1. 5 Passages 75 Questions 45 Minutes
ACT English Test
5 Passages
75 Questions
45 Minutes

2. English Test Content Production of Writing (29-32%)
Determine whether a text’s goal has been reached (Purpose)
Evaluate relevance of material (Relevancy)
Ensure logical organization, smooth flow, proper transitions, effective introduction and conclusion (Organization)

3. English Test Content Knowledge of Language (13-19%)
Ensure concise word choice
Maintain consistency in style and tone (Style)

4. English Test Content Conventions of English (51-56%)
Apply understanding of conventions of standard English
Apply understanding of sentence structure and formation
Make revisions to improve writing
Recognize common problems with punctuation
Recognize common problems with usage

5. Production of Writing
These questions ask you to apply your understanding of the purpose and focus of a piece of writing

6. Writer’s Goal or Purpose
These questions ask you to determine if the writing does what the author intended for it to do.
“Suppose the writer’s goal had been…”(Question #15 page 330)
“Suppose the writer’s primary purpose had been…” (Question #75 page 339)

7. Tips for Answering Purpose Questions
1. Review the passage briefly before answering.
2. Ask yourself whether the passage fulfills the writer’s intended goal or purpose.
This will eliminate two of the four responses.

8. Tips for Answering Purpose Questions
3. Finally ask yourself why the passage either fulfills or does not fulfill the goal or purpose stated in the question.

9. Relevancy of Material
These questions ask you to determine whether sentences or phrases should be added, changed, or deleted and why.

10. Relevancy of Material
“At this point, the writer is considering adding…”
(Question #64 page 338)
“If the writer were to delete the preceding…”
(Question #74 page 339)

11. Relevancy of Material How do I answer these questions?
Is the information relevant or irrelevant to the focus of the paragraph of passage?
Two answers say YES and two say NO
First determine whether the answer is YES or NO
(continued on next slide)

12. Relevancy of Material How do I answer these questions?
(continued from previous slide)
This will eliminate two of the four responses.
Then state in your own words why the information should be added or removed.
The answer will then be clear.

13. Relevancy of Material
These questions ask you to recognize irrelevant material – material that is technically correct but does not relate to the topic being discussed.

14. Relevancy of Material
“At this point, the writer is considering adding…”
(Question #27 page 332)
Notice that the question seeks to add irrelevant material to the passage.
Always be concise

15. Organization
These questions ask you to recognize the proper order of words, sentences, and paragraphs
Ideas should flow logically and coherently

16. Organization You will need to recognize logical order in…
Sentences Paragraphs Essays

17. Transitions
Transitions help with the flow and logical order of the writing.
Transition questions are the most common rhetoric question on the ACT.

18. Transitions Transitions typically fall into three main categories:
Transitions within sentences
Transitions between sentences
Transitions between paragraphs

19. Types of Transitions Continuers Contradictors Cause and Effect And
Also
Finally
Furthermore
In addition
In conclusion
In fact
Indeed
Likewise
Moreover
Next
Of course
Similarly
Then
Although
But
Despite
Even so
Even though
However
In contrast
In spite of
Instead
Meanwhile
Nevertheless
On the contrary
On the other hand
Rather
While
Yet
Accordingly
As a result
As such
Because
Consequently
For So
Therefore
Thus

20. Transitional Sentences
These questions ask you to identify the best transitional sentences between paragraphs.
“Which choice best introduces the subject of the paragraph…”
(Question #22 page 331)

21. Knowledge of Language
These questions ask you to maintain consistency in style and tone.
Formal vs. Casual Style
Point of View
Word Choice (Diction)
Subject Matter

22. Diction Words have multiple meanings:
Denotation – definition without emotional attachment
Connotation – definition with emotional attachment
What is wrong with the following statement?
The doctor found that the new procedure caused his mortality rate to drop alarmingly.

23. Diction – Commonly Confused Words
Then vs. Than
Then = Next
Than = Comparison
The cookies were better then the cake.
The cookies were better than the cake.

24. Diction – Commonly Confused Words
Are vs. Our
Are = Verb
Our = Possessive Pronoun
Grandma brought the dog to are house.
Grandma brought the dog to our house.

25. Diction – Commonly Confused Words
Have vs. Of
Could, should, would, might should always be followed by have, NOT of
We should of went to a movie instead of the park due to the rainy weather.
We should have went to a movie instead of the park due to the rainy weather.

26. Rules for Answering Rhetorical Skills Questions
1. When in doubt, remove the underlined portion

27. Taking it Out
1/3 of questions on the ACT are for bad writing habits such as long windedness, repetitiousness, and irrelevance
Be Concise – The shortest answers are correct ½ of the time
Omit – when offered this is the shortest answer

28. When in Doubt Omit or Remove
Always try to remove unnecessary or irrelevant words.
Look for technical errors only after you have decided the underlined selection is concise and relevant.

29. Rules for Answering Rhetorical Skills Questions
2. Make it make sense!

30. Make it Make Sense
Complete Sentences – Fragments and run-ons appear frequently on the ACT
Correctly placed modifiers
Adequate and appropriate transitions
Correct verb usage
Consistent tone

31. Rules for Answering Rhetorical Skills Questions
3. Trust your ear!

32. Trust Your Ear Look for any of the following: Shifts in construction
Shifts in tone, point of view, tense, or number
Shifts in dialect