ACT Preparation:
English and Reading
Prepared by:
Andrea Humphries, Pike County Central High School
Reference:
Dulan, Steven W. McGraw-Hill’s Conquering the ACT English,
Reading, and Writing. New York: McGraw Hill, 2008.
ENGLISH
75 questions
Content/Skills
45 minutes
# of Questions
Usage / Mechanics
*Punctuation
40
10
*Grammar/Usage
*Sentence Structure
Rhetorical Skills
*Strategy
*Organization
*Style
12
18
35
12
11
12
General ACT
Test-Taking Tips
General ACT Test-Taking Tips
Use letters to stay on track
pay attention to the letters of the answer choices
even numbered questions: fghjk
odd numbered questions: abcde
General ACT Test-Taking Tips
*English, reading, and science questions should
average 30 seconds each
*English and reading passages should averages
about nine minutes each
General ACT Test-Taking Tips
Put every thing into a form you can understand
Watch for misplaced details
details from different parts of the passage
they don’t answer the question properly, but they sound
good
General ACT Test-Taking Tips
Don’t just pick answers with key words
may use right words but say the wrong thing
find and answer with the same idea you have, even
if it is in different words
General ACT Test-Taking Tips
VERY IMPORTANT TECHNIQUE:
• As you come up with answers, circle the answer
in the test booklet, then transfer the answers in
groups of five or more
• --OR (my recommendation)--transfer over one
page at a time!
General ACT Test-Taking Tips
VERY IMPORTANT TECHNIQUE:
Triage (+ / -):
As you read the questions, make a quick determination:
1) Answer it if you know it
2) If you think you can answer the question but need some
more time, mark a + in your answer booklet.
3) If you don’t think you know it, mark the question with a - .
When you go back, answer all + questions first, then go to
your – questions. Mark – questions with your “choice
letter” if you go back and still don’t know it.
General ACT Test-Taking Tips
VERY IMPORTANT TECHNIQUE:
Elimination:
When you eliminate a choice, you improve your chances.
It can be time consuming, but it is easy--and it will raise
your score.
Cross out (X) the answers that you know are wrong, then
make an educated guess based on the answers you
have left.
General ACT Test-Taking Tips
Elimination (continued):
Let’s look at some statistics for using elimination:
If you don’t eliminate any answer choices and leave
blanks when the answer is not known.
Avg. Score: 16
General ACT Test-Taking Tips
Elimination (continued):
You don’t eliminate any answers, and
make random guesses.
Avg. Score: 20
General ACT Test-Taking Tips
Elimination (continued):
You eliminate one answer
Choose an answer from the remaining choices
Avg. Score: 21
General ACT Test-Taking Tips
Elimination (continued):
You eliminate two answers
Choose an answer from the remaining choices
Avg. Score: 23
General ACT Test-Taking Tips
Elimination (continued):
You eliminate three answers
Guess what—you have the correct answer!
It doesn’t matter how you get the answer.
You still get points for the correct answer.
General ACT Test-Taking Tips
A point to ponder:
Some sources claim the following:
On the Reading test, if in doubt, choose the longest
answer.
On the English test, if in doubt, choose the shortest
answer.
**This theory has not been proven**
General ACT Test-Taking Tips
Keep track of time
with five minutes left bubble in answers for
everything
go back to questions you think you could answer
if there is time left
set your watch at 12:00 at the beginning of each
section
ENGLISH TEST
75 questions, 45 minutes
5 passages
9 minutes each passage
ENGLISH TEST
ENGLISH TEST
Strategies and Techniques
1) Skim the passage
*Most questions are in underlined portions of passages
*Read passage once quickly before answering
questions
NOTE: You will generally not be required to infer
anything about the people or places mentioned in the
passage.
ENGLISH TEST
Strategies and Techniques
2) Review the underlined portion
*A portion of sentence underlined might need to be:
Revised
Replaced
Omitted
*Look for common problems (refer to grammar rev.)
NOTE: Wordiness and redundancy are never rewarded.
When in doubt, choose the shortest answer.
ENGLISH TEST
Strategies and Techniques
3) Predict an answer
*If an underlined portion does not seem correct, try
to predict an answer. If it matches an answer
choice, that is most likely the correct answer.
*Mark the question in your answer book if you are
unsure. Be consistent.
ENGLISH TEST
Strategies and Techniques
4) Trust what you know
*Read “aloud silently” to yourself to allow your brain
to “hear” the sentence with your answer choice.
*Trust your impulses. If it sounds right to you, it
probably is.
ENGLISH TEST
Strategies and Techniques
5) Use the process of elimination
*Elimination is the process most test takers use.
Use it as a backup strategy, as it is reliable, yet
slow.
NOTE: Since there can only one correct answer for each
question, you can eliminate any 2 choices that mean
the same.
ENGLISH TEST
Strategies and Techniques
6) Take OMIT seriously
*You will sometimes see the choice “OMIT the
underlined portion.” This means to remove the
underlined portion. “OMIT” is viable when it eliminates redundant or irrelevant statements.
*When OMIT is given as an answer choice on the
ACT, it is correct about half of the time.
ENGLISH TEST
Strategies and Techniques
7) Fear CHANGE (sometimes!)
*On the ACT English test, the 1st answer choice is
almost always “NO CHANGE.” This answer choice
comes up about as often as other answer choices.
*Use “NO CHANGE” when a sentence is correct as
it is. Just because a portion of the passage is
underlined doesn’t mean there is something wrong
with it.
ENGLISH TEST
Strategies and Techniques
8) Go with the flow
*The ACT English test contains rhetorical skills
questions, which address writing strategy,
organization, and style.
