ACT English Grammar Guide: 5 Fixes to Boost Your Score Fast
Raj stared at his practice test, pen hovering over question 14. He'd gotten 38 out of 40 right on the math section, but the English test? He bombed it. Hard. He kept thinking, "It's just grammar. I speak English. How hard can it be?" Turns out, really hard. Because ACT English isn't testing whether you can speak; it's testing whether you can follow a rigid set of arbitrary rules faster than you can think.
I've watched thousands of students make this exact mistake. They treat the ACT English section like a creative writing workshop. They want to sound "smart" or "flowy." But the test doesn't care about your flow. It cares about conciseness, punctuation logic, and standard usage. If you're guessing based on what sounds good, you're losing points. And honestly? It's infuriating to watch.
So, let's fix this. Here is the thing: you don't need to memorize a dictionary. You need a system. A simple, brutal, effective system. I'm going to walk you through five core fixes that cover 90% of the questions you'll see. Master these, and you'll stop guessing. You'll start knowing.
Fix 1: The Comma Splice Trap
This is the most common error I see. Students love commas. They use them everywhere. But on the ACT, a comma alone cannot join two independent clauses. That's a rule. A hard rule. If you have two complete sentences, you need a period, a semicolon, or a conjunction (FANBOYS: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So).
Let's look at a quick example. Imagine you see this sentence:
"The sun was shining, we decided to go for a hike."
It looks fine, right? It flows well. But it's wrong. "The sun was shining" is a complete thought. "We decided to go for a hike" is also a complete thought. You can't glue them with just a comma.
Correct Options:
1. "The sun was shining. We decided to go for a hike." (Period)
2. "The sun was shining; we decided to go for a hike." (Semicolon)
3. "The sun was shining, so we decided to go for a hike." (Conjunction)
If the answer choices offer a period or a semicolon, pick one. If they offer a conjunction, check if it makes logical sense. If none of those are there, look for a way to make one clause dependent (e.g., "Because the sun was shining...").
Don't @ me on this one. It's basic syntax. But students miss it because they're rushing. Slow down. Check for two subjects and two verbs. If you find them, run away from the comma.
Fix 2: The Redundancy Rule
The ACT loves conciseness. If a word doesn't add new information, it's probably wrong. This is huge. You'll see questions where an answer choice repeats something already stated in the sentence.
For instance:
"The final conclusion of the report was that the data was conclusive."
Look at that. "Final conclusion" is redundant. A conclusion is always final. "Data was conclusive" is also redundant if you already said it was a final conclusion. It's wordy. It's ugly. And it's wrong.
Better Option:
"The report concluded that the data was conclusive."
See the difference? It's tighter. It's clearer. The ACT rewards clarity. If you see an option that says "the reason is because," cross it out immediately. "Reason" and "because" do the same job. Pick one. "The reason is that..." or "...because..."
I used to think redundancy was just a style preference --- turns out I was wrong. It's a scoring criterion. Every extra word that doesn't add meaning is a potential trap.
Fix 3: Subject-Verb Agreement (The Distance Trick)
Sometimes the subject and verb are far apart. Really far apart. And students get distracted by the stuff in between. They hear the plural noun near the verb and pick the plural verb. Wrong.
Find the true subject. Ignore the noise.
Example:
"The box of old, dusty textbooks, along with several broken chairs, sits in the corner."
What's the subject? "Box." Singular. "Textbooks" is plural, but it's inside a prepositional phrase ("of old..."). Prepositional phrases don't change the number of the subject. "Along with..." is also a distractor. It's not a conjunction like "and." It doesn't make the subject plural.
So, the verb must be singular: "sits."
If you see "along with," "as well as," "together with," or "in addition to," ignore everything between them and the verb. Look back at the main subject. Does it match? If not, pick the singular/plural form that agrees with the main subject.
It's tricky. But once you spot the pattern, it's easy.
Fix 4: Pronoun Clarity
Pronouns are lazy. They replace nouns. But on the ACT, they must be crystal clear. If a pronoun could refer to two different things, it's ambiguous. And ambiguous pronouns are wrong.
Look at this:
"John told Mark that he failed the test."
Who failed? John? Mark? We don't know. "He" is unclear.
Correct Option:
"John told Mark that Mark had failed the test."
Or rephrase to avoid the ambiguity entirely. "Mark failed the test, John told him."
