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The ACT does not ask you to name grammar rules. It asks you to pick the version of an underlined portion that is clear, correct, and concise. That means the fastest way to improve is to know a small set of high-frequency rules so well that you recognize the trap in each wrong answer. The eleven rules below cover the patterns that appear most often on the enhanced ACT English section. For the broader test format and timing, start with our enhanced ACT guide.
Comma rules
Comma questions are the most common convention items on ACT English. The same mark does different jobs, so the right answer depends on the structure around it.
Rule 1: Comma before a coordinating conjunction joining two independent clauses
When a coordinating conjunction — for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so — joins two independent clauses, place a comma before the conjunction. If the conjunction connects only words, phrases, or parts of a single clause, no comma is needed.
Correct example: The rehearsal ran late, so the actors missed their dinner break. (Two independent clauses are joined by "so," so the comma is required.)
Counterexample: The actors missed their dinner break, and complained to the director. This looks like two clauses joined by "and," but "complained to the director" has no subject; it is part of a compound predicate inside one clause, so no comma belongs before "and."
Question 1
Which choice correctly combines these two sentences into one compound sentence?
The forecast predicted rain. The game was not canceled.
- A. The forecast predicted rain, and the game was not canceled.
- B. The forecast predicted rain and the game was not canceled.
- C. The forecast predicted rain, the game was not canceled.
- D. The forecast predicted rain; and the game was not canceled.
Answer: A. Two independent clauses are joined by the coordinating conjunction "and," so the comma before "and" is correct. B omits the needed punctuation and creates a run-on. C is a comma splice — a comma alone cannot join two independent clauses. D incorrectly pairs a semicolon with a coordinating conjunction; use one or the other, not both.
Rule 2: Comma after an introductory element
Use a comma after an introductory word, phrase, or dependent clause that appears before the main independent clause.
Correct example: After the musicians tuned their instruments, the conductor raised her baton. (The comma separates the introductory dependent clause from the main clause.)
Counterexample: The conductor raised her baton, after the musicians tuned their instruments. The same words appear as in the correct example, but here the dependent clause comes at the end of the sentence, so no comma is needed.
Question 2
Which choice correctly punctuates the underlined portion?
Before the meeting begins the facilitator will distribute the agenda.
- A. NO CHANGE
- B. Before the meeting begins,
- C. Before the meeting begins;
- D. Before, the meeting begins
Answer: B. "Before the meeting begins" is an introductory dependent clause, so it needs a comma after it. A omits the comma. C uses a semicolon, which separates independent clauses, not a dependent clause from a main clause. D inserts a comma in the wrong place and changes the meaning.
Rule 3: No comma between a subject and its verb
A single comma should not separate a grammatical subject from its verb, even when the subject contains a long prepositional phrase or relative clause.
Correct example: The collection of essays published last year has won several awards. (The subject and verb are connected without interruption.)
Counterexample: The collection of essays published last year, has won several awards. A long subject can make a writer want to pause, but inserting a comma between the subject and the verb is never correct on the ACT.
Question 3
Which choice correctly punctuates the underlined portion?
The candidate who raised the most money won the primary election.
- A. NO CHANGE
- B. money, won
- C. money; won
- D. money: won
Answer: A. The subject "The candidate who raised the most money" must flow directly into its verb "won." B breaks that connection with a comma. C uses a semicolon where the second part is not an independent clause. D uses a colon, which introduces a list or explanation, not a verb.
Rule 4: Commas with nonessential and essential clauses
A nonessential clause adds extra information and is set off by commas; "which" usually introduces nonessential clauses. An essential clause limits or identifies the noun and is not set off by commas; "that" usually introduces essential clauses.
Correct example: My bicycle, which I bought three years ago, still rides smoothly. (Nonessential: "My bicycle" is already identified.) Correct example: The bicycle that has the broken seat needs repair. (Essential: the clause identifies which bicycle.)
Counterexample: The bicycle, that has the broken seat, needs repair. "That" signals an essential clause, so the commas incorrectly treat it as nonessential.
Question 4
Which choice correctly punctuates the underlined clause?
The recipe that calls for fresh basil is my grandmother's.
- A. NO CHANGE
- B. recipe, that calls for fresh basil,
- C. recipe, which calls for fresh basil,
- D. recipe which calls for fresh basil
Answer: A. "That calls for fresh basil" is an essential clause identifying which recipe, so it is not set off by commas. B incorrectly uses commas with "that." C uses "which" with commas, making the clause nonessential and implying the recipe is already identified without it. D uses "which" without commas, which is nonstandard for a restrictive clause on the ACT.
Rule 5: Conjunctive adverbs between independent clauses
When a conjunctive adverb such as "however," "therefore," "thus," "furthermore," or "nevertheless" joins two independent clauses, use a semicolon before the adverb and a comma after it.
