The College ACT English Section

What types of questions appear in the English section of the ACT?

On the ACT english section, you have 45 minutes to read five passages and answer 75 questions about those passages. The ACT questions are basically two types. One type tests mechanics of writing. Punctuation, grammar, usage and diction. Another kind of question that they're going to test is rhetorical skills - the style and organization of paragraphs.

What's the secret to getting a great score on the ACT English section?

You want be familar with the ACT directions and the format of the questions. That's really important. Then you want to be familar with the types of errors that they are going to test you on. You want to be familar with the mechanics and basic concepts of standard written English, as there are a lot of punctuation and oranizational questions. So, you really want to do a thorough review of all of that standard wriitten English before taking the ACT.

What are the most common mistakes students make on the ACT English section?

Well, I find that, like on all parts of the ACT, timing is really an issue. You have a lot of questions to answer and a limited amount of time so you want to keep the test moving at a nice, steady clip. Don't get bogged down on any one ACT question or any one passage. If you're not sure of the answer to a question, eliminate as many bad answer choices as possible, take a guess, and move on.