ACT English: Grammar, Usage, Rhetoric, and Effective Revision

How ACT English Questions Work: Editing for Meaning and Correctness

The ACT English test is essentially an editing test. You read short passages (often essays or informative pieces), and at underlined portions you choose the best revision. Sometimes the question is about fixing a grammar error; other times it asks which option best supports the writer’s purpose or fits the passage’s logic.

A useful way to think about ACT English is that you’re always balancing two responsibilities:

1. Preserve and clarify meaning: Your job is not to rewrite creatively; it’s to make the writing clearer, more precise, and more consistent with what the author is trying to say.
2. Follow standard written English conventions: Even if a sentence “sounds fine,” the ACT cares about punctuation rules, agreement, modifier placement, and sentence boundaries.

When you face an underlined section, build a habit of asking two questions in this order:

• What is the sentence trying to say? Identify the core idea (who does what to whom, and why).
• What makes one choice better than the others? On the ACT, the best answer is typically the one that is correct, clear, and concise—without changing the intended meaning.

A major trap is answering based on what feels natural in speech. Spoken English often tolerates fragments, vague pronouns, casual punctuation, and wordiness. The ACT rewards controlled, precise written English.

Example: Meaning first, then rules

Suppose you see:

The museum expanded its hours, this allowed more visitors to attend.

Before thinking about punctuation, identify the meaning: the expansion of hours caused an increase in visitors. Now notice the structure: “this allowed” is trying to connect two complete thoughts. You can fix it by making one thought dependent or by using correct punctuation.

Better revisions include:

• “The museum expanded its hours, allowing more visitors to attend.” (uses a participial phrase)
• “The museum expanded its hours; this allowed more visitors to attend.” (semicolon between independent clauses)
• “The museum expanded its hours, which allowed more visitors to attend.” (relative clause)

What goes wrong for many students is choosing a comma splice version because it “sounds okay.” On the ACT, the rule-based structure matters.

Exam Focus

• Typical question patterns:
  • “Which choice best maintains the writer’s style and tone?”
  • “Which choice correctly completes the sentence?”
  • “Which choice most effectively combines the sentences?”
• Common mistakes:
  • Picking what “sounds right” without identifying whether you have complete sentences.
  • Ignoring meaning and accidentally changing the author’s point.
  • Missing that “NO CHANGE” is sometimes correct—treat it like any other option and test it.

Sentence Boundaries: Fragments, Run-Ons, and Comma Splices

Many ACT English errors come from not controlling sentence boundaries. To fix boundaries, you must know what counts as a complete sentence.

A complete sentence (independent clause) has:

• a subject (who/what the sentence is about)
• a finite verb (an actual verb form that can serve as the main verb)
• a complete thought

Fragments (incomplete sentences)

A fragment is a piece of a sentence that is punctuated like a complete sentence but lacks an independent clause.

Common fragment types:

1. Dependent-clause fragment: Starts with a subordinating word like because, although, when, if, since, while.

   • Fragment: “Because the storm intensified.”
   • Fix: Attach it to an independent clause: “Because the storm intensified, the hikers turned back.”

2. Relative-clause fragment: Starts with which, that, who, whom, whose but has no main clause.

   • Fragment: “Which explains the sudden increase.”
   • Fix: “This explains the sudden increase.” or attach: “The report, which explains the sudden increase, was published Monday.”

3. Phrase fragment: A prepositional phrase or participial phrase punctuated as a sentence.

   • Fragment: “Running down the street.”
   • Fix: “She was running down the street.” or “Running down the street, she waved to a friend.”

A key ACT insight: fragments often appear correct because they contain verbs ending in -ing or look “busy.” But -ing verbs do not automatically create a complete sentence.

Run-ons and comma splices (two sentences incorrectly joined)

A run-on occurs when two independent clauses are joined without correct punctuation or a proper connecting word.

A comma splice is a specific run-on where a comma alone joins two independent clauses.

• Comma splice: “The exhibit opened yesterday, it drew large crowds.”

To fix run-ons, you have a small set of correct tools:

1. Period: Make them two sentences.

   • “The exhibit opened yesterday. It drew large crowds.”

2. Semicolon: Join closely related independent clauses.

   • “The exhibit opened yesterday; it drew large crowds.”

3. Comma + coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)

   • “The exhibit opened yesterday, and it drew large crowds.”

