Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate | Prerequisites: Sentence Structure Fundamentals (independent and dependent clauses)
This final set of quiz topics builds on clause identification. You need to tell fragments from run-ons from complete sentences, convert passive voice to active, and choose the correct pronoun case. These are the skills that tie everything together: clause recognition tells you whether a group of words is complete; voice tells you whether the subject is doing or receiving the action; and pronoun case depends on where the pronoun sits in the clause (subject position or object position). If you are comfortable identifying subjects, verbs, independent clauses and dependent clauses, this material will click.
A fragment is a dependent clause or phrase pretending to be a sentence. A run-on jams two independent clauses together without proper punctuation. Active voice puts the subject first as the doer; passive voice puts the receiver first. Pronoun case (he vs. him, who vs. whom) depends on whether the pronoun is the subject or the object of its clause.
Fragment
A group of words punctuated as a sentence but lacking a complete thought, typically a dependent clause or phrase standing alone. Think of it as a sentence missing its other half.
Run-on sentence
Two or more independent clauses joined without any punctuation or conjunction. In simple terms, two complete sentences crammed together with nothing between them.
Comma splice
Two independent clauses joined only by a comma, without a coordinating conjunction. Think of it as a run-on that uses a comma where it needs something stronger (a semicolon, a full stop, or a comma plus a conjunction).
Active voice
A sentence construction where the subject performs the action: "Mr. Lein ate a pizza." The doer comes first.
Passive voice
A sentence construction where the subject receives the action: "A pizza was eaten by Mr. Lein." The receiver comes first, and the doer appears after "by" (or is omitted entirely).
Subjective case (nominative)
The pronoun form used when the pronoun is the subject of a clause or follows a linking verb: I, he, she, we, they, who. Think of it as the "doer" form.
Objective case
The pronoun form used when the pronoun is the object of a verb or preposition: me, him, her, us, them, whom. Think of it as the "receiver" form.
A complete sentence needs at least one independent clause (subject + verb + complete thought). Anything less is a fragment. Two independent clauses without proper joining is a run-on.
Worked examples from the quiz prep:
"Come to my show!" Complete sentence. Imperative: the subject "you" is implied, and "come" is the verb.
"Because this is a very important thing." Fragment. It has a subject and verb, but "because" makes it a dependent clause. It cannot stand alone.
"I like pizza, I prefer pepperoni." Comma splice (a type of run-on). Two independent clauses joined only by a comma. Fix: "I like pizza, but I prefer pepperoni" or "I like pizza; I prefer pepperoni."
"I want change to happen that's why I'm voting for a radical candidate." Run-on. Two independent clauses with no punctuation between them. Fix: "I want change to happen; that's why I'm voting for a radical candidate."
"If you don't know any better." Fragment. "If" makes this a dependent clause.
"In the case that I'm not home, please leave the package on the front doorstep." Complete sentence. Dependent clause ("In the case that I'm not home") followed by an independent clause, properly punctuated with a comma.
"Roosevelt knew the New Deal might not pass; however, he fought hard for it in the senate." Complete sentence. Two independent clauses correctly joined by semicolon + conjunctive adverb + comma.
In passive voice, the subject receives the action: "A pizza was eaten by Mr. Lein." In active voice, the subject does the action: "Mr. Lein ate a pizza."
How to convert: find the real doer (usually in a "by" phrase), make that doer the subject, and use the active form of the verb.
Worked examples:
Passive: "A pizza was eaten by Mr. Lein." Active: "Mr. Lein ate a pizza."
Passive: "Changes are being made to the student code of conduct by the principal." Active: "The principal is making changes to the student code of conduct."
Passive: "Nothing will happen until something is done to change it." This is trickier because no "by" phrase names the doer. Active: "Nothing will happen until someone does something to change it." You supply a general subject ("someone").
Passive: "The flat tire on my car really needs to be changed by someone." Active: "Someone really needs to change the flat tire on my car."
Passive: "In the end, students will be given a test by their teacher." Active: "In the end, their teacher will give students a test."
Tip: look for forms of "to be" (was, is, are, been, being) followed by a past participle (eaten, made, given). That pattern signals passive voice.
Choose the subjective form (he, she, they, who, we) when the pronoun is the subject of its clause. Choose the objective form (him, her, them, whom, us) when the pronoun is the object of a verb or preposition.
Worked examples:
"The villain in this movie is (he/him)." Answer: he. After a linking verb ("is"), use the subjective case. The sentence means "He is the villain."
"I am so much better at this sport than (she/her)." Answer: she. The implied full clause is "than she is." The pronoun is the subject of the implied verb.
