At this point, you are almost there are on the English/Writing section. Here are the question types to be on the lookout for.
You know these grammar rules, you just have to recognize when they are being tested.
1. Separating two complete sentences
There are only a few ways to CORRECTLY do this. You can use a semicolon. You can create two separate sentences
with a period. You can use a comma WITH a conjunction (and, but, & or). You CANNOT separate two complete sentences
with a comma alone.
2. Subject-verb agreement
First, isolate the VERB. Then, figure out if the subject is singular or plural. For single, use the pretend sentence “Tom runs”
for singular and “They run” for plural.
Make sure that you do not consider a word within a prepositional phrase to be the subject of the sentence. The
prepositional phrase includes the preposition all the way to the end of the objects described by the preposition (to, from,
for, beyond, beneath, above, beyond, over, under…)
3. Verb tense
Only pick a present tense verb if the paragraph is in the present tense. Only pick an “ing” verb if the other verbs in the
sentence are “ing” verbs.
4. Simplicity
Watch for this! It can help you score major points. In several questions, all options are grammatically okay, but one answer
is the simplest. Pick the simplest!
5. Pronoun matching
Match a pronoun with a noun already mentioned in the sentence or paragraph. First, figure out whether the
subject should be things (it) or people (whose, who, etc…). Then, determine if the pronoun should be singular or plural
6. Contractions
Make sure that if you want to chose a contraction for your answer, the answer choice is a real contraction (whose is
not a contraction…who’s=who is…that’s=that is). Taking the extra deliberation and cautiousness can make the difference in
score
7. You need a verb!!
Make sure your answer choice leaves a verb in the sentence. Every sentence needs a verb.
8. Transitions
When asked to pick the best transition or the one that does not work, the ACT will give you several similar
transitions. Pick the outlier as your answer! For the SAT, make sure you read the sentence for meaning before picking the
best transition