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5 dot points across 5 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

Why does the ACT usually reward the shortest option, and how do you spot redundancy and wordiness in an underlined portion?

Concision and redundancy on ACT English: preferring the shortest option that preserves the meaning, spotting redundancy (two words that say the same thing, such as past history) and wordy phrases (due to the fact that for because), and choosing the tight version when grammar and meaning are otherwise equal.
A focused answer to concision and redundancy on ACT English: why the shortest option that keeps the meaning usually wins, how to spot redundancy (past history, close proximity) and wordiness (due to the fact that), and the rule that when options are otherwise equal, the tightest one is correct, with a routine.
9 min answer →

How do you choose the correct preposition in an idiomatic expression on the ACT, where the right answer is fixed by convention rather than a rule?

Idioms and prepositions on ACT English: choosing the conventionally correct preposition that pairs with a given verb, adjective, or noun (interested in, capable of, different from), recognizing that these pairings are fixed by usage, and using your ear plus common pairings to pick the idiomatic option.
A focused answer to idioms and prepositions on ACT English: choosing the conventionally correct preposition in fixed expressions (interested in, capable of, different from, depend on), why these are set by usage rather than rule, and how to use common pairings and your ear to pick the idiomatic option.
9 min answer →

How do you keep word choice consistent with a passage's tone and style on the ACT, and how do you reject a word that is too casual or too formal for the context?

Tone and style consistency on ACT English: matching word choice to the passage's established register (formal, neutral, or conversational), rejecting words that clash with the surrounding tone (slang in a formal passage, jargon where plain words fit), and using the passage's own diction as the standard for an underlined choice.
A focused answer to tone and style consistency on ACT English: matching word choice to the passage's register, rejecting words that are too casual or too formal for the surrounding tone, and using the passage's own diction as the standard, with a routine for the underlined choice.
9 min answer →

How do connotation and a word's precise shade of meaning guide ACT word-choice questions, including choosing the transition word with the right logical flavor?

Word connotation on ACT English: choosing among near-synonyms by their connotation (positive, negative, or neutral) and by the precise shade of meaning the context implies, including selecting the single transition word whose connotation and logical flavor fit, as distinct from sentence-level cohesion.
A focused answer to connotation on ACT English: choosing among near-synonyms by their positive, negative, or neutral feel and by the exact shade the context implies, and selecting the single transition word whose connotation and logical flavor fit, with a routine for the underlined word.
9 min answer →

How do you choose the most precise word on the ACT, and how do you tell a precise choice from one that is merely correct or vaguely close?

Word choice and precision on ACT English: selecting the word whose denotation and connotation exactly fit the sentence's meaning and context, rejecting vague or approximately right words, and using surrounding context to pick the precise term in an underlined portion.
A focused answer to word choice and precision on ACT English: choosing the word whose exact meaning and connotation fit the context, telling a precise choice from a vague or approximately right one, and using the surrounding sentence to pick the right term, with a routine for the underlined word.
9 min answer →