ACT English+Reading Section tips

Hey, I’m taking ACT on April, I usually get 36 from math and science.
However my English and Reading scores are always below 24. plz share your tips how to get 30’s on the
English and reading section.
Thanks.

Personally, my scores are opposite of yours (R and E > M and S), but youre in good shape because english is probably the easiest to improve on. When I’m in the test, i usually go with what sounds best in my head, but as far as studying, some time in an act prep book english section should bode well for you. Reading wise, i would say is a little more difficult, because you have to read quickly and comprehend the text well. I love to read, so i typically can read fairly quick, to practice that all i can say is just read. For comprehension, i would look at a section in an act book to see what the test is looking for and try practicing looking for those traits.
Good Luck!

Thanks :slight_smile:

English - pick up a copy of Meltzer’s ACT English Book, it literally has every single grammar rule that you need to know along with a lot of practice. I got a 35 in English by just using this… https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-ACT-English-2nd/dp/1530072808

Reading - PRACTICE, PRACTICE , PRACTICE but practice smartly… if you’re practicing and realize that a certain strategy is not working for you then try a different strategy on a another passage. Also practicing smartly means to analyze your mistakes in much much detail.

Good Luck!

update: for essays look at past essays on ACT website that got 5s and 6s and try to emulate them by making templates out of them and looking at their structure and such.

I totally understand your struggle. When I first started out with the English I was constantly scoring in the 26-29 range which really hurt my self confidence. The same goes with the reading. I was never a veracious reader when I was kid so I always struggled with reading comprehension exams.

For English: LEARN THE CONTENT. SERIOUSLY. Go grab a prep book (I honestly loved the Princeton Review: Elite 36 for the content ONLY) and make flash cards. Really grasp the underlying knowledge. When you really feel like you got the concept down THEN move into practice tests. ONLY USE official practice tests NOT anything else. I got 34s and 35s constantly this way.

For Reading: I strongly recommend The Complete Guide to ACT Reading by Erica L. Meltzer http://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/the-complete-guide-to-act-reading-erica-l-meltzer/1122240482/2675627028904?st=PLA&sid=BNB_DRS_Marketplace+Shopping+Books_00000000&2sid=Google_&sourceId=PLGoP3840&k_clickid=3x3840 It boosted my scores to a low 20 to a constant 32. I seemed to reach 33 and 34s when I simply relaxed and read how I wanted to read. That meant reading the passage >3 minutes instead of under 2 minutes. This way I felt much more prepared for the questions. Also, try to pretend to seem interest in the passage’s content, it actual helps! Just play around and experiment with what method you like the best. Remember that this is your time to figure out what works best!

Best of luck, if you’re doing well in science and math then there’s nothing to worry about, you got this!

In english, always remember that the answer will be clear, consistent, and concise

I have been using the Barron’s book to get better at English; it is just over $10 on amazon. Many questions just require knowing grammar rules. An example is knowing that it is inappropriate to separate two dependent clauses with a semicolon. For the questions that ask something more complex like “which order should these sentences go in” or “what is a good introductory sentence”, I would suggest what @Bilbohistory said about seeing what sounds best in your head.