4. Subordination: Make one clause dependent.

   • “Because the exhibit opened yesterday, it drew large crowds.”
   • “The exhibit, which opened yesterday, drew large crowds.”

“However” and other conjunctive adverbs

Words like however, therefore, moreover, consequently, nevertheless often trick students. They do not work like FANBOYS.

Incorrect:

• “The exhibit opened yesterday, however it drew large crowds.”

Correct options:

• “The exhibit opened yesterday; however, it drew large crowds.”
• “The exhibit opened yesterday. However, it drew large crowds.”
• “The exhibit opened yesterday; it drew large crowds, however.” (less common but correct)

Exam Focus

• Typical question patterns:
  • “Which choice correctly combines the sentences?”
  • “Which choice is NOT acceptable?” (watch for multiple grammatically correct options—then you choose the one that violates a rule)
  • Fixing underlined punctuation between two clauses
• Common mistakes:
  • Treating a dependent clause as a full sentence.
  • Joining two complete sentences with only a comma.
  • Using “however” with just a comma (it usually needs a semicolon or period before it).

Verbs: Tense, Agreement, Mood, and Voice

Verbs carry a lot of the sentence’s logic: time, possibility, emphasis, and who is doing what. ACT verb questions are usually not about obscure grammar terms; they are about consistency and clarity.

Subject-verb agreement

Subject-verb agreement means the verb form must match the subject in number (singular/plural).

• Singular subject → singular verb: “The list of items is long.”
• Plural subject → plural verb: “The items are on the list.”

The trap is that extra words can separate the subject from the verb.

• “The list of items is long.” (subject is list, not items)
• “A bouquet of roses smells lovely.” (subject is bouquet)

Be especially careful with:

• Prepositional phrases: “of…, in…, with…” often hide the real subject.
• Interrupting clauses: “The coach, along with the players, …” (subject is coach)
• Indefinite pronouns (often singular): each, either, neither, anyone, everyone, somebody, nobody.
  • “Each of the students has a locker.”

Verb tense consistency

ACT tense questions often test whether time stays consistent within a passage.

• If a narrative is in past tense, keep most verbs in past: “She walked to the river and watched the water.”
• If the passage shifts time, the shift must be logically signaled: “She walked to the river, and years later she remembers the sound.” (clear shift)

A common mistake is “random tense drift,” where a sentence suddenly uses present tense for no reason.

Perfect tenses: had, has, have

Perfect tenses show relationships between times.

• Past perfect (had + past participle) shows an earlier past action before another past action.
  • “By the time the show began, the audience had filled the seats.”

Students sometimes overuse past perfect. If events happen in simple chronological order, simple past is usually fine.

Mood: can vs may, would vs will, subjunctive (rare but testable)

Mood expresses certainty, possibility, or hypotheticals.

• Can = ability; may = permission/possibility.
  • “You may leave early” (permission), “The device can store data” (ability).

The ACT occasionally tests subjunctive in hypothetical statements:

• “If I were you, I would revise the draft.” (hypothetical; “were” is standard)

Active vs passive voice

Active voice: subject performs the action.

• “The researcher analyzed the data.”

Passive voice: subject receives the action.

• “The data were analyzed by the researcher.”

Passive voice is not “wrong,” but it can be wordier or hide who did the action. On the ACT, active voice is often preferred if it is clearer and more direct.

However, passive voice can be appropriate if the doer is unknown or unimportant:

• “The artifact was discovered in 1922.” (focus is artifact)

Exam Focus

• Typical question patterns:
  • Choosing between verb forms to match a clear time frame in the passage
  • Agreement questions where the subject is separated from the verb
  • Fixing awkward passive constructions
• Common mistakes:
  • Matching the verb to the nearest noun instead of the true subject.
  • Shifting tense because one option “sounds” more lively.
  • Assuming passive voice is always incorrect (it’s a style issue unless it causes ambiguity).

Pronouns: Clarity, Agreement, Case, and Reference

Pronouns help avoid repetition, but they introduce a new problem: the reader must always know who or what the pronoun refers to.

Pronoun-antecedent agreement

A pronoun must match its antecedent (the noun it replaces) in number and, where relevant, gender.

• “The committee reached its decision.” (committee treated as singular)
• “The students submitted their projects.”

ACT questions often hide the antecedent inside a phrase.

