ACT READING TEST STRATEGIES

QUESTION TYPES DETAILS INFERENCES GENERALIZATIONS WRITER’S VIEW VOCABULARY-IN-CONTEXT

DETAIL QUESTIONS As stated in the passage, According to the author, According to the passage, The passage states that, The writer states that ALL of the following are cited in the passage EXCEPT

Inference questions It may be inferred from lines … that The author implies about … that The phrase…suggests that In lines…the author It is most reasonable to infer from lines … that

Generalization questions A generalization question is like an inference question, but asks about a much larger part of the passage. It may address a whole paragraph or passage as a whole. Keep the overall purpose of the passage in mind for these questions.

Writers view questions

Vocabulary-in-context questions 1. Look in the line referenced by the question stem, and pretend that the word you’re looking to define is actually a blank line in the sentence. 2. Read the sentence to help you for clues to determine what word or phrase would make sense in the blank. Use that word or phrase as your prediction for that question. 3. Look at the answer choices and choose the one closest to your prediction.

ACTIVE READING You can AND SHOULD write on the test!

Focus on the BIG PICTURE Note the purpose of each paragraph and don’t get bogged down in the details.

Pay CLOSE attention to the first and last paragraphs. They often give great clues to determining the purpose of the passage as a whole. Thesis/introBody paragraphsConclusion

Notice phrasing that indicates an example: An illustration of For example For instance This…can be seen when To illustrate

Ask yourself questions as you read What is the writers purpose? What is the tone of the passage? (approving, critical, sarcastic) What is the internal logic of the passage? (chronological or outline structure)

Read for contrast Note when the writer points out differences and contradictions. PAY ATTENTION TO WORDS THAT SHOW CONTAST AND CONNECTIONS: ALTHOUGH APPEARS BUT BY CLAIMS DESPITE EVEN THOUGH HOWEVER IN SPITE OF ON THE OTHER HAND SOME…OTHERS THOUGH YET

READ FOR COMPARISON Note when the writer points out similarities in two things.

Notice where and when the writer states an opinion.

Notice where and when the writer makes an argument What is her evidence? What point is the evidence supporting? NOTICE WORDS that direct the flow of arguments: As a consequence As a result Because Consequently Resulting in Therefore thus

Understand the structure of the passage

The outline structure One broad topic is divided into several narrower aspects.

Chronological structure A writer treats the topic in terms of development over time, most often starting with an earlier time period and moving toward more recent time periods.

Guess the structure (chronological or outline): In the middle ages, few people knew how to read and write. Three American writers exhibited this fascination with poetry. By the early 20 th Century, various groups had become interested in promoting women’s right to vote. Another aspect of residential architecture to be considered is the use of stained glass windows.