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Grade 6 · English Language Arts · Unit 8 of 10

Sentence Repair

Fragments, run-ons and comma splices

What your child practises

Spotting sentence fragments, run-on sentences and comma splices, and choosing correct ways to fix them with periods, semicolons, joining words or dependent clauses.

BC Curriculum learning standard: Syntax and sentence fluency: complete sentences; correcting fragments, run-ons and comma splices

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    Sort each one: complete sentence, fragment or run-on?

    Sort into: ✅ Complete · 🧩 Fragment · 🚂 Run-on

    • 📝Because it was raining, we played board games inside.
    • 📝The hikers reached the top before noon.
    • 📝After the game on Saturday.
    • 📝I love pancakes my brother prefers waffles.
    • 📝The bell rang everyone rushed outside.
    • 📝Running down the hallway with a backpack.
    Show answer

    ✅ Complete: Because it was raining, we played board games inside., The hikers reached the top before noon. · 🧩 Fragment: After the game on Saturday., Running down the hallway with a backpack. · 🚂 Run-on: I love pancakes my brother prefers waffles., The bell rang everyone rushed outside.

    Hint: A complete sentence has a subject, a verb and a complete thought. A run-on jams two sentences together with no punctuation.

  2. Question 2

    Is this a complete sentence, or does it have a problem?

    It was cold outside, I wore my warmest coat.

    • Fragment
    • Comma splice
    • Run-on (fused) sentence
    • Complete sentence
    Show answer

    Comma splice

    Hint: Two complete sentences are joined with only a comma. That's a comma splice.

  3. Question 3

    Which is a correct way to fix this comma splice?

    It was cold outside, I wore my warmest coat.

    • It was cold outside, so I wore my warmest coat.
    • It was cold outside, and, I wore my warmest coat.
    • Because it was cold outside.
    • It was cold outside I wore my warmest coat.
    Show answer

    It was cold outside, so I wore my warmest coat.

    Hint: A comma alone can't join two sentences. Use a period, a semicolon, a comma plus a joining word (and, but, so), or make one part dependent.

  4. Question 4

    Which is a correct way to fix this fragment?

    The tall girl with the green scarf.

    • The tall girl, with the green scarf.
    • With the green scarf, the tall girl.
    • The tall girl with the green scarf is my cousin.
    • The tall girl with the green scarf and the red hat.
    Show answer

    The tall girl with the green scarf is my cousin.

    Hint: Add the missing part so the sentence has a subject, a verb and a complete thought.

  5. Question 5

    Is this a complete sentence, or does it have a problem?

    The power went out we lit some candles.

    • Run-on (fused) sentence
    • Complete sentence
    • Comma splice
    • Fragment
    Show answer

    Run-on (fused) sentence

    Hint: Two complete sentences are jammed together with no punctuation between them. That's a run-on (fused) sentence.

  6. Question 6

    Is this a complete sentence, or does it have a problem?

    Leo forgot his lunch, his friend shared a sandwich.

    • Fragment
    • Comma splice
    • Run-on (fused) sentence
    • Complete sentence
    Show answer

    Comma splice

    Hint: Two complete sentences are joined with only a comma. That's a comma splice.

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