Sentence structure and formation (run-ons, fragments) on the SHSAT Revising/Editing — Stand-Alone section asks students to find and fix incomplete or incorrectly joined sentences.
A student must spot a fragment that cannot stand alone, a run-on or comma splice that fuses complete thoughts, and the best way to combine short sentences so the relationship between ideas is clear. Questions usually give a short paragraph and ask which revision corrects the error, or present two sentences and ask how to combine them.
Answer choices vary punctuation and conjunctions; traps include a comma alone, a leftover phrase as a sentence, or a combination that changes the meaning.
Sample questions
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Question 1Easier
Which edit should be made to correct the sentence?
Before the chess tournament began, Maya reviewed the rules, checked the pairings,and her clock was tested.
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Answer: C — Change and her clock was tested to and tested her clock.
Items in a series should use the same grammatical form, so “Change and her clock was tested to and tested her clock. ” gives three past-tense verbs that share Maya as their subject. “Change reviewed to reviewing. ” breaks the past-tense series and leaves the faulty third item unchanged. “Delete the comma after pairings. ” only alters optional series punctuation and leaves the nonparallel third item unrepaired. “Delete the comma after began. ” strips the comma required after the introductory clause and also leaves the series unfixed.
Question 2Mid
Which revision corrects the error in sentence structure in the paragraph?
Ferry terminals along the East River post real-time arrival boards for commuters. The boards sometimes freeze during rush hour. Leaving riders unsure which pier to use. Staff also announce pier changes over loudspeakers so riders do not miss a departure, a practice that reduces crowding on the wrong pier. Weekend service is lighter, yet the boards still help tourists find the correct boat. In summer, evening boats fill quickly with people heading to outdoor concerts.
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Answer: B — hour, leaving
“Leaving riders unsure which pier to use” is a sentence fragment, so “hour, leaving” attaches the participial phrase to the independent clause it modifies. “commuters, the” and “boat, in” create comma splices, while “departure. A” turns the explanatory appositive into a fragment.
Question 3Mid
Which revision corrects the error in sentence structure in the paragraph?
Before a rehearsal, a sound technician tested each microphone, adjusting its height and checking its cable. A faint rattle did not come through the speakers in the empty hall, instead, it came from a loose wall panel, which vibrated whenever low notes were played. The technician secured the panel before the rehearsal, allowing the musicians to perform without the distracting noise.
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Answer: C — hall. Instead,
A comma cannot join the independent clauses before and after the conjunctive adverb “instead”; “hall. Instead,” correctly ends the first clause with a period. “microphone. Adjusting” and “rehearsal. Allowing” turn modifying phrases into fragments. “panel. Which” turns the relative clause beginning with “which” into a fragment.
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