ACT usage strategies
ACT English tests grammar, usage, and mechanics across 75 questions in 45 minutes. Usage questions cover subject-verb agreement, verb tense consistency, pronoun-antecedent agreement, and punctuation. These strategies cover checking subject-verb agreement first, maintaining tense consistency, and the trap of interrupting phrases that hide the true subject of the sentence.
The core principle
Check subject-verb agreement and tense consistency before anything else. The subject and verb must agree in number: a singular subject takes a singular verb, a plural subject takes a plural verb. The tense must match the time frame established by the surrounding sentences. For pronouns, the pronoun must agree with its antecedent in number and person. If the antecedent is singular, the pronoun is singular. If the antecedent is "each student," the correct pronoun is "he or she," not "they." For tense, if the passage describes events in the past, the verbs stay in the past tense unless a sentence explicitly shifts the time frame. Spot-check the underlined portions against these two rules before considering the answer choices.
The most common trap
Interrupting phrases that hide the true subject
The sentence reads "The collection of rare coins, along with several medals, are on display." You match the verb "are" to "several medals" because it is the closest noun. The true subject is "collection," which is singular, so the verb must be "is." Phrases set off by commas (along with, as well as, in addition to) are interrupting phrases, not part of the subject. The answer choices include "are" because the test writers know students match the verb to the nearest noun. Cross out the interrupting phrase mentally and check agreement with the real subject.
Step-by-step strategy
When to use: any underlined portion that contains a verb, a pronoun, or a punctuation mark.
- 1Find the subject of the sentence. Cross out any interrupting phrase between the subject and the verb. Check that the subject and verb agree in number.
- 2Check the verb tense. Does it match the time frame of the surrounding sentences? If the passage is in the past tense, a present-tense verb in the underlined portion is likely wrong.
- 3If the underlined portion contains a pronoun, find its antecedent. Check that they agree in number and person.
- 4If the underlined portion contains punctuation, check whether it separates two independent clauses (needs a comma plus conjunction, a semicolon, or a period) or sets off a nonessential element (needs paired commas or dashes).
- 5Choose the answer that fixes the error without introducing a new one. If no error exists, select "NO CHANGE."
When not to use: when the underlined portion tests organization or rhetorical strategy rather than grammar. Use the organization strategy instead.
Related pages
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