Vocabulary

Vocabulary is one of the biggest obstacles to a perfect score on the ACT English section. It matters a lot, and it’s also one of the hardest things for tutors (or anyone else) to “teach” quickly.

One major reason is that many students don’t read as much as students did 15-20 years ago. It’s easy to rely on shortcuts online instead of doing sustained reading, but regular reading is one of the best ways to build vocabulary.

Sometimes students avoid reading out of laziness, but often it’s simply a time issue. Many students are balancing a demanding course load with extracurriculars - sports, church, AP classes, test prep, and (if there’s time) a social life. It’s a lot to manage.

Even so, it’s worth knowing this: students who read regularly tend to struggle the least with ACT English vocabulary.

But even if you’re not an avid reader, there’s still a strategy you can use.

First, check out the chapter on Commonly confused words. That’s a solid place to start.

Next, remember this: When you are taking the ACT exam, do not spend much time on vocabulary questions.

You either know the word or you don’t - you’re not going to learn a new definition during the test. If you get a vocabulary question and you don’t know the word, follow these steps:

1. Read the question. If you don’t know the word, look at the answer choices.
2. Eliminate the wrong answers that don’t make sense.
3. Quickly pick one of the remaining choices. If you dwell on it, you’ll lose time without improving your chances of getting it right.

Avoid the “hard words” trap!

Students often choose an answer just because it looks “advanced” or unfamiliar. This can happen even when you do know the word in the question and you also know the word that is actually correct.

The thinking often goes like this: “This answer seems right, but it’s not what I expected. This other word I don’t know might be MORE right…” So they pick the unknown word.

Don’t fall into that trap. If one answer choice clearly works, choose it over a word you don’t know. The ACT often includes difficult words as tempting distractors.

Complicated doesn’t mean correct. Don’t let an exotic, fancy word you don’t know pull you away from a simpler choice that fits.

Sometimes students avoid reading out of laziness, but not always. Some students have a host of extracurriculars to manage on top of an already challenging course load. Managing sports, church, AP Classes, test prep, and maybe, just maybe, carving out some time for your social life. It’s a tedious balancing act.

We get it. Sometimes life is just too busy to read books. However, avid readers struggle the least with this section of the ACT.

But even if you’re not an avid reader, there’s hope!

There is some strategy we can apply. First, check out the chapter on Commonly confused words. That’s a place to start.

Next, note this: do not spend much time on vocabulary questions.

You either know it or you don’t; you’re not suddenly going to learn what a word means. Follow the following steps if you get a vocabulary question and you don’t know the word:

1. Look at the question, if you don’t know the word, look at the answer choices.
2. Eliminate the wrong answers that don’t make sense
3. Quickly pick one of the remaining ones for your answer choice. If you dwell on it, you’re only losing time without increasing the chance you get the answer choice.

Avoid the “hard words” trap!

For whatever reason, students often select words they don’t know as an answer choice. This happens even when they DO know what the word in the question means, and they also know the word that is the correct answer choice.

The thinking appears to be something like, “Well, this one answer may be right, but it’s not what I expected. This other word I don’t know might be MORE right…” so they pick it. Don’t fall into this trap. If one of the answer choices appears to work, pick it over a word you don’t know. The ACT likes to give really difficult words as answer choices just to tempt you.

Complicated doesn’t mean correct. So, don’t get tempted into choosing exotic, fancy words you don’t know.