Macro-logic questions ask where a sentence or paragraph belongs in a passage—and the answer depends on logical flow, not grammar rules. You read what comes before and after, state each paragraph's job in one phrase, and eliminate placements that break the sequence.
Sentence order within a paragraph
"Where should Sentence X be placed?" means the sentence is already correct—it just sits in the wrong spot. Read the paragraph topic sentence and the sentences on either side of each option. A detail should follow the claim it supports; a transition should bridge the ideas it connects.
Paragraph order in the passage
Whole-paragraph questions work the same way at a bigger scale. Summarize each paragraph in five words: setup, example, counterargument, conclusion. The passage should move in a sensible arc—general to specific, cause to effect, problem to solution—not jump randomly.
Look before and after
Never judge placement from the moving sentence alone. Cover it, read what precedes and follows each candidate spot, and ask: does this create a smooth handoff? If the sentence before expects an example and your sentence is a new topic, that spot is wrong.
Main idea of each paragraph
One paragraph = one job. If Sentence X introduces a new subtopic that belongs elsewhere, move it to the paragraph already handling that topic. This overlaps with ACT transition questions—transitions fix word-level links; macro-logic fixes where whole chunks go.
Process of elimination
- Label each paragraph's purpose in the margin.
- Cross off spots that repeat info or skip a needed step.
- Test your top choice by reading the passage with X inserted there.
Add/delete questions judge whether content belongs at all; macro-logic assumes it belongs and asks where. See ACT add/delete questions for that distinction. These sit under ACT English question types, and steady practice on flow pays off across the section—see how to improve your ACT English score.
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