The Argumentative Essay: New on Every Enhanced ACT Form

Every form now carries one essay built to argue, not just explain. Its shape is predictable: open with a problem, turn that problem into a call to action, spend the middle paragraphs giving reasons for the action, and close by returning to where it started. That opening demand matters more than it looks. A paragraph that only describes a problem could still be informational; the sentence that says what should be done is what makes the essay argumentative.

Before answering any item, map three things fast: the claim (what the essay wants done), the supports (the reasons offered for doing it), and the concession (the point the essay admits works against it). Most arguing essays grant something to the other side partway through, usually in a middle paragraph, then pivot to answer it. That answering sentence is the one worth protecting. An item that asks what to add after a concession is testing whether you see that the sentence must respond to the objection, not just add another unrelated reason.

An informational passage can mention opinions without building toward one; an argumentative essay cannot stop at description. It has to resolve into a position and defend it. This shifts how topic-development items work: a sentence is weak not because it is off-topic but because it fails to serve the claim, whether by repeating a reason, ignoring the concession, or forgetting the call to action the opening set up.