Act Strategies

Writing rubric

Focus-this is huge. You must stick to the prompt and to evidence from the prompt

Understanding of counterargument

You must include a thorough explanation of counter argument including the reasons given in the prompt itself

Guessing on the ACT

You should always guess on the Act. You are not penalized for wrong answers. Your score is based on your number of correct responses.

Conclusion

1. Transition 2. Restatement of thesis (your thesis from the first paragraph in slightly different words) Restatements of claims (2 or 3 depending on how many you used) 3 A Strong concluding statement

Writing-Format

5/6 paragraphs Introduction Claim one Claim two claim three (optional) Counter claim Conclusion

Step 1: Identify an Inference Question

First, you'll need to determine whether or not you're actually being asked to make an inference on a reading test. The most obvious questions will have the words "suggest," "imply" or "infer" right in the tag like these: •"According to the passage, we can reasonably infer..." •"Based on the passage, it could be suggested that..." •"Which of the following statements is best supported by the passage?" •"The passage suggests that this primary problem..." •"The author seems to imply that..." With which of the following statements would the author most likely agree?" •"Which of the following sentences would the author most likely use to add additional support to paragraph three?"

Introduction

Hook Background Claim one Claim two Claim three (if using) Thesis

Counter argument

I-introduce the other side-ex "Of course many educators believe that high school should be five years." 2-Explain the other side- ex "They believe this because many students do not have enough time to compete in sports or perform community service which is important to colleges. 3/4 Explain why this argument is wrong or flawed using "evidence" from prompt in one or two sentences. 5 Closing statement like "for these reasons this argument just isn't valid," Include a transition to your conclusion if you can.

Finding Main Idea: Look for Repetition of Ideas

If you read through a paragraph and you have no idea how to summarize it because there is so much information, start looking for repeated words, phrases, ideas or similar ideas. Read this example paragraph:

Instructions for the English section-memorize or become very familiar

Instructions: There are five passages on this subject test. You should read each passage once before answering the questions on it. In order to answer correctly, you may need to read several sentences beyond the question. There are two question formats within the passages. In one format, you will find words and phrases that have been underlined and assigned numbers. These numbers will correspond with sets of alternative words/phrases, given in the right-hand column of the test booklet. From the sets of alternatives, choose the answer choice that works best in context, keeping in mind whether it employs standard written English, whether it gets across the idea of the section, and whether it suits the tone and style of the passage. You will usually be offered the option "NO CHANGE," which you should choose if you think the version found in the passage is best. In the second format, you will see boxed numbers referring to sections of the passage or to the passage as a whole. In the right-hand column, you will be asked questions about or given alternatives for the sections marked by the boxes. Choose the answer choice that best answers the question or completes the section. After choosing your answer choice, fill in the corresponding bubble on the answer sheet.

Main Idea Mistake #1: Choosing an Answer That's Too Narrow

Let's say you read a passage about Leonardo da Vinci's genius. Several paragraphs talk about his sculpting, charcoal drawings, and paintings. Other paragraphs mention his science skills and foresight into mechanical engineering. If you select an answer that only details his sculpting, drawings and paintings, then your choice is too narrow: it only uses part of the information from the passage.

Main Idea in a Multi-paragraph passage

Look for an answer that is not to broad or narrow-look for repetition. The main idea will include an idea from each paragraph. For instance, in the pretest passage on Leonardo De Vinci, the correct answer had to include something from each paragraph-painter, astronomer, and scientist. We looked for repetition within paragraphs to get this. If the main idea talks about something bigger or big idea-in that example it was renaissance and Italian art, it is to broad and wrong. When you are guessing get rid of answers that do not include the information from all the paragraphs or answers where the statement is too big or includes information not mentioned.

Main Idea Mistake #2: Choosing an Answer That's Too Broad

Suppose the next passage you read on your test is a summary of a Blue Angels' performance last May. The passage explains the maneuvers, tricks and near-misses that happened that day. It showcases the daredevil approach of the newest pilot on the team, and congratulates the veterans on their mastery of the techniques that woo the crowd. If you select an answer that mentions how to become a Blue Angel, then your choice is too broad: it goes beyond the scope of the passage and gives information not discussed.

Educated guessing

Test scores go up tremendously when testers make educated guesses. This means you get rid of all the outliers and narrow it down to two choices.

Author's Purpose Basics

The author's purpose is basically the reason he or she chose to act in a particular way, whether that's writing the passage, selecting a phrase, using a word, etc. It differs from the main idea in that author's purpose not the point you're supposed to get; it's the why behind the author picked up a pen or selected those words in the first place. If you're trying to determine the author's purpose on a standardized test, your question may look something like this: 1. The author most likely mentions the Depression in lines 33 - 34 to: A. identify the primary purpose for Social Security. B. criticize FDR's adoption of a program that would run out of money. C. contrast the effectiveness of the Social Security Program with that of family care. D. list another factor that contributed to the need for the Social Security Program.