Review commonly used introductory and
transitional words and phrases:
ENGLISH TEST
Strategies and Techniques
(Cont. of #8 Go with the flow)
Words or phrases that
suggest
CONTINUATION:
o Furthermore
o Moreover
o In addition
Words or phrases that
suggest
CONCLUSION:
o Therefore
o Thus
o In other words
ENGLISH TEST
Strategies and Techniques
(Cont. of #8 Go with the flow)
Words or phrases that
suggest
COMPARISON:
o Likewise
o Similarly
o Just as
o Like
Words or phrases that
suggest
CONTRAST:
o But
o Whereas
o Although
o Despite
o However
ENGLISH TEST
Strategies and Techniques
(Cont. of #8 Go with the flow)
Words or phrases that suggest
EVIDENCE:
o Because
o Since
o As a result of
o Due to
ENGLISH TEST
Applying Strategies, Building Skills
Grammatical Voice
The ACT English test
prefers active voice.
A)
B)
C)
D)
Water towers are used
by cities to ensure
adequate water supply.
NO CHANGE
Used by cities are
water towers
Water towers get used
by cities
Cities use water towers
ENGLISH TEST
Strategies and Techniques
The correct answer is:
D. Cities use water towers to
ensure adequate water supply.
ENGLISH TEST
Strategies and Techniques
Modifying Clauses
It is important to place a
modifier near the object it
modifies. Misplaced
modifiers can change the
A)
meaning of sentences.
B)
C)
D)
Crumpled in the corner of
her room, Kim noticed
Ted’s love letter.
The best placement for the
underlined portion would
be:
Where it is now.
After Kim.
After the word noticed.
After the word letter
(ending sentence with a
period).
ENGLISH TEST
Strategies and Techniques
The correct answer is:
D) After the word letter (ending
the sentence with a period).
Kim noticed Ted’s love letter crumpled in the corner of
her room.
ENGLISH TEST
Applying Strategies, Building Skills
Verb Tense
HINT for Irregular Past forms
of Verbs:
The simple past form can be
used alone as the main verb
in a clause, whereas the past
participle can be used as an
adjective or as the main verb
in a clause when paired with
a form of the auxiliary verbs
“have” or “be.”
Amanda must have
heard us talking.
A) NO CHANGE
B) have heard of
C) of heard about
D) of heard
ENGLISH TEST
Applying Strategies, Building Skills
The correct answer is:
A) NO CHANGE
Amanda must have heard us talking.
*Many students will incorrectly mark the answer
D) must of heard. This is a common
misconception because, in speech, sometimes
“have” and “of” sound similar.
ENGLISH TEST
Applying Strategies, Building Skills
Subject/Verb
Agreement
Subjects and verbs are linked
and must agree; they must
match in form, according to
person and number (singular
and plural). Some complex
sentences on the ACT try to
conceal the subject, making
it more challenging to
determine proper agreement.
The equipment for both types
of boats are similar, and fairly
simple.
A) NO CHANGE
B) is
C) were
D) being
ENGLISH TEST
Applying Strategies, Building Skills
The correct answer is:
B) is
The equipment for both types of boats is similar, and
fairly simple.
The singular subject “equipment” requires the singular presenttense verb “is.”
*Don’t forget to do a “subject search”—many students will
mistakenly think that boats is the subject and therefore
incorrectly mark are as the answer.
ENGLISH TEST
Applying Strategies, Building Skills
Adjectives & Adverbs
Adjectives modify nouns,
whereas adverbs modify
verbs, adjectives, or other
adverbs. The ACT will
require you to recognize
correct usage of adjectives
and adverbs.
The campers glimpsed at the
arresting beautiful sunset
from atop the hill.
A) NO CHANGE
B) arrestingly beautiful
C) arresting beautifully
D) arrestingly beautifully
ENGLISH TEST
Applying Strategies, Building Skills
The correct answer is:
B) arrestingly beautiful
The campers glimpsed at the arrestingly
beautiful sunset from atop the hill.
*The adjective “beautiful” is being modified; therefore you
must use an adverb. Ad “-ly” to create the adverb
“arrestingly.”
ENGLISH TEST
Applying Strategies, Building Skills
Pronouns
Pronouns take the place of
either a proper or a
common noun, known as
the antecedent.
*Because of their complexity, we have
studied pronouns in depth for your
starters. There are MANY pronoun
questions on the ACT, so be sure
to review the pronoun starter
section.
Several of we students
went out to dinner after the
ballgame.
A) NO CHANGE
B) you
C) those
D) us
ENGLISH TEST
Applying Strategies, Building Skills
The correct answer is:
D) us
Several of us students went out to dinner after the
ballgame.
*As we covered in your starters, use the “cover-up
method” when a pronoun is directly followed by its
antecedent. Cover up “students”—Several of US went—
or—Several of WE went?
ENGLISH TEST
Applying Strategies, Building Skills
Idiom
Idiom refers to the
commonly accepted
usage of a word or
phrase. The ACT English
test will often test your
ability to recognize
idiomatic prepositional
phrases.
The members of the Williams
family made their living working
as field hands.
Which of the following
alternatives to the underlined
portion would NOT be
acceptable?
A) earned their living by
B) made their living from
C) made their living on
D) earned their living
ENGLISH TEST
Applying Strategies, Building Skills
The correct answer is:
C) made their living on
*The context of this sentence indicates that the family
worked as field hands in order to “earn” or “make” a
living. Both “earn” and “make” are idiomatic. Likewise,
the prepositions “by” and “from” are appropriate in this
context. It would not be idiomatic to say that the family
earned its living “on working.”
