IXL skill plan | English plan for the ACT®

Skill plan for the ACT^® - English

IXL provides skill alignments with recommended IXL skills for every student. Find the IXL skills that are right for you below!

Score range

13–15
16–19
20–23
24–27
28–36

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Score range 13–15
Production of Writing
Topic and organization		1. Choose the best topic sentence 2. Remove the sentence that does not belong 3. Use coordinating conjunctions 4. Use subordinating conjunctions 5. Choose the best transition
Topic and organization
1. Choose the best topic sentence 2. Remove the sentence that does not belong 3. Use coordinating conjunctions 4. Use subordinating conjunctions 5. Choose the best transition
Knowledge of Language
Common word errors		1. Correct errors with signs
Common word errors
1. Correct errors with signs
Conventions of Standard English
Joining simple clauses		1. Use coordinating conjunctions 2. Use subordinating conjunctions 3. Create compound sentences
Joining simple clauses
1. Use coordinating conjunctions 2. Use subordinating conjunctions 3. Create compound sentences

Inappropriate shifts in verb tense		1. Correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense
Inappropriate shifts in verb tense
1. Correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense

Irregular past tense and past participle		1. Form and use the irregular past tense: set 1 2. Form and use the irregular past tense: set 2 3. Form and use the irregular past tense: set 3 4. Form and use the irregular past tense: set 4 5. Choose between the past tense and past participle
Irregular past tense and past participle
1. Form and use the irregular past tense: set 1 2. Form and use the irregular past tense: set 2 3. Form and use the irregular past tense: set 3 4. Form and use the irregular past tense: set 4 5. Choose between the past tense and past participle

Comparative and superlative adjectives		1. Use adjectives to compare 2. Spell adjectives that compare 3. Use adjectives with more and most
Comparative and superlative adjectives
1. Use adjectives to compare 2. Spell adjectives that compare 3. Use adjectives with more and most

Commas		1. Commas with a series 2. Commas with dates and places 3. Commas with direct addresses 4. Commas with introductory elements 5. Commas with compound and complex sentences 6. Commas: review
Commas
1. Commas with a series 2. Commas with dates and places 3. Commas with direct addresses 4. Commas with introductory elements 5. Commas with compound and complex sentences 6. Commas: review

Score range 16–19
Production of Writing
Topic and organization		1. Organize information by main idea 2. Choose the best topic sentence 3. Remove the sentence that does not belong 4. Choose the best transition 5. Choose the best concluding sentence
Topic and organization
1. Organize information by main idea 2. Choose the best topic sentence 3. Remove the sentence that does not belong 4. Choose the best transition 5. Choose the best concluding sentence

Purpose		1. Identify the purpose of a text 2. Show character emotions and traits 3. Positive and negative connotation 4. Revise the sentence using a stronger verb
Purpose
1. Identify the purpose of a text 2. Show character emotions and traits 3. Positive and negative connotation 4. Revise the sentence using a stronger verb
Knowledge of Language
Style and tone		1. Which sentence is more formal? 2. Compare passages for tone
Style and tone
1. Which sentence is more formal? 2. Compare passages for tone
Conventions of Standard English
Sentences, fragments and run-ons		1. Is it a complete sentence or a fragment? 2. Is it a complete sentence or a run-on? 3. Is it a complete sentence, a fragment, or a run-on? 4. Commas with compound and complex sentences
Sentences, fragments and run-ons
1. Is it a complete sentence or a fragment? 2. Is it a complete sentence or a run-on? 3. Is it a complete sentence, a fragment, or a run-on? 4. Commas with compound and complex sentences

Inappropriate shifts in verb tense		1. Correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense
Inappropriate shifts in verb tense
1. Correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense

Adjectives vs. adverbs		1. Choose between adjectives and adverbs
Adjectives vs. adverbs
1. Choose between adjectives and adverbs

Subject-verb agreement		1. Use the correct subject or verb 2. Use the correct subject or verb – with compound subjects
Subject-verb agreement
1. Use the correct subject or verb 2. Use the correct subject or verb – with compound subjects

