This set has ten original questions, ordered from easier to harder. It mixes the skills from sentence control: comma splices, subordinate clauses, modifiers, direct speech and sentence rhythm.
Write each answer before you open the explanation. Many sentences can be repaired in more than one way, so compare your reasoning with the worked answer, not only the wording. The questions carry no mark labels.
Questions
1. Which of these is a comma splice? (a) “Because it rained, we stayed in.” (b) “It rained, we stayed in.” (c) “It rained, so we stayed in.”
Show answer
(b). Both “It rained” and “we stayed in” are complete sentences joined by a comma alone. In (a), “Because it rained” cannot stand alone, and in (c) the conjunction “so” joins the clauses properly.
2. Repair in two different ways: “The shop was closed, we went to the market instead.”
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Full stop: “The shop was closed. We went to the market instead.” Conjunction: “The shop was closed, so we went to the market instead.” A subordinate clause also works: “Because the shop was closed, we went to the market instead.” Each removes the comma alone between two complete sentences.
3. Punctuate the speech: are you ready asked Mr Lim
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“Are you ready?” asked Mr Lim. The speech begins with a capital and ends in a question mark inside the quotation marks. The tag “asked Mr Lim” starts in lowercase because it continues the sentence.
4. Correct the punctuation: “I’ll be there at six,” she said “don’t start without me.”
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“I’ll be there at six,” she said. “Don’t start without me.” The second part of the speech is a new sentence, so it needs a capital. The tag ends with a full stop, because the tag sits between two complete sentences of speech.
5. Fix the modifier: “Wearing a bright yellow coat, the crowd easily spotted the cyclist.”
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The opening phrase seems to describe the crowd, but the cyclist wore the coat. Write “Wearing a bright yellow coat, the cyclist was easily spotted by the crowd.” Another good fix: “The crowd easily spotted the cyclist, who was wearing a bright yellow coat.”
6. The notice says “We only have two tickets left.” The writer means that two tickets remain and no more. Rewrite it so that the meaning cannot be misread.
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“We have only two tickets left.” “Only” limits the word right after it, so it belongs next to “two”. In the original, “only have” can suggest that having is all the writer does with the tickets.
7. Combine into one sentence with a clear main idea: “Priya was tired. She finished the map. She wanted to give it to her group.”
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One good version: “Although Priya was tired, she finished the map because she wanted to give it to her group.” The main idea is that she finished. “Although” gives the contrast and “because” gives the reason.
8. Repair the fragment: “The match went ahead. Although the pitch was still wet.”
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“Although the pitch was still wet” cannot stand alone. Join it: “The match went ahead although the pitch was still wet.” Or put it first: “Although the pitch was still wet, the match went ahead.”
9. These sentences are all the same length. Rewrite them with variety, so that the last idea stands out: “The market opened at dawn. Traders arrived. They set up stalls. They shouted prices. A cat slept under a table. Nobody noticed it.”
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One good version: “The market opened at dawn, and as traders arrived and set up their stalls, the air filled with shouted prices. Under one table, a cat slept. Nobody noticed.” The long sentence gathers the bustle, and the short ones shift attention to the small detail. The choice matters more than the exact wording.
10. This sentence has three problems. Repair it: Running down the platform, the doors closed, Hana groaned “I missed it”.
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The problems are a dangling modifier (the doors did not run), a comma splice and misplaced speech punctuation. One repair: Running down the platform, Hana saw the doors close. She groaned, “I missed it.” The subject now follows the opening phrase, the splice is split by a full stop, and the closing full stop sits inside the quotation marks.
If you got these wrong
| What went wrong | What to revisit |
|---|---|
| Kept two complete sentences joined by a comma, or used “however” after a comma (Q1, Q2) | Repair a comma splice |
| Punctuation outside the marks, missing capitals or no new line for a speaker (Q3, Q4) | Punctuate direct speech consistently |
| The opening phrase or “only” pointed at the wrong word (Q5, Q6) | Clarify an ambiguous modifier |
| Main idea buried, or a dependent clause left as a sentence (Q7, Q8) | Use subordinate clauses without losing the main idea |
| Every sentence the same length, or short sentences with no purpose (Q9) | Vary sentence length for a deliberate effect |
| Missed more than one problem in the same sentence (Q10) | Work through Q5, Q2 and Q4 again, then read the sentence aloud after each repair |
Log each slip in the mistake log and retest queue so you meet the same skill again on a fresh sentence. The writing revision compare view lets you compare a first repair with a second, and the summary selection and paraphrase studio helps when you need to rebuild a sentence in your own words.
How to use this set well
Retry the questions you missed after a few days, without looking at the explanations. If the same error returns, go through the matching lesson again and write three new sentences that show the repair.
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