Sentence Structure
What this domain tests
Sentence Structure questions test whether sentences are complete, correctly joined, and balanced. You will see fragments, run-ons, comma splices, faulty parallelism, and misplaced or dangling modifiers.
Concepts to master
- Fragments: a group of words missing a subject, a verb, or a complete thought. A subordinate clause starting with because, although, which cannot stand alone.
- Run-ons and comma splices: two independent clauses need more than a comma. Fix with a period, a semicolon, a comma plus coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so), or by subordinating one clause.
- Parallelism: items in a list or comparison must share grammatical form. "She likes hiking, swimming, and to bike" is faulty; make it biking.
- Modifier placement: keep modifiers close to what they modify; avoid dangling modifiers where the described noun is missing.
- Sentence variety: effective writing mixes lengths and structures rather than repeating the same pattern.
Traps to expect
The most common trap is the comma splice disguised as a fix: an answer choice that merely adds a comma between two complete sentences is still wrong. Another trap is a long sentence that looks complete but is actually a fragment because it begins with a subordinator.
Rule of thumb
Test each clause: can it stand alone as a sentence? If two can, a comma alone will not join them. Worked example: "The storm hit the coast, the power went out." Both halves are independent, so replace the comma with a semicolon or add and.
Practice habit
Cover the sentence after the comma and read each half aloud; if both stand alone, you have a splice to fix.