Pronoun-antecedent agreement		1. Identify pronouns and their antecedents 2. Use the pronoun that agrees with the antecedent
Pronoun-antecedent agreement
1. Identify pronouns and their antecedents 2. Use the pronoun that agrees with the antecedent

Frequently confused words		1. Use the correct frequently confused word 2. Correct errors with frequently confused words 3. Correct errors with signs
Frequently confused words
1. Use the correct frequently confused word 2. Correct errors with frequently confused words 3. Correct errors with signs

Commas		1. Commas with series, dates, and places 2. Commas with compound and complex sentences 3. Commas with direct addresses, introductory words, interjections, and interrupters 4. Commas with coordinate adjectives 5. Commas: review
Commas
1. Commas with series, dates, and places 2. Commas with compound and complex sentences 3. Commas with direct addresses, introductory words, interjections, and interrupters 4. Commas with coordinate adjectives 5. Commas: review

Score range 20–23
Production of Writing
Topic and organization		1. Order topics from broadest to narrowest 2. Organize information by main idea 3. Transitions with conjunctive adverbs 4. Identify thesis statements 5. Suggest appropriate revisions
Topic and organization
1. Order topics from broadest to narrowest 2. Organize information by main idea 3. Transitions with conjunctive adverbs 4. Identify thesis statements 5. Suggest appropriate revisions

Purpose		1. Show character emotions and traits 2. Identify the author's purpose 3. Identify appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos in advertisements 4. Use personification 5. Positive and negative connotation
Purpose
1. Show character emotions and traits 2. Identify the author's purpose 3. Identify appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos in advertisements 4. Use personification 5. Positive and negative connotation
Knowledge of Language
Redundancy		1. Remove redundant words or phrases
Redundancy
1. Remove redundant words or phrases

Shades of meaning		1. Describe the difference between related words
Shades of meaning
1. Describe the difference between related words

Style and tone		1. Which sentence is more formal? 2. Compare passages for tone
Style and tone
1. Which sentence is more formal? 2. Compare passages for tone

Conjunctions		1. Use the correct pair of correlative conjunctions
Conjunctions
1. Use the correct pair of correlative conjunctions
Conventions of Standard English
Sentences, fragments and run-ons		1. Is it a complete sentence or a fragment? 2. Is it a complete sentence or a run-on? 3. Is it a complete sentence, a fragment, or a run-on?
Sentences, fragments and run-ons
1. Is it a complete sentence or a fragment? 2. Is it a complete sentence or a run-on? 3. Is it a complete sentence, a fragment, or a run-on?

Adjective placement		1. Order adjectives
Adjective placement
1. Order adjectives

Misplaced and dangling modifiers		1. Misplaced modifiers with pictures
Misplaced and dangling modifiers
1. Misplaced modifiers with pictures

Relative pronouns		1. Use relative pronouns: who and whom 2. Use relative pronouns: who, whom, whose, which, and that
Relative pronouns
1. Use relative pronouns: who and whom 2. Use relative pronouns: who, whom, whose, which, and that

Comparative and superlative adjectives		1. Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives 2. Good, better, best, bad, worse, and worst 3. Form and use comparative and superlative adverbs 4. Well, better, best, badly, worse, and worst
Comparative and superlative adjectives
1. Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives 2. Good, better, best, bad, worse, and worst 3. Form and use comparative and superlative adverbs 4. Well, better, best, badly, worse, and worst

Subject-verb agreement		1. Correct errors with subject-verb agreement 2. Correct errors with indefinite pronoun-verb agreement 3. Use the correct verb – with compound subjects
Subject-verb agreement
1. Correct errors with subject-verb agreement 2. Correct errors with indefinite pronoun-verb agreement 3. Use the correct verb – with compound subjects

Idiomatic expressions		1. Determine the meaning of idioms from context: set 1 2. Identify the meaning of idioms and adages: set 1 3. Determine the meaning of idioms from context: set 2 4. Identify the meaning of idioms and adages: set 2
Idiomatic expressions
1. Determine the meaning of idioms from context: set 1 2. Identify the meaning of idioms and adages: set 1 3. Determine the meaning of idioms from context: set 2 4. Identify the meaning of idioms and adages: set 2

