ACT PREPEnglish

Follow Their Tips

Pace Yourself

• You have 45 minutes + 75 Questions=• 1 ½ minutes to look over each passage before you

respond. Then 30 seconds to answer each question.• If possible, spend less time on each question to leave time

for checking over answers at the end.• Mark ones that were most difficult and re-check those

first (in book not on answer sheet).

Think About

• What is the writing STYLE of the passage?• Informative? Persuasive? Personal Narrative? Expository?

Formal/Informal?

While Skimming

• Identify the style• Look at the topic sentences and underlined portions…

summarize to yourself what the passage is about.

How does it fit in?

• For each question, take a look at the context.• Look at the sentences around the passage you are looking

at to make sure you understand the context.

Check it.

• Reread the sentence using your selected answer.

Read ALL of the answers

• Which one is MOST correct?• Do the different options give you a clue?• How does each answer DIFFER from the others?• Don’t select an answer that fixes one error but causes

another.

Questions about the WHOLE Piece

• Located at the end of the section• Have a box that tells you that it’s about the section as a

whole.

CONTENT: ENGLISH

Usage/Mechanics

Punctuation

• Emphasis:• internal and end of sentence punctuation• emphasis on how punctuation affects meaning

Item Analysis

• We’ll Cover:• Question Numbers• 2• 9• 26• 33• 49

Review: commas, apostrophes, semicolons

• WRITING HOME: COMMA RULES

Resources

• Commas: • http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/692/01/ • http://owlet.letu.edu/grammarlinks/punctuation/punct1.html

• Apostrophes: • http://

www.wisc-online.com/Objects/ViewObject.aspx?ID=ABC601 • http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/621/01/

• Semicolons:• http://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_D3f_1ZA6Y&safe=active

Grammar and Usage

• Emphasis:• Subject/verb agreement• Pronoun/antecedent agreement• Modifiers• Verb formation• Pronoun case• Comparative/superlative adjectives and adverbs• Use of idioms

Item Analysis

• We’ll Cover:• Item Numbers• 29• 34• 47• 48

Sentence Structure

Emphasis:• Show understanding of relationships between and among

clauses, placement of modifiers, and shifts in construction.

Item Analysis

• We’ll Cover:• Item Numbers• 8• 18• 21*• 23• 27• 31• 39• 40• 41• 43• 44

Rhetorical Skills

• Understanding of the use of strategy, organization, and style in writing

Organization

• We’ll Cover:• Item Numbers• 5• 17• 25• 30• 36• 50

Strategy

• We’ll Cover:• Item Numbers• 16• 46

Style

• We’ll Cover:• Item Numbers• 4• 10• 24• 28• 45

Other Resources:

• Wiscareers: Need your username and password

• Use this site to take 3 full length practice tests, access flashcards and tips on ACT test-taking strategies.

• http://wiscareers.wisc.edu/Default.asp

• Specific Tips Regarding ACT English: • http://www.answerexplanations.com/act/study-materials/basic-strategy-outlin

e/english/

• Resource for Refreshing Grammar/Writing Skills: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/

• Grammar/Punctuation Exercises and Rules:• http://www.chompchomp.com/