• “Each of the players brought his or her uniform.” (formal singular agreement)

In modern English, singular “they” is common in speech and writing. Standardized tests have historically preferred strict agreement (“his or her,” “their” only for plural antecedents), though real-world usage is evolving. On ACT-style questions, you should prioritize the option that is clearly standard and unambiguous.

Pronoun reference: avoid ambiguity and “this/that/which” with no noun

A pronoun must clearly point to a specific antecedent.

Ambiguous:

• “When Maria met with Ana, she was excited.” (Who was excited?)

Vague “this/that”:

• “The company reduced prices. This improved sales.”

“This” is not automatically wrong, but it’s stronger when paired with a noun:

• “The company reduced prices. This change improved sales.”

Pronoun case: subject vs object

Pronoun case matters most when pronouns are paired with another noun/pronoun.

• Subject forms: I, he, she, we, they, who
• Object forms: me, him, her, us, them, whom

Common ACT trap:

• “The award went to my sister and I.” (Incorrect; after a preposition like “to,” use object case: “my sister and me.”)

A reliable trick: remove the extra person.

• “The award went to I” (sounds wrong) → should be “to me.”

Who vs whom (less frequent but possible)

• Who = subject (“Who called?”)
• Whom = object (“Whom did you call?”)

If you can answer with “he,” choose who; if you can answer with “him,” choose whom.

• “Whom did you see?” → “I saw him.”

Exam Focus

• Typical question patterns:
  • Fixing unclear pronoun references (“it,” “this,” “they”)
  • Choosing correct pronoun case in comparisons or compound phrases
  • Matching pronouns to indefinite pronouns like “each” or “everyone”
• Common mistakes:
  • Using “they/their” when the antecedent is clearly singular in a formal context.
  • Leaving “this” or “which” with no clear noun to refer to.
  • Choosing “I” because it sounds formal, even when the grammar demands “me.”

Modifiers and Parallelism: Placing Ideas Where They Belong

A modifier is a word or phrase that describes something else. Modifiers create clarity when they sit next to what they modify. When misplaced, they create confusion or accidental humor.

Misplaced and dangling modifiers

A misplaced modifier is too far from the word it describes.

• Misplaced: “She served sandwiches to the children on paper plates.” (Were the children on plates?)
• Clear: “She served the children sandwiches on paper plates.”

A dangling modifier occurs when the modifier has no logical subject in the sentence.

• Dangling: “Walking through the park, the flowers were beautiful.” (Flowers aren’t walking.)
• Fix: “Walking through the park, I thought the flowers were beautiful.”

On the ACT, dangling modifiers often begin with -ing phrases: “Running…,” “To improve…,” “After reading…”

A quick method: after an introductory modifier, the next noun should be the doer.

• “After reading the article, the student wrote a summary.” (student read)

Adjectives vs adverbs (quick but important)

• Adjectives describe nouns: “a quick response”
• Adverbs describe verbs/adjectives/adverbs: “responded quickly”

Common errors:

• “She sang beautiful.” → should be “beautifully.”
• “He feels bad.” is actually standard when describing a state (bad is an adjective). “He feels badly” suggests his sense of touch is malfunctioning.

Parallel structure

Parallelism means items in a list or comparison follow the same grammatical pattern. Parallel structure improves readability and signals logical equality.

Not parallel:

• “The job requires attention to detail, working quickly, and you must be reliable.”

Parallel options:

• all nouns: “attention to detail, speed, and reliability”
• all -ing: “paying attention to detail, working quickly, and being reliable”

Parallelism matters most with:

• lists (A, B, and C)
• paired ideas (not only X but also Y)
• comparisons (more X than Y)

Exam Focus

• Typical question patterns:
  • Fixing an introductory phrase that doesn’t logically modify the subject
  • Revising lists so they match in form
  • Choosing between adjective/adverb forms
• Common mistakes:
  • Ignoring the first few words of a sentence and missing a dangling modifier.
  • Mixing verb forms in lists (“to run, swimming, and biked”).
  • Overcorrecting into awkwardness—choose the clearest parallel form, not the fanciest.

Punctuation That Signals Structure: Commas, Semicolons, Colons, Dashes, and Parentheses

Punctuation on the ACT is not about “pauses for breath.” It’s about showing grammatical structure: what belongs together, what is extra, and where one complete thought ends.

Commas: the most tested mark

Commas have a few high-value uses.

