The key to getting a good score on the ACT is being able to know how to do well on each individual section. What works on English may not work on Math. That’s why it’s crucial to study for each section slightly different than others. In my next few posts, I’ll hope to help you with this. Be sure to follow and like for more ACT content.

The ACT English section, in my opinion, is one of the easiest to master. When you’re first starting, it may seem very daunting, with countless numbers of rules to memorize and remember. Once you start seriously studying, however, most of the rules come naturally. Where the real difficulty lies is in getting the elusive 36. You cant miss more than one or two questions for this, so you better have a good grasp of the subject. Here are some of my tips to help you.

Memorize. I know this sounds cliche, but, at least for the English section, memorization is one of the best ways to go about it. Although most of the simple rules like sentence syntax are easy, the real trouble lies in the more nuanced sentences. For example, a question will ask you to differentiate between amount and number. In everyday use, these words are interchangeable, but in the ACT, you’ll get docked off for using the wrong one. that’s why memorization is so key: there’s no other way to get these questions right.

Practice Questions. Although this is true for the entire test, I believe that practice questions work the best on English. This is because you need to be able to identify where and how to use a grammar rule you may have learned. Without practice questions, you may be blindsided by a rule that’s put into an odd context, or a question that has two very similar answers. English is also one of the easiest sections on the ACT to do practice questions for. All you need is someone you know to write down sentences with varying errors in them, and having you point out the flaw.

Another tip for the English section is to use strategy books to study. Simply doing practice tests alone wont teach you all of the various grammar rules you need to know. I would highly recommend a book like Barron’s ACT 36 or the Complete Guide to ACT English. Both of these books have all of the rules you’ll need to know condensed in one place. These books also give you feedback on the errors you make with detailed explanations for the answer.

In conclusion, if you follow these tips, you should be better equipped to face the ACT English. Good Luck!