About the ACT English Section
The number of questions AND the amount of time on the ACT English Section.
What is 50 questions and 35 minutes?
Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
The students who completed their assignments early were allowed to leave the classroom.
A. NO CHANGE
B. The students who completed their assignments early, were allowed to leave the classroom.
C. The students, who completed their assignments early were allowed to leave the classroom.
D. The students, who completed their assignments early, were allowed to leave the classroom.
What is A?
Justification: The clause "who completed their assignments early" is essential because it identifies which students were allowed to leave. Removing the clause would change the meaning of the sentence by suggesting that all students could leave. Essential clauses should not be separated by commas.
Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
Each of the students in the advanced English classes ___ required to complete the practice assessment.
A. are
B. is
C. were
D. have been
What is B?
Justification: “Each” is a singular indefinite pronoun and requires the singular verb “is.” The phrase “of the students in the advanced English classes” does not change the subject's number. Why the other choices are incorrect:
A: “Are” is plural and does not agree with “each.”
C: “Were” is plural and shifts the sentence to the past.
D: “Have been” is plural and does not agree with “each.”
ACT Strategy: Cross out prepositional phrases to locate the actual subject. “Each” and “every” signal singular agreement.
Which choice is least redundant in context?
A. NO CHANGE
B. surprised by the unexpected announcement
C. completely surprised by the announcement
D. surprised by the announcement
What is D?
Justification: “Surprised” already communicates an unexpected reaction. “Completely and totally” repeats the same intensifying idea, and “unexpected” is unnecessary because the candidate was surprised.
Why the other choices are incorrect:
A: Repeats meaning through both intensifiers and “unexpected.”
B: Removes the intensifiers but retains unnecessary “unexpected.”
C: Improves concision but retains the unnecessary intensifier “completely.”
ACT Strategy: Look for pairs of words that repeat a meaning. Remove unnecessary words without changing the essential idea.
Which transition word or phrase signals cause and effect?
A. Additionally
B. Likewise
C. As a result
D. Yet
What is C?
To pace yourself on this section, you should spend no more than this many minutes per 10 questions.
What is 7 minutes?
Which one of these is always wrong?
Its
It's
Its'
What is Its'?
Its - Singular Possessive
It's - Contraction - It is
Its' - DOESN'T EXIST AND IS ALWAYS WRONG!
Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
By the time the school bus arrived yesterday, the students ___ outside for nearly thirty minutes.
A. wait
B. have waited
C. had been waiting
D. will be waiting
What is B?
Justification: “Had been waiting” is past perfect progressive and describes an ongoing action that began before another past event—the bus's arrival. Why the other choices are incorrect:
A: “Wait” is present tense and does not match the past time frame.
B: “Have waited” connects a past action to the present rather than to a later past event.
D: “Will be waiting” refers to a future action.
ACT Strategy: Look for time markers such as “by the time,” “before,” and “yesterday” to establish the sequence of events.
Which choice most effectively maintains the essay’s tone?
A. seriously level up students' brainpower
B. produce measurable improvements in students' language skills
C. make students super smart in no time
D. basically work magic on a student's vocabulary
What is B?
Justification: The passage uses an objective, formal academic tone. Choice B maintains that tone by describing the benefits of reading in precise, professional language without exaggeration.
Why the other choices are incorrect:
A: “Level up” and “brainpower” are too conversational.
C: “Super smart” and “in no time” are informal and exaggerated.
D: “Basically” and “work magic” are overly casual and figurative.
ACT Strategy: Identify whether the passage is formal, informal, academic, or conversational before choosing.
Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
The scholarship committee interviewed several applicants, one of ___ had already received offers from prestigious universities.
A. who
B. whom
C. who's
D. whose
What is B?
Correct Answer: B. whom
Justification: "Whom" is correct because it functions as the object of the preposition "of" in the phrase "one of whom." Although "whom" refers to an applicant who received offers, its grammatical role in the relative clause is determined by the preposition.
Why the other answers are incorrect:
- A. Who: A subject pronoun, but the sentence requires an object pronoun.
- B. Whom: Correctly functions as the object of the preposition "of."