ENGLISH TEST
Applying Strategies, Building Skills
Redundancy
The ACT often questions your
ability to recognize and
eliminate redundancy. You
will be rewarded for clearly
and simply expressing the
intended idea.
Norm Bruce is most widely
remembered today for his
invention and creation of the
pitching machine.
A) NO CHANGE
B) invention
C) invention, that is, the
creation
D) invention, which was the
creation
ENGLISH TEST
Applying Strategies, Building Skills
The correct answer is:
B) invention
Norm Bruce is most widely remembered today for
his invention of the pitching machine.
*The words “invention” and “creation” share
essentially the same meaning. This redundancy
is corrected by deleting the unnecessary
information from the underlined portion.
ENGLISH TEST
Applying Strategies, Building Skills
Punctuation:
Commas
The comma is among the
most frequently tested
punctuation marks on the
ACT. We will cover the
comma more in-depth
later in this study.
The following night, using
twigs, for kindling she
started a small blaze.
A) NO CHANGE
B) night, using twigs for
kindling,
C) night, using twigs for
kindling;
D) night using twigs, for
kindling,
ENGLISH TEST
Applying Strategies, Building Skills
The correct answer is:
B) night, using twigs for kindling,
The following night, using twigs for kindling,
she started a small blaze.
*The phrase “using twigs for kindling” is a parenthetical
phrase that should be set off from the rest of the
sentence with commas.
ENGLISH TEST
Applying Strategies, Building Skills
Punctuation:
Semicolons (;)
The most common uses of
a semicolon:
*joins closely related
independent clauses
*separates items in a series
that contains commas
The overhead wires used
to provide electricity
were replaced with
underground cables they
made a new cityscape
possible.
A) NO CHANGE
B) cables in which
C) cables; they
D) cables, they
ENGLISH TEST
Applying Strategies, Building Skills
The correct answer is:
C) cables; they
The overhead wires used to provide electricity were
replaced with underground cables; they made a new
cityscape possible.
*Test use of semicolons by: 1) checking on either side to see if
the clause is independent (can it stand alone?), and 2)
making sure the clauses are related and “work together.”
ENGLISH TEST
Applying Strategies, Building Skills
Punctuation:
Colons (:)
A colon is used:
*before a list, or
*after an independent
clause that is followed
by information that
directly modifies or
adds to the clause.
The following students
need to report to the
office, Kristen Burke,
Sarah Singleton, Jermiah
Ratliff, and Charlene
Moore.
A) NO CHANGE
B) office Kristen,
C) office; Kristen
D) office: Kristen
ENGLISH TEST
Applying Strategies, Building Skills
The correct answer is:
D) office: Kristen
The following students need to report to the office:
Kristen Burke, Sarah Singleton, Jermiah Ratliff,
and Charlene Moore.
ENGLISH TEST
Applying Strategies, Building Skills
Punctuation:
Apostrophes ( ’ )
Apostrophe usage is
frequently tested on the
ACT. There are only two
standard usages of the
apostrophe:
*to form possessives
*to form contractions
I learned that my
countrys heritage was a
mixture of four distinct
traditions.
A) NO CHANGE
B) countrys’
C) country’s
D) countries
ENGLISH TEST
Applying Strategies, Building Skills
The correct answer is:
C) country’s
I learned that my country’s heritage was a mixture of four
distinct traditions.
*In this sentence, the singular noun “country” is
possessive. The “heritage” belongs to one country, so
the standard rules for possessive punctuation applies—
add ‘s to the end of the word.
ENGLISH TEST
Applying Strategies, Building Skills
Punctuation: Parentheses ( ) and
Dashes (--)
Neither are tested frequently on the ACT. In
many cases, several answer choices
replace parentheses with commas or
dashes. If the parenthetical material is
nonessential, irrelevant, or redundant, mark
“OMIT the underlined portion.”
ENGLISH TEST
Applying Strategies, Building Skills
Punctuation: End punctuation
On the ACT Test, only three punctuation
marks may end sentences:
*period ( . )
*question mark ( ? )
*exclamation point ( ! )
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
COMMONLY MISUSED WORDS:
Although there are thousands of different wordusage errors that could appear on the ACT, the
test repeatedly includes commonly misused
words.
The next several slides include these words and
their meanings.
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
COMMONLY MISUSED WORDS:
Accept, Except
Accept: (v) to agree to receive something.
Ex: The store would only accept cash.
Except: (prep) other than or but, or (v) to omit or leave
out
Ex: Except for a B+ in calculus, Andrea received all
A’s on her report card.
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
COMMONLY MISUSED WORDS:
Affect, Effect **************************
Affect: (v) to influence
Ex: Sam’s sore ankle did not affect his
performance in the game.
Effect: (n) indicate or achieve a result
Ex: Studies show that too little exercise can have a
negative effect on a person’s health.
HINT: Use the “THE” test!!!! If you can say THE in front of the word,
then the correct answer is effect. Think “thE=Effect”
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
COMMONLY MISUSED WORDS:
Among, Between
Among is used with more than two items.
Ex: Will’s score was among the best in his class.
Between is usually used with two items.
Ex: Simon could not decide between the two
puppies, so he adopted them both.
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
COMMONLY MISUSED WORDS:
Assure, Ensure, Insure
Assure: to convince
Ex: I assure you we will get there on time!
Ensure: to make certain
Ex: We go great lengths to ensure quality.
Insure: to guard against loss
Ex: Steve had to insure his car against theft.
