Career upgrade: Learn practical AI skills for better jobs and higher pay.
Level up
PracticeVideosBlogFlashcardsEspañol
All Practice Exams

100+ Free ACT English Practice Questions

Pass your ACT English Section exam on the first try — instant access, no signup required.

✓ No registration✓ No credit card✓ No hidden fees✓ Start practicing immediately
100+ Questions
100% Free
1 / 100
Question 1
Score: 0/0

Read the following sentence and choose the best version of the underlined portion: "The scientist discovered, that the experiment had failed." The underlined portion is "discovered, that."

A
B
C
D
to track
Same family resources

Explore More ACT

Continue into nearby exams from the same family. Each card keeps practice questions, study guides, flashcards, videos, and articles in one place.

ACT

Practice Questions

ACT Math

Practice Questions

ACT Reading

Practice Questions

ACT Science

Practice Questions

ACT Writing (Essay)

Practice Questions
2026 Statistics

Key Facts: ACT English Exam

50 questions (40 scored)

ACT English section has 50 questions—40 operational and 10 unscored field-test items—per ACT Inc. (2025).

ACT Inc.

35 minutes

ACT English section time limit is 35 minutes (~42 seconds per question) in the Enhanced format since April 2025.

ACT Inc.

38–43% each

Production of Writing and Conventions of Standard English each account for 38–43% of ACT English questions in the Enhanced format.

ACT Inc. official test specs

1–36 scale

ACT English is scored on a 1–36 scale; it counts as one-third of the Enhanced ACT composite score.

ACT Inc.

~19.5 national average

The national average ACT English score is approximately 19–20 out of 36.

ACT Inc. national norms

The Enhanced ACT English section (introduced April 2025) contains 50 questions answered in 35 minutes—25 fewer questions and 10 fewer minutes than the previous format, giving students about 42 seconds per question compared to 36 seconds before. Of the 50 questions, 10 are unscored field-test items embedded throughout the section. Questions are distributed across three reporting categories: Production of Writing (38–43%), Knowledge of Language (18–23%), and Conventions of Standard English (38–43%). The section is scored on a 1–36 scale and accounts for one-third of the ACT composite score under the Enhanced format. Source: ACT Inc. official test specifications (2025–2026).

Sample ACT English Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your ACT English exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Read the following sentence and choose the best version of the underlined portion: "The students, who had studied all night, they were exhausted by the time the exam began." The underlined portion is "they were exhausted by the time the exam began."
A.they were exhausted by the time the exam began.
B.were exhausted by the time the exam began.
C.being exhausted by the time the exam began.
D.exhausted, by the time the exam began.
Explanation: The original sentence contains a double subject error: 'The students' is the subject, so adding 'they' creates redundancy. The correct version removes 'they' so the predicate 'were exhausted' follows directly from the subject 'The students.'
2Read the following sentence and choose the best version of the underlined portion: "Each of the competitors in the regional tournament are required to submit identification." The underlined portion is "are required."
A.are required
B.is required
C.were required
D.have been required
Explanation: The subject is 'Each,' which is singular and always takes a singular verb. Prepositional phrases like 'of the competitors in the regional tournament' are modifiers and do not change the verb number. Therefore, 'is required' is correct.
3Read the following sentence and choose the best version of the underlined portion: "Neither the coach nor the players was present at the press conference." The underlined portion is "was present."
A.was present
B.were present
C.has been present
D.are being present
Explanation: With 'neither…nor' constructions, the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. Since 'players' (plural) is closest to the verb, the correct form is 'were present.'
4Read the following sentence and choose the best version of the underlined portion: "The committee has not reached it's decision yet." The underlined portion is "it's decision."
A.it's decision
B.its decision
C.its' decision
D.their decision
Explanation: 'Its' (no apostrophe) is the possessive pronoun, meaning belonging to it. 'It's' (with apostrophe) is a contraction of 'it is.' The sentence calls for the possessive, so 'its decision' is correct.
5Read the following sentence and choose the best version of the underlined portion: "Running down the hill, the flowers looked beautiful to Maria." The underlined portion is "Running down the hill, the flowers looked beautiful to Maria."
A.Running down the hill, the flowers looked beautiful to Maria.
B.Running down the hill, Maria thought the flowers looked beautiful.
C.The flowers, running down the hill, looked beautiful to Maria.
D.Maria looked at the beautiful flowers, running down the hill.
Explanation: The original sentence has a dangling modifier: 'Running down the hill' appears to modify 'the flowers,' which cannot run. The participial phrase must immediately precede the noun it modifies—Maria. Option B correctly places Maria right after the comma.
6Read the following sentence and choose the best version of the underlined portion: "The scientist discovered, that the experiment had failed." The underlined portion is "discovered, that."
A.discovered, that
B.discovered that
C.discovered; that
D.discovered—that
Explanation: No comma should separate a verb from its direct object or object clause. 'That the experiment had failed' is the direct object clause of 'discovered,' so no punctuation should appear between them.
7Read the following passage excerpt and answer the question: "Over the past decade, urban farming has grown rapidly. Many city residents now grow vegetables on rooftops. These initiatives reduce food miles. [1] They also strengthen community bonds. [2] Furthermore, they provide fresh produce to food deserts." The writer wants to add a sentence at point [1] to best support the paragraph's development. Which addition is MOST relevant?
A.Urban farms require significant initial investment and ongoing maintenance costs.
B.In addition to environmental benefits, urban farming has tangible social advantages.
C.Rooftop gardens were first popularized in Germany in the 1970s.
D.Some cities offer tax incentives for property owners who install green roofs.
Explanation: The paragraph shifts from environmental benefits (reducing food miles) to social benefits (community bonds, food access). Option B acts as a signpost sentence that bridges these two categories of benefit, supporting the paragraph's logical development.
8Read the following passage excerpt and answer the question: "[A] The new transit line opened last spring. [B] Thousands of commuters now use it daily. [C] The line connects downtown to the suburbs. [D] Construction began five years ago after a lengthy environmental review." For the sake of the most logical paragraph organization, sentence [D] should be placed:
A.where it is now (after sentence C)
B.before sentence A
C.after sentence A
D.before sentence C
Explanation: The paragraph describes the transit line in roughly chronological order: background/origin → opening → current use → geographic scope. Sentence D about construction beginning five years ago is chronologically earliest and should come first to establish context before the opening.
9Read the following sentence and choose the best version of the underlined portion: "The hikers were tired, hungry, and they also felt cold." The underlined portion is "they also felt cold."
A.they also felt cold.
B.cold.
C.feeling cold.
D.they felt coldness.
Explanation: The list 'tired, hungry, and ___' requires parallel structure: all three adjectives should be in the same form. 'Cold' matches 'tired' and 'hungry' and is the most concise parallel option.
10Read the following sentence and choose the best version of the underlined portion: "The policy change affects not only the employees but also it has an effect on the customers." The underlined portion is "but also it has an effect on the customers."
A.but also it has an effect on the customers.
B.but also the customers.
C.but it also has effects on customers.
D.but also customers who are affected.
Explanation: 'Not only…but also' is a correlative conjunction requiring parallel structure. 'Not only the employees' (noun phrase) must be matched with 'but also the customers' (noun phrase). This is the most concise and parallel form.