1) Commas with coordinating conjunctions

Use a comma before a FANBOYS conjunction when it joins two independent clauses.

• “The team practiced daily, and it improved quickly.” (two complete clauses)

No comma if the second part isn’t an independent clause:

• “The team practiced daily and improved quickly.” (shared subject)

2) Introductory elements

Use a comma after an introductory phrase or dependent clause.

• “After the lecture ended, the audience asked questions.”
• “In the early morning, the streets were quiet.”

3) Nonessential (parenthetical) information

Nonessential information can be removed without changing the sentence’s core meaning. It should be set off with commas.

• “My brother, who lives in Seattle, is visiting.” (You have one brother; extra detail)

Essential information identifies which noun you mean and should not be surrounded by commas.

• “People who live in Seattle often enjoy mild summers.” (not all people)

This essential vs nonessential distinction is one of the most important punctuation ideas on the test.

4) Items in a series

Use commas to separate items.

• “The toolkit includes a hammer, a wrench, and a screwdriver.”

The ACT generally avoids testing debates like the Oxford comma; focus on clarity and consistency.

5) Avoiding comma splices

A comma cannot join two independent clauses by itself.

Semicolons: a period substitute

A semicolon joins two independent clauses that are closely related.

• “The forecast predicted rain; the hikers brought ponchos.”

A semicolon is grammatically similar to a period. That means:

• Both sides must be able to stand alone as complete sentences.
• You cannot use a semicolon to introduce a list (that’s a colon’s job).

Colons: introducing explanations or lists

A colon most commonly introduces:

• a list
• an explanation or elaboration
• an example

Crucial rule: the text before the colon must be a complete sentence.

Correct:

• “The recipe requires three ingredients: flour, water, and salt.”

Incorrect:

• “The recipe requires: flour, water, and salt.” (not a complete sentence before the colon)

Dashes and parentheses: emphasis and interruption

Dashes and parentheses set off extra information, like commas, but with different tone:

• Commas feel neutral.
• Parentheses feel quieter and more aside-like.
• Dashes feel more dramatic or emphatic.

Example:

• “The committee reached a decision—after hours of debate—and announced it.”

Be consistent: if you start with a dash to set off an interruption, you need a matching dash (unless it’s a dash at the end of the sentence).

Apostrophes: possession vs plural

Apostrophes are tested constantly because the errors are common.

• Possessive singular: “the student’s notebook”
• Possessive plural: “the students’ notebooks”
• Plural (no apostrophe): “students”

Common trap: it’s vs its

• “it’s” = “it is” or “it has”
• “its” = possessive

Quotation marks (basic use)

Quotation marks are mainly tested for:

• punctuating dialogue (less common)
• indicating titles of short works (occasionally)
• placing commas/periods correctly in conventional American style (the ACT tends to follow standard American usage)

If punctuation questions involve quotes, look for consistency and whether punctuation belongs to the quoted material or the surrounding sentence.

Exam Focus

• Typical question patterns:
  • Choosing between comma/semicolon/period to fix run-ons
  • Deciding whether a phrase is essential (no commas) or nonessential (commas/dashes)
  • Colon choices that either correctly introduce a list or incorrectly follow a sentence fragment
• Common mistakes:
  • Using a semicolon where one side isn’t a complete sentence.
  • Putting a colon after “is/are/including” when the preceding text isn’t an independent clause.
  • Sprinkling commas “for pauses” rather than for structure—always identify clauses and phrases.

Concision and Redundancy: Saying More by Writing Less

ACT English strongly rewards concision: expressing an idea in the fewest words without losing meaning or sounding unnatural.

This does not mean the shortest option is always correct. It means:

• avoid needless repetition
• avoid inflated phrases when a simple word works
• avoid saying the same idea twice

Redundancy and wordiness

Redundancy happens when two parts of the sentence do the same job.

Redundant:

• “In my opinion, I think the plan will work.” (either phrase alone is enough)
• “The reason is because…” (often better as “The reason is that…” or “Because…”)
• “They returned back home.” (“returned” already implies back)

Wordy phrase → concise alternative:

Avoiding unintended meaning changes

The danger with concision questions is deleting something necessary.

Example:

• Original: “The scientist presented the data, which were collected over three years, to the committee.”
• If you delete the modifier, you lose a key fact (time span) that may matter for the passage’s point.

So the rule is: be concise after you confirm what information the sentence needs to preserve.

