ACT English: Master 10 Commonly Confused Word Pairs

Pair 1: Affect (verb=to influence) vs. Effect (noun=result). Sentence: "The rain affected our plans, and the effect was a canceled picnic." Pair 2: Accept (verb=to receive) vs. Except (preposition=excluding). "We will accept all applications except those submitted after the deadline." Pair 3: Allusion (indirect reference) vs. Illusion (false perception). "The poem makes an allusion to Greek mythology, but the reader may be under the illusion that it is historical fact." Pair 4: Their (possessive pronoun) vs. There (location) vs. They're (contraction=they are). "They're heading over there to pick up their books." Pair 5: Loose (adjective=not tight) vs. Lose (verb=to misplace or be defeated). "The loose button will come off if you do not sew it; then you will lose it." These five pairs appear on almost every ACT English section; memorizing them earns you 3-5 points per test.

Write each pair on a card with a memorable example. Quiz yourself daily for one week. By test day, you will spot these pairs instantly and choose correctly without hesitation.

Pair 6: Cite (verb=to quote) vs. Site (noun=location). "We cite the research study at the website we found." Pair 7: Compliment (noun=praise) vs. Complement (verb/noun=to complete or go well with). "The chef complimented the sauce, which perfectly complemented the dish." Pair 8: Principle (noun=rule or belief) vs. Principal (noun=school leader or adjective=main). "The principal set the principle that honesty was paramount." Pair 9: Stationary (adjective=not moving) vs. Stationery (noun=writing paper). "The desk remained stationary, and the envelopes of stationery sat on top." Pair 10: Who (subject pronoun) vs. Whom (object pronoun). "Who gave the presentation? To whom did you give the report?" Master these ten pairs and you will catch 90% of confused-word errors on test day, earning 5-7 points per section.

Add these five pairs to your card stack. By the end of two weeks, all ten pairs will be automatic knowledge.

Days 1-5: Quiz yourself on Pairs 1-5. Write a sentence using each word correctly. Days 6-10: Quiz yourself on Pairs 6-10. Days 11-14: Mix all ten pairs. Create a sentence with three of the pairs correctly used. Time yourself: you should identify the correct word in 5 seconds per pair. This two-week routine moves the ten pairs from conscious knowledge to automatic recall, so on test day you will choose correctly without thinking.

Do this routine every day. It takes 10 minutes. By test day, confused words will no longer confuse you.

Confused words appear in 3-5 questions per ACT English section. Each correct answer is 1 point. Most students miss 2-3 of these because they rush or do not know the distinctions. A student who masters these ten pairs will gain 3-5 points per English section, raising her composite score by 1-2 points overall.

This week, start your card stack. By test day, these pairs will be your easiest, fastest correct answers on the English section.