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
COMMONLY MISUSED WORDS:
Complement, Compliment
Complement: something that adds to something else
Ex: The breathtaking view is the ideal complement
to the romantic dinner.
Compliment: flattery or praise
Ex: Larry was thrilled when the award-winning
author complimented him on his writing style.
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
COMMONLY MISUSED WORDS:
Farther, Further
Farther: refers to distance
Ex: He threw the ball farther this year than he could
during last year’s season.
Further: additional degree, time, or quantity
Ex: The author should have provided further detail
about the short story’s characters
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
COMMONLY MISUSED WORDS:
Fewer, Less
Fewer: refers to units or individuals that CAN be
counted
Ex: Trish worked fewer hours this week than Jill.
Less: refers to mass or bulk that cannot be counted
Ex: When it comes to reading, Mike is less inclined
to read for pleasure than is Cassie.
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
COMMONLY MISUSED WORDS:
Its, It’s, Its’
Its: the possessive form of “it.”
Ex: Indya enjoys drinking white tea for its
refreshing, light flavor.
It’s: the contraction of “it is.”
Ex: Fortunately for the runners, it’s a sunny day.
Its’: is NEVER correct, but is regularly included on the
ACT .
*HINT: ALWAYS say “it is” or “it has.” If it makes sense, then the
answer is “it’s.” Otherwise, the answer is “its.”
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
COMMONLY MISUSED WORDS:
Lay, Lie
Lay: to put or to place
Ex: To protect your carpet, always lay newspaper
on the ground before you begin painting.
Lie: to recline, rest, or stay; past tense of lie is lay
Ex: Sara loves to lie in the sun by the pool.
Ex: Yesterday, Sara lay in the sun by the pool.
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
COMMONLY MISUSED WORDS:
Set, Sit
Set: the verb set takes an object
Ex: I set a bowl of pretzels on the counter.
Sit: the verb sit does not take an object
Ex: When I dine alone, I always sit by the
window so I can watch all the people who
pass by the restaurant.
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
COMMONLY MISUSED WORDS:
Than, Then
Than: a conjunction used in comparison
Ex: Roberta made fewer mistakes than she thought.
Then: an adverb denoting time
Ex: Mandy updated her resume, then applied for the
job.
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
COMMONLY MISUSED WORDS:
There, Their, They’re
There: (adv.) specifies location
Ex: Few students will go there for college.
Their: possessive pronoun (usually refers to people)
Ex: We tried their new recipe for meatloaf.
They’re: contraction of “they are”
Ex: They’re hoping to reach a decision by noon.
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
COMMONLY MISUSED WORDS:
Too, Two, To
Too: in addition, or more than enough
Ex: Willie ran too far off course.
Two: the number 2
Ex: Two boyfriends is two too many!
To: many different uses, including indication of
direction and comparison.
Ex: Angela is flying to Russia next week.
Ex: Ben tries to run three miles every day.
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
COMMONLY MISUSED WORDS:
Whether, If
Whether: should be used when listing alternatives
Ex: Trey could not decide whether to play baseball
or run track.
If: refers to future possibility
Ex: If Trey chooses track, his season will begin in
January.
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
COMMONLY MISUSED WORDS:
Your, You’re
Your: possessive pronoun
Ex: Sunscreen protects your skin from sun damage.
You’re: contraction of “you are.”
Ex: When you’re at the beach, don’t forget to
wear your sunscreen.
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
COMMONLY MISUSED WORDS:
Whose, Who’s
Whose: possessive pronoun
Ex: I want to know whose food this is on the table!
Who’s: contraction of “who is” or “who has”
Ex: Who’s going to the beach house with us this
weekend?
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
PUNCTUATION RULES:
A properly punctuated sentence helps the reader
understand the organization of the writer’s ideas. The
ACT English Test includes questions that address
punctuation usage. You should be able to identify and
correct errors involving:
*Commas [,], Apostrophes [‘], Colons [:], Semicolons [;],
Parentheses [( )], Dashes [--], Periods [.], Question
Marks [?], and Exclamation Marks [!]
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
Commas: Used to separate ideas or
elements within a sentence
1) Use a comma with a coordinating conjunction
to separate independent clauses within a
sentence.
*Seven basic coordinating conjunctions:
---and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet--EX: I just completed my workout, yet I’m not tired.
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
Commas (continued)
2) Use a comma to separate elements that introduce and
modify a sentence
EX: Before deciding on a college, Rana discussed
her options with her parents.
3) Use commas before and after parenthetical expression.
EX: The new park, of course, is a popular tourist
destination.
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
Commas (continued)
4) Use a comma to separate an appositive from a
clause.
EX: Mrs. Smith, a ninth grade English teacher,
focused on grammar as well.
5) Use commas to set off interjections.
EX: Well, it’s about time he asked you out!
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
Commas (continued)
6) Use commas to separate coordinate adjectives.
EX: Cows are gentle, friendly creatures.
OR: Cows are gentle and friendly creatures.
7) Use commas to set off nonrestrictive phrases and
clauses.
*A nonrestrictive phrase can be omitted without
changing the meaning of the clause.
EX: My sister’s dog, a brown and white terrier, barks
at me whenever I visit.
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
Commas (continued)
8) Use a comma to separate elements in a list or
series.
EX: Skip packed his suitcase, put on his
jacket, and left the house.
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
Commas (continued)
9) Use commas in dates, addresses, place names,
numbers, and quotations.
EX: Keith is leaving for Florida on Sunday, June 21,
2009.
EX: My new office is located at 107 Benning Road,
Pikeville, KY.