Idioms and conventional prepositions

Some questions test standard phrasing (often called idiom in grammar study). These are about what is considered standard in edited English.

Examples:

• “capable of” not “capable to”
• “different from” (commonly preferred in formal contexts)
• “regard as”

Because idioms depend on usage conventions, the safest approach is to choose the option that sounds standard and avoids awkward preposition changes.

Exam Focus

• Typical question patterns:
  • “Which choice is the most concise while maintaining the meaning?”
  • Underlined phrases that repeat an idea already stated nearby
  • Choosing between a long formal phrase and a shorter common word
• Common mistakes:
  • Automatically choosing the shortest option even when it deletes needed meaning.
  • Keeping “fancy” wording that adds no information.
  • Missing redundancy split across the sentence (“free gift,” “past history”).

Word Choice, Tone, and Register: Sounding Appropriate on Purpose

Beyond correctness, ACT English tests whether a choice fits the passage’s tone and purpose. This is where you need to read like an editor: not just “Is it grammatical?” but “Is it the right fit?”

Tone and register

Tone is the attitude the writing conveys (formal, enthusiastic, skeptical, humorous, neutral). Register is the level of formality.

Most ACT passages aim for a relatively neutral, informative, or lightly narrative tone. So the wrong answers often:

• sound too casual or slangy (“awesome,” “a bunch of,” “kids” in a formal essay)
• sound too formal and inflated (“aforementioned,” “thusly”) when the passage is simple
• add emotional judgment that the author hasn’t earned

Precision: choose the most exact word

Word choice questions often include options that are all “kind of” related, but only one matches the exact meaning.

Example distinction:

• imply (speaker hints) vs infer (listener concludes)

If the sentence is about what a person suggests, “imply” fits; if it’s about what a reader figures out, “infer” fits.

Avoiding loaded or biased language

Sometimes the passage describes something neutrally, and one option injects an opinion.

Neutral: “The policy changed the schedule.”
Loaded: “The policy ruined the schedule.”

Unless the passage clearly supports that judgment, the loaded word is likely wrong.

Consistency across a passage

Even if a word is acceptable alone, it can clash with the passage’s established style.

If a passage uses technical vocabulary and formal sentences, suddenly using casual phrasing will feel mismatched. Conversely, in a friendly narrative, an overly academic word may feel out of place.

Exam Focus

• Typical question patterns:
  • Selecting the option that “best matches the style and tone of the passage”
  • Choosing the most precise verb (e.g., “suggests” vs “claims”)
  • Replacing vague language with specific language when the passage demands it
• Common mistakes:
  • Choosing a synonym without noticing its extra connotation (positive/negative).
  • Overvaluing “big words” as more correct.
  • Ignoring the passage’s consistent level of formality.

Organization and Flow: Paragraph Structure, Transitions, and Logical Order

A well-written passage doesn’t just have correct sentences; it guides the reader. ACT “organization” questions test whether ideas appear in a logical sequence and whether transitions accurately describe relationships.

Paragraph unity: one main job per paragraph

A paragraph should have a controlling idea (often introduced near the beginning) and sentences that support it.

When a question asks whether a sentence should be added or deleted, you are usually being tested on unity:

• Does the sentence support the paragraph’s main focus?
• Does it distract by introducing a new topic?

A sentence can be interesting and still be wrong if it doesn’t belong.

Transitions: showing relationships

Transitions are not decoration; they are logic signals. The ACT tests whether you can choose transitions that match the relationship between ideas.

Common relationships and transition types:

• Addition: “also,” “furthermore,” “moreover”
• Contrast: “however,” “nevertheless,” “on the other hand”
• Cause/effect: “therefore,” “as a result,” “consequently”
• Example/illustration: “for instance,” “for example,” “in particular”
• Time/sequence: “then,” “next,” “finally,” “previously”

A classic ACT trap is offering a grammatically correct transition that signals the wrong relationship.

Example:

• “The trail was steep. Therefore, the hikers stopped to take photos.”

“Therefore” suggests the steepness caused photo-taking, which may not be logical. If the second sentence is just an additional detail, “Additionally” might fit better.

Logical order: moving sentences and choosing placement

Some questions ask where a sentence should be placed or whether a paragraph should be moved. To answer, focus on:

• References: pronouns like “this,” “these,” “such,” or “they” need clear antecedents.
• Chronology: if the passage describes a process, steps must be in order.
• General-to-specific structure: many informative paragraphs start with a general claim and then provide examples.

