Instructions for the English Test
You should learn the instructions for the English Test
long before you arrive at the test center. In fact, your first step
in preparing for the ACT should be learning the instructions for
all four Subject Tests. On the actual test, the Subject Test instructions
are time-consuming obstacles, which you can remove by learning them
in advance. You can also benefit from them while you study because
they contain valuable information about ACT questions and how to
answer them.
At the start of each chapter on an individual
Subject Test, we’ve given you a complete summary of the Subject
Test instructions. Read through each set of instructions several
times until you know them all like the back of your hand. The English
Test instructions are particularly long, so you’ll save yourself
time on the test by learning them now.
Instructions: There
are five passages on this subject test. You should read each passage
once before answering the questions on it. In order to answer correctly,
you may need to read several sentences beyond the question.
There are two question formats within the
passages. In one format, you will find words and phrases that have
been underlined and assigned numbers. These numbers will correspond
with sets of alternative words/phrases, given in the right-hand
column of the test booklet. From the sets of alternatives, choose
the answer choice that works best in context, keeping in mind whether
it employs standard written English, whether it gets across the
idea of the section, and whether it suits the tone and style of
the passage. You will usually be offered the option “NO CHANGE,”
which you should choose if you think the version found in the passage
is best.
In the second format, you will see boxed
numbers referring to sections of the passage or to the passage as
a whole. In the right-hand column, you will be asked questions about
or given alternatives for the sections marked by the boxes. Choose
the answer choice that best answers the question or completes the section.
After choosing your answer choice, fill
in the corresponding bubble on the answer sheet. |
These instructions will seem much clearer to you after
you’ve seen the sample English Test questions in the following sections.