- C. Who's: A contraction meaning "who is" or "who has."
- D. Whose: A possessive pronoun or determiner that indicates ownership.
ACT Test-Taking Strategy: Use the he/him trick to distinguish who from whom.
- Who = he/she/they (subject)
- Whom = him/her/them (object)
What you do if you do not know an answer or start to run out of time toward the end of the test.
What is strategic guessing.
*Do NOT leave any questions unanswered!*
Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
A. Because clowns have always scared me. I’ve never gone to the circus.
B. Because clowns have always scared me; I’ve never gone to the circus.
C. Because clowns have always scared me, I’ve never gone to the circus.
D. Because clowns have always scared me, so I’ve never gone to the circus.
What is C?
Choice C is correct because a comma can separate an introductory dependent clause from the independent clause that follows.
Choices A and B are identical except for the punctuation (period vs. semicolon). Periods and semicolons are used interchangeably on the ACT, so if one were correct, the other would also be correct - which can’t happen on the ACT. So you can eliminate both.
Choice D is incorrect because it changes the structure and makes the right side dependant on the left which doesn't fit the sentences as written.
Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
The principal asked Jordan and ___ to present the results of our research to the school board.
A. I
B. myself
C. me
D. mine
What is C?
Justification: “Me” is an object pronoun. It serves as part of the compound direct object of the verb “asked.”
Why the other choices are incorrect:
A: “I” is a subject pronoun, not an object pronoun.
B: “Myself” is reflexive and is not appropriate here because the subject is “the principal.”
D: “Mine” is a possessive pronoun and cannot serve as the object of “asked” in this construction.
ACT Strategy: Temporarily remove the other person's name: “The principal asked me,” not “The principal asked I.”
A. Signs are posted all over the lawn threatening every sort of drastic action against trespassers who wrongfully enter the property.
B. Signs are posted all over the lawn threatening every sort of drastic action against those who trespass by walking on private property.
C. Signs are posted all over the lawn threatening every sort of drastic action against trespassers who ignore the signs and walk on the grass.
D. Signs are posted all over the lawn threatening every sort of drastic action against trespassers.
What is D?
D is the only answer choice that does not repeat the same idea twice.
Question: Which choice correctly uses ALL commonly confused words?
A. The two students who's teacher agreed to except their late assignments were too excited to realize that they're still required to submit their final project about the school and it's history.
B. The two students whose teacher agreed to accept their late assignments were too excited to realize that they're still required to submit their final project about the school and its history.
C. The too students whose teacher agreed to accept there late assignments were to excited to realize that their still required to submit their final project about the school and its' history.
D. The two students whose teacher agreed too except their late assignments were to excited to realize that there still required to submit they're final project about the school and it's history.
What is B?
Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
This sentence stem will always be related to __________, ____________, and _____________.
What is punctuation, sentence structure, and usage?
Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
The students ___ exhausted after three hours of testing ___ were relieved when the final bell rang.
A. The students—exhausted after three hours of testing were relieved when the final bell rang.
B. The students, exhausted after three hours of testing—were relieved when the final bell rang.
C. The students—exhausted after three hours of testing—were relieved when the final bell rang.
D. The students—exhausted after three hours of testing, were relieved when the final bell rang.
What is C?
Justification: The phrase "exhausted after three hours of testing" is nonessential information describing the students. The sentence remains grammatically complete when the phrase is removed.
Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
The collection of historical documents, along with several recently discovered letters, ___ researchers with valuable information about the author's life.
A. provide
B. have provided
C. provides
D. were providing
What is C?
Justification: The simple subject is “collection,” which is singular. The prepositional phrase “of historical documents” and the interrupting phrase “along with several recently discovered letters” do not make the subject plural. Therefore, “provides” agrees with the subject.
Why the other choices are incorrect:
A: “Provide” is plural and incorrectly agrees with “documents” or “letters.”
B: “Have provided” is plural and does not agree with “collection.”
D: “Were providing” is plural and does not agree with the singular subject.
ACT Strategy: Ignore interrupting phrases and identify the head noun of the subject: “collection.” Then select the singular verb.
Which choice is clearest and most precise in context?
