Tell a complete sentence from a fragment, and choose the mark that fits between groups of words.
Goal: tell a complete sentence from a fragment, and choose the mark that fits between groups of words.
Help: do all of this alone or with your family. You do not need a tutor or teacher. The Forms score your answers, and the answer key explains every choice.
How it works: work down the page in order. When you reach a Stop here line, you are done for that day.
Get these ready:
Why it is built this way: a major review of study methods rated practice testing and spacing your study over time as the two most useful methods.
| When | What to do | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sitting 1 | Try First Check, Part 1, then Game 1 | 30 minutes |
| Sitting 2, two or three days later | Replay Game 1, then Parts 2 to 4, then Game 2 | 30 minutes |
| Sitting 3, about a week after Sitting 1 | Replay Game 2, then Game 3, Part 5, and the Exit Check | 30 minutes |
| Return day, one to two weeks later | Replay one game, then retake the Exit Check | 15 minutes |
A family member can read each sentence out loud and ask, "Can this part stand alone?"
Answer all 5 questions before you read anything below. Mark how sure you are on each one. It is fine to miss some, because trying first helps you remember the answers later. When you submit, choose View score and read why each answer is right or wrong. Write your score on the My Scores tab of your tracker.
Trouble with the box? Open it in its own tab.
Got 5 out of 5? Skip Part 1 and go to Game 1.
The most common boundary question gives you two groups of words and a blank between them. Your job is to decide whether each group can stand alone, then choose the mark that fits.
A group of words can stand alone only if it has all three parts:
Because the road was icy has a subject and a verb, but it leaves you waiting. It is not complete. The road was icy is complete.
| Join with | Example |
|---|---|
| A period | The storm knocked out the power. The school closed. |
| A semicolon | The storm knocked out the power; the school closed. |
| A comma plus and, but, or, so | The storm knocked out the power, so the school closed. |
| Trap | What it means |
|---|---|
| Run-on | Two complete sentences with no mark between them. |
| Comma splice | Two complete sentences joined by only a comma. |
| Fragment | A group of words that cannot stand alone is treated as a sentence. |
| Semicolon misuse | A semicolon where one side is not a complete sentence, or a semicolon plus a joining word. |
Question. Maya practiced the violin for two hours ______ her fingers were sore by evening.
| Step | What you think |
|---|---|
| Read the words before the blank. | Maya practiced the violin for two hours. Complete. |
| Read the words after the blank. | Her fingers were sore by evening. Complete. |
Your turn: two complete sentences are next to each other. Which marks can join them? Which cannot? Then check the Worked Example section of the answer key.
Read the group of words, then decide what it is. Set the timer for 3 minutes, or play without it. Choose an answer for each item, then press Check.
Replay Game 1 and try to beat your score.
Not every boundary question is about two sentences. Some are about one mark inside a sentence. Learn the job of each mark.
| Mark | Its job | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Comma after an opening clause | A comma follows an opening part that cannot stand alone. | After the bell rang, the students left. |
| Comma plus and, but, or, so | It joins two complete sentences. | The coach praised the team, but the players were disappointed. |
| Semicolon | It joins two complete sentences. It is never followed by and, but, or so. | It rained all week; the field was a mess. |
| Colon | It follows a complete sentence and introduces a list, an example, or an explanation. | We brought three things: signs, drums, and flags. |
| Two commas | They set off extra information in the middle of a sentence. Use both or neither. | My cousin, who lives in Denver, visits every July. |
| No mark | Do not put one mark between a subject and its verb. | The students in the back row were the first to finish. |
These are original practice questions. The Form asks how sure you are on each one, scores your answers, and explains every choice.
Trouble with the box? Open it in its own tab.
Prefer paper? Open the printable module doc and answer there.
Read the explanation for every choice, including the questions you got right. Write your score on the My Scores tab of your tracker. For each question you missed or rated 1 or 2, add a row on the My Mistakes tab. Each explanation names the sticking point to choose. Leave the Trap column blank for now.
Choose the mark that goes in the blank. A capital letter after the blank means a new sentence starts. Set the timer for 3 minutes, or play without it. Choose an answer for each item, then press Check.
Replay Game 2 and try to beat your score.
Read the sentence, then name the error or say it is correct. Set the timer for 3 minutes, or play without it. Choose an answer for each item, then press Check.
With a family member or friend: Take turns reading a sentence out loud. The other person names the error and says how to fix it.
| Sticking point | Domain | Skill | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sentence boundaries | Standard English Conventions | Boundaries | Easy |
No account, or the Question Bank will not open? Use the Practice links: boundaries, or the Khan Academy SAT Reading and Writing course.
Answer all 5 questions without your notes. When you submit, choose View score and read why each answer is right or wrong. Write your score on the My Scores tab of your tracker. Add any question you missed to the My Mistakes tab.
Trouble with the box? Open it in its own tab.
4 or 5 right: you are ready for your return day. 3 or fewer right: replay Game 3 and reread Parts 1 and 2 before your return day.
Set your return date. Pick a date one to two weeks from today. Write it on the Next Step tab of your tracker and on your calendar.
4 or 5 right: go to Module 6. 3 or fewer right: open the help for the questions you missed, then retake the Exit Check in a few days.
When you can, use the Student Question Bank: Standard English Conventions, Boundaries, Medium. Answer 10 questions in 10 minutes. Add each miss to My Mistakes.