{"id":18975,"date":"2025-02-07T11:38:43","date_gmt":"2025-02-07T16:38:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/?p=18975"},"modified":"2025-11-05T15:41:58","modified_gmt":"2025-11-05T20:41:58","slug":"teaching-conventions-of-standard-english-on-the-act","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/news-blog\/teaching-conventions-of-standard-english-on-the-act\/","title":{"rendered":"Teaching Conventions of Standard English on the ACT\u00ae"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 data-w-id=\"83826ab7-59d3-c74b-d100-5e337ebe7d47\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;83826ab7-59d3-c74b-d100-5e337ebe7d47&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\"><strong data-w-id=\"74c0e4cf-4608-f1b2-0afa-c56975861090\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;74c0e4cf-4608-f1b2-0afa-c56975861090&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">Understanding the ACT\u00ae English Section<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p data-w-id=\"553bcff5-7541-aca9-08f7-fb62580791a6\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;553bcff5-7541-aca9-08f7-fb62580791a6&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/our-products\/act-prep\/\">The ACT\u00ae<\/a> English section is designed to test a student\u2019s ability to revise and edit written text. It consists of 75 multiple-choice questions to be completed in 45 minutes, divided across five passages. The questions assess three key areas:<\/p>\n<ul role=\"list\" data-w-id=\"f0a158e5-e489-978e-a97a-f8ce084315ac\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;f0a158e5-e489-978e-a97a-f8ce084315ac&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\">\n<li data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd10\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd10&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"ListItem\"><strong data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd11\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd11&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">Production of Writing (29\u201332%)<\/strong>: Focuses on rhetorical skills, such as organization and clarity.<\/li>\n<li data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd14\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd14&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"ListItem\"><strong data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd15\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd15&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">Knowledge of Language (15\u201317%)<\/strong>: Tests concise and precise word choices and style consistency.<\/li>\n<li data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd18\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd18&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"ListItem\"><strong data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd19\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd19&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">Conventions of Standard English (52\u201355%)<\/strong>: Evaluates grammar, usage, and mechanics.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dda8\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dda8&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Paragraph\">Since over half of the ACT\u00ae English questions focus on Conventions of Standard English, this subsection is crucial for improving a student\u2019s overall English score\u200b.<strong data-w-id=\"047e4d91-6b0b-3b65-2f6c-543be50fed5c\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;047e4d91-6b0b-3b65-2f6c-543be50fed5c&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">\u200d<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 data-w-id=\"fc7ffebc-17c6-5988-2d22-96e301b9957b\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;fc7ffebc-17c6-5988-2d22-96e301b9957b&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\"><strong data-w-id=\"55b98149-2096-03a4-e39c-7d6570da4f44\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;55b98149-2096-03a4-e39c-7d6570da4f44&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">What Is The Conventions of Standard English Section?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p data-w-id=\"c76cdb49-3ccf-ede6-c7f0-1d1180e15ccd\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;c76cdb49-3ccf-ede6-c7f0-1d1180e15ccd&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Paragraph\"><strong data-w-id=\"7a61f528-2648-cddf-36c2-81ffc96a5662\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;7a61f528-2648-cddf-36c2-81ffc96a5662&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">\u200d<\/strong>Conventions of Standard English questions test a student\u2019s ability to apply grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure rules. These questions ask students to identify errors and choose the best revisions to improve clarity and correctness in a passage\u200b.<br data-w-id=\"LineBreak\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;LineBreak&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" \/><br data-w-id=\"LineBreak\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;LineBreak&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" \/>\u200d<strong data-w-id=\"8addb145-a37f-27d3-f89e-abc87de56f00\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;8addb145-a37f-27d3-f89e-abc87de56f00&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">Three Key Question Types:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol role=\"list\" data-w-id=\"37413e1f-d7b0-f9f0-0de6-28bba85d9665\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;37413e1f-d7b0-f9f0-0de6-28bba85d9665&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\">\n<li data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd1c\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd1c&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"ListItem\"><strong data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd1d\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd1d&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">Sentence Structure and Formation<\/strong>: Tests understanding of sentence boundaries, parallelism, and clause relationships.<\/li>\n<li data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd20\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd20&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"ListItem\"><strong data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd21\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd21&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">Punctuation<\/strong>: Focuses on commas, apostrophes, semicolons, colons, and dashes.<\/li>\n<li data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd24\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd24&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"ListItem\"><strong data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd25\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd25&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">Usage<\/strong>: Covers subject-verb agreement, pronoun usage, and verb tense consistency\u200b.