ACT Writing Question and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which revision best improves the clarity of this sentence: 'The teacher she gave us a lot of homework it was hard'?
- The teacher gave us a great deal of difficult homework. (Correct answer)
- The teacher, she gave us homework that was hard and a lot.
- She gave us a lot of homework that was hard, the teacher did.
- There was a lot of hard homework given by the teacher she.
Correct answer: The teacher gave us a great deal of difficult homework.
The original sentence contains a double subject ('The teacher she') and is a run-on. The best revision uses clear subject-verb structure and proper coordination or subordination. 'The teacher gave us difficult homework' is concise and grammatically correct.
Question 2: In an ACT essay, a student writes: 'Some people think technology is good. Other people think it is bad.' What is the most effective way to improve this passage?
- While technology offers significant benefits such as improved communication, it also poses risks including information overload and privacy concerns. (Correct answer)
- Technology is good because it helps people. It is also bad sometimes.
- Many people have many different opinions about technology in today's world.
- Technology is a very important topic that affects everyone in many ways.
Correct answer: While technology offers significant benefits such as improved communication, it also poses risks including information overload and privacy concerns.
Effective ACT essay writing requires nuanced claims with specific reasoning. The original is too vague and presents a false binary. The best revision acknowledges complexity and sets up a clear analytical perspective that can be developed with evidence and examples.
Question 3: Which transitional phrase best connects these two ideas: 'Social media allows instant communication. _____, it can contribute to feelings of isolation.'
- However (Correct answer)
- Therefore
- Similarly
- In addition
Correct answer: However
The two sentences present a contrasting relationship — a benefit followed by a drawback. 'However' is the appropriate adversative conjunction to signal this contrast. 'Therefore' implies causation, 'Similarly' implies similarity, and 'In addition' implies adding a related point.
Question 4: An ACT essay prompt asks students to evaluate three perspectives on mandatory community service for high school graduation. What should the essay's thesis do?
- State a clear position and explain why it is most reasonable in light of the perspectives (Correct answer)
- Summarize all three perspectives without taking a side
- Agree with whichever perspective seems most popular
- Restate the prompt question as a rhetorical question
Correct answer: State a clear position and explain why it is most reasonable in light of the perspectives
ACT Writing essays require a clear, specific thesis that takes a position and explains the reasoning. The thesis should address the issue directly, acknowledge the perspectives, and articulate a nuanced stance. Merely summarizing perspectives without taking a position receives a lower score.
Question 5: Which sentence uses the most precise and varied vocabulary appropriate for an ACT Writing essay?
- Mandating community service can cultivate civic responsibility among students who might otherwise remain disengaged from their communities. (Correct answer)
- Making students do community service can make them more responsible citizens who care about their communities.
- Students should definitely do community service because it is good and makes them better people.
- Community service is very important and all students should have to do it always.
Correct answer: Mandating community service can cultivate civic responsibility among students who might otherwise remain disengaged from their communities.
ACT essays are scored on language use, including word choice and sentence variety. The best answer uses precise vocabulary ('mandate,' 'cultivate') and complex sentence structure without being unnecessarily verbose or awkward.
Question 6: A student's ACT essay concludes: 'In conclusion, as I stated above, community service is good.' What is the primary weakness of this conclusion?
- It merely repeats the thesis without synthesizing or broadening the argument's significance. (Correct answer)
- It introduces too many new ideas that were not in the essay.
- It is too long and should be shortened to one word.
- It uses a transitional phrase, which is inappropriate in conclusions.
Correct answer: It merely repeats the thesis without synthesizing or broadening the argument's significance.
Effective conclusions should synthesize the argument, restate the thesis in new language, and broaden the significance — not merely repeat what was already said. Using 'as I stated above' is redundant, and 'is good' is too vague to demonstrate the analytical thinking ACT scorers reward.
ACT Writing Question and Answers
Which revision best improves the clarity of this sentence: 'The teacher she gave us a lot of homework it was hard'?