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English Quiz - Punctuation (Avoiding Comma Splicing) 01 (Questions)

Learn how to stop comma splices in KS3 English. Spot when a comma wrongly joins two sentences and fix it with conjunctions, semicolons, or full stops.

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(quiz starts below)

Fascinating Fact:

Lists are fine with commas, problems begin when a list comma tries to fuse two full sentences.

In KS3 English, you will learn to avoid comma splicing, which is when a comma incorrectly links two complete sentences. You will practise choosing better joins, such as a coordinating conjunction, a semicolon, or a full stop, to keep writing clear and accurate.

Key Terms

Independent clause: A group of words with a subject and verb that can stand alone as a sentence.
Comma splice: The error of joining two independent clauses with only a comma.
Coordinating conjunction: A joining word like for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so (FANBOYS) used to link clauses correctly.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What is a comma splice and why is it wrong?

A comma splice happens when two complete sentences are joined with only a comma. It is wrong because a comma alone is too weak to link independent clauses.

How do I fix a comma splice in KS3 English?

Use one of four fixes: add a coordinating conjunction, change the comma to a semicolon, use a full stop, or make one clause dependent.

Is it ever okay to join two sentences with a comma?

Yes, but only if you also add a coordinating conjunction, like but or so. Without one, use a semicolon or a full stop instead.

Try These Related Quizzes

This quiz is VERY hard because sometimes just one letter is wrong. Make sure you look at every letter to see if it is a capital!

1.

Connect the following sentence.
The tent is large. Four people can sleep in it.

[ ]	The tent is large and four people can sleep in it.
[ ]	The tent is large! Four people can sleep in it.
[ ]	The tent is large, Four people can sleep in it.
[ ]	The tent is large, four people can sleep in it.

2.

Connect the following sentence.
I have lost my book. My name is on the front of it.

[ ]	I have lost my book and My name is on the front of it.
[ ]	I have lost my book, My name is on the front of it.
[ ]	I have lost my book, my name is on the front of it.
[ ]	I have lost my book; my name is on the front of it.

3.

Connect the following sentence.
The bag is blue. It has a pocket for my wallet.

[ ]	The bag is blue and it has a pocket for my wallet.
[ ]	The bag is blue because It has a pocket for my wallet.
[ ]	The bag is blue, it has a pocket for my wallet.
[ ]	The bag is blue, It has a pocket for my wallet.

4.

Connect the following sentence.
I can't use that printer. The ink has dried out.

[ ]	I can't use that printer and The ink has dried out.
[ ]	I can't use that printer because the ink has dried out.
[ ]	I can't use that printer, The ink has dried out.
[ ]	I can't use that printer, the ink has dried out.

5.

Connect the following sentence.
Their garden is large. It even has a tennis court.

[ ]	Their garden is large and It even has a tennis court.
[ ]	Their garden is large, It even has a tennis court.
[ ]	Their garden is large, it even has a tennis court.
[ ]	Their garden is large; it even has a tennis court.

6.

Connect the following sentence.
The house is huge. It has three floors.

[ ]	The house is huge and It has three floors.
[ ]	The house is huge, It has three floors.
[ ]	The house is huge; it has three floors.
[ ]	The house is huge; It has three floors.

7.

Connect the following sentence.
This ball is suitable for basketball. It bounces well.

[ ]	This ball is suitable for basketball, It bounces well.
[ ]	This ball is suitable for basketball, it bounces well.
[ ]	This ball is suitable for basketball; it bounces well.
[ ]	This ball is suitable for basketball; It bounces well.

8.

Connect the following sentence.
The mirror is lovely. It is a special offer.

[ ]	The mirror is lovely and It is a special offer.
[ ]	The mirror is lovely, it is a special offer.
[ ]	The mirror is lovely, It is a special offer.
[ ]	The mirror is lovely; it is a special offer.

9.

Connect the following sentence.
My brother is the eldest of us. He is twenty years old.

[ ]	My brother is the eldest of us and He is twenty years old.
[ ]	My brother is the eldest of us, he is twenty years old.
[ ]	My brother is the eldest of us, He is twenty years old.
[ ]	My brother is the eldest of us; he is twenty years old.