EX: His annual earnings totaled $128,342.
EX: “My sister is a nurse,” Becky said proudly.
EX: Jon replied, “So where exactly are we going?”
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
Do NOT use a comma:
1) To separate a subject from a verb.
NOT: My cousin Mary, walked down the road.
2) To separate an adjective from the word it modifies.
NOT: The pretty, girl sat in front of me.
3) Before a coordinate conjunction that is NOT joining
independent clauses.*********
NOT: Jeff likes to relax on his couch, and listen to
music.
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
Do NOT use a comma (continued):
4) to separate two independent clauses; this is known
as a comma-splice.*****************
NOT: I plan to attend a liberal arts college, my parents
want me to get a well-rounded education.
NOTE: The ACT English Test often includes a comma
splice among the incorrect answers, so be on the
lookout for this trap!
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
Apostrophes:
1) Use an apostrophe with s to form the
possessive of singular nouns, plural nouns that
do not end in s, or indefinite pronouns that do
not end in s.
EX: My friend’s house is at the end there.
EX: The Women’s Society meets on Mondays.
EX: Someone’s bicycle is blocking the street.
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
Apostrophes (continued):
2) Use an apostrophe to form the possessive of
plural nouns ending in s.
EX: The horses’ stalls were filled with straw.
EX: I did not enjoy the three students’ rendition
of my favorite song.
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
Apostrophes (continued):
3) Use an apostrophe with the last noun in a series to
indicate joint possessions.
EX: Cooper, Corbin, and Cole’s birthday is in
September.
4) Add an apostrophe to all nouns to indicate
individual possession.
EX: Mike’s, Brian’s, and Kelli’s i-pods were stolen.
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
Apostrophes (continued):
5) Add an apostrophe to indicate contractions.
EX: it’s = it is, we’re = we are, you’re = you are,
should’ve = should have, didn’t = did not
NOTE: The ACT English Test will include incorrect answer choices
such as “should of,” which sounds like “should’ve”; these are
NEVER grammatically correct.
6) Add an apostrophe to form the plurals of letters and numbers.
EX: Did you dot your i’s and cross your t’s?
EX: There are a total of four 7’s in her phone number.
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
Do NOT use apostrophes with possessive
pronouns:
EX: The car with the flat tire is ours.
NOT: The car with the flat tire is our’s.
EX: Yours is the dog that barks all night.
NOT: Your’s is the dog that barks all night.
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
Colons:
1) Use a colon before a list.
EX: We are required to bring the following items to
camp: a sleeping bag, a pillow, an alarm clock,
clothes, and personal care items.
2) Use a colon after an independent clause that is
followed by information that directly modifies or adds
to the clause.
EX: Jenny encountered a problem that she had not
anticipated: a power outage.
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
Colons (continued):
3) Colons can be used before direct quotations,
after salutations in business correspondence,
and between titles and subtitles.
EX: Captain John Paul Jones said: “I have not
yet begun to fight.”
EX: Dear Mr. Cantorinzi:
EX: Blaze: The Story of a Fireman’s Courage
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
Semicolons:
1) Use a semicolon to join closely related independent
clauses when a coordinate conjunction is not used.
EX: Jane starts a new job today; she is very
excited.
2) Use a semicolon with conjunctive adverbs to join
independent clauses.
EX: Martha is interested in taking the class; however,
it does not suit her schedule.
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
Semicolons (continued):
3) Use semicolons in a series to separate elements
containing commas.
EX: My first meal at college consisted of cold, dry toast;
runny, undercooked eggs; and strong, acidic coffee.
EX: Over the summer, Romi traveled to Pikeville,
Kentucky; Johnson City, Tennessee; and Winamac,
Indiana.
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
Semicolons (continued):
4) Use a semicolon to separate coordinate clauses
when they are joined by transitional words or
phrases.
EX: My sister and I enjoyed the play;
afterwards, we stopped for an ice cream cone.
OR: My sister and I enjoyed the play, and
afterwards, we stopped for an ice cream cone.
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
Parentheses and dashes: Used to enclose
supplemental information that is not
essential to the meaning of the sentence.
Dashes are used to place special emphasis
on a word or phrase within a sentence.
NOTE: The ACT English Test will never include a
combination of one parenthesis and one dash in
a correct answer.
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
Parentheses and dashes (continued):
1) Use parentheses to enclose explanatory or secondary
supporting details.
EX: Alan visited the Football Hall of Fame (after
years of begging his parents) during his summer
vacation.
2) Use dashes in place of parentheses to place special
emphasis on certain words or phrases.
EX: Dr. Evans—a noted scientist and educator—
spoke at our induction ceremony.
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
Periods, question marks, and exclamation points:
1) Use a period to end most sentences.
EX: Scott enrolled in classes at the university.
2) Use a question mark to end a direct question.
EX: Do you think it will snow today?
3) Use an exclamation point to end an emphatic
statement.
EX: Wow! What a huge fish you caught!
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
GRAMMAR RULES:
The ACT English Test includes questions that will
test your ability to identify and correct poorly
written sentences. You should have a firm grasp
of the following concepts:
*Subject/Verb Agreement
*Nouns and Pronouns
*Verbs and Verb Forms
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
Subject/Verb Agreement
*A well-constructed sentence contains a subject and a
verb and expresses a complete thought.
*The subject is who or what the sentence is about. The
verb tells you what is happening with the subject or the
state of the subject.
*Subjects and verbs are linked and must agree.
NOTE: Some complex sentences on the ACT try to
conceal the subject, making identification of proper
subject/verb agreement more of a challenge.