A. got pretty bad over time
B. were doing something different
C. increased by approximately 18 percent during the study
D. changed in a noticeable way
What is C?
Justification: Choice C reports a specific, measurable change. It uses the quantitative evidence appropriate to a scientific report rather than vague descriptions. Why the other choices are incorrect:
A: “Pretty bad” is subjective and lacks a measurable description.
B: “Something different” does not identify what changed.
D: “Noticeable” is vague and does not describe the change.
ACT Strategy: Choose the wording that gives the reader the most specific information without adding unnecessary words.
She likes swimming, running, and to bike.
The sentence above contains this type of error.
What is parallel structure?
This question stem will always be asking for the option that is least REPETITIVE (which will be the shortest option provided)
What is "Which choice is least redundant in context?"
Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
Before beginning the experiment, the students gathered the following materials ___ safety goggles, glass beakers, measuring tools, and chemical solutions.
A. materials,
B. materials:
C. materials;
D. materials
What is B?
Justification: The words before the colon form a complete independent clause: "Before beginning the experiment, the students gathered the following materials." The colon introduces a list that identifies those materials.
Why the other answers are incorrect:
A (Comma): A comma is not the appropriate punctuation to introduce this list after a complete clause ending with "the following materials."
B (Colon): Correctly introduces the list following a complete independent clause.
C (Semicolon): Incorrect because the list following the semicolon is not an independent clause.
D (No punctuation): Fails to separate the introductory statement from the list.
Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
After studying for three hours, the practice test seemed much easier.
A. After studying for three hours, the practice test was easier.
B. After studying for three hours, Maria found the practice test much easier.
C. After studying for three hours, the questions on the practice test seemed easier.
D. The practice test, after studying for three hours, seemed much easier.
What is B?
The original sentence contains a dangling modifier because the introductory phrase "After studying for three hours" does not clearly identify who was studying.
A modifier should be placed as close as possible to the word it describes. In this sentence, the phrase incorrectly suggests that the practice test studied for three hours.
Which choice is clearest and most logical in context?
A. It was a far cry from the more digestible singles the group has previously released because the rappers were hesitant to record it.
B. It was a far cry from the more digestible singles the group has previously released although the rappers were hesitant to record it.
C. It was a far cry from the more digestible singles the group has previously released, for the rappers were hesitant to record it.
D. It was a far cry from the more digestible singles the group has previously released, so the rappers were hesitant to record it.
What is D?
Justification: It provides the most logical conjunction to connect the ideas presented in the sentence. The songs focus was weighter and different from the other singles the group had released, and this caused them to be hesitant to record it.
Which choice correctly revises the sentences to eliminate ALL sentence structure errors?
A. The students prepared for the ACT by reviewing grammar rules, practicing timed passages, and analyzing their mistakes. Because they wanted to improve their scores. They studied every afternoon, they completed additional practice tests.
B. The students prepared for the ACT by reviewing grammar rules, practicing timed passages, and analyzing their mistakes. Because they wanted to improve their scores, they studied every afternoon and completed additional practice tests.
C. The students prepared for the ACT by reviewing grammar rules, practicing timed passages, and to analyze their mistakes. Because they wanted to improve their scores, they studied every afternoon and completed additional practice tests.
D. The students prepared for the ACT by reviewing grammar rules, practicing timed passages, and analyzing their mistakes. Because they wanted to improve their scores, they studied every afternoon, they completed additional practice tests.
What is B?
Justification: Choice B corrects all three sentence structure errors.
Parallel Structure: "Reviewing," "practicing," and "analyzing" use matching grammatical forms.
Sentence Fragment: The dependent clause beginning with "Because" is correctly joined to an independent clause.
Comma Splice: The sentence eliminates the comma splice by combining "studied" and "completed" into a compound predicate.
Why the other answers are incorrect:
A: Fixes parallel structure but retains both the sentence fragment and comma splice.
B: Corrects all three errors.
C: Fixes the fragment and comma splice but retains the non-parallel phrase "to analyze."
D: Fixes parallel structure and the fragment but retains the comma splice between "they studied every afternoon" and "they completed additional practice tests."