If you are planning about applying to a foreign college, you already know how important it is to ace the ACT exam. While you can easily understand the things that will fetch you a good score in the MCQ section, you might be wondering how to make an impact when a grader reads your essay. If you aim for a perfect 12 in the ACT essay writing, we’ll tell you five strategies that can help.
Table of Contents
Know How A 12-Scored Essay Looks Like
First things first, look for the essays that scored a 12 and read as many sample essays as you can. However, make sure to keep the essay writing structure in mind and check if the examples align with the structure. Also, have a look at the poor and middle-scoring essays to figure out what went wrong or how they could be improved.
Note down the things that make these essays score a 12. If you are aiming for a high score in ACT, you need to know what the examiners are looking for. Tutors at Orange County tutoring can be a great resource who will help you familiarize yourself with the right structure, vocabulary, and whatever the graders look for in an essay.
Choose A Perspective That You Can Support
ACT essay writing features one topic and three different perspectives on that topic. You are required to read the prompt carefully and develop your perspective on the issue mentioned in the topic. You also have to compare your perspective with at least one other perspective.
If you want to write a strong essay that will help you score high, choose a perspective that you can support and express effectively. Whether you agree or disagree, you just need to have a strong standpoint and flawless writing skills. Don’t forget to address the counterarguments in one of the essay paragraphs.
Show Off Your ACT Vocabulary Words
ACT essay provides you with an opportunity to show off your writing skills and vocabulary words that you have been studying for preparation. Don’t be afraid to use high-level vocabulary words wherever you can. Aim to use at least one or two advanced vocabulary words in each paragraph of the essay.
But, if you use complex vocabulary words and grammar structures, you should understand the right way to use them. If you use a complicated word just for the sake of using advanced vocabulary and the word doesn’t fit the context of the sentence, it will have a negative impact.
Thus, when you are in doubt, it’s best to stick to what you know. Also, keep everything real. You need to show that you are skilled in the use of the English language, and your writing should reflect this.
Use Good Examples In Your Essay
Relate your argument to a relevant fact, current event, or even your historical knowledge. You can look for the sample essays that scored 12 and find out how the writer has managed to include concrete examples into the essay. You don’t have to an expert in all the essay topics. Just try to add some good examples rather than pointless facts or arguments.
Dedicate Appropriate Time To Each Part Of Writing Process
You get 40 minutes to write an ACT essay, which includes planning, writing, and editing. You need to divide time for each part. Practice writing at home by providing adequate time for planning, writing, or editing so that you are well-prepared before the test date. Some need more time for planning, while others take a large amount of time to edit the essay. Whatever the case is, keep that in mind when you are sitting in the exam.