Correct example: The experiment yielded no significant results; therefore, the researchers revised their hypothesis.
Counterexample: The experiment yielded no significant results, therefore, the researchers revised their hypothesis. The adverb does need commas around it, but a comma before "therefore" is not enough to join two independent clauses; the result is a comma splice.
Question 5
Which choice correctly punctuates the underlined portion?
The museum closed early however, visitors could still browse the gift shop.
- A. NO CHANGE
- B. early; however, visitors
- C. early, however visitors
- D. early, however; visitors
Answer: B. Two independent clauses are joined by the conjunctive adverb "however," so a semicolon precedes it and a comma follows it. A uses only a comma before "however," creating a comma splice. C omits the comma after "however." D places the semicolon after "however," which is nonstandard.
Apostrophes and possession
Rule 6: Apostrophes show possession or form contractions, not plurals
Use an apostrophe to show possession or to form a contraction. Do not use an apostrophe simply to make a noun plural. Possessive pronouns — its, hers, ours, yours, theirs — do not take apostrophes.
Correct example: The dog chased its tail. / The students' desks were arranged in a circle. / The student wrote a one-page essay.
Counterexample: The dog chased it's tail. The apostrophe looks like it marks possession, but "it's" is a contraction of "it is" or "it has." The possessive form is "its" with no apostrophe.
Question 6
Which choice uses the apostrophe correctly?
The committee released its final report to the board.
- A. NO CHANGE
- B. it's
- C. its'
- D. their
Answer: A. "Its" is the possessive pronoun for the singular noun "committee." B is a contraction, not a possessive. C is not a standard English form. D is plural and does not agree with the singular "committee."
Agreement
Agreement questions test whether a verb matches its subject or a pronoun matches its antecedent, especially when other words try to distract you.
Rule 7: Subject-verb agreement with intervening phrases
The verb must agree with the grammatical subject of the sentence, not with nouns that appear in prepositional phrases or other modifiers between the subject and the verb.
Correct example: The jar of cookies is hidden on the top shelf. (The singular subject "jar" takes the singular verb "is.")
Counterexample: The jar of cookies are hidden on the top shelf. The plural noun "cookies" sits right before the verb, but the subject is "jar," so the verb should be "is."
Question 7
Which choice maintains subject-verb agreement?
The group of volunteers arrive early every Saturday.
- A. NO CHANGE
- B. arrives
- C. are arriving
- D. have arrived
Answer: B. The singular subject "group" requires the singular verb "arrives." A, C, and D are all plural forms and do not agree with the subject.
Rule 8: Pronoun-antecedent agreement and clarity
A pronoun must agree with its antecedent in number, and it must be clear which noun the pronoun replaces.
Correct example: The athletes stretched their muscles before the race. / Maria told Juan that she would call him later.
Counterexample: When Sarah told Emma that she had won the debate, she smiled. Both Sarah and Emma are possible antecedents for "she," so the sentence is unclear.
Question 8
Which choice avoids the pronoun clarity error?
When the coach congratulated the captain, he presented the trophy.
- A. NO CHANGE
- B. the coach
- C. he or she
- D. him
Answer: B. "He" could refer to either the coach or the captain, so the sentence is ambiguous. Replacing the pronoun with the noun removes the ambiguity. C does not clarify which person presented the trophy. D uses an object pronoun where a subject is needed.
Modifiers and placement
Rule 9: Dangling and misplaced modifiers
A modifier should be placed next to the word it describes. If the word being modified is missing or too far away, the modifier dangles or is misplaced.
Correct example: Soaked by the sudden rain, the hikers hurried back to the trailhead. (The modifier describes the hikers.)
Counterexample: Soaked by the sudden rain, the trailhead seemed farther than usual. The modifier is meant to describe the hikers, but the sentence says the trailhead was soaked.
Question 9
Which choice corrects the dangling modifier?
Slipping on the icy sidewalk, the books fell from Ana's arms.
- A. NO CHANGE
- B. the books fell from Ana's arms
- C. Ana dropped the books
- D. Ana's arms dropped the books
Answer: C. "Slipping on the icy sidewalk" describes Ana, so Ana must be the subject of the main clause. A and B illogically describe the books. D illogically describes Ana's arms.
Parallel structure
Rule 10: Parallel structure in lists and comparisons
Items in a list or series, and the parts of a comparison, should use the same grammatical form.
Correct example: The applicants were judged on their writing, speaking, and problem-solving skills.
Counterexample: The applicants were judged on their writing, their ability to speak, and how well they solved problems. The list mixes a noun, a noun phrase, and a clause, so it is not parallel.
Question 10
Which choice maintains parallel structure?
The job requires someone who can type accurately, organize files, and taking phone calls.