Also, watch out for vague "it" or "this." "This" must refer to a specific noun, not an entire idea (unless it's "this fact" or "this situation").
If you see a pronoun and you have to squint to figure out what it refers to, that's your clue. The answer is likely wrong.
Fix 5: Apostrophes vs. Plurals
This one is simple, but people mess it up. Apostrophes show possession. They do not show plurals.
"The dogs tails were wagging." -> Wrong.
"The dogs' tails were wagging." -> Correct (plural possessive).
"The company's profits increased." -> Correct (singular possessive).
"The companies profits increased." -> Wrong (missing apostrophe).
"If you see an apostrophe in a plural noun, it's almost certainly wrong." Exception: "y'all," "rock 'n' roll." But those aren't on the ACT.
Keep it simple. Possession needs an apostrophe. Plurals do not. Ever.
Worked Example 1: Punctuation Logic
Passage:
"The experiment yielded unexpected results; however, the team remained optimistic. They knew that further analysis was necessary."
Question:
Is the punctuation correct?
A) YES
B) Change ";" to ","
C) Change ";" to "."
D) Remove "however"
Solution:
Step 1: Identify the clauses. "The experiment yielded unexpected results" is independent. "The team remained optimistic" is independent.
Step 2: Check the connector. "However" is a conjunctive adverb, not a coordinating conjunction (like "but").
Step 3: Apply the rule. Independent clauses joined by a conjunctive adverb need a semicolon before and a comma after. "; however," is correct.
Step 4: Verify. The second sentence is separate. No issue there.
Answer: A) YES
Pitfall Summary: Students often try to "fix" correct punctuation because they're paranoid. If it looks weird, check the rule. Semicolon + however + comma is a classic correct structure. Don't touch it.
Worked Example 2: Conciseness & Redundancy
Passage:
"In my opinion, I think that the book is quite good."
Question:
Choose the best revision.
A) NO CHANGE
B) I think that the book is good.
C) The book is good.
D) In my opinion, the book is quite good.
Solution:
Step 1: Spot redundancy. "In my opinion" and "I think" mean the same thing. Pick one.
Step 2: Check for fluff. "Quite" is weak. "Good" is sufficient.
Step 3: Evaluate options.
A) Redundant.
B) Still has "I think." Better, but C is tighter.
C) Removes all fluff. Direct. Strong.
D) Keeps "In my opinion." Okay, but C is more concise.
Answer: C) The book is good.
Pitfall Summary: Students cling to "I think" because it feels polite. But the ACT hates politeness. It wants efficiency. Cut the filler.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Should I memorize all the grammar rules?
A) No. You don't need to memorize obscure rules like "use 'whom' correctly in archaic contexts." Focus on the big five: punctuation, subject-verb agreement, pronouns, conciseness, and usage. These cover 95% of questions. Memorizing random rules will just confuse you. Stick to the patterns.
Q2: How much time should I spend per question?
A) About 45 seconds. If you're stuck longer, guess and move on. You can come back if you have time. But usually, you won't. The test is designed to be fast-paced. Trust your gut on the easy ones. Flag the hard ones. Don't let one question tank your whole section.
Q3: Is "that" or "which" important?
A) Yes. "That" introduces restrictive clauses (essential info). "Which" introduces non-restrictive clauses (extra info, set off by commas). If the clause is essential to the meaning, use "that" (no comma). If it's extra, use "which" (with commas). Simple.
Q4: What if I don't know the rule?
A) Read the sentence aloud. Does it sound wrong? Usually, yes. If two options sound similar, look for the shorter one. Conciseness wins. Also, check for obvious errors like comma splices. Eliminate the wrong ones. Guess from the remaining.
Q5: Can I use a grammar app during the test?
A) Obviously not. But practicing with apps that explain why an answer is wrong can help. Look for apps that break down the rule, not just give the answer. Understanding the logic is key.
Q6: How many questions are in the ACT English section?
A) 75 questions in 45 minutes. That's roughly 36 seconds per question. Fast. Very fast. Practice under timed conditions. Speed comes from familiarity. The more you see the patterns, the faster you get.
Disclaimer: This is independently written educational content. Not endorsed by ACT or any official body. Example questions are rewritten for teaching. Always refer to official guides.
God, I hope this helps. You've got this. Just remember: concise, clear, correct. Nothing else matters.