The 2025–26 Enhanced ACT: What Changed for the English Section
The ACT rolled out significant format changes starting in September 2025. The English section was reduced from 75 questions to 50 questions. The same core content is tested — grammar, usage, punctuation, and rhetorical skills — but the reduced question count means each question carries more scoring weight, and pacing has changed significantly.
Under the enhanced format, students have more time per question. Rather than approximately 36 seconds per question, the new 50-question English section runs for 35 minutes, yielding 42 seconds per question. For students who historically ran out of time, this is a meaningful improvement. For students who were already finishing early, the higher stakes per question demand tighter accuracy.
The test is now available in both online and paper-based formats. Online test-taking launched in April 2025 for national test dates. Starting September 2025, the changes applied to all students, including those taking the paper-based ACT. The Writing section remains optional, and experimental questions are now blended into the scored sections rather than appearing in a separate unscored section.
Understanding the Two Categories of ACT English Questions
Every ACT English question falls into one of two broad categories. Grammar and Usage questions test whether you can identify and correct errors in sentence construction, punctuation, verb agreement, pronoun usage, and word choice. Rhetorical Skills questions test whether you understand writing strategy: does this sentence belong here? Does this transition word fit? Does this paragraph stay on topic?
Grammar questions are rule-driven and learnable in a concentrated way. Rhetorical Skills questions require more reading fluency and judgment, but they also follow recognizable patterns. A well-prepared student learns to identify which category each question belongs to immediately — and applies a different approach to each.
High-Yield ACT English Grammar Rules: Quick Reference Table
| Rule Category | What the ACT Tests | Classic Error Example | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sentence Structure | Connecting independent clauses correctly; avoiding run-ons and comma splices | "She left early, she was tired." → Needs period, semicolon, or conjunction | Very High |
| Comma Usage | No comma between subject and verb; correct commas around nonessential clauses | "The bridge, built in 1910, was, demolished last year." → Extra comma before "demolished" | Very High |
| Subject-Verb Agreement | Singular/plural agreement, especially with prepositional phrases between subject and verb | "The list of requirements were updated." → Should be "was" | High |
| Pronoun Agreement | Pronoun must agree in number and case with its antecedent | "Each student must bring their ID." → Singular context requires "his or her" or rephrase | High |
| Apostrophes | Possessives vs. contractions; its/it's, their/they're, whose/who's | "The dog wagged it's tail." → Should be "its" (possessive, no apostrophe) | High |
| Verb Tense Consistency | Tense must not shift without reason within a passage | "He walked in and sits down." → Inconsistent tenses | Moderate–High |
| Modifier Placement | Descriptive phrases must be placed next to what they modify | "Running down the street, my keys fell out." → The keys weren't running | Moderate |
| Parallelism | Items in a list must use the same grammatical form | "She likes hiking, to swim, and reading." → Should be "hiking, swimming, and reading" | Moderate |
| Idioms and Prepositions | Correct verb + preposition pairings (no rule — must be learned by ear) | "She is responsible of the project." → "responsible for" | Moderate |
| Conciseness / Redundancy | Eliminate unnecessary words; shorter is almost always correct on ACT English | "The reason why she left was because she was tired." → "She left because she was tired." | High |
| Transitions | Choose transition words that match the logical relationship between ideas | Using "Furthermore" to introduce a contrasting idea instead of "However" | High |
| Tone Consistency | Word choice must match the formality level of the passage | Inserting "super cool" into a formal scientific passage | Moderate |
Top 10 ACT English Strategies (Ranked by Score Impact)
1. Learn to Identify "NO CHANGE" as a Real Option
One of the most counterintuitive facts about ACT English: "NO CHANGE" (Answer A or F) is correct more than 25% of the time it appears as an option. Many students assume that if a question is asked, something must be wrong. That assumption costs points. Always evaluate the original before deciding something needs to be fixed.
2. Read for Context, Not Just the Underlined Portion
ACT English presents passages in full paragraphs. Grammar errors and rhetorical problems almost always depend on surrounding context. Students who read only the underlined portion and the four answer choices miss critical subject-verb relationships, tense cues, and tone signals hiding in adjacent sentences.
3. Master Sentence Boundary Rules First
Questions about how to connect independent clauses — commas, semicolons, periods, conjunctions, and dashes — appear on almost every ACT English section. The fastest way to raise your score is to internalize the following hierarchy: a period or semicolon separates two complete sentences; a comma alone cannot join two complete sentences without a conjunction (FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so).