Commas		1. Commas with series, dates, and places 2. Commas with compound and complex sentences 3. Commas with direct addresses, introductory words, interjections, and interrupters 4. Commas with coordinate adjectives 5. Commas: review
Commas
1. Commas with series, dates, and places 2. Commas with compound and complex sentences 3. Commas with direct addresses, introductory words, interjections, and interrupters 4. Commas with coordinate adjectives 5. Commas: review

Apostrophes		1. Identify and correct errors with plural and possessive nouns
Apostrophes
1. Identify and correct errors with plural and possessive nouns

Score range 24–27
Production of Writing
Topic and organization		1. Analyze the development of informational passages: set 1 2. Analyze the development of informational passages: set 2 3. Order topics from broadest to narrowest 4. Organize information by main idea 5. Transitions with conjunctive adverbs
Topic and organization
1. Analyze the development of informational passages: set 1 2. Analyze the development of informational passages: set 2 3. Order topics from broadest to narrowest 4. Organize information by main idea 5. Transitions with conjunctive adverbs

Purpose		1. Analyze the effects of figures of speech on meaning and tone 2. Which text is most formal? 3. Identify audience and purpose 4. Compare passages for subjective and objective tone 5. Compare passages for tone
Purpose
1. Analyze the effects of figures of speech on meaning and tone 2. Which text is most formal? 3. Identify audience and purpose 4. Compare passages for subjective and objective tone 5. Compare passages for tone
Knowledge of Language
Word nuance		1. Choose the word whose connotation and denotation best match the sentence 2. Use words accurately and precisely 3. Replace words using a thesaurus
Word nuance
1. Choose the word whose connotation and denotation best match the sentence 2. Use words accurately and precisely 3. Replace words using a thesaurus

Style and tone		1. Which text is most formal? 2. Compare passages for subjective and objective tone 3. Compare passages for tone
Style and tone
1. Which text is most formal? 2. Compare passages for subjective and objective tone 3. Compare passages for tone

Conjunctions		1. Use the correct pair of correlative conjunctions
Conjunctions
1. Use the correct pair of correlative conjunctions
Conventions of Standard English
Sentences, fragments, and run-ons		1. Choose punctuation to avoid fragments and run-ons
Sentences, fragments, and run-ons
1. Choose punctuation to avoid fragments and run-ons

Misplaced and dangling modifiers		1. Select the misplaced or dangling modifier
Misplaced and dangling modifiers
1. Select the misplaced or dangling modifier

Parallelism		1. Identify sentences with parallel structure 2. Use parallel structure
Parallelism
1. Identify sentences with parallel structure 2. Use parallel structure

Verb and pronoun consistency		1. Correct inappropriate shifts in pronoun number and person 2. Identify and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense
Verb and pronoun consistency
1. Correct inappropriate shifts in pronoun number and person 2. Identify and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense

Verb tense		1. Irregular past tense: review 2. Simple past, present, and future tense: review 3. Form the progressive verb tenses 4. Form the perfect verb tenses
Verb tense
1. Irregular past tense: review 2. Simple past, present, and future tense: review 3. Form the progressive verb tenses 4. Form the perfect verb tenses

Pronouns		1. Use the pronoun that agrees with the antecedent 2. Identify vague pronoun references 3. Identify all of the possible antecedents
Pronouns
1. Use the pronoun that agrees with the antecedent 2. Identify vague pronoun references 3. Identify all of the possible antecedents

Commas		1. Commas with direct addresses, introductory words, interjections, interrupters, and antithetical phrases 2. Commas with series, dates, and places 3. Commas with compound and complex sentences 4. Commas with coordinate adjectives
Commas
1. Commas with direct addresses, introductory words, interjections, interrupters, and antithetical phrases 2. Commas with series, dates, and places 3. Commas with compound and complex sentences 4. Commas with coordinate adjectives

Colons and semicolons		1. Use semicolons and commas to separate clauses 2. Use semicolons, colons, and commas with lists
Colons and semicolons
1. Use semicolons and commas to separate clauses 2. Use semicolons, colons, and commas with lists

