The Reading section of the ACT can become much easier if you learn to avoid some mistakes that are easy to make! Watch out for the following things in the Reading section: #1. Details Used Incorrectly: Answer choices using actual details from the passage in a way that does not correctly answer a question. #2. Made Up Details: Answer choices containing information simply not present in the passage. A character's name or a date may be thrown in to make the answer appear legitimate. The answer may sound like a valid choice, but, if the information is not supported by and/or present in the passage, it is not valid. #3. Partial Truths: Answer choices containing a variation on an actual detail found in the passage. If the detail is altered, even slightly, the answer choice is not going to be correct. #4. Exaggerations: This type of answer will often involve a character's opinion or the author's opinion. An incorrect answer might use a statement from a passage such as, "The men were a bit shorter than the others." to state that the author shows disdain for short people, which is obviously an exaggeration. #5. "EXCEPT" Questions: These questions ask you to select the one answer that is different from the others. If you have trouble determining which answer this is, try determining which three answers are all supported by the passage. The answer not selected is your correct answer.#6. Definition Questions: These questions will ask something like this: "In line 22, the term horrified most likely means:". Words can take on different meanings when used in different contexts, so the common definition of a word may not be the right answer. A quick way to check your answer is to replace the term in question with your answer choice and then read the sentence again to make sure it makes sense with the substitute term.
