Knowledge of Language
Precise word choice, concise wording and a consistent style and tone.
What it tests
Knowledge of Language questions check whether writing is precise, concise, and consistent in tone. Usually every choice is grammatically fine — the right one says exactly what the writer means, without wasted words, in a style that fits the essay.
How it shows up
- The English test is 50 questions in 35 minutes — about 40 seconds per question — spread over several short essays. Each question points at an underlined part of the essay (or a numbered box) and gives four choices.
- Knowledge of Language is the smallest English category, but these questions are some of the quickest to answer once you know the patterns.
- Typical forms: a wordy or redundant underlined phrase, often with a choice to OMIT it; “Which choice is most precise?”; “Which choice is most consistent with the tone of the essay?”; or combining two short sentences.
Key rules & concepts
The content you actually need to know.
Concision: cut the redundancy
- Don’t say the same thing twice: “6 a.m. in the morning,” “return back,” “each and every,” “new innovation,” “past history,” “the reason is because.”
- The repeated idea may be in the SAME sentence or the one right before it — check both.
- If deleting the underlined part loses no meaning and leaves a correct sentence, “OMIT the underlined portion” is the answer.
- Swap wordy phrases for short ones: “due to the fact that” → because; “at this point in time” → now; “in the event that” → if.
The meeting started at 7 p.m. in the evening.
The meeting started at 7 p.m.
Due to the fact that it rained, the game was canceled.
Because it rained, the game was canceled.
Precision: the exact word
- Vague words (things, stuff, a lot, changed, did something) are usually wrong when a specific word fits.
- Watch connotation: “stubborn” and “determined” both mean not giving up, but one is negative and one is positive. Match the writer’s meaning.
- Commonly confused words: affect (verb) / effect (noun); than (comparison) / then (time); accept / except; fewer (things you can count) / less (amounts you can’t); imply (to hint) / infer (to conclude).
Style and tone
- Match the essay’s level of formality. In an informative essay, slang like “a total game-changer” or “super pumped” is wrong.
- In a casual personal narrative, a stiff, overly formal word can also be wrong.
- Reread a sentence or two around the underline to “hear” the essay’s voice.
Clear, direct sentences
- Active voice is usually clearer: “The committee approved the plan,” not “The plan was approved by the committee.”
- Words like “being” and “it is … that” constructions often signal a wordy choice.
- When combining sentences, the best choice joins the ideas smoothly without repeating nouns or stacking “and… and… and.”
Strategy & traps
Step by step
- 1First check grammar — eliminate anything that is actually broken.
- 2Ask: does any choice repeat an idea already in the sentence (or the sentence before)? Cross it out.
- 3For wordiness, choose the shortest choice that keeps the full meaning. Don’t forget OMIT.
- 4For precision questions, predict the exact word you’d use before looking at the choices.
- 5For tone questions, match the voice of the sentences around the underline.
Longer sounds smarter
The ACT rewards clear and concise writing, not big words. Extra words usually mean a wrong answer.
Near-synonyms
Two words can mean almost the same thing but have different feelings or uses. Plug each into the sentence.
Hidden redundancy
If the previous sentence already said “yesterday,” a choice that adds “the day before” repeats it.
Worked examples
Try each one first, then reveal the solution.
Example 1
The festival’s final concert, which began at 9 p.m. in the evening, drew more than two thousand fans.
Which choice is correct?
- ANO CHANGE
- Bduring the nighttime hours
- Cat night
- DOMIT the underlined portion.
Example 2
When the cafeteria switched to reusable trays, the amount of trash it produced each day changed by almost half.
Which choice most precisely describes what happened to the amount of trash?
- ANO CHANGE
- Bmoved
- Cdid something
- Ddropped
Example 3
Before the 1820s, lighthouse beams were weak and scattered. The Fresnel lens, which focused light into a strong, narrow beam, was a total game-changer for ships navigating at night.
Which choice best maintains the formal, informative tone of the essay?
- ANO CHANGE
- Bdramatically improved safety for
- Cwas super helpful to
- Dkind of saved a bunch of
Practice
Pick an answer for instant feedback. Answers lock once chosen.
Question 1
On Tuesday, Jamal returned back to the library to pick up the book he had reserved.
Which choice is correct?
Question 2
This year the animal shelter received less donations than it did last year, so the volunteers organized a fundraiser.
Which choice is correct?
Question 3
Dr. Osei was ecstatic about the first results; she insisted on repeating the experiment twice more before drawing any conclusions.
Which choice best fits the attitude described in the rest of the sentence?
Question 4
Due to the fact that the bus broke down on the highway, the field trip was postponed until May.
Which choice is correct?
Question 5
The old mill closed in 1978. The mill was later turned into an art studio. The art studio is now open to the public.
Which choice most effectively combines the underlined sentences?