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
Subject/Verb Agreement (continued):
1) Person—A main verb must agree with the subject in
person:
EX: First person – I am eating lunch. We left the
movie early.
EX: Second person – You are eating lunch.
EX: Third person – She is eating lunch. He mowed
the lawn. It snows often in Wisconsin. Someone is
paying for this mistake.
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
Subject/Verb Agreement (continued):
2a) Number—a singular subject requires a
singular verb.
EX: The earth is round.
EX: One of the boys has a dog.
EX: Everyone on the team thinks he will win.
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
Subject/Verb Agreement (continued):
2b) Number—a plural subject requires a plural
verb.
EX: The girls are waiting for the bus.
EX: Patty and Janet enjoy suspense novels.
EX: Do football players like classical music?
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
Subject/Verb Agreement (continued):
3) Voice—defines whether the subject performs
the action of the verb or receives the action of
the verb.
ACTIVE voice is usually the preferred mode of
writing (especially on the ACT!).
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
Subject/Verb Agreement (continued):
3) Voice (cont):
a) Active voice means that the subject is acting.
EX: The dog licked my brother.
b) Passive voice means that the subject is being
acted upon and often appears as a present or
past form of be (am, are, is, was, were)
EX: My brother was licked by the dog.
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
Subject/Verb Agreement (continued):
4) Tense—Verb tense provides you with
information about when the action took place.
Actions take place in the present, in the past, or
in the future.
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
Parallelism: parallel construction allows a writer to
show order and clarity in a sentence or paragraph
by putting grammatical elements that have the
same function in the same form.
Non-parallel: Lee enjoyed running and to ride his bike.
Parallel(correct): Lee enjoyed running and riding his bike.
Non-parallel: Each of the students paid their profit.
Parallel (correct): Each of the students paid his or her
profit.
ENGLISH TEST
Grammar Review
REVIEW STARTERS:
– Pronouns***
– Run-on sentences
– Titles
READING TEST
READING TEST
40 questions in 35 minutes (9 minutes each
passage)
4 passages, 10 questions each passage
READING RATE
Adapted by permission of RSSL,
University of Maryland.
READING TEST
Reading Rate
Factors that Reduce Reading Rate:
– Limited perceptual span (word-by-word
reading)
– Slow perceptual reaction time (slow
recognition and response to the material)
– Vocalization (reading aloud)
– Faulty eye movements (including
inaccuracy in placement of the page, in
return sweep, in rhythm and regularity of
movement, etc.)
READING TEST
Reading Rate
Factors that Reduce Reading Rate (cont):
– Regression (needless or unconscious rereading)
– Faulty habits of attention and concentration
(including simple inattention during the
reading act and faulty processes of
retention)
– Lack of practice in reading—use it or lose
it!
– Fear of losing comprehension, causing the
person to deliberately read more slowly
READING TEST
Reading Rate
Factors that Reduce Reading Rate (cont):
– Habitual slow reading, in which the person
cannot read faster because he or she has
always read slowly
– Poor evaluation of which aspects are
important and which are unimportant
– The effort to remember everything rather
than to remember selectively
READING TEST
Reading Rate
Basic Conditions for Increased Reading Rate:
– Have your eyes checked. Often, very slow
reading is related to uncorrected eye
defects. Before embarking on a speed
reading program, make sure that any
correctable eye defects you may have are
taken care of.
READING TEST
Reading Rate
Basic Conditions for Increased Reading Rate (cont):
– Eliminate the habit of pronouncing words as you
read. If you sound out words in your throat or
whisper them, your reading rate is slowed
considerably. You should be able to read most
materials at least 2-3 times faster silently than
orally, because you can get meaning from phrases
without reading each word individually. If you are
aware of sounding or "hearing" words as you read,
try to concentrate on key words and meaningful
ideas as you force yourself to read faster.
READING TEST
Reading Rate
Basic Conditions for Increased Reading Rate (cont):
– Avoid regressing (rereading). The average student
reading at 250 words per minute regresses or
rereads about 20 times per page. Rereading
words and phrases is a habit which will slow your
reading speed down to a snail's pace. Usually, it is
unnecessary to reread words, for the ideas you
want are explained and elaborated more fully
later. Furthermore, the slowest reader usually
regresses most frequently. Because he reads
slowly, his mind has time to wander and his
rereading reflects both his inability to concentrate
and his lack of confidence in his comprehension
skills.
READING TEST
Reading Rate
Basic Conditions for Increased Reading Rate
(cont):
– Develop a wider eye-span. This will help
you read more than one word at a glance.
Since written material is less meaningful if
read word by word, this will help you learn
to read by phrases or thought units.
READING TEST
Reading Rate
Rate Adjustment--In general, decrease speed
when you find the following:
– Unfamiliar terminology. Try to understand it
in context at that point; otherwise, read on
and return to it later.
– Difficult sentence and paragraph structure.
Slow down enough to enable you to
untangle them and get accurate context for
the passage.
READING TEST
Reading Rate
Rate Adjustment--In general, decrease speed when
you find the following (cont):
– Unfamiliar or abstract concepts. Look for
applications or examples of your own as well as
studying those of the writer. Take enough time to
get them clearly in mind.
– Detailed, technical material. This includes
complicated directions, statements of difficult
principles, and materials on which you have scant
background.
– Material on which you want detailed retention.
READING TEST
Reading Rate
Rate Adjustment: In General, increase speed
when you meet the following:
– Simple material with few ideas which are new to
you. Move rapidly over the familiar ones; spend
most of your time on the unfamiliar ideas.
