ACT English Study Guide

ACT English Study Guide

Big Picture

• ACT English tests two categories:

  • Usage (Grammar & Punctuation)

  • Rhetoric (Style, Organization, Logic)

Usage Skills (Grammar & Mechanics)

Punctuation

• Commas

  • Separate items in a list (3 or more).

  • Separate interchangeable adjectives.

  • After an introductory dependent clause.

  • Set off nonessential information.

• Apostrophes

  • Show possession:

  • Singular: Laura’s hat

  • Plural: kids’ toys

  • Form contractions:

  • it’s = it is

  • who’s = who is

• Colons

  • Used after an independent clause.

  • Introduce a list, explanation, or appositive.

• Semicolons

  • Join two independent clauses.

  • Used with conjunctive adverbs (e.g., however, therefore, thus).

• Dashes

  • Add emphasis or extra information.

  • Stronger than parentheses.

• End Punctuation

  • Period = statement.

  • Question mark = question.

  • Exclamation point = strong emotion (rare).

Pronouns

• Subject Pronouns: I, you, he, she, it, we, they.

• Object Pronouns: me, you, him, her, it, us, them.

• Rule: Subjects do the action; objects receive the action.

• Who vs That:

  • Who = people.

  • That = things.

• Pronoun Agreement:

  • Pronouns must match their nouns.

  • Singular nouns (e.g., everyone, someone, each) take singular pronouns.

  • ACT does NOT accept singular "they".

• Ambiguous Reference:

  • Pronoun must clearly refer to one noun.

  • If unclear, repeat the noun.

Verbs

• Verb Tense:

  • Keep verbs consistent in time.

  • Match tense to the context.

• Common Tenses:

  • Present: sing.

  • Past: sang.

  • Past perfect: had sung.

  • Future: will sing.

• Subject–Verb Agreement:

  • Singular subject = singular verb.

  • Plural subject = plural verb.

  • Ignore phrases between subject and verb.

Comparisons

• To compare two things, use more / -er.

• To compare three or more, use most / -est.

• Do not mix comparison types.

Word Choice

• its = possessive;

• it’s = it is;

• their = possession;

• there = place;

• they’re = they are;

• to = direction/action;

• too = also / extra;

• two = number;

• then = time;

• than = comparison;

• might have = correct;

• might of = incorrect.

Idioms & Verbal Phrases

• Idioms must be exact.

• Common verb + preposition pairs:

  • responsible for

  • refrain from

  • followed by

Sentence Errors

• Sentence Fragments:

  • Missing an independent clause.

  • Fix by adding a subject + verb.

• Run-on Sentences:

  • Two independent clauses joined incorrectly.

  • Fix with:

  • comma + conjunction;

  • semicolon;

  • dependent word (because, although).

Parallel Construction

• Items in a list must match in form.

• Verbs, nouns, and phrases must be consistent.

Modifiers

• Dangling Modifiers:

  • Modifier has no clear noun.

  • Noun must come right after the comma.

• Misplaced Modifiers:

  • Modifier too far from what it describes.

  • Move it next to the correct noun.

Rhetorical Skills (Style & Organization)

Relevance

• Every sentence must match the paragraph’s topic.

• Remove irrelevant details.

Author’s Intent

• Identify main idea and purpose.

Organization – Transitions

• Choose transitions that match logic:

  • Addition: in fact, indeed.

  • Contrast: however.

  • Cause/Effect: therefore.

Organization – Macro Logic

• Sentences must be in logical order.

• Look for timelines and cause/effect clues.

Conciseness

• Wordiness:

  • Remove unnecessary words.

  • Shorter and clearer is better.

• Redundancy:

  • Do not repeat the same idea twice.

Formality & Tone

• Maintain academic tone.

• Avoid slang and casual phrases.

ACT English Strategy

• ACT repeats the same grammar rules.

• Clear, simple answers are usually correct.

• When unsure, choose the most concise option.

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