- A. NO CHANGE
- B. takes phone calls
- C. take phone calls
- D. to take phone calls
Answer: C. The list uses bare infinitives — "type" and "organize" — so "take" is the parallel form. A uses a gerund, B uses a finite verb, and D uses a full infinitive; none match the existing pattern.
Concision and redundancy
Rule 11: Redundancy and wordiness
Choose the most concise phrasing that preserves the intended meaning. Avoid unnecessary repetition.
Correct example: Because it was raining, the picnic was canceled.
Counterexample: The reason the picnic was canceled was because it was raining. "The reason" and "because" both express causation, so using them together is redundant.
Question 11
Which choice best reduces wordiness without changing the meaning?
The reason we arrived late was because the train was delayed.
- A. NO CHANGE
- B. that the train was delayed
- C. due to the fact that the train was delayed
- D. because of the reason that the train was delayed
Answer: B. "The reason... was because" is redundant. "The reason... was that" is concise and idiomatic. C is wordy. D is both redundant and awkward.
Practice set
The questions below mix the rules above. Treat this as a mini-section: answer first, then read the rationale for every option.
Practice question 1
The orchestra of young musicians, along with their conductor, are preparing for the spring concert.
- A. NO CHANGE
- B. is preparing
- C. were preparing
- D. have been preparing
Answer: B. The subject is the singular "orchestra." The phrases "of young musicians" and "along with their conductor" are modifiers that do not change the number of the subject. A, C, and D are plural.
Practice question 2
The childrens artwork covered the hallway walls.
- A. NO CHANGE
- B. children's
- C. childrens'
- D. children'
Answer: B. "Children" is already plural; the possessive is formed by adding 's. A is not a word. C adds an apostrophe to a nonexistent plural. D omits the s needed for the irregular plural possessive.
Practice question 3
The hike was challenging, we reached the summit by noon.
- A. NO CHANGE
- B. challenging; we
- C. challenging, and, we
- D. challenging we
Answer: B. Two independent clauses are joined by only a comma in the original, creating a comma splice. A semicolon correctly joins them. C inserts an extra comma after "and." D creates a run-on.
Practice question 4
The job description emphasized leadership, communication, and to work well in teams.
- A. NO CHANGE
- B. working well in teams
- C. the ability to work well in teams
- D. teamwork
Answer: D. The list uses nouns — "leadership" and "communication" — so "teamwork" is the most concise and parallel choice. A is an infinitive phrase. B is a gerund phrase. C is wordy and still contains an infinitive.
How to study from this set
For each miss, name the rule and the trap. A wrong answer usually does one of three things: it applies the right rule to the wrong structure, it breaks agreement with a nearby distractor, or it is grammatically possible but wordier than the correct choice. When you can identify which trap you fell for, you know what to review. For timed section practice, use our free ACT practice hub; for a structured calendar, see our ACT study plan.
All facts in this article were verified against ACT's official publications on October 1–2, 2026.
References
- [1] ACT, Inc. (2026). The ACT Test — Test Overview. act.org. act.org
- [2] ACT, Inc. (2026). ACT English Test Tips. act.org. act.org
- [3] ACT, Inc. (2026). ACT Test Enhancements FAQs. act.org. act.org
- [4] ACT, Inc. (2026). Design Framework for the ACT Enhancements (R2519). act.org. act.org
- [5] ACT, Inc. (2026). Free ACT Practice Tests and Test Prep. act.org. act.org
Frequently asked questions
You do not need to memorize hundreds of rules. A focused set of about ten to twelve high-frequency patterns — commas, apostrophes, agreement, modifiers, parallel structure, concision, and transitions — covers the majority of Conventions of Standard English questions and supports many Production of Writing and Knowledge of Language items.
This article is a rule-by-rule reference with examples and counterexamples. The ACT English strategy guide covers passage-level workflow: how to read for purpose, test an edit against that purpose, and pace the section. Use the two together: strategy for how to take the section, this article for the mechanics behind individual questions.
Yes. The underlying grammar, usage, and punctuation skills are the same. What changed is the section length and timing: enhanced ACT English has 50 questions in 35 minutes, with 40 scored and 10 unscored field-test items.
Many distractors are designed to test whether you are reading the sentence structure, not just the sound. An answer may be grammatically acceptable in isolation but break the logic of the passage, create a comma splice, misplace a modifier, or be wordier than a competing option.
Read for purpose in 20-30 seconds first. Most grammar questions can be answered from the sentence containing the underlined portion, but rhetoric questions — transitions, relevance, best conclusion — require the whole passage. The strategy guide explains how to balance the two.
ACT's free test-prep page lists full-length enhanced-format practice tests with matching scoring keys. Always pair a form with its own key, because keys are form-specific. You can also start from PrepSolution's free ACT practice hub.
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