The following tips offer strategic approaches to specific question types on the ACT English section. For more thorough explanations of these topics, reach out to your LogicPrep tutor!
1. When choosing between who and whom, use prepositions as a shortcut.
Prepositions are words that demonstrate the relationship between two things such as with, to, for, in, and on. When you get to a question where you have to choose between options that use who and whom, just look at the word right before it. If it’s a preposition like those listed above, choose whom. Otherwise, choose who. This shortcut works more than 95 percent of the time, so make sure to ask your LogicPrep tutor for an explanation that will cover the other 5 percent of cases.
2. The period and the semicolon are used interchangeably.
The ACT English section considers the semicolon and period interchangeable. As long as you’re connecting what could be considered two separate sentences, either punctuation mark can be used. So if you get to a question that offers two options, one with a period and one with a semicolon —and all else is equal— you can immediately consider both incorrect; no question can have two right answers.
3. For transition word or phrase questions, be strategic and immediately eliminate any equivalent options.
Similar to the prior tip, you should be strategic and eliminate options with equivalent answers since it would be impossible to have two correct answers. Most of the transition words or phrases on the ACT can be categorized into a few broad categories: contrast (however, on the other hand, nevertheless, etc.), similarity (likewise, similarly, additionally, etc.), or consequence (thus, consequently, therefore, etc.). When you get to such a question, look at the options and if two of them fall under the same category, you can confidently eliminate both, even without analyzing the context.