 9

The 4 situations where commas should be used are:

1. Separate items in a list or series e.g. I like chocalate, strawberry, and vanilla.

2. Set off non-essential information within a sentence (hint: if you read the sentence without the information in the comma (s), the sentence would still be a complete sentence) e.g. *Carolyn spent the weekend with relatives, who live in New York, and returned with many souvenirs. *

3. Set off introductory phrases e.g. In June, students end school… or While I was sleeping, the phone rang…

4. Separate two independent clauses linked by a FANBOYS word e.g. I like blue, but I like red more.

Question 10

Learn to identify and correct errors of the use of colons and dashes.

Answer 10

Not frequently tested.

Question 11

When should colons be used?

Answer 11

Use Colons to:

*Introduce and/or emphasize a short phrase, question, explanation, example or list.

*Never use a colon after a sentence fragment or incomplete sentence!

E.g. These are my favorite events: floor, rings, vault, and high bar.

The words before the colon should be a complete sentence. So DO NOT write:
My favorite events are: foor, ring, vault, and high bar (WRONG)

Question 12

When should dashes be used?

Answer 12

Use dashes here:

1. Set off explanatory elements e.g. We love all of our coaches - Andrei, Alex and Stacy.
2. Indicate a hesitation or break in thought e.g. Prom is in April - No, wait. It is in May.

Question 13

Learn how to identify and correct apostrophe errors.