Monday, March 9, 2020

ACT English Questions, Reporting Categories, and Content

ACT English Questions, Reporting Categories, and Content ACT English Intro Shakespeare, you’re not (even if you do look good in those Elizabethan tights). That does not mean you can’t score well on the ACT English test. Trust me on this. Most of what you will encounter on the ACT English section of the exam is stuff you have done a million times in school. Sure, the format is different - you can get really tripped up on the paragraph spacing if you are not careful - but the content should be fairly easy for those of you who didnt fail out of all of your English and Language Arts classes. Read below for all of the ACT English Basics. And when you’re done getting the lay of the land, read through the ACT English strategies to help yourself before you test! ACT English Basics If you’ve read ACT 101, you know the following goodies about the ACT English section: 5 passages of text75 multiple-choice questions (fifteen per passage)45 minutesApproximately 30 seconds per question ACT English Scoring Just like the other multiple choice  sections, the ACT English section can earn you between 1 and 36 points. This score will be averaged with the scores from the other multiple-choice sections (Math, Science Reasoning and Reading) to get you your Composite ACT score. Youll also get your raw scores based on reporting categories that were introduced in 2016. Here, youll see how many questions you answered correctly in the  Production of Writing,  Knowledge of Language, and  Conventions of Standard English. They do not in any way affect your section or composite ACT score. Rather, they give you an indication of where you can improve if you should take the again. The English score is also tabulated with the Reading and Writing section scores to give you an ELA (English Language Arts) score. Like the   The average ACT English score is about a 21, but you’ll have to do much better than that if you’d like to hit up a top university for admissions acceptance – more like between a 30 and 34. ACT English Test Content As I stated previously, youll have three reporting categories scattered throughout the ACT exam. You will not see Production of Writing, Knowledge of Language, or Conventions of Standard English sections - that would be too easy! Rather, youll encounter these types of questions as you work through all five passages. Production of Writing (approximately 22 - 24 questions) Topic Development:  Identify the authors purpose Identify whether a portion of text has met its goalEvaluate materials relevance in terms of the texts focusOrganization, Unity and Cohesion:Use strategies to create logical organizationUse strategies to ensure a smooth flowEnsure effective introductions and conclusions Knowledge of Language (approximately 10 - 14 questions) Ensuring concision and precision in word choiceMaintain consistent styleMaintain consistent tone Conventions of Standard English (approximately 38 - 42 questions) Sentence Structure and Formation:  Ã‚  Identify misplaced modifiers (adjectives, adverbs, etc.) Fix run-ons, fragments and comma splice sentencesResolve problems with improper clause usage Correct  parallel structure.  Punctuation Resolve improper usage of  commas, apostrophes, colons, semicolons,  quotation marks, etc.Improve the text with various punctuationUsageRecognize common problems with standard English usage.Revise common problems to improve the writing.      ACT English Test Practice There it is – the ACT English section in brief. Think you can pass this bad boy? If not, then you have some major preparation in front of you. The English section is not easy by any stretch. Sure, its stuff youve learned in high school, but it is also incredibly challenging if you havent really had very much grammar or punctuation practice in a while. If you want to get ready, try starting with the best ways to study for the ACT. Then, move on to the ACT English practice questions. Once youve mastered that, you can read  through these ACT English Strategies so you are doubly prepared!