4. Apply the "Shortest Correct Answer" Rule
ACT English values conciseness. When two answer choices are both grammatically correct, the shorter one is usually the better answer. Redundant phrases like "in spite of the fact that" (instead of "although") and "at this point in time" (instead of "now") are reliably incorrect on this exam.
5. Build a Rhetorical Skills Playbook
For questions that ask "should the writer add this sentence?" or "which choice best accomplishes the writer's goal?", develop a repeatable approach. First, identify the purpose of the paragraph. Then ask: does this addition serve that purpose? Does it introduce information the passage has not established? Answers to rhetorical skills questions must be grounded in the passage, not in general logic.
6. Use Process of Elimination Aggressively
Even when you cannot identify the correct answer immediately, eliminating one or two clearly wrong choices dramatically improves your odds. On grammar questions, start by eliminating answers that contain obvious errors (comma splices, clear subject-verb disagreements) before comparing the remaining options.
7. Study Comma Rules as a System, Not as Individual Rules
Comma rules on the ACT form a coherent system. Commas set off nonessential clauses (those that can be removed without changing core meaning), separate items in a series, and precede coordinating conjunctions in compound sentences. Learning these three functions — rather than isolated comma rules — makes every comma question approachable.
8. Drill Pronoun Case with Compound Objects
The hardest pronoun questions involve compound subjects or objects. "Between Sarah and I" sounds correct to many students but is grammatically wrong ("between Sarah and me"). The test isolates these constructions precisely because natural speech makes them sound fine. A quick test: remove the other person and read the sentence alone. "Between I" immediately reveals the error.
9. Make StudyGuidesAI Your Personal Grammar Tutor
Every student has a distinct grammar profile — particular rules that click immediately and others that refuse to stick. StudyGuidesAI lets juniors upload their ACT practice results or specific grammar topics and generates a focused study guide targeting exactly those weak areas. Instead of re-reading an entire grammar chapter, you get a concentrated, structured review of the three or four rules most likely to cost you points.
10. Time Yourself on Full Sections, Then Analyze Errors by Category
Timed practice is essential but only useful if followed by error analysis. After each timed ACT English section, categorize every incorrect answer: was it a grammar error, a punctuation error, or a rhetorical skills error? Pattern recognition over multiple sessions reveals which rule category needs the most attention — and stops students from re-studying content they already know.
ACT English Practice Passage: What to Look For
ACT English passages span five broad topic areas: narrative, humanities, social science, natural science, and literary narrative. Each passage runs 300–500 words and contains 10 questions. The underlined portions and associated questions follow a deliberate pattern: early questions tend to focus on smaller grammatical details (commas, apostrophes, word choice), while later questions often involve paragraph organization and essay-level rhetorical decisions.
Approach each passage by reading the non-underlined portions as a coherent piece of writing. Understand what the paragraph is arguing or describing before attempting the questions. Rhetorical skills questions near the end of each passage — "would it be appropriate to add this paragraph here?" — require you to understand the whole passage's arc, not just one sentence.
Resources Ranked for ACT English Prep
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Official ACT Practice Test (Free PDF — act.org) The 2025–26 official ACT preparation booklet from act.org is the single closest simulation of the real exam. Every junior should complete at least one full practice test under timed conditions before any other prep resource.
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StudyGuidesAI — Personalized ACT English Guide (Free Trial) Upload your weakest grammar categories or a list of errors from your practice test. StudyGuidesAI generates a targeted grammar guide with rules, examples, and practice items for exactly those areas — far more efficient than rereading a full prep book chapter.
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PrepScholar's Complete ACT Grammar Guide (Free Online) One of the most thorough free grammar resources available, organized from most-tested to least-tested rules. Ideal for systematic review early in prep.
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Kaplan ACT Total Prep 2026 (Book + Online Access) Six full-length practice tests, 2,000+ questions, and extensive strategy sections. Best for students who want a comprehensive, structured book-based prep program alongside official practice tests.
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ACT English Practice Questions 2025–2026 by Vibrant Publishers (Amazon) 500+ passage-based practice questions in the enhanced ACT format with detailed explanations. Particularly useful for students who learn best from high-volume drilling.
Juniors: Build Your ACT English Guide in Under a Minute
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