10.

Connect the following sentence.
The game takes ages to finish. It is very difficult.

[ ]	The game takes ages to finish because It is very difficult.
[ ]	The game takes ages to finish because it is very difficult.
[ ]	The game takes ages to finish, It is very difficult.
[ ]	The game takes ages to finish, it is very difficult.

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - What is a comma?

English Quiz - Punctuation (Avoiding Comma Splicing) 01 (Answers)

1.

Connect the following sentence.
The tent is large. Four people can sleep in it.

[x]	The tent is large and four people can sleep in it.
[ ]	The tent is large! Four people can sleep in it.
[ ]	The tent is large, Four people can sleep in it.
[ ]	The tent is large, four people can sleep in it.

You can connect two sentences with connectives such as "and", "but" and "or"

2.

Connect the following sentence.
I have lost my book. My name is on the front of it.

[ ]	I have lost my book and My name is on the front of it.
[ ]	I have lost my book, My name is on the front of it.
[ ]	I have lost my book, my name is on the front of it.
[x]	I have lost my book; my name is on the front of it.

Use a semicolon to join simple sentences successfully

3.

Connect the following sentence.
The bag is blue. It has a pocket for my wallet.

[x]	The bag is blue and it has a pocket for my wallet.
[ ]	The bag is blue because It has a pocket for my wallet.
[ ]	The bag is blue, it has a pocket for my wallet.
[ ]	The bag is blue, It has a pocket for my wallet.

Joining two sentences into one means that the second sentence should no longer begin with a capital letter

4.

Connect the following sentence.
I can't use that printer. The ink has dried out.

[ ]	I can't use that printer and The ink has dried out.
[x]	I can't use that printer because the ink has dried out.
[ ]	I can't use that printer, The ink has dried out.
[ ]	I can't use that printer, the ink has dried out.

"The ink has dried out" explains why "I can't use that printer", making "because" the most appropriate connective/conjunction to use

5.

Connect the following sentence.
Their garden is large. It even has a tennis court.

[ ]	Their garden is large and It even has a tennis court.
[ ]	Their garden is large, It even has a tennis court.
[ ]	Their garden is large, it even has a tennis court.
[x]	Their garden is large; it even has a tennis court.

You could use "and" to join these sentences, but remember that "it" should not be capitalised in that case

6.

Connect the following sentence.
The house is huge. It has three floors.

[ ]	The house is huge and It has three floors.
[ ]	The house is huge, It has three floors.
[x]	The house is huge; it has three floors.
[ ]	The house is huge; It has three floors.

Trying to join the two sentences with a comma results in a comma splice!

7.

Connect the following sentence.
This ball is suitable for basketball. It bounces well.

[ ]	This ball is suitable for basketball, It bounces well.
[ ]	This ball is suitable for basketball, it bounces well.
[x]	This ball is suitable for basketball; it bounces well.
[ ]	This ball is suitable for basketball; It bounces well.

The first letter of the second sentence becomes lower case

8.

Connect the following sentence.
The mirror is lovely. It is a special offer.

[ ]	The mirror is lovely and It is a special offer.
[ ]	The mirror is lovely, it is a special offer.
[ ]	The mirror is lovely, It is a special offer.
[x]	The mirror is lovely; it is a special offer.

Remember that you can't join two sentences together with a comma!

9.

Connect the following sentence.
My brother is the eldest of us. He is twenty years old.

[ ]	My brother is the eldest of us and He is twenty years old.
[ ]	My brother is the eldest of us, he is twenty years old.
[ ]	My brother is the eldest of us, He is twenty years old.
[x]	My brother is the eldest of us; he is twenty years old.

It would also be correct to use a colon here in place of the semicolon

10.

Connect the following sentence.
The game takes ages to finish. It is very difficult.

[ ]	The game takes ages to finish because It is very difficult.
[x]	The game takes ages to finish because it is very difficult.
[ ]	The game takes ages to finish, It is very difficult.
[ ]	The game takes ages to finish, it is very difficult.

"It" must be written with a lower case i because it is no longer the beginning of a sentence