If a sentence begins with “For example,” it cannot be the first evidence unless the example relates directly to a claim that has already been stated.

Introductions and conclusions

Occasionally, organization questions test whether an introductory or concluding sentence fits.

• An introduction should orient the reader: topic + context + direction.
• A conclusion should provide closure: synthesis, implication, or final emphasis—not random new information.

A common wrong answer is a conclusion that adds a new fact that should have been in the body.

Exam Focus

• Typical question patterns:
  • Choosing the best transition word/phrase
  • Deciding whether a sentence is relevant to the paragraph or should be deleted
  • Selecting the best placement for a sentence within a paragraph
• Common mistakes:
  • Picking transitions based on “what sounds smooth” instead of logical relationship.
  • Forgetting that pronouns need clear antecedents when moving sentences.
  • Keeping an off-topic sentence because it seems interesting or well-written.

Revising for Purpose: Add/Delete, Specific Goals, and “Most Effective” Choices

Many ACT English questions are “rhetorical” rather than purely grammatical. They ask what best accomplishes a goal: support a claim, provide an example, improve focus, or match the passage’s purpose.

The “goal” is a constraint

These questions often provide a description like:

• “Suppose the writer wants to emphasize…”
• “The writer is considering adding the following sentence…”
• “Which choice best introduces the topic of the paragraph?”

Think of the goal as narrowing your options. The right answer must do what the goal asks—and it must still fit the passage’s tone and logic.

Add/Delete questions: relevance and redundancy

When the ACT asks whether a sentence should be added, deleted, or kept, you’re usually judging two things:

1. Relevance: Does it directly support the paragraph’s main idea or the passage’s thesis?
2. Redundancy: Does it repeat something already said?

A sentence can be relevant but still unnecessary if it repeats a point the paragraph already made.

Specificity and support

Sometimes the test rewards adding a detail because it makes an idea concrete.

Vague: “The program helped many people.”
Better: “The program helped many people by providing free tutoring sessions twice a week.”

But added detail must match the passage’s focus. If the passage is about environmental impact, adding a detail about the founder’s childhood might be off-topic.

Choosing the “most effective” sentence or phrase

“Most effective” usually means the option that best balances:

• clarity
• precision
• concision
• logical fit

Wrong answers often fail by doing one of these:

• too vague (“things,” “stuff,” “many ways”)
• too wordy (extra phrases without extra meaning)
• off-purpose (interesting but not what the question asked)
• tone mismatch (too casual or too dramatic)

Example: Add/Delete in action

Imagine a paragraph about how bees communicate through movement patterns. The writer wants to add:

“Bees are fascinating insects that have existed for millions of years.”

Even if true, it may be too broad. If the paragraph is specifically about communication methods, a better addition would explain a communication detail or example, not a general fun fact. ACT add/delete questions reward students who can identify what the paragraph is doing right now.

Exam Focus

• Typical question patterns:
  • Add/Delete/Keep questions that test relevance and redundancy
  • “Suppose the writer’s goal is…” questions
  • “Most effective” choice questions balancing clarity and tone
• Common mistakes:
  • Choosing an option because it’s more detailed even when it’s off-topic.
  • Keeping a sentence because it’s true, not because it’s useful.
  • Ignoring the stated goal and answering a different question (“best sentence” instead of “best for emphasizing X”).

Combining and Separating Sentences: Controlling Relationships Between Ideas

The ACT often asks you to combine sentences or decide which version reads best. This is not just grammar—it’s about showing the relationship between ideas.

Coordination vs subordination

When you combine ideas, you are choosing whether they are equal or whether one is supporting the other.

• Coordination treats ideas as roughly equal importance.

  • “The city built a new library, and residents celebrated.”

• Subordination makes one idea dependent, often showing cause, time, or contrast.

  • “When the city built a new library, residents celebrated.” (time)
  • “Because the city built a new library, residents celebrated.” (cause)

A sophisticated ACT skill is picking the connector that matches the intended meaning.

Relative clauses: that vs which (and commas)

Relative clauses describe nouns.

• Essential (no commas; often “that”): identifies which one.

  • “The book that won the award is on the shelf.” (not any book)

• Nonessential (commas; often “which”): adds extra info.

