Entries by

ACT Reading: Author’s Tone or Voice

One question type you are bound to encounter on the ACT Reading is a tone question. The tone of any given passage is the author’s emotion or feeling, usually towards his subject. An author’s style is the particular way he uses language to reflect his unique authorial voice. Most style or tone questions will include […]

ACT Reading: Implications, Inferences and Vocab-in-Context

On the ACT Reading, “inference” questions ask you to make a reasoned judgment about the passage that goes beyond the material on the page. An “implication” is an idea that an author will suggest but not state directly; inference questions test your ability to spot the author’s implications without straying too far from the text. […]

ACT Reading: Compare and Contrast

The ACT will test your ability to compare and contrast items within and between reading passages. Before answering any test prep questions, make sure you remember the following tips when answering compare and contrast questions on the ACT’s reading section:   Now you’re ready to look at a sample compare and contrast ACT question. Remember […]

ACT Reading: Identify or Interpret a Detail

The ACT Reading section will ask you to identify or interpret a detail in a passage. Being able to put that detail in context will be important. It won’t be an easy thing to do quickly, though. That’s why you need to get plenty of test prep. The first step to mastering this question type will […]

ACT Reading: Paragraph Structure

The ACT Reading section will ask you about the structure of a paragraph. Sometimes the question will be about a single sentence within a paragraph; other times the question will be about the inclusion of an entire paragraph. It’s important to get plenty of test prep to make sure you’re ready for paragraph structure questions. […]

ACT Reading: Character Development

Prose fiction passages on the ACT Reading can be pretty difficult for students. Because they tell stories rather than share information, their structures are less predictable and less navigable than those of expository or informational articles. Many questions will test you on the subtle details of fiction writing that may not be easily detectable. One […]

ACT English: Subject – Verb Agreement

It’s extremely likely that you’ll face some questions in the ACT English section that test your knowledge of subject-verb agreement. With just a little practice this can be one of the easiest areas to rack up points in the English section. Let’s look at some basic rules governing Subject-Verb construction. First-person: I am a good […]

ACT English: Editing Sentences and Paragraphs

Being able to edit sentences and paragraphs will be important for the ACT English section. You may be required to correct an error in a sentence. Or you may have to clarify a sentence.   In 2004, a local coffee shop in Montgomery, Alabama, instituted a policy that barred employees from having tattoos. The coffee […]

ACT Reading: Organization of Ideas

Organization of ideas questions on the ACT Reading section will supply you with a reading passage with portions that correspond with sets of alternative words/phrases. From the options, you must choose the answer choice that works best in context, including a choice for “NO CHANGE.” You may even be asked to add a whole sentence […]

ACT Reading: Development of Ideas

Being able to identify and organize the ideas in a reading passage is crucial to doing well on the ACT Reading section. In development of ideas questions, you’ll be given a reading passage and you’ll have to add, change, or delete a sentence from the passage. Being able to identify a passage’s purpose, or main […]