About the ACT English Exam

The ACT English section is a 35-minute, 50-question multiple-choice test in which students act as editors revising short prose passages. Each question presents an underlined portion (or a question about the passage as a whole) with four answer choices. The section assesses three reporting categories: Production of Writing, Knowledge of Language, and Conventions of Standard English.

Questions

50 scored questions

Time Limit

35 minutes

Passing Score

Scored 1–36 (national average ~19.5)

Exam Fee

$68 national; $93 with optional Writing section; fee waivers available (ACT Inc.)

ACT English Exam Content Outline

38–43%

Production of Writing

Evaluate and revise passages for topic development, logical organization, effective transitions, and cohesive introductions and conclusions.

18–23%

Knowledge of Language

Choose precise, concise, and stylistically consistent language; eliminate redundancy and wordiness; maintain appropriate tone.

38–43%

Conventions of Standard English

Apply grammar, usage, punctuation, and sentence-structure rules including subject-verb agreement, pronoun case, parallel structure, apostrophes, commas, and semicolons.

How to Pass the ACT English Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: Scored 1–36 (national average ~19.5)
  • Exam length: 50 questions
  • Time limit: 35 minutes
  • Exam fee: $68 national; $93 with optional Writing section; fee waivers available

Keys to Passing

  • Complete 500+ practice questions
  • Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
  • Focus on highest-weighted sections
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

ACT English Study Tips from Top Performers

1Master the 'NO CHANGE' option: roughly one-quarter of all ACT English answers are the original sentence. Always read the sentence carefully before assuming something is wrong.
2Read each answer choice back into the passage, not just in isolation—context matters, especially for Production of Writing questions about transitions and sentence placement.
3For grammar questions, mentally cross out intervening phrases (commas, dashes, 'along with' phrases) to identify the true subject and check verb agreement.
4On concision questions, the shortest grammatically correct option is almost always right—the ACT rewards eliminating redundancy.
5Practice identifying the main idea of each paragraph before answering organization questions; understanding the paragraph's purpose makes it easier to evaluate whether a sentence belongs, where it goes, or whether a transition makes sense.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions are on the ACT English section?

The Enhanced ACT English section (2025–) has 50 questions total: 40 operational questions that count toward your score and 10 unscored field-test items that are embedded throughout and cannot be identified.

How long is the ACT English section?

The ACT English section is 35 minutes long, giving you approximately 42 seconds per question—about 6 more seconds per question than the previous 45-minute/75-question format.

What are the three reporting categories on the ACT English section?

The three reporting categories are: (1) Production of Writing (38–43%): organization, topic development, transitions; (2) Knowledge of Language (18–23%): word choice, concision, style; and (3) Conventions of Standard English (38–43%): grammar, punctuation, sentence structure.

What is a good ACT English score?

The national average ACT English score is approximately 19–20. A score of 24+ is generally considered above average; scores of 28+ are competitive for selective colleges; and 33+ places you in roughly the top 5% of test-takers.

How is the ACT English section formatted?

The section consists of passages (typically 4–6) with underlined portions or highlighted text. For each question, you choose the best revision from four options or answer a question about the passage's structure, purpose, or development. A question stem is now included with every question in the Enhanced ACT format.

What grammar rules appear most often on the ACT English section?

The most frequently tested grammar rules include: subject-verb agreement, pronoun case and antecedent agreement, parallel structure, comma usage (especially with appositives and non-restrictive clauses), apostrophes, run-on sentences and comma splices, dangling and misplaced modifiers, and adjective vs. adverb usage.