Choose an accurate summary that is complete but not too broad or too narrow.
Choose the summary that covers the passage’s main point without overreaching or getting too narrow.
Core Idea
A good summary is complete and restrained. It includes the passage's main point and movement without shrinking to one example or expanding beyond the text.
Understanding
ACT summary questions often place the best answer between two traps: one choice is incomplete, and another overreaches. The right summary usually tells you both what the passage is about and what the author says about it.
Use two checks:
- Coverage: Does the choice include the passage's main development, not just the starting setup?
- Scope check: Does every part of the choice stay anchored in what the passage actually supports?
If either answer is no, eliminate it.
Step by Step
- Find the passage's subject
- Add the author's main point about that subject
- Check that the summary does not include claims the passage never proves
Worked Example
A passage explains how a museum changed the labels beside paintings after noticing that visitors spent more time with works when the labels asked short interpretive questions instead of listing only dates and materials. Which choice is the most accurate summary?
Select an answer to see the explanation