Format of the English Test

The five passages on the English Test contain two question formats: underlines and boxes. Both the underlines and the boxes will be numbered so you can find the corresponding multiple-choice answers in the right-hand column of the test booklet. Below you'll find a sample English Test paragraph, illustrating both question -formats: [1] That summer my parents buy me my first 17 17. A. NO CHANGE B. bought C. have bought D. buys

Authors purpose, main idea, inference, vocabulary context clues

These are the four kinds of questions on the act. It helps to figure out what type of question you are looking for.

Timing

You will not be able to have your cell phone during the test, so bring a watch that has a silent timer, silent being the key word. Since you'll be answering 40 questions in 35 minutes (and reading the passages that go along with them) you'll need to pace yourself. Read directions (you should actually try to memorize them) and questions about passages first. Do not spend too long on any one question, if you can't answer in a minute skip it and come back or use your educated guessing strategy-narrow it down to two choices and pick.

Preparing for writing

After reading the prompt, identify the two arguments and quickly write them down. If you can identify a third "compromise position write that down as well. Choose an argument. Remember, your evidence HAS TO COME FROM THE PASSAGE

Finding Main Idea :Summarize the Passage

After you've read the passage, summarize it in one sentence that includes the gist of ever idea from the paragraph. A good way to do this is to pretend you have just ten words to tell someone what the passage was about. You'd have to think broadly, so you could included every detail in just a short statement.

Identifying Inference part 2-hunt for clues

Find and underline supporting details, vocabulary, character's actions, descriptions, dialogue, and more - to prove one of the inferences listed below the question. You are not reading to understand the whole passage here, you are eliminating incorrect answers..

Order of Difficulty on Reading Test

The four ACT Reading passages will always be arranged in this set order: Prose Fiction, Social Science, Humanities, and Natural Science. However, this doesn't mean that you have to read the passages in that order. Choose the passage that's easiest to read first. If you happen to like stories, then go with Prose Fiction. If you're a little more scientific-minded, then choose Natural Science. You'll have an easier time answering questions about a passage that interests you, and doing something right builds your confidence and sets up you for success in the next passages. Success always equals a higher score!

Transitions

Try to use transitions like however, therefore, clearly etc, not first, second third...

Context Clues

Vocabulary in Context on the ACT After the first day on the job, the bank's new manager realized he would be busier than he had been led to believe. Not only was he assisting the bank tellers with their work, but his new boss had decided to inundate him with other tasks like creating security systems, managing the bank's deposits and refunds, securing loans, and maintaining the daily operations. The word "inundate" from the passage is closest in meaning to 1.overload 2.provide 3.assault 4.underwhelm Hint: A way to figure out if your choice is correct is by putting the answer choice in the sentence in place of the vocabulary word. Which one fits the intended meaning the best? You're right. It's "overload." The first choice is the best pick, although "assault" is a close second. The only way that one would work is if the tone of the passage had been more negative. Cut it down to two and go with your gut-if you just don't know guess C!

Annotation/Summarizing/Marking Text

When you're reading the passages, be sure to quickly underline important nouns and verbs as you read and jot down a brief summary of each paragraph (as in two-three words) in the margin. Underlining important nouns and verbs not only helps you remember what you've read, it also gives you a specific place to refer to when you're answering the questions. Summarizing is key to understanding the passages in their entirety. Plus, it allows you to answer those "What was the main idea of paragraph 1?" types of questions in a flash. Annotate and mark up the passages the way you did for Catcher or The Things they carried!!!! This one step is going to greatly improve your score!

Do not repeat ideas

Your essay should build and cover different points, do not just repeat yourself

Reading-Style or Tone Questions

•Be aware of the writing style used in each passage. •Consider the elements of writing that are included in each underlined portion of the passage. Some questions will ask you to base your decision on some specific element of writing, such as the tone or emphasis the text should convey.

Author's Purpose Key Words: These words are clues that let you know what the purpose is

•Compare: Author wanted to show similarities between ideas (both, similarly, in the same way, like, just as) •Contrast: Author wanted to show differences between ideas ( however, but, dissimilarly, on the other hand) •Criticize: Author wanted to give a negative opinion of an idea (Judgment words like "bad", "wasteful", and "poor" all demonstrate negative opinions.) •Describe/Illustrate: Author wanted to paint a picture of an idea (words that provide descriptive detail. Adjectives like "red", "lusty", "morose", "striped", "sparkling", and "crestfallen" are all illustrative.) •Explain: Author wanted to break down an idea into simpler terms (Goes from difficult language or ideas to simpler ones) •Identify/List: Author wanted to tell the reader about an idea or series of ideas (Lists with little explanation) •Intensify: Author wanted to make an idea greater (Words that have urgency or intensity most, biggest, hardest, extreme) •Suggest: Author wanted to propose an idea (Suggest" answers are usually positive opinions, and try to sway the reader to believe. The author will provide a point, then use details to prove it.)

Reading-Consider all answers

•Read and consider all of the answer choices before you choose the one that best responds to the question. Remember, the test sometimes tricks you by placing possible answers first and the best answer last. Read and choose from all the passages.