How to place a sentence in an ACT English passage · ACT English

Name what the new sentence adds

Read the new sentence as if the rest of the paragraph were hidden. Decide whether it defines a name, gives a reason, adds evidence, changes direction, or summarizes what came before. Then read the existing paragraph and identify where that job would help. An attractive position near the beginning may be too early if the sentence refers to a name the reader has not seen. A position near the end may be too late if a later sentence already uses the idea.

Consider an announcement about collecting broken toys for parts. The added sentence is “This restriction helps keep sharp fragments away from children.” The sentence explains the reason for a restriction. It could not follow an opening sentence that only gives the date of the collection. First find the words that describe the restriction. Then test the sentence in a position close to those words.

Trace the reference in both directions

Suppose the announcement goes on to say that volunteers will only accept toys with intact outer cases. The new sentence can follow that instruction, before the announcement turns to the parking area. The phrase “this restriction” has a clear referent. The discussion can then move from what people may bring to where they should go. If the sentence were placed after the parking directions, a reader might think it explained a parking restriction instead.

References can point forward too. “The team checked for two problems” leads a reader to expect two named problems next. A sentence about an unrelated expense would delay that expected information. Read the neighboring sentences as a short sequence. Identify what each promises, what it supplies, and whether moving the new sentence changes which promise the reader sees as fulfilled.

Distinguish chronological order from explanation

Events often belong in time order. A different order may be clearer when the writer needs to define a term or identify the relevant comparison. In a garden article, a sentence that introduces “leaf mold” may need to come before the process uses that term, even if the writer learned the term later. Ask what information the reader needs to understand each step.

Try reading two positions aloud. With one placement, the reader may see “This method” before any method has been named. With another, the reader has just seen two unrelated methods and cannot tell which one the phrase means. A placement that links the new sentence with the intended method can resolve both problems. A connector alone cannot fix a missing or ambiguous reference.

Test the edge of the paragraph

A conclusion can return to the point the paragraph has developed. If a paragraph describes two checks that prevent waste, a concluding sentence can tell readers what those checks achieve. A statement about future costs may need its own evidence. In a placement task, compare the writer’s purpose before and after the proposed ending. An ending that changes the subject may leave readers waiting for a new paragraph.

An introduction can do the reverse. It can tell the reader what to expect before the supporting details arrive. When an introduction must come first, it usually needs to stand on its own without pointing back to “the process above” or “this result.” If the question supplies a specific rhetorical goal, use that goal to test competing positions. More than one position may sound natural, but only one may serve the stated goal.

Make your final check

Before selecting a position, reread from the previous sentence through the next one. Check that the new sentence refers to something identifiable and that the following sentence still has a clear purpose. If the choice introduces a contradiction, delays a required definition, or separates a reason from its action, try a closer position. Use the practice explanations to name which of those checks caught the error.