Parenthetical elements		1. Identify appositives and appositive phrases 2. Combine sentences using relative clauses 3. Commas with direct addresses, introductory words, interjections, interrupters, and antithetical phrases 4. Semicolons, colons, and commas: review 5. Use dashes
Parenthetical elements
1. Identify appositives and appositive phrases 2. Combine sentences using relative clauses 3. Commas with direct addresses, introductory words, interjections, interrupters, and antithetical phrases 4. Semicolons, colons, and commas: review 5. Use dashes

Apostrophes		1. Form the singular or plural possessive 2. Identify and correct errors with plural and possessive nouns
Apostrophes
1. Form the singular or plural possessive 2. Identify and correct errors with plural and possessive nouns

Score range 28–36
Production of Writing
Topic and organization		1. Analyze the development of informational passages: set 1 2. Analyze the development of informational passages: set 2 3. Trace an argument: set 1 4. Trace an argument: set 2 5. Choose the topic sentence that best captures the main idea 6. Identify thesis statements 7. Transition logically between claims, evidence, analysis, and counterclaims 8. Transitions with conjunctive adverbs
Topic and organization
1. Analyze the development of informational passages: set 1 2. Analyze the development of informational passages: set 2 3. Trace an argument: set 1 4. Trace an argument: set 2 5. Choose the topic sentence that best captures the main idea 6. Identify thesis statements 7. Transition logically between claims, evidence, analysis, and counterclaims 8. Transitions with conjunctive adverbs
Knowledge of Language
Word usage		1. Avoid double, illogical, and unclear comparisons 2. Use the correct foreign expression 3. Describe the difference between related words 4. Choose the word whose connotation and denotation best match the sentence 5. Explore words with new or contested usages
Word usage
1. Avoid double, illogical, and unclear comparisons 2. Use the correct foreign expression 3. Describe the difference between related words 4. Choose the word whose connotation and denotation best match the sentence 5. Explore words with new or contested usages
Conventions of Standard English
Sentences		1. Avoid double, illogical, and unclear comparisons 2. Are the modifiers used correctly?
Sentences
1. Avoid double, illogical, and unclear comparisons 2. Are the modifiers used correctly?

Verb and pronoun consistency		1. Correct inappropriate shifts in pronoun number and person 2. Identify and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense
Verb and pronoun consistency
1. Correct inappropriate shifts in pronoun number and person 2. Identify and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense

Subject-verb-agreement		1. Identify and correct errors with subject-verb agreement 2. Identify and correct errors with indefinite pronoun-verb agreement 3. Identify and correct verb agreement with compound subjects
Subject-verb-agreement
1. Identify and correct errors with subject-verb agreement 2. Identify and correct errors with indefinite pronoun-verb agreement 3. Identify and correct verb agreement with compound subjects

Pronouns		1. Use reflexive pronouns 2. Identify and correct errors with frequently confused pronouns and contractions 3. Identify and correct errors with subject and object pronouns 4. Subject and object pronouns review 5. Identify and correct pronoun errors with "who" 6. Use relative pronouns: who and whom 7. Use relative pronouns: who, whom, whose, which, and that
Pronouns
1. Use reflexive pronouns 2. Identify and correct errors with frequently confused pronouns and contractions 3. Identify and correct errors with subject and object pronouns 4. Subject and object pronouns review 5. Identify and correct pronoun errors with "who" 6. Use relative pronouns: who and whom 7. Use relative pronouns: who, whom, whose, which, and that

Frequently-confused words		1. Use the correct frequently confused word 2. Identify and correct errors with frequently confused words
Frequently-confused words
1. Use the correct frequently confused word 2. Identify and correct errors with frequently confused words

Commas		1. Commas: review
Commas
1. Commas: review

Restrictive and nonrestrictive elements		1. What does the punctuation suggest? 2. Commas with nonrestrictive elements
Restrictive and nonrestrictive elements
1. What does the punctuation suggest? 2. Commas with nonrestrictive elements

Apostrophes		1. Identify and correct errors with plural and possessive nouns 2. Identify and correct errors with compound and joint possession
Apostrophes
1. Identify and correct errors with plural and possessive nouns 2. Identify and correct errors with compound and joint possession

Semicolons		1. Join sentences with semicolons, colons, and commas 2. Semicolons, colons, and commas: review
Semicolons
1. Join sentences with semicolons, colons, and commas 2. Semicolons, colons, and commas: review

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