ACT or American College Testing is a test that’s used to assess one’s readiness for attending college. Of the 4 sections, ACT English is what is considered to be one of the trickiest sections. Why? Well, English is a fairly nuanced language and the delicate balance between grammatical rules and rhetorical skills is often confounding. On the other hand, scoring well in the ACT English section is easy with correct guidance and can help you compensate to some extent for other sections like ACT Math.
The ACT English section consists of 5 passages with 15 questions each. Which means, you will have 45 minutes to crack 75 multiple choice questions on your ACT English exam. There is no negative marking for wrong answers. With the correct ACT English strategy and practice together, you can get a 36 on the ACT English exam!
Excited already to know more? Read on to know our top 5 tested, most effective tips for ACT English:
- First things first – ace the grammar
Anyone who gives you shortcuts or quick fix tips for ACT English grammar tutors is simply lying to you! English grammar is very similar to math in many ways. There is a defined logic to them and you get better only with practice! The official ACT English Guide is a good starting point. You can add more grammar workbooks (ones by Christian Heath and Barron’s are other popular options) to your study plan as you progress in the preparation for ACT English.
These are the top 5 grammar traps that ACT English section questions typically throw out to test your knowledge:
- Dangling modifiers
- Incorrect or inappropriate use of idioms
- Subject-verb agreement errors
- Missing or misplaced punctuation marks
- Incorrect use of tenses and parallelism errors
Also Read: SAT vs ACT; How to Choose the Right Test for Yourself
- Analyze mistakes thoroughly in mock tests
A lot of students make the cardinal mistake of not analyzing mistakes on ACT English practice tests. Next time when you take a practice test, analyze your mistakes on these 3 parameters to see remarkable improvement in your scores the next time:
- Frequency: how many times have you repeated the same nature of mistake previously? Revise the concepts associated with it if your answer is anything more than 3 times
- Type: is it a silly mistake simply because of hurry and oversight? Or is it a mistake that you made after spending significant time on the question?
- Area of general strength or weakness: for example, did you make this mistake in an area of strength? If so, you might want to brush up the basics again
- Ask for help, tap into the professional expertise
Hiring a private ACT English tutor can do wonders to your preparation. Not only does a private ACT tutor bring in routine, discipline and structure to the preparation but can also:
- Monitor your progress regularly
- Review scores of practice tests methodically and develop a test taking strategy customized for your learning needs and target score
- Act as a role model, teacher, friend and motivator all at once
Private tutoring for ACT is your best bet to achieve your target score especially in English section. With personal guidance, professional expertise and structured approach, a private ACT English tutor can help you get your dream score. All you have to do is ask for help!
- Remove all mental blocks
Steer clear of all limiting beliefs before attempting ACT English. For example, ask yourself if you’ve been holding onto any of these beliefs:
- Scoring on ACT English is for the naturally gifted
- ACT English is all about endless English grammar rules
- I can crack questions based on my intuition
- Rhetoric questions are generally tougher than grammar ones
Getting rid of all such limiting, unverified beliefs is critical to achieving success on the ACT Exam. Believing that you can get a 36 on the ACT is the first step towards achieving it!
Also Read: 5 Best ACT Prep Books to ace the ACT exam
- Avoid dismissing ‘NO CHANGE’ option in the answer choice
In the ACT English section, the answer option ‘NO CHANGE’ is the right choice in 20% of the questions. Dismissing it as a possible answer is one big mistake that can ruin your overall score. In fact, a lot of students overthink on questions without even considering ‘NO CHANGE’ as one of the answers.
Lastly, the importance of private tutoring for ACT English is undeniable. It’s not the only way to achieve your target score in the ACT English section, but certainly, the most effective, proven way to bring structure and discipline to your preparation.
Visit Talentnook to explore hundreds of ACT English tutors and start chasing your goal, now!
