ACT (American College Testing) English Syllabus

English syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for English in ACT (American College Testing), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Production of Writing

   3 topics

   • Topic Development
     • Relevance of supporting material to purpose
     • Choosing sentences that accomplish a stated goal
     • Identifying the main purpose of a passage
     • Adding, revising, or deleting content for relevance
   • Organization, Unity, and Cohesion
     • Logical sequencing of sentences and paragraphs
     • Effective opening, transitional, and closing statements
     • Transition words and phrases signaling relationships
     • Sentence placement for paragraph coherence
   • Writer's Purpose and Audience
     • Matching tone to intended audience
     • Evaluating whether a passage meets its goal
2. 2

   Knowledge of Language

   3 topics

   • Word Choice and Precision
     • Selecting the most precise and concise word
     • Avoiding redundancy and wordiness
     • Idiomatic usage of common expressions
   • Style, Tone, and Register
     • Maintaining consistent style across a passage
     • Matching diction to formality level
   • Eliminating Wordiness
     • Recognizing the most economical phrasing
     • Removing unnecessary qualifiers
3. 3

   Conventions of Standard English

   3 topics

   • Sentence Structure and Formation
     • Run-ons, comma splices, and fused sentences
     • Sentence fragments
     • Subordination and coordination of clauses
     • Misplaced and dangling modifiers
     • Parallel structure in lists and comparisons
   • Usage Conventions
     • Subject-verb agreement
     • Pronoun-antecedent agreement and pronoun case
     • Verb tense and aspect consistency
     • Comparative and superlative adjective/adverb forms
     • Commonly confused words (their/there, its/it's)
   • Punctuation
     • Commas in series, clauses, and nonessential elements
     • Apostrophes for possessives and contractions
     • Semicolons and colons
     • Dashes and parentheses for interruption

English flashcards for ACT (American College Testing)

23 of 50 cards from the English deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. In ACT English, what is the focus of 'Topic Development' questions?

   They assess how well ideas in a passage are developed and supported—whether sentences/paragraphs add relevant information, accomplish a stated goal, or should be kept, added, or deleted.

2. When an ACT English question asks whether a sentence should be added or deleted 'because' of a reason, what two things must your answer choice get right?

   Both the decision (yes/keep or no/delete) AND the correct justification for that decision; an answer with the right choice but wrong reasoning is incorrect.

3. On 'should this sentence be added?' questions, what is the key test for keeping it?

   Keep it only if it is relevant to the paragraph's main idea and provides needed/specific information; delete it if it is off-topic, redundant, or merely interesting but irrelevant.

4. In Topic Development, what does it mean for detail to be 'relevant'?

   The detail directly relates to and supports the main point of the sentence or paragraph in which it appears.

5. On ACT 'accomplish the writer's goal' questions, what is the strategy for picking the right answer?

   Identify the specific goal stated in the question stem, then choose the option that fulfills exactly that goal—not merely a true or well-written statement.

6. What distinguishes 'Organization, Unity, and Cohesion' questions in ACT English?

   They test logical ordering of sentences/paragraphs, smooth transitions between ideas, and the placement of information so the passage flows coherently.

7. Define 'unity' as tested on the ACT English section.

   Unity means every sentence in a paragraph supports a single main idea; sentences that stray from that idea break unity.

8. Define 'cohesion' in the context of ACT English writing.

   Cohesion is the smooth, logical connection between sentences and ideas, achieved through transitions, consistent references, and clear flow.

9. How do you solve ACT 'where should this sentence be placed?' (logical placement) questions?

   Look for context clues—pronouns, transition words, and references to earlier nouns—and place the sentence where it logically follows what comes before and sets up what comes after.

10. On sentence-reordering questions, what clue best signals correct order?

    Logical/chronological cues and reference words (this, that, these, such, then, as a result) that must point back to something already introduced.

11. What is the function of a transition word, and name the main categories tested on the ACT.

    Transitions signal the relationship between ideas. Main categories: addition (also, furthermore), contrast (however, but, although), cause/effect (therefore, thus, because), example (for instance), and sequence (first, then, finally).

12. Which transition shows contrast, and which shows cause-and-effect: 'however' vs. 'therefore'?

    'However' shows contrast; 'therefore' shows cause-and-effect (a conclusion or result).

13. On the ACT, how do you choose the correct transition word?

    Determine the logical relationship between the two ideas (addition, contrast, cause/effect, example, sequence) and pick the transition that matches it; ignore word familiarity.

14. What does an effective topic sentence do in an ACT English paragraph?

    It states the paragraph's main idea and previews the supporting details that follow, helping unify the paragraph.

15. In 'Writer's Purpose and Audience' questions, what should you determine first?

    Identify the writer's intended purpose (to inform, persuade, describe, narrate, entertain) and the target audience, then judge whether the writing/choice serves them.

16. How do you answer 'Does this essay accomplish the writer's primary purpose?' questions?

    Restate the purpose given in the stem, decide yes or no based on what the essay actually does, and select the option whose reasoning correctly matches the essay's content and scope.

17. Why might a grammatically correct answer choice still be wrong on a purpose/audience question?

    Because it may not fulfill the specific rhetorical purpose or suit the audience the question asks about; ACT rhetorical questions test effectiveness, not just grammar.

18. What is 'Word Choice and Precision' testing on the ACT?

    Selecting the word that conveys the exact intended meaning, fits the context, and matches idiomatic/diction conventions—avoiding vague, incorrect, or imprecise words.

19. Distinguish the commonly confused words 'affect' vs. 'effect.'

    'Affect' is usually a verb meaning to influence; 'effect' is usually a noun meaning a result. (Effect can be a verb meaning to bring about.)

20. Distinguish 'than' vs. 'then.'

    'Than' is used for comparisons (taller than); 'then' refers to time or sequence (and then we left).

21. Distinguish 'its' vs. 'it's.'

    'Its' is the possessive of it; 'it's' is the contraction for 'it is' or 'it has.'

22. Distinguish 'their,' 'there,' and 'they're.'

    'Their' = possessive; 'there' = place or existence; 'they're' = contraction of 'they are.'

23. What is an idiom error on the ACT, and give an example.

    An idiom error is an unconventional preposition/word pairing. Example: 'capable to' is wrong; the idiomatic form is 'capable of.'

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