A strong mastery of the English language is required to perform well in the ACT, from reading comprehension to the capacity to recognize passage flow and organizational structure. Many people mistakenly believe that the ACT is the “scientific” variation of the SAT.
Students have several difficulties when attempting the ACT English exam so they need to focus on the specifics of grammar. Unfortunately, if you don’t have this information, points will be subtracted from your final score.
1. Subject-Verb Agreement Basics
You should be able to recognize the subject of a sentence at any and all times, and you should make sure the verb form is suitable for the subject. For example, dismiss a certain answer option right away if the tense doesn’t match.
Discard this option as well if a collective noun such as “group,” “committee,” or “crowd” is used and the verb is not singular. properly assesses the verb-subject agreement in sentences. You can know more about verb and adjectives by searching adjectives that start with C or something more like.
2. Don’t Put Commas Before Or After Preposition
Putting a comma before the preposition is a common ACT English preparation technique. Don’t be confused by it. When studying, it is never correct to place a comma after a preposition. It’s also extremely uncommon to insert one before. That is when you introduce an unrestricted clause with a preposition.
Even while this circumstance occurs infrequently in ACT, it does so frequently enough that understanding the guidelines is important. Something is obviously improper if the preposition is followed by or preceded by a comma.
3. Check For Dangling Modifiers
Dangling modifiers are a frequent mistake in ACT English questions as well as SAT writing.
Modifiers are, to put it simply, expressions or words that add to the meaning of other words. Make sure the modifier provides more details about the word or sentence that comes right after it if it is followed by a comma. This modifier hangs or else. It has no purpose in sentence.
4. Semicolons Can Correctly Join Complete Thoughts
Comma splices can be quickly fixed by switching them out for semicolons. Like a period, a semicolon ends sentences. You are able to express two independent, full thoughts. Both concepts should be able to stand alone as full sentences if the semicolon is removed and replaced with a period.
More crucially, you can use a semicolon to separate these two thoughts if they are related. Note that if you see a semicolon and the two sentences are not independent, it is inappropriate for the ACT. More crucially, if a comma splice is discovered, replace it in the statement with a semicolon.
5. Keep Consistent Verb Tenses
The fundamental verb consistency guideline to keep in mind is that the verb’s tense and form must match up with other verbs in the sentence.
In a sentence, never combine the present and future tenses. A statement that starts in the present tense must also end in the same tenses. Check the context of the preceding sentences if you’re confused.
This approach frequently aids in determining the tense of a sentence fast. The English Department of the ACT has no trouble deceiving you by using the incorrect tense. You can read informational articles to improve your English.
6. Avoid Run-Outs & Fragrances
Don’t be afraid of long snippets and run-on sentences.
A complete sentence must contain the proper punctuation and have a main phrase with a subject and a connected predicate. As long as the subordinate clauses are connected with the proper punctuation, a whole phrase can contain several subordinate clauses
A sentence is a fragment if it lacks a major clause. That’s how simple it is. The resultant sentence is made up of several entire ideas that aren’t punctuated correctly.
7. Keep A Short Word Count
Generally, short sentences function better. The most concise, grammatically sound response that covers all necessary information is the correct response among the alternatives. Additionally, shorter sentences are simpler to comprehend and apply when creating sentences. Answer options that unduly include sentences that don’t provide any valuable information may be disqualified from the test. You can search for ideas for the ACT test.
Conclusion
Students should be able to know what the ACT English Test is all about with the help of these tips and regular practice.
A predictable segment based on a set of rules will make it easier for students to study and prepare for—not an impossible struggle. Keep in mind that sentence length by itself cannot determine if a sentence is well-formed. Verify that numerous clauses are appropriately connected with commas or semicolons and look for subjects and predicates.
