ACT English Study Resources: The Best Sites to Raise Your Score

Preparing for ACT English can feel strangely slippery. You're not just memorizing formulas—you're dealing with grammar rules, punctuation, style, and reading skills all at once, under a strict time limit. The right online resources can turn that chaos into a clear, manageable plan.

This guide walks you through the best sites to use for ACT English prep, from official practice questions to free grammar lessons and strategy blogs. You'll also see how to organize those resources into a simple weekly routine, plus how an AI tutor can pull everything together so you're not studying alone.

What ACT English Really Tests (It's More Than Grammar)

It's easy to think of ACT English as a giant grammar quiz, but it's really a test of how well you can edit and improve writing. The questions are built around passages, and you're asked to fix errors, improve clarity, and choose the most effective version of a sentence.

Most ACT English questions fall into three broad categories:

• Grammar and usage: verb tense, subject–verb agreement, pronouns, modifiers.
• Punctuation and mechanics: commas, semicolons, apostrophes, colons.
• Rhetorical skills: organization, transitions, tone, and word choice.

The best ACT English study resources will help you build skills in all three areas, not just drill random grammar rules in isolation.

A Simple Weekly Study Plan for ACT English

Before you start bookmarking sites, it helps to know where each resource will fit in your week. Here's a straightforward 4–5 day plan you can adjust to your schedule.

Example ACT English weekly structure:

• Day 1: Learn or review 1–2 grammar topics (e.g., comma rules, verb tense) + 10 practice questions.
• Day 2: Do one or two ACT English passages from official or test-like sources under light timing.
• Day 3: Watch video explanations or read articles about your most common mistakes.
• Day 4: Timed mini-set of 15–20 questions to practice pacing.
• Optional Day 5: Work through part of a full ACT English section and review every miss.

Once this routine is in place, you can plug different ACT English study resources into each day instead of bouncing randomly between websites.

Must-Use Official ACT English Study Resources

Your most valuable ACT English practice will always come from the test maker itself. Official materials show you the exact style of questions, answer choices, and wording you'll see on test day.

1. Official ACT Practice Tests and English Passages

The ACT website offers free practice materials, including full-length tests and sample questions that contain real ACT English passages from past exams.

• Main prep hub: ACT Official Test Preparation
• Through MyACT, you can access online practice and, in some cases, full ACT English sections with scoring.

Use official passages to measure progress and to fine-tune your sense of what “correct” writing looks like on ACT English.

2. The Official ACT Prep Guide (Book + Online)

If you have the Official ACT Prep Guide, you'll find multiple practice tests that include full ACT English sections, plus explanations. These are ideal for regular timed practice and realistic simulation.

Treat at least one ACT English section from this book as a “mock exam” every few weeks, and review each question carefully afterward.

Top Grammar and Writing Sites to Support ACT English

Official questions are vital, but sometimes you need clearer explanations of the rules behind them. That's where general grammar and writing sites can supercharge your ACT English prep.

3. Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab)

Purdue OWL is a classic resource for grammar, mechanics, and style. While it's not ACT-specific, its explanations of sentence structure, punctuation, and usage are perfect for clarifying why certain ACT English answers are correct.

Start here: Purdue OWL – Punctuation Overview.

Whenever a punctuation question trips you up in ACT English, look up the relevant rule on Purdue OWL and add a quick summary to your notes.

4. Grammar Girl

Grammar Girl offers quick, conversational explanations of common grammar and usage issues. It's especially useful for clearing up confusing topics like who vs. whom, which vs. that, or when to use commas.

Browse articles here: Grammar Girl – Quick and Dirty Tips.

Use Grammar Girl as a friendly companion when a particular ACT English rule just won't click on the first try.

5. Khan Academy for Sentence Structure and Style

Khan Academy doesn't have an ACT-specific course, but its grammar and writing lessons are a great way to strengthen the underlying skills that ACT English taps into—especially sentence structure and punctuation.

Explore their grammar content here: Khan Academy – Grammar.

If you keep missing the same type of ACT English question, find the matching topic on Khan Academy and practice the underlying skill in isolation.

Third-Party ACT English Practice and Strategy Sites

After you've built a foundation, third-party ACT-focused sites can give you extra practice and test-taking strategies tailored to ACT English.

6. Magoosh ACT Blog

Magoosh's ACT blog breaks down common question types, tricky grammar rules, and timing strategies. It's useful when you want to understand patterns and “traps” that show up repeatedly on ACT English.

Start here: Magoosh ACT Prep and search for “ACT English” on their blog.

7. PrepScholar and CollegeVine Strategy Articles

Sites like PrepScholar and CollegeVine offer in-depth articles on how ACT English is scored, which grammar rules matter most, and how to target a specific score range.

Examples include guides like “Complete ACT English Grammar Rules” or “How to Get a 30+ on ACT English,” which you can find by searching those phrases on PrepScholar and CollegeVine.

Use these strategy posts to fine-tune your approach to pacing and guessing on ACT English.

How to Combine ACT English Study Resources Without Getting Overwhelmed

With so many sites available, it's easy to collect links and never build momentum. The key is to assign each resource a specific job in your ACT English plan.

• Official ACT: full sections and realistic practice passages.
• Purdue OWL / Grammar Girl / Khan Academy: deepen your understanding of specific grammar and punctuation rules.
• Magoosh / PrepScholar / CollegeVine: strategy, patterns, and score goals.

When every site has a clear role, your ACT English prep becomes focused and sustainable instead of random and exhausting.

Make ACT English Prep Easier With an AI Tutor

Even with great resources, you might still be wondering: “What should I work on today?” or “Why am I stuck at the same score?” That's where an AI tutor designed for ACT English can make a real difference.

An AI tutor can analyze your mistakes, identify patterns in grammar and rhetorical skills, and build personalized practice sets that target your weakest areas. Instead of guessing which site to use next, you get a guided path that shows you exactly where to focus for the biggest score jump.