ACT: The Language of the Test: The Language of the Test, List 9

The word abstract comes up a lot in academic language. It can be used as an adjective to describe a concept or idea — like innocence or envy — or it can be used as a noun to refer to a short summary of an academic or scientific article.

Previous means "just before." If test instructions on the ACT refer to the "previous question," you need to look at the question just before the one you're now working on. Most likely, you will have to use some decisions you made in answering the last question to help you choose the answer to the question you are thinking about now.

To identify something is to name it or recognize it. The ACT English Test will ask you to identify the changes necessary to improve ungrammatical or awkward sentences. On the Reading Test, you might need to identify the tone or purpose of a passage or to identify specific evidence an author uses to support a claim.

An assumption is something taken to be true, a belief. Sometimes assumptions are stated by an author and sometimes you have to infer them.

To be distinct is to be separate or different from something else. Your twin cousins might look alike, but their personalities are totally distinct. On a standardized test, you might be asked to identify ways two ideas or things are different — in other words, how they are distinct.

When you decide what something means, you interpret it. You might interpret a character's actions to reveal something significant about her personality, or you might interpret the data from a scientific experiment to decide whether or not your hypothesis was accurate.

When you establish something in writing, you make it clear. A writer can establish tone, perspective, facts, and more. For example, you might notice that a writer uses the word "we" in a passage to establish a sense of community or togetherness.

Any detail or feature of something can be called a trait. Traits are things that separate or distinguish one thing from another, and objects or animals can also be grouped by traits they have in common. When you read a literary work, you will likely see descriptions of a character's physical traits or personality traits.

A theory is an explanation. It should include evidence and be backed by an authority. Scientific theories develop from careful observation and testing over the course of years by different people; they are well established and widely accepted. In non-scientific contexts, theory usually refers to a general hypothesis or explanation that doesn't have to be confirmed by any outside sources.

The word development on the ACT will most likely refer to the development of ideas over the course of a reading passage. Typically, an author can't persuade you of his or her opinion in one sentence. Instead, he or she builds — or develops — an argument through logical reasoning and evidence.

The verb favor means to prefer something, to like one thing more than another. A good way to remember this meaning of favor is that it makes up most of the word favorite (think of favoring as choosing your favorite). One author might favor a particular solution to a problem, while another argues in favor of a different solution.

Influence means "to have an effect on." On a standardized test, you may need to think about how one thing acts upon another. What is the influence of A on B? Does A strengthen the effect of B or does A weaken the effect of B? Since influence is a general word to describe all kinds of interactions, you could see it on many different sections of the ACT.

Accompanying means "going along with" or "being a part of." On the ACT, particularly on the Science Test, you may see reading passages with accompanying graphics (tables, charts, graphs, etc.).

Data usually refers to numbers. On standardized tests, you are most likely going to have to interpret data in the form of some type of informational graphic (e.g., a graph, a table, or a chart).

A graph is a visual aid that organizes data or information. It could be a line graph or a bar graph, or even a pie chart. Regardless of the type of graph you encounter, you will likely be asked to draw conclusions about the data it presents.