  • “The book, which won the award, is on the shelf.” (you know which book already)

The ACT mainly tests the comma logic: if it’s essential, don’t set it off with commas.

Appositives: renaming a noun

An appositive is a noun phrase that renames another noun.

• “Marie Curie, a pioneering chemist, conducted groundbreaking research.”

Nonessential appositives need commas; essential ones don’t.

• “The poet Langston Hughes wrote…” (If you have multiple poets in context, “Langston Hughes” might be essential.)

Avoiding faulty combinations

Some combinations create errors:

• Comma splice when you jam two sentences together with a comma.
• Illogical subordination (using “because” when you mean “although”).
• Misplaced modifier created by moving phrases.

A good combination preserves both the grammar and the intended relationship.

Exam Focus

• Typical question patterns:
  • “Which choice most effectively combines the sentences?”
  • Selecting between “because/although/when/which/that” structures
  • Fixing awkward repetition by combining
• Common mistakes:
  • Choosing a combination that changes the meaning (cause vs time vs contrast).
  • Adding commas around essential information.
  • Creating a dangling modifier by leading with a phrase that doesn’t match the subject.

Comparisons, Degree, and Logical Relationships

Some ACT English questions look small but test whether a sentence makes logical sense.

Comparison logic: compare like with like

A comparison should be between similar things.

Illogical:

• “The taste of apples is sweeter than oranges.” (taste vs oranges)

Logical:

• “The taste of apples is sweeter than the taste of oranges.”
• Or: “Apples taste sweeter than oranges.” (now apples and oranges are comparable)

Comparative and superlative forms

• Comparative: compares two (better, more interesting)
• Superlative: compares three or more (best, most interesting)

If a sentence clearly involves more than two items, a superlative is expected.

• “Of all the designs, this one is the most efficient.”

Correlative conjunctions

Pairs like:

• “either…or”
• “neither…nor”
• “not only…but also”

These structures demand parallelism and careful placement.

• “She is not only talented but also hardworking.” (parallel adjectives)

A common error is placing “not only” in a way that makes the sentence confusing or unbalanced.

Exam Focus

• Typical question patterns:
  • Fixing awkward comparisons (“more than” errors)
  • Choosing between comparative vs superlative forms
  • Revising “either/or” and “not only/but also” for parallel structure
• Common mistakes:
  • Comparing a thing to a category that includes the thing (“more popular than any author” instead of “than any other author”).
  • Using a superlative when only two items are compared.
  • Breaking parallel structure inside correlative pairs.

Strategy for Answer Choices: How to Decide Quickly Without Guessing Wildly

ACT English rewards a repeatable decision process. While you should still read for meaning, you can be systematic.

Step 1: Identify what kind of problem it is

Most questions fall into a few families:

• sentence boundary (period/semicolon/comma)
• punctuation around extra information (commas/dashes/parentheses)
• agreement (subject-verb, pronoun-antecedent)
• modifier placement
• concision and redundancy
• transitions and organization
• goal-based rhetorical choices

When you know the family, you know what rules to apply.

Step 2: Read a little wider than the underlined portion

Many students only read the underlined words. But often, the clue sits just outside:

• The true subject may appear earlier.
• The antecedent for a pronoun may be in the previous sentence.
• The transition depends on the relationship between two sentences.

A good habit is to read the full sentence, and for transition/organization questions, read at least the previous and next sentence.

Step 3: Use elimination, not perfection

You do not need to “love” the right answer. You need to show why three are worse.

Common elimination signals:

• grammar rule violation (run-on, fragment, agreement)
• unclear reference (ambiguous “this/it/they”)
• redundancy or needless wordiness
• tone mismatch (too casual, too judgmental)
• wrong logical connector (however/therefore/for example)

Step 4: Treat “NO CHANGE” like a real option

“NO CHANGE” is neither suspicious nor safe. Test it against the same rules.

A frequent mistake is assuming that if the test asks a question, something must be wrong. Sometimes the test is checking whether you can recognize correct writing.

Exam Focus

• Typical question patterns:
  • Mixed sets where only one answer is grammatically possible
  • Questions where multiple answers are grammatical, but only one fits meaning or style
  • “NO CHANGE” as the correct answer in a set of tempting overrevisions
• Common mistakes:
  • Changing correct sentences because you expect an error.
  • Eliminating options without reading the whole sentence.
  • Getting stuck between two grammatical choices without asking what the author is trying to do.