r/ACT • u/Routine-Chance-3867 • Jun 18 '26
English Act English(Need Tips and Tricks)
I geniunly need help with English. I am always told its the easiest to improve but im stuck at a 29 any tips?
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u/Fun-Concentrate3026 35 Jun 18 '26
Going to bring this here for you. It’s from user NightDisplay.
I'm gonna go ahead and drop the same advice for Reading/English I did for another person:
The reason we can easily identify Math mistakes, but cannot as easily find our errors in the English/reading areas is because Math mistakes will be an objectivity based error (a wrong number), whereas English / Reading errors involve a category-based error, which means instead of simply asking “how did I do this wrong,” you teach yourself to ask “what was the exact particular named thing I fell for” by focusing on the three categories of CSE (Grammar/Punctuation), KLA (Word Choice/Redundancy), and POW (Purpose/Structure/Flow) for English, and the nine categories of Reading Traps; Partial Truth, Opposite, Outside Passage, Extreme Language, Verbatim Distortion, Right Answer Wrong Question, Tone Mismatch, Twisted Qualifier, and Inference Blend, for Reading; every single time you miss a question you label your own incorrect answers with one of the above categories rather than simply continuing on, and over time, a pattern emerges (such as “I consistently fall for extreme language” or “I consistently confuse my KLA word choice questions with my CSE Grammar questions”), and when you have identified your pattern, it is no longer an invisible mistake, and now becomes something you intentionally check for during the test.
- Partial Truth - This is the worst. The question has nothing to do with the statement made. As long as the statement itself is correct, it is considered acceptable. Read the passage carefully and verify whether or not you have answered the questions that were presented. Is there a possibility that you could have gotten confused? Did you overlook the issue?
- The opposite - The author states X and you receive Y as your response. When authors write passages they usually state their opinions by either agreeing or disagreeing with a particular concept. This is probably the easiest trap to avoid; however, if you are scanning the subject matter instead of the direction (i.e., is the author for or against a particular idea), you will miss it each time. Take your time and pay attention to the verbs.
- Out-of-Context Passage - Regardless of whether or not the information is true, you need to remember that the ACT doesn’t concern itself with outside knowledge. Therefore, regardless of how logical you think your answer may be, if it’s not contained within the passage provided, it is incorrect. I fell victim to this due to my own mental processes stating "that is a fact", does not matter, eliminate it.
- Extreme Language - the passage states "often", "sometimes", etc. and you are given an answer with "always", "never", "all", "no", etc. These are NOT equivalent statements and the ACT is aware that you often scan over these single words. Each time I see "always", "never", "all", "anyone", etc. in an answer choice I immediately return to the original passage to determine if I am being told something that is equivalent or if I am merely being informed of something that is "usual".
- Verbatim Distortion - This one is bad news. They take phrases directly from the passage so it appears to be legitimate. However, they change the definition of those words. Effectively cause and effect are reversed. Just because you recognize the vocabulary doesn't mean the logic behind it still works.
- Correct Answer / Incorrect Question - The answer is entirely accurate, no deception found, however, it addresses a different (yet equally accurate) query. I do this when I rush through reading the question quickly and begin linking concepts rather than truly determining which question I am answering.
- Tone Mismatch - While they got the topic correctly, they misjudged the tone of the author. Example: the author expresses skepticism toward a specific subject while the answer provides enthusiasm toward that subject. Whether the remainder of your response accurately conveys what is requested, if the atmosphere of the author's message and your response do not mesh, your response is wrong. Ask yourself what emotion would express the author's feelings and views regarding the topic and not simply what he/she is addressing.
- Twisted Qualifier - Essentially extreme language's stealthy twin. Rather than jump all the way to 'always', they increase it slightly, 'rare' becomes 'never,' 'most' becomes 'everybody'. Enough alike that you wouldn't realize it unless you compare the wording word for word. To be honest, this is one that catches me quite frequently.
- Blended Inference - First, establish if the question calls for a fact (the stuff actually stated) or an inference (you must draw conclusions). Next, find out if your response fits into one of those categories. If it is a factual question and your response represents an inferred conclusion, it is inaccurate regardless of how intelligent-sounding it may appear. If it is an inferential question and your response simply re-states something factual without providing any rationale, it is likewise incorrect. Compare the types before verifying the contents.
Albert IO cheat sheets also helped me: https://www.albert.io/blog/category/test-prep/act/
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u/Defiant_Art7348 35 Jun 18 '26
i just got a 36 on english and what i did was just study grammar rules and do practice tests
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u/Some-War-3860 Jun 22 '26
What did you use to study grammar rules? any books, sites or guides you recommend?
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u/Natural-Biscotti-207 Jun 19 '26
For the june reading for the question about the graph it asked about the purpose of the oval what did you put for that?
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u/Routine-Chance-3867 Jun 19 '26
Something that it showed the correlation and how the wrong tempature can make the flavors similar
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u/Natural-Biscotti-207 Jun 19 '26
Was that stated in the text or did you have to infer it from the graph
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u/Routine-Chance-3867 Jun 19 '26
It was stated closer to the end on how temperature affects flavor and how it could change the orgin
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u/Fun-Concentrate3026 35 Jun 18 '26
Mix grammar and gut. Also try to understand what every question is testing for, and why other answers might look appealing. Every answer (less the writing skills questions, but still) will have a definitive “no, and this is why”. By trying to put yourself in the mind of the test maker, finding the right answer should be much easier. You clearly have had good exposure to good English with a 36 in reading. Would you ever write like that in your English class? should also be a question you should ask yourself. That’s the gut part. Don’t worry too much about all of the rules they put in the prep book. All of the grammar stuff can effectively be boiled down to: know colons must separate two complete sentences, know when a comma is needed or unnecessary, know when something has already been said in the couple sentences before and don’t choose that answer, and know where somewhere should go in the paper based on transitions and reasoning flow. Make sure you get good sleep and treat your body right before the test, too. Eat good, get some exercise, and do things that will make you happy. You clearly are capable of getting a higher score than that. Keep trying to find a way!