The most-tested ACT English rules — ranked.
ACT English is half grammar and half rhetoric, and it rewards a handful of rules that show up again and again. Here they are, grouped by the ACT's own scoring categories and ordered so you study the highest-yield rules first — then practice each one free.
No credit card. Weights reflect the ACT's published English reporting categories.
- 1~52% of the test
Conventions of Standard English
Grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure — the largest and most rule-based category, so the fastest points to lock in.
- Sentence structure: run-ons, fragments & comma splices — first ask, is each side a complete sentence?
- Commas: series, introductory phrases, nonessential info, and before a FANBOYS conjunction
- Semicolons (= a period), colons (after a complete sentence), and dashes
- Subject–verb agreement: is/are, was/were — match the REAL subject, ignore the phrase between it and the verb
- Pronoun agreement & clear reference (one noun it can point to, matching number)
- Verb tense consistency across the sentence
- Dangling & misplaced modifiers
- Apostrophes: its vs. it's, plurals vs. possessives
- 2~30% of the test
Production of Writing
Rhetoric: organization, transitions, and whether a sentence does the job the writer intends. Read for the passage's logic, not just grammar.
- Relevance: does the sentence support the paragraph's point? Off-topic detail gets cut
- Add / keep / delete: answer the writer's STATED purpose, then match the reason
- Transitions: name the logical relationship (contrast / cause / addition / example) first
- Organization & sentence placement: keep the paragraph's logic and pronoun references clear
- 3~18% of the test
Knowledge of Language
Word choice, concision, and tone. The ACT rewards the shortest choice that is correct and keeps the meaning.
- Concision: the shortest grammatically-correct choice usually wins — 'DELETE' is right more often than students expect
- Tone & formality: match the passage; cut anything too casual or too flowery
- Precise word choice: than/then, affect/effect, fewer/less
- Idioms & verb + preposition: 'responsible for', 'refrain from', 'stumbled upon'
How to actually raise your English score
- Start with sentence structure. Run-ons and fragments underlie most punctuation questions — once you can tell a complete clause from an incomplete one, half the section gets easier.
- Make the core grammar automatic. Commas, subject-verb agreement (is/are, was/were), and pronoun agreement are fast, rule-based points — get them to reflex so your time goes to the questions that need thought.
- For rhetoric, read one sentence past the underlined part. Transition and relevance traps hide in the next line.
- When every choice is grammatical, pick the shortest one that keeps the meaning. 'NO CHANGE' and 'DELETE' are correct more often than students expect — change the text only when you can name the error.
ACT® is a registered trademark of ACT, Inc., which is not affiliated with and does not endorse this product. Category weights are based on the ACT's published English reporting categories and are approximate.