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United StatesEnglish Language

Production of Writing

6 dot points across 6 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How do you decide whether to add or delete a sentence on the ACT, and how do you pick the matching reason among the yes-because and no-because options?

Adding or deleting information on ACT English: deciding by relevance to the paragraph's focus whether to keep or delete content, choosing the option whose action (add/keep or delete) and reason both match, and recognizing that off-topic information should be deleted even when it is true or interesting.
A focused answer to add-or-delete questions on ACT English: deciding by relevance to the paragraph's focus whether to keep or delete a sentence, choosing the option whose action and reason both match, and recognizing that true but off-topic content should be deleted, with a routine for these two-part questions.
9 min answer →

How do you choose the best opening or closing sentence on the ACT so it introduces or wraps up the right material and fits the paragraph or passage?

Introductions and conclusions on ACT English: choosing an opening sentence that previews the paragraph's or passage's actual content and a closing sentence that summarizes or completes it, matching the introduction or conclusion to what the text actually contains rather than to an unrelated idea.
A focused answer to introduction and conclusion questions on ACT English: choosing an opening that previews the paragraph's or passage's real content and a closing that summarizes or completes it, matching the sentence to what the text actually contains, with a routine for these framing questions.
9 min answer →

How do you decide the best order for sentences or where a sentence should be placed on the ACT, using logical flow and the clues inside the sentences?

Organization and sentence order on ACT English: ordering sentences for logical flow and finding the best placement for a sentence by following the clues inside it (pronouns, transitions, and references that must point to something already introduced), and recognizing logical and chronological sequence.
A focused answer to organization questions on ACT English: ordering sentences for logical flow and placing a sentence by following its internal clues (pronouns, transitions, and references that must point back to something already introduced), and using chronological or logical sequence, with a routine for placement questions.
9 min answer →

How do you judge whether a choice supports the writer's purpose on the ACT, and how do you use the question stem's stated goal to decide?

Topic development and purpose on ACT English: judging whether a sentence, phrase, or detail supports the writer's stated purpose or the passage's main point, using the question stem to identify the goal, and choosing the option that accomplishes that goal rather than one that is merely true or interesting.
A focused answer to topic development on ACT English: judging whether a choice supports the writer's stated purpose or the passage's main point, using the question stem to identify the goal, and choosing the option that accomplishes that goal rather than one that is just true, with a routine for purpose questions.
9 min answer →

How do you choose the transition that correctly connects two sentences or paragraphs on the ACT by identifying the logical relationship between them?

Transitions and cohesion on ACT English: identifying the logical relationship between the ideas before and after a transition (addition, contrast, cause and effect, example, sequence) and choosing the connective that matches it, reading both sides rather than the transition alone, to keep the passage cohesive.
A focused answer to transition questions on ACT English: identifying the logical relationship between the ideas on each side of a transition (addition, contrast, cause, example, sequence) and choosing the connective that matches it, reading both sides not just the transition, to keep the passage cohesive, with a routine.
9 min answer →

How do you answer the ACT question that asks whether the whole essay accomplished a stated goal, where the answer is a yes-or-no plus a matching reason?

The writer's goal questions on ACT English: judging whether an essay or paragraph accomplishes a goal stated in the question (for example, to summarize a process or argue a position), deciding yes or no by what the text actually does, and choosing the option whose yes/no answer and reason both match.
A focused answer to the writer's goal questions on ACT English: deciding whether an essay or paragraph accomplishes a stated goal by judging what the text actually does, then choosing the option whose yes-or-no answer and reason both match, with a routine for these whole-passage two-part questions.
9 min answer →