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3 data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dda4\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dda4&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\">\u200d<strong data-w-id=\"dcd48816-ccd1-5f03-604a-85e192c17f75\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;dcd48816-ccd1-5f03-604a-85e192c17f75&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">How to Approach This Section<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p data-w-id=\"00b9ddbd-2e8d-08f7-cb10-21c68a88e215\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;00b9ddbd-2e8d-08f7-cb10-21c68a88e215&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Paragraph\"><strong data-w-id=\"2c007831-a72b-4ed2-bc22-1570d88925bd\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;2c007831-a72b-4ed2-bc22-1570d88925bd&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">Timing Strategy:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul role=\"list\" data-w-id=\"0d4c3de9-5737-5731-ed10-63a2c30841af\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;0d4c3de9-5737-5731-ed10-63a2c30841af&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\">\n<li data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd28\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd28&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"ListItem\">The <strong data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd2a\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd2a&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">75 questions<\/strong> must be completed in <strong data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd2d\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd2d&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">45 minutes<\/strong>, giving about <strong data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd30\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd30&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">36 seconds per question<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd33\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd33&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"ListItem\">Since Conventions of Standard English makes up the majority of the section, students should <strong data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd35\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd35&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">aim to answer these questions quickly<\/strong> to save time for more complex rhetorical or organization-based questions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dda0\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dda0&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Paragraph\">\u200d<strong data-w-id=\"c19adda0-9a0e-0320-5c94-001e20ecd635\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;c19adda0-9a0e-0320-5c94-001e20ecd635&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">Test-Taking Tips:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul role=\"list\" data-w-id=\"78f1c8f5-9f87-5ecd-5210-9bf587bf7881\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;78f1c8f5-9f87-5ecd-5210-9bf587bf7881&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\">\n<li data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd38\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd38&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"ListItem\"><strong data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd39\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd39&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">Read beyond the underlined portion<\/strong> to understand the full sentence.<\/li>\n<li data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd3c\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd3c&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"ListItem\"><strong data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd3d\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd3d&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">Be cautious of \u201cNo Change\u201d answers<\/strong>: sometimes the best option is to leave the text as is, but always double-check.<\/li>\n<li data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd40\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd40&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"ListItem\"><strong data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd41\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd41&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">Look for subtle errors<\/strong>: one answer choice may fix one issue but introduce another.<\/li>\n<li data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd44\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd44&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"ListItem\"><strong data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd45\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd45&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">Don\u2019t overcomplicate<\/strong>: clarity and conciseness are key.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd9d\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd9d&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Paragraph\">\u200d<strong data-w-id=\"adcc3e41-870f-cdbc-d583-a851dc5078e1\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;adcc3e41-870f-cdbc-d583-a851dc5078e1&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">Key Grammar Rules to Teach<br data-w-id=\"LineBreak\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;LineBreak&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" \/>\u200d<\/strong>To succeed in this section, students should master:<\/p>\n<ol role=\"list\" data-w-id=\"034c42f4-abf1-f2ff-a1e1-83b8767aea4a\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;034c42f4-abf1-f2ff-a1e1-83b8767aea4a&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\">\n<li data-w-id=\"ac1489a3-5a95-5667-cbef-c3e29deee966\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;ac1489a3-5a95-5667-cbef-c3e29deee966&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"ListItem\"><strong data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd49\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd49&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">Sentence Structure &amp; Formation<\/strong> <br data-w-id=\"LineBreak\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;LineBreak&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" \/>\n<ul role=\"list\" data-w-id=\"829824d9-dc7e-cde8-cf24-a66dd41f051a\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;829824d9-dc7e-cde8-cf24-a66dd41f051a&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\">\n<li data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd4b\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd4b&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"ListItem\"><strong data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd4c\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd4c&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">Run-on sentences &amp; fragments<\/strong>: Ensure all sentences have a subject and verb and avoid comma splices.