The ACT English section (75 minutes, 75 questions) tests grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and rhetoric through passages. It's required and scored on a scale of 1-36. The optional Writing test is a separate 40-minute essay where you analyze an argument and take a position—it's scored separately and not included in your composite ACT score. Most colleges don't require it anymore, but some competitive programs may ask for it. A tutor can help you decide whether to take the Writing test and prepare you for whichever sections align with your college goals.

Timing is one of the biggest challenges on ACT English—you have roughly 45 seconds per question. The best approach is to read the passage quickly for overall meaning, then focus on the specific sentences with underlined portions rather than rereading everything. Many students waste time by over-thinking questions; learning to trust your instincts on grammar and eliminating wrong answers quickly makes a huge difference. A tutor can teach you efficient reading strategies, help you practice under timed conditions, and show you which questions to prioritize so you don't get stuck on difficult ones.

Students for students in Queens typically struggle most with comma usage (knowing when commas are needed vs. wrong), pronoun-antecedent agreement, subject-verb agreement, and sentence fragments. You'll also see questions testing semicolon and dash usage, verb tense consistency, and wordiness. The ACT often tests grammar rules in tricky contexts where the sentence sounds right even though it's technically incorrect—which is why test-taking strategy matters as much as grammar knowledge. A tutor can review which grammar concepts trip you up most and teach you how to spot these errors quickly during the test.

Take full-length ACT practice tests under timed conditions to build stamina and identify patterns in your mistakes. After each test, spend time reviewing every question you missed or guessed on—not just the ones you got wrong, but also questions you got right by luck. Look for trends: Are you making the same grammar mistakes? Running out of time? Missing certain question types? This analysis is where real improvement happens. A tutor can help you interpret your practice test results, prioritize which skills to focus on, and create a study schedule that spaces out practice tests and targeted skill-building sessions for maximum retention.

About 20-25% of ACT English questions test rhetorical skills and reading comprehension—asking you to identify the purpose of a phrase, choose the best word for tone, or understand how ideas connect. These questions can't be answered by grammar rules alone; you need to understand what the author is trying to communicate. The tricky part is that the passage context matters, so skimming too quickly can cause you to miss these questions. A tutor can teach you how to read efficiently for meaning, annotate strategically, and answer rhetorical questions by understanding author intent rather than just picking the "correct sounding" option.

Test anxiety often comes from feeling unprepared or uncertain about pacing—so the best defense is consistent practice and confidence in your skills. Timed practice tests help you become comfortable with the pressure, and a tutor can teach you techniques like taking a few deep breaths if you feel stuck, moving past difficult questions instead of panicking, and building positive self-talk. It also helps to go into test day knowing your weaknesses aren't deal-breakers: even top scorers skip hard questions sometimes. Working with a tutor builds confidence through targeted skill-building and realistic practice scenarios that make the actual test feel familiar.