ACT English Rules & Grammar Mastery
Commas
- Separate items in a list:
apples, oranges, and bananas - Before coordinating conjunctions joining two independent clauses:
She studied, and he read. - Set off nonessential clauses/phrases:
My friend, who is a doctor, lives nearby. - After introductory phrases:
After the game, we went home. - With coordinate adjectives:
a long, difficult test - With direct address:
Lisa, can you help? - With dates, addresses, and titles:
On July 4, 1776, the U.S. declared independence. - To prevent misreading:
To err, is human.
Semicolons & Colons
- Semicolon: Joins two closely related independent clauses:
The sun set; the sky darkened. - Semicolon: Separates items in a complex list:
Paris, France; Rome, Italy; and Madrid, Spain - Colon: Introduces a list, explanation, or quote after an independent clause:
She brought three things: pencils, paper, and snacks. - Colon: Emphasizes or clarifies:
He had one goal: victory.
Dashes, Parentheses & Hyphens
- Dashes: Insert strong interruption or emphasis:
He won the award—against all odds. - Set off appositives or explanations:
My brother—an excellent cook—made dinner. - Parentheses: Add nonessential, explanatory info:
The answer (which surprised everyone) was correct. - Hyphens: Compound adjectives before nouns:
well-known author - Hyphens: Numbers and fractions:
twenty-one, one-third - Hyphens: Avoid ambiguity:
re-sign vs. resign
Apostrophes
- Possession:
the student's book; the students' books - Contractions:
don't, it's, they're - Its vs. It's:
Its = possessive; It's = it is - Plural possessives:
dogs' collars
Quotation Marks
- Enclose direct quotations:
"She said, 'I agree.'" - Punctuation: Periods/commas inside, colons/semicolons outside
- Titles of short works:
"The Road Not Taken"
Sentence Structure
- Avoid fragments:
Because I was late. (fragment) - Avoid run-ons and comma splices:
I was tired, I went to bed. (incorrect) - Correct:
I was tired, so I went to bed.orI was tired; I went to bed. - Parallel structure:
She likes running, swimming, and biking. - Coordination & subordination:
Although it rained, we went outside. - Sentence variety: Mix short and long sentences for flow.
Subject–Verb Agreement
- Singular subjects take singular verbs:
The team wins. - Plural subjects take plural verbs:
The teams win. - Ignore prepositional phrases:
The bouquet of roses is beautiful. - Indefinite pronouns:
Everyone is ready. - Collective nouns:
The jury decides.
Pronoun Agreement & Clarity
- Pronouns must agree with their antecedents in number and gender:
Each student must bring his or her pencil. - Avoid ambiguous pronouns:
When Jim met Bob, he smiled. (Who is "he"?) - Pronoun case:
He and I went. She gave it to him and me. - Who vs. whom:
Who is coming? To whom did you speak? - Reflexive pronouns:
She did it herself.
Modifiers
- Place modifiers next to what they modify:
Running quickly, the athlete crossed the finish line. - Avoid dangling/misplaced modifiers:
After eating, the plate was empty. (incorrect) - Only, just, even, almost: Place carefully for intended meaning.
Verb Tense & Consistency
- Maintain consistent tense:
She walked to the store and bought milk. - Use the correct tense for context:
She had finished her homework before dinner started. - Sequence of tenses:
He says he is ready. He said he was ready.
Voice & Conciseness
- Prefer active voice:
The scientist conducted the experiment. - Use passive voice only when appropriate:
The experiment was conducted by the scientist. - Avoid unnecessary repetition:
Each and every student (redundant) ? Each student - Be concise:
Due to the fact that ? Because
Word Choice & Idioms
- Use the correct word for context:
accept vs. except - Use standard idioms:
capable of, interested in, familiar with - Correct preposition usage:
different from, as opposed to, responsible for
Commonly Confused Words
- There/Their/They're
- Your/You're
- Its/It's
- Whose/Who's
- Than/Then
- Affect/Effect
- Accept/Except
- Fewer/Less
- Farther/Further
- Lay/Lie
- Among/Between
Lists & Series
- Maintain parallelism in lists:
She likes to dance, to sing, and to act. - Use commas to separate items.
Transitions & Organization
- Use transitions to clarify relationships:
however, therefore, moreover, for example - Choose transitions that fit the logic of the passage.
- Logical order: Chronological, cause-effect, compare-contrast, etc.
Rhetorical Skills
- Choose the most relevant, concise, and logical answer.
- Maintain consistent tone and style.
- Delete irrelevant or redundant information.
- Recognize author’s purpose and audience.
Formatting & Style
- Maintain formal or informal tone as appropriate.
- Consistent point of view (first, second, third person).
- Correct spelling and capitalization.
Special Constructions
- Comparisons: Use "than" for comparisons, "as...as" for equality.