<\/li>\n<li data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd4f\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd4f&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"ListItem\"><strong data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd50\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd50&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">Parallelism<\/strong>: Items in a list or compound structures should match in form (e.g., \u201cShe enjoys running, swimming, and biking\u201d).<\/li>\n<li data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd53\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd53&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"ListItem\"><strong data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd54\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd54&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">Modifiers<\/strong>: Ensure descriptive phrases are placed correctly to avoid confusion.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li data-w-id=\"f670adda-7296-4934-137a-1e870c010930\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;f670adda-7296-4934-137a-1e870c010930&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"ListItem\"><strong data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd58\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd58&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">Punctuation<\/strong> <br data-w-id=\"LineBreak\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;LineBreak&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" \/>\n<ul role=\"list\" data-w-id=\"7f741080-7215-08dd-5f54-30276fd2cb03\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;7f741080-7215-08dd-5f54-30276fd2cb03&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\">\n<li data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd5a\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd5a&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"ListItem\"><strong data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd5b\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd5b&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">Commas<\/strong>: Used for lists, introductory elements, and setting off non-essential clauses.<\/li>\n<li data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd5e\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd5e&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"ListItem\"><strong data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd5f\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd5f&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">Semicolons<\/strong>: Connects two independent clauses without a conjunction.<\/li>\n<li data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd62\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd62&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"ListItem\"><strong data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd63\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd63&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">Apostrophes<\/strong>: Used for possessives and contractions (e.g., &#8220;the student&#8217;s book&#8221; vs. &#8220;the students&#8217; books&#8221;)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li data-w-id=\"0bc34cd3-8905-9508-6cd8-ec69402e304d\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;0bc34cd3-8905-9508-6cd8-ec69402e304d&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"ListItem\"><strong data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd67\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd67&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">Usage<\/strong> <br data-w-id=\"LineBreak\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;LineBreak&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" \/>\n<ul role=\"list\" data-w-id=\"55512cb6-c196-d36c-a2e4-9ddaa4354202\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;55512cb6-c196-d36c-a2e4-9ddaa4354202&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\">\n<li data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd69\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd69&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"ListItem\"><strong data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd6a\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd6a&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">Subject-verb agreement<\/strong>: Singular subjects take singular verbs; plural subjects take plural verbs.<\/li>\n<li data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd6d\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd6d&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"ListItem\"><strong data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd6e\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd6e&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">Pronoun-antecedent agreement<\/strong>: Pronouns must match the nouns they replace in number and gender.<\/li>\n<li data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd71\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd71&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"ListItem\"><strong data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd72\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd72&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">Verb tense consistency<\/strong>: Ensure verbs follow a logical sequence within a passage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2 data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd98\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd98&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\">\u200d<strong data-w-id=\"f61684d8-5771-385e-c22d-e19e6a25d943\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;f61684d8-5771-385e-c22d-e19e6a25d943&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">How to Teach Conventions of Standard English in the Classroom<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ol role=\"list\" data-w-id=\"12a84ede-50ac-9b25-cb9d-650ec820a444\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;12a84ede-50ac-9b25-cb9d-650ec820a444&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\">\n<li data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd75\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd75&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"ListItem\"><strong data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd76\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd76&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">Focus on Patterns Over Memorization<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd8e\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd8e&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Paragraph\">Instead of drilling individual rules, help students <strong data-w-id=\"0a7a1e31-910c-db23-742f-009c4c69ce24\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;0a7a1e31-910c-db23-742f-009c4c69ce24&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">recognize patterns<\/strong> in sentence structure and grammar. Use real ACT\u00ae-style passages so they see grammar in context.