– Unnecessary examples and illustrations. Since
these are included to clarify ideas, move over
them rapidly when they are not needed.
READING TEST
Reading Rate
Rate Adjustment: In General, increase speed
when you meet the following (cont):
– Detailed explanation and idea elaboration
which you do not need.
– Broad, generalized ideas and ideas which
are restatements of previous ones. These
can be readily grasped, even with scan
techniques.
READING TEST
40 Questions
Passage Type
35 Minutes
# of Questions
*Prose Fiction
10
*Social Science
10
*Humanities
10
*Natural Science
10
READING TEST
Speed Reading
Benefits and Expectations of Speed Reading
Determining your Baseline Reading Speed
(passage from Remember the Alamo by Amelia
E. Barr © 1888). 1 MINUTE
READING TEST
Speed Reading
Line Number
Approximate words per minutes
(wpm)
7
10
15
18
21
25
28
30
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
425
READING TEST
Speed Reading
Techniques for Improving your Reading Speed:
1) Eliminate “Stops” in Your Reading.
*Most people pause at each word in a sentence.
*Use a pointer, such as your finger or a pencil
*“Tap” the page from one 2” section to the next to
train your brain to follow your pencil and
eyes.
READING TEST
Speed Reading
2) Turn off your internal narrator.
*Silence that voice in your head!
*Avoid moving your lips while reading.
*One way to overcome this bad habit is to quietly hum
to yourself while you practice reading.
*Practice doing this technique. It won’t fix itself
overnight!
READING TEST
Speed Reading
3) Reduce Regressions
*A regression means to skip back to what you’ve
already read.
*One way to avoid this is to cover up what you have
already read.
READING TEST
Speed Reading
Strategies to Increase Speed-Reading
Comprehension
1) Read introductory material
2) Focus on main concepts
3) Don’t push it!
PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE!
READING TEST
Strategies and Techniques
Some statistics to ponder:
*If you answer all questions on the Reading ACT Test,
you will have about 8 minutes to work on each of the 4
passages and still have enough time to mark answers.
*For many students, it makes sense to focus on 3 of the
4 passages, then guess if you have to on the remaining
10 questions.
*Getting 30 of the 40 questions correct will give you a
score of about 28.
*21 is the national average, or benchmark
(approximately ½ of questions correct)
READING TEST
Strategies and Techniques
If you choose to “sacrifice” a reading
passage in the interest of time
management…
*look at the subject matter for your distinct
preferences
*do a few practice tests to determine which types
of passages are your strengths and which types
are your weaknesses
READING TEST
Strategies and Techniques
ACT Reading Test General Strategies
1) Read the Question Stems First.
*While reading the stems can be helpful, reading
answer choices is NOT.
*Each passage has numbered lines. Some questions
refer to a particular line or lines. When reading a
question that contains a line reference, mark the line(s)
in parentheses, including at least one line before and
one line after. Put the question number beside of your
parentheses.
READING TEST
Strategies and Techniques
2) Determine the Main Idea of the Passage
*As you read the passage, your first step is to determine
the main idea. The main idea ahs the following three
purposes:
TOPIC (what is the passage about?)
SCOPE (what aspect of the topic does the
passage focus on?)
PURPOSE (why did the author write the
passage?)
READING TEST
Strategies and Techniques
3) Skim the Passage
*The goal to skimming is to get a general understanding of
the structure of the passage. This is key so that you can
find pertinent facts when you refer to the passage as
you answer questions.
*You can write in your test booklet. So, when you see a
topic word, circle it.
*If you can sum up a paragraph in a word or two, jot it
down in the margin.
READING TEST
Strategies and Techniques
4) Paraphrase Question Stems
*Do this method on your 1st pass through the
question stems.
5) Predict Answers to the Questions
*If you can recognize a paraphrase of your
predicted answer, choose it.
*Remember that the best answer will always be
supported by details, inference, or tone.
READING TEST
Strategies and Techniques
6) Read and Answer the Questions
*After reading the question, go back to the part of the
passage that will probably contain the answer to your
question.
*If an answer refers to a specific line, be sure to read a
little both before and after that line.
*The best choice is the one that responds to the question
based on information and ideas that appear in the
passage. If the answer choice could be applied to other
situations, it is most likely too broad and not the best
choice.
READING TEST
Strategies and Techniques
7) Use the Process of Elimination
*Reliable, yet slow method; useful as a backup strategy
8) Apply Logic
*It is important to understand the difference between
information that is stated directly in the passage, and
inferences and assumptions.
An inference is a conclusion based on what is stated in
the passage. An assumption, however, is unstated
evidence.
Some of the evidence is not stated, but the final
conclusion leads you to the assumption.
READING TEST
Strategies and Techniques
ACT Reading Question Types
1) Main Idea / Point of View may ask about:
*the main idea of the passage as a whole, or
about a specific paragraph; also may ask
about the author’s point of view and the
intended audience
READING TEST
Strategies and Techniques
2) Specific Detail can be as basic as asking you
about some fact that is easily found by referring
to a part of the passage.
*These are often more difficult in that they ask
you to interpret the information that is referred to.
READING TEST
Strategies and Techniques
3) Conclusion / Inference require the reader to put
together information in the passage and use it as
evidence for a conclusion.
4) Extrapolation ask you to go beyond the passage itself
and find answers that are probably true based on what
you know from the passage.
*Many times these questions deal with the author’s
tone.
READING TEST
Strategies and Techniques
5) Vocabulary in Context will ask what a specific
word or phrase from the passage means. The
context of the passage should lead you an
educated guess even if you don’t know the
specific word or phrase being asked about.
