AccelePrep for the ACT Test 2nd Edition Student Text

50 • S URGE TO S UCCESS ! E NGLISH T EST P REP

STRATEGY AND ORGANIZATION

Strategy questions ask you about the author’s development of the passage. Three key Strategy questions ask you to think about the structure of the author's argument: 1. Appropriate Supporting Material 2. Effective Transitional Sentences 3. Main Idea

TEST SPECS Of all the Strategy questions on the test, questions involving supporting material, transitional sentences, and main idea appear most frequently.

APPROPRIATE SUPPORTING MATERIAL

Effective development of an essay depends largely on the appropriateness of the materials presented in the essay. Extraneous or irrelevant information distracts the reader from the main purpose of the essay and decreases the readability and effectiveness of a composition. Each sentence and paragraph functions to develop an essay; therefore, ‹– ‹• ‹’‘”–ƒ– –‘ ϐ‹† ƒ ƒ•™‡”…Š‘‹…‡ –Šƒ– ‹•…‘””‡…– ‹ –Š‡…‘–‡š– ‘ˆ the paragraph or the essay. When confronted with items that ask about –Š‡ ƒ††‹–‹‘ ‘” ”‡˜‹•‹‘ ‘ˆ ƒ’’”‘’”‹ƒ–‡ ƒ–‡”‹ƒŽǡ ϐ‹”•– ‹†‡–‹ˆ› –Š‡ ‘˜‡”ƒŽŽ idea of the selected portion, and then determine whether an addition or revision is in order. You should be familiar with some of the strategies writers use to support their claims: • providing an interpretation of a statement • clarifying a general statement with examples • furthering an argument with information and logical reasoning • quoting an expert on the issue Understanding these strategies will help you quickly identify the purpose of supporting material and evaluate the appropriateness of the strategy in the context of the selection.

PACING TIP The English Test includes ϐ‹˜‡ ˆ—ŽŽǦŽ‡‰–Š ’ƒ••ƒ‰‡•Ǥ Remember to read for comprehension as you answer the items so that you don't have to go back and re- read the passage when you get to a Strategy question.