ACT English: Combine Sentences to Cut Wordiness

When ACT English offers a sentence-combining choice, the shortest grammatically correct option is almost always right. The strategy: identify the core ideas in two or more sentences, combine them using subordination or coordination, and delete repetition. Example: "The team was tired. The team continued playing anyway." Combined: "Although tired, the team continued playing." Result: 12 words down to 6 without losing meaning. Sentence combining saves words while improving flow in a single move.

Practice identifying what each sentence contributes. Sentence 1: "The team was tired" contributes the adjective "tired." Sentence 2: "The team continued playing anyway" contributes the main action. Merge them and delete the redundant subject "the team."

Avoid combining if it creates ambiguity or changes emphasis. Example: "The coach yelled instructions. The players ignored them." Combining to "The coach yelled instructions that the players ignored" changes the focus and loses the dramatic separation. Keep separate sentences if each idea needs its own weight. Also skip combining if the result requires complex punctuation like multiple semicolons. Combine for brevity, but not at the cost of clarity or impact.

This exception matters on ACT English because the test rewards concision only when clarity is maintained. If an "OMIT" or "shortest" option creates confusion, pick the slightly longer option that reads smoothly instead.

Pair 1: "The study lasted six months. During that time, participants reported high stress." Pair 2: "The researcher was skeptical. She proceeded with the experiment anyway." Pair 3: "The results were unexpected. They contradicted the hypothesis." For each, write one combined sentence using subordination (because, although, while, if) or a phrase. The goal is to cut word count by at least 25% while keeping every important idea.

Sample answers: (1) "During the six-month study, participants reported high stress." (2) "Despite her skepticism, the researcher proceeded with the experiment." (3) "The unexpected results contradicted the hypothesis." If your versions are similarly concise and clear, you've got the skill.

Redundant sentences appear regularly on ACT English. The test rewards writers who prune unnecessary words and tighten structure. Mastering sentence combining means you'll quickly spot when two sentences should merge, earning points on style and concision questions. This single skill can add 2-3 points to your English score because it applies across multiple question types.

The payoff: combine sentences deliberately for one week and you'll start recognizing wordiness automatically. You'll answer concision questions faster and with better accuracy.