READING TEST:
More Strategies and
Techniques
READING TEST
More Strategies and Techniques
Skim the passages (try to use the speed reading
method)
It is more important to skim than read
READING TEST
More Strategies and Techniques
Some questions ask for specific detail:
*the trick is to find where the answer can be found
*sometimes you are given a line reference
*match what is in the passage with the answer
choices
(they are reworded sometimes)
READING TEST
More Strategies and Techniques
If you finish the section early…go back!
READING TEST
More Strategies and Techniques
If you have problems with a question…
the answer for these are right there on the page
READING TEST
More Strategies and Techniques
Anytime you note something in a passage…
write down where it is!!
READING TEST
More Strategies and Techniques
There is no way the average test taker can read
all four passages and answer all 40 questions on
the reading section.
READING TEST
More Strategies and Techniques
Passages always have short blurbs that describe
their content
Passages are always in this order:
–
–
–
–
prose fiction
social science
humanities
natural science
READING TEST
More Strategies and Techniques
Spend the first minute or so of the test flipping
through and looking at the passages
Read the blurb for each passage and decide
where to start
Hopefully you will find one you like and you can
start there
If not, you may find one you hate and leave it for
last
READING TEST
More Strategies and Techniques
Reorder the passages to take advantage of your
strengths
(Which type are you generally better at doing?)
READING TEST
More Strategies and Techniques
The answers are in the passage
You are given enough time that you should be
able to find them
READING TEST
More Strategies and Techniques
If you complete three out of four passages
– with 80% accuracy
– 8 out of every 10
– 24 out of 30
(Guess on the 10 questions for the passage you
skipped)
You would get about a 25 on the reading section
**That is in the 81st percentile
READING TEST
More Strategies and Techniques
If you miss only one out of every ten
– Your score will be 27
**That is in the 90th percentile
• Remember—that is without doing one of the passages
READING TEST
More Strategies and Techniques
With five minutes remaining:
– focus on the easy questions
•
•
•
•
look for vocabulary questions (*write this in—not on notes)
look for short questions
line numbers in questions
lots of proper nouns
– in the questions or answers
READING TEST
More Strategies and Techniques
When you start:
– ignore the passage and go straight to the questions
– if you are a great skimmer:
• you can skim quickly before going to the questions
• no more than 45 seconds skimming
READING TEST
More Strategies and Techniques
The majority of the passage is never asked
about
Questions tend to be about the same parts of the
passage
The entire passage is rarely used in creating
questions
READING TEST
More Strategies and Techniques
You do have to read to get the questions right
You should only read what you need to get the
questions right
Learn to focus you reading to do the questions
while ignoring the rest of the passage
READING TEST
More Strategies and Techniques
Reorder questions to take advantage of their
weaknesses
READING TEST
More Strategies and Techniques
Stay focused
Questions are written to mislead you
Wrong answers are there to confuse you
READING TEST
More Strategies and Techniques
Read the question
– put it in your own words
Use the line reference or lead word
– to locate the part of the passage with the answer in it
– read there until you have figured out the answer
READING TEST
More Strategies and Techniques
The most important step:
*Put the answer in your own words before you go
back to look at the answer choices
This is to make sure you understand what you
have read and to avoid falling into traps waiting
in the answer choices
Read the answers and cross off any that don’t
agree with your answer
READING TEST
More Strategies and Techniques
Another strategy is to do questions with line
numbers or paragraph numbers first
You have to do reading for every question
– but this way you won’t be shooting in the dark
– they tell you where to look for the answer
READING TEST
More Strategies and Techniques
Always put the question in your own words
before going to the passage
Always put the answer in your own words before
going back to the answer choices
READING TEST
More Strategies and Techniques
Never start right on the line
Read about five lines before and about five lines
after
Adjust for where sentences begin and end
READING TEST
More Strategies and Techniques
Not all questions give a line number
pick out words that jump out at you
– lead words
– use them to help you find the passage
– then read until you find the answer
READING TEST
More Strategies and Techniques
Reverse lead words
– sometimes there aren’t any good lead words in the
questions
– when this happens, look at the answers for key
words
– this happens a lot when you are asked to find
particular places or people
READING TEST
More Strategies and Techniques
Generally save “except” questions for last
– you have to find three correct answers and one
incorrect answer
– for these questions, mark out the correct answers as
you find them
– the last one left is the answer you were looking for
READING TEST
More Strategies and Techniques
REVIEW: Remember to do the following steps:
Step 1: Quickly read blurbs; decide which you want to
answer first (most interested in or easiest), last (least
interested in or hardest)
Step 2: As you read blurbs, “split” all passages for later
Step 3: Read question stems, “marking” passage as
you go (passage placement questions—# and
parenthesis in text; vocabulary questions—circle word
in text)
Step 4: Speed read passage to capture main idea; slow
down at areas marked
» (continued)
READING TEST
More Strategies and Techniques
Step 5: Begin answering questions.
– If you are unsure of the question, use these
techniques:
• Triage method (+/-)
• Process of elimination
• When you still can’t figure it out, mark either your “letter
choice” or the longest answer
READING TEST
More Strategies and Techniques
Remember—
The Reading Test is a test of speed and
comprehension. Use the steps, but use common
sense as well. If you are reading too quickly, for
example, slow down!
It is better to focus on your “top 3” reading
passages and make more educated guesses on
the last one.
READING TEST
More Strategies and Techniques
Also remember—
If you are running out of time, go to these
questions first:
• Passage placement questions (those with
numbers in question)
• Vocabulary questions