🎒ACT Review

Usage questions on the ACT English section test whether you can apply the rules of standard English in sentence construction and word choice. These questions make up a significant portion of the English section, so understanding the core grammar rules here will directly boost your score. This guide covers the main concepts you'll encounter: agreement, modifiers, parts of speech, and idioms.

Conventions of Standard English: Usage Concepts to Know

Adjectives, Adverbs, Nouns, Pronouns, Verbs

Subject-verb agreement and pronoun agreement show up constantly in this section.

For subject-verb agreement, the verb must match the subject in number. A singular subject takes a singular verb; a plural subject takes a plural verb. The ACT loves to separate the subject from the verb with a long phrase to trip you up. Always find the actual subject before choosing the verb.

For pronoun agreement, the pronoun must clearly match its antecedent (the noun it replaces) in number and gender. If you can't clearly tell what noun a pronoun refers to, the correct answer will usually replace the pronoun with the specific noun.

Possessive pronouns don't have apostrophes, but pronoun contractions do. This distinction is one of the most frequently tested concepts on the ACT.

Possessive pronouns: your, their, its, whose
Pronoun contractions: you're (you are), they're (they are), it's (it is), who's (who is)

If you're unsure which form to use, try expanding the contraction. If "it is" makes sense in the sentence, use "it's." If not, use "its."

Adjectives describe nouns and pronouns. They answer questions like which one? or what kind?

Examples: happy, beautiful, tall, red

Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They answer questions like how?, when?, where?, or to what extent?

Examples: quickly, softly, very, extremely

A common ACT trick: using an adjective where an adverb is needed (or vice versa). If the word is modifying a verb, you need the adverb form. For instance, "She sang beautiful" is wrong because "beautiful" is modifying the verb "sang." The correct form is "She sang beautifully."

Modifiers

Comparative modifiers compare two things. They're usually followed by "than."

For most one-syllable words, add "-er" to the end.
- fast → faster, smooth → smoother
For most two-syllable words and all longer words, place "more" before the modifier.
- generous → more generous, beautiful → more beautiful
Irregular comparatives change to a different word entirely.
- good/well → better, bad/badly → worse

Superlative modifiers compare three or more things. They're often followed by "of."

For most one-syllable words and some two-syllable words, add "-est" to the end.
- happy → happiest, big → biggest
For most two-syllable words and all longer words, place "most" before the modifier.
- generous → most generous, beautiful → most beautiful
Irregular superlatives change to a different word entirely.
- good/well → best, bad/badly → worst

A key rule: never double up. "More faster" and "most happiest" are always wrong.

Idioms

Idioms appear on the ACT in two main forms: prepositional idioms and idioms involving gerunds and infinitives.

Prepositional idioms test whether you recognize the correct preposition paired with a specific word. There's no single rule for these; they just have to "sound right" based on standard usage.

outraged by, suspicious of, wonder about, capable of, rely on

The best way to prepare for these is to read widely. If a preposition in an answer choice sounds off, it probably is.

Gerund and infinitive idioms test whether a verb should appear in its gerund form (-ing) or infinitive form (to + verb) based on the word that precedes it.

"recommend" takes a gerund → recommend marinating
"decide" takes an infinitive → decide to leave
"consider" takes a gerund → consider applying

Certain verbs always pair with gerunds, others always pair with infinitives, and some can take either. When you see answer choices that differ only in gerund vs. infinitive form, focus on which construction the preceding verb requires.

Tips for Success

Understand the rules, don't just memorize them. You need to detect why something is wrong, not just recognize that it looks unfamiliar. On test day, you'll encounter sentences you've never seen before, so being able to reason through the grammar is more reliable than memorizing examples.

Read carefully and don't rush. These questions are genuinely tricky. A single word can change whether a sentence is correct or not. Read the full sentence (sometimes the surrounding sentences too) before choosing an answer. Rushing through usage questions is one of the fastest ways to lose easy points.

Pay attention to context. The ACT often tests whether you can pick the grammatically correct option that also fits the tone and meaning of the passage. Two answer choices might both be grammatically defensible, but only one fits the context. Always reread the sentence with your chosen answer plugged in to make sure it works.

Practice Questions

Practice Question 1

The committee members FILL BLANK already submitted their reports for review.

a) has b) have c) having d) is

Correct Answer: b) have. "Committee members" is a plural subject, so it needs a plural verb. "Has" and "is" are singular, and "having" isn't a complete verb here. The correct sentence reads: "The committee members have already submitted their reports for review." Strategy: find the subject, determine if it's singular or plural, then match the verb.

Practice Question 2

She plays the piano more skillful FILL BLANK her sister.

a) than b) as c) then d) too

Correct Answer: a) than. The sentence compares two people's skill levels, and comparisons use "than." Don't confuse "than" (comparison) with "then" (time/sequence). The correct sentence reads: "She plays the piano more skillfully than her sister." (Note: "skillful" should also be "skillfully" since it modifies the verb "plays," but the question is testing the comparison word.)

Practice Question 3

The movie was FILL BLANK reviewed by critics.

a) worse b) worst c) bad d) badly

Correct Answer: d) badly. Here, you need a word that modifies the verb "reviewed," which means you need an adverb. "Bad" is an adjective, so it can't modify a verb. "Worse" and "worst" are comparative and superlative forms that don't fit the sentence structure. The correct sentence reads: "The movie was badly reviewed by critics."

Practice Question 4

The chef recommended to marinate the chicken at least for an hour before grilling.

A) to marinate the chicken at least for an hour before grilling it. B) marinating the chicken at least for an hour before grilling. C) for marinating the chicken at least for an hour before grilling. D) marinate the chicken at least for an hour before grill.

Correct Answer: B) marinating the chicken at least for an hour before grilling. The verb "recommend" takes a gerund (the -ing form), not an infinitive. "Recommended to marinate" is not standard English; "recommended marinating" is correct. Option D also fails because "grill" isn't parallel with the gerund structure, and option C uses the wrong preposition.

🎒ACT Review