<\/p>\n<ol role=\"list\" start=\"2\" data-w-id=\"f0589f53-efa8-36cb-bbb1-fa97dcedb869\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;f0589f53-efa8-36cb-bbb1-fa97dcedb869&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\">\n<li data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd78\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd78&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"ListItem\"><strong data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd79\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd79&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">Use Sentence Correction Exercises<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd8c\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd8c&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Paragraph\">Provide short passages with intentional errors and have students identify and correct mistakes. This mimics the ACT\u00ae format and reinforces correct grammar usage.<\/p>\n<ol role=\"list\" start=\"3\" data-w-id=\"bb8cbdf2-7187-f1ce-c216-39cfca323d51\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;bb8cbdf2-7187-f1ce-c216-39cfca323d51&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\">\n<li data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd7b\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd7b&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"ListItem\"><strong data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd7c\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd7c&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">Teach Editing Skills<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd8a\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd8a&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Paragraph\">Have students edit each other\u2019s writing or revise sample ACT\u00ae passages. This encourages them to think like test editors and apply rules actively.<\/p>\n<ol role=\"list\" start=\"4\" data-w-id=\"f9d6edb9-566e-9000-0690-5fffa351b441\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;f9d6edb9-566e-9000-0690-5fffa351b441&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\">\n<li data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd7e\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd7e&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"ListItem\"><strong data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd7f\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd7f&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">Implement Timed Practice<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd88\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd88&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Paragraph\">Simulating ACT\u00ae timing conditions during practice sessions helps students build speed and confidence. Assign 10-question sets with a <strong data-w-id=\"65054e00-ba26-570a-e454-718648fdfaaa\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;65054e00-ba26-570a-e454-718648fdfaaa&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">6-minute limit<\/strong> to help students adjust to the time pressure.<\/p>\n<ol role=\"list\" start=\"5\" data-w-id=\"e33c884b-cf14-4d6c-c573-5ef97ddf4bf7\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;e33c884b-cf14-4d6c-c573-5ef97ddf4bf7&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\">\n<li data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd81\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd81&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"ListItem\"><strong data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd82\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd82&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">Use Multiple-Choice Grammar Drills<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd86\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd86&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Paragraph\">Since the ACT\u00ae tests grammar <strong data-w-id=\"58039a79-e6f3-3226-00a9-8e3aa588a57f\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;58039a79-e6f3-3226-00a9-8e3aa588a57f&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">in a multiple-choice format<\/strong>, provide grammar quizzes with <strong data-w-id=\"a8669f95-12b5-4402-9871-84b564b42975\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;a8669f95-12b5-4402-9871-84b564b42975&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Strong\">answer explanations<\/strong> to reinforce concepts.<br data-w-id=\"LineBreak\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;LineBreak&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" \/><br data-w-id=\"LineBreak\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;LineBreak&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" \/>Mastering Conventions of Standard English is one of the most effective ways to improve ACT\u00ae English scores. By focusing on sentence structure, punctuation, and usage, students can tackle over half of the questions with confidence. Teachers can reinforce these skills through practice passages, editing exercises, and timed drills, ensuring students are well-prepared for test day.<\/p>\n<p data-w-id=\"69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd86\" data-wf-id=\"[&quot;69f03dbd-9321-ba19-a7d6-4edcc752dd86&quot;]\" data-automation-id=\"dyn-item-rich-text-input\" data-palette=\"Paragraph\">Want more ACT\u00ae prep strategies? Get in touch below to explore Progress Learning\u2019s ACT\u00ae curriculum and benchmark assessments.<\/p>\n<script charset=\"utf-8\" type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"\/\/js.hsforms.net\/forms\/embed\/v2.js\"><\/script>\r\n<script>\r\n  hbspt.forms.create({\r\n    region: \"na1\",\r\n    portalId: \"23272034\",\r\n    formId: \"3bd16ddb-4120-40f2-ae04-334b789b41ff\"\r\n  });\r\n<\/script>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Understanding the ACT\u00ae English Section The ACT\u00ae English section is designed to test a student\u2019s ability to revise and edit written text. It consists of 75 multiple-choice questions to be completed in 45 minutes, divided across five passages. The questions assess three key areas: Production of Writing (29\u201332%): Focuses on rhetorical skills, such as organization [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":18976,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"Teaching Conventions of Standard English on the ACT\u00ae","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[308,15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18975","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-act","category-how-to"],"acf":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/HE-Blog-Teaching-Standard-English-Conventions-on-the-ACT.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18975","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18975"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18975\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18979,"href":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18975\/revisions\/18979"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18976"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18975"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18975"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18975"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}