I’ve posted about SAT tips, and it’s about time I added some ACT tips, given the increasing popularity of the test.
Two major points first: 1-Do NOT leave any questions blank.
2-Limited time is major concern (unless of course you have extended time.)
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Since time is not on our side in the English section, (as with all the sections), we have to think about how to collect as many points as possible before 45 minutes are up. There are 75 questions and it is not a matter of just dividing 45 by 75 because there are fast questions and there are slow questions.
The fast questions are “non-stem” questions. These appear to just be a list of answers. You check the sentence that matches the question number and decide if the grammar, punctuation, and word choice is correct. You also make sure it is the most concise phrasing out of all the choices. If not, you have three other answer choices.
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Here’s a quick lesson about comma use:
The five places to use a comma are
1) introductory phrase
2) listing
3) joining two independent clauses with a conjunction (for/and/nor/but/or/so, aka FANBOYS)
4) a “by the way” phrase (with two commas), and
5) a concluding phrase
Here are some examples in that order:
1) Even though he didn’t study, he passed the test.
2) I have to bring markers, paper, and gluesticks to Kindergarten.
3) New York City is my favorite city in the country, and the possibilities for fun are endless.
4) My Dad, who is a dentist, works in Ridgewood.
5) He was hiding under the covers, sleeping the day away.
The slower questions are testing writing style. Is this the best ordering of the paragraph’s sentences? Do you need this line? Why did the author put that sentence there? If you deleted the concluding paragraph, what would you lose? These are followed by four answer choices.
If you’ve decided that you need some help, I have some book recommendations. A lessons/practice book that I like is by Barrons and it’s called ACT 36. The ACT company has its own book of old practice tests which is vital to your study plan. Want to see a sample of an English section? Try ACT’s website: http://www.actstudent.org/sampletest/english/eng_01.html
Best of luck on the SATs and ACTs this fall!