- Correlative conjunctions:
either...or, neither...nor, not only...but also - Double negatives: Avoid using two negatives in one clause.
Miscellaneous
- Numbers: Spell out numbers one through nine; use numerals for 10 and above.
- Titles: Italicize books, movies; use quotes for short works.
- Abbreviations: Define on first use.
ACT Reading Strategies & Passage Types
Passage Types
- Literary Narrative: Fiction, short stories, memoirs
- Social Science: History, economics, psychology
- Humanities: Art, music, literature analysis
- Natural Science: Biology, chemistry, physics
- Paired Passages: Two related texts with comparison questions
General Strategies
- Skim the passage to get the gist before reading questions.
- Underline or note main ideas and topic sentences.
- Read actively—predict, question, and summarize as you go.
- Refer back to the passage for detail questions.
- Mark line numbers or keywords for quick reference.
Question Types
- Main Idea: What is the passage mostly about?
- Detail: What does the passage state explicitly?
- Inference: What can be reasonably concluded?
- Vocabulary in Context: What does a word mean as used?
- Function: Why did the author include this?
- Author’s Attitude: What is the tone or viewpoint?
- Paired Passage: Compare/contrast two texts.
- Evidence-Based: Which line best supports your answer?
Time Management
- Allocate about 8–9 minutes per passage (4 passages, 35 minutes total).
- Don’t get stuck—move on and return if needed.
- Answer every question—no penalty for guessing.
- Scan questions before reading if you prefer targeted reading.
Process of Elimination
- Eliminate obviously wrong or extreme answer choices.
- Watch for answer choices that are too broad, too narrow, or not supported.
- Use context clues for vocabulary questions.
- Be wary of answers that are true in general but not supported by the passage.
Paired Passages
- Read the first passage and answer its questions.
- Read the second passage and answer its questions.
- Then answer the questions comparing both.
- Note similarities, differences, and author perspectives.
Common Traps
- Extreme language (always, never) is rarely correct.
- Beware of answer choices with correct facts but wrong context.
- Don’t bring in outside knowledge—stick to the passage.
- Answers that sound familiar but aren’t supported are often wrong.
Supporting Evidence
- Many questions require you to find direct support in the passage.
- Mark lines or sentences that answer the question.
- Use process of elimination if you’re unsure.
Vocabulary & Context Clues
- Look for definition, contrast, or example clues in surrounding text.
- Substitute answer choices into the sentence to check meaning.
- Identify if the word has a positive or negative connotation in context.
Inference Questions
- Choose answers that are strongly supported, not just possible.
- Don’t over-interpret—stick to what’s implied by the text.
- Look for patterns or repeated ideas.
Detail & Function Questions
- Find the exact line or phrase that answers the question.
- Ask why the author included a detail or example.
Author's Purpose & Tone
- Is the author informing, persuading, entertaining, or criticizing?
- Identify tone: objective, critical, enthusiastic, skeptical, etc.
Organization & Structure
- Note how the passage is organized: cause/effect, compare/contrast, problem/solution, chronological.
- Transitions signal shifts in argument or topic.
Master Reference Table
| Category | Topic | Rule/Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| English | Punctuation | Comma: List, conjunctions, nonessential info Semicolon: Join independent clauses Colon: List/explanation after independent clause Dashes/Hyphens: Interruption, compound adjectives Quotation Marks: Direct quotes, short works |
| Grammar | Subject–Verb Agreement, Pronoun Agreement, Modifier Placement, Verb Tense Consistency | |
| Sentence Structure | Fragments, Run-ons, Parallelism, Coordination/Subordination | |
| Word Choice | Correct idioms, commonly confused words, concise language, correct prepositions | |
| Rhetorical Skills | Relevance, conciseness, logical transitions, tone consistency, delete redundancy | |
| Formatting & Style | Consistent tone, point of view, spelling/capitalization | |
| Special Constructions | Comparisons, correlative conjunctions, double negatives | |
| Miscellaneous | Numbers (spell out 1-9), titles (italicize/quotes), abbreviations (define on first use) | |
| Reading | Passage Types | Literary Narrative, Social Science, Humanities, Natural Science, Paired Passages |
| Question Types | Main Idea, Detail, Inference, Vocabulary, Function, Attitude, Paired Passage, Evidence-Based | |
| Strategy | Skim, annotate, refer back, process of elimination, mark line numbers | |
| Time Management | ~8–9 min per passage, answer all questions, no penalty for guessing | |
| Common Traps | Extreme language, outside knowledge, unsupported answers, familiar but wrong | |
| Supporting Evidence | Find and mark lines that support your answer | |
| Vocabulary | Use context clues, check connotation, substitute answer choices | |
| Organization | Identify structure: cause/effect, compare/contrast, problem/solution, chronological |