Passage mapping and question-type strategies for the four ACT reading passage genres.
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- What is passage mapping on the ACT Reading test?
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A note-taking technique where you mark key ideas, transitions, and author's stance as you read to help answer questions more efficiently.- Why is passage mapping especially useful for ACT Reading?
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The ACT asks detailed comprehension questions, often referencing specific lines or ideas, so marking their locations as you read saves time finding answers.- What are the four passage genres in the ACT Reading section?
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Prose fiction, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.- When should you use full passage mapping rather than minimal marking?
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On harder passages, longer passages, or passages with complex arguments; on easier passages, a lighter skim with minimal marking may be faster.- What is the key balance when passage mapping?
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Mark enough to find answers quickly without spending so much time mapping that you run out of time to answer all questions.- What should you mark when mapping a prose fiction passage?
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Character names when introduced, key events or plot turns, setting or time period clues, and shifts in tone or perspective.- What is the first thing to mark in a humanities passage?
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The author's main argument or central claim, usually near the beginning or in the opening paragraph.- What should you mark in a social sciences passage?
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The research question or thesis, the methodology, key findings, and the author's interpretation of the results.- What is most important to mark in a natural sciences passage?
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The phenomenon being explained or the experiment being described, how it works, the results, and the author's conclusion.- How do you quickly identify where the main idea is located in an ACT passage?
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Look at the first paragraph and conclusion; the main idea is usually stated explicitly at the beginning or end.- Why should you mark transition words in ACT passages?
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Transitions signal shifts in the author's argument (however, but, therefore, thus), helping you follow the logic and spot main ideas versus supporting points.- When mapping a passage, how should you mark the author's opinion?
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Underline or circle words expressing judgment, opinion, or evaluation (regrettably, unfortunately, remarkably); avoid marking purely factual statements.- What should you do if a passage contains a difficult or technical section?
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Mark the boundaries of the difficult section and its main point without trying to understand every detail; come back if a question asks about it.- What is the strategy for a main idea or primary purpose question?
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Reread the first and last paragraphs; the main idea is rarely buried in the middle and is usually the broadest statement covering all sections.- How do you approach a detail question asking what the passage says about a topic?
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Use your passage map to locate where that topic appears, then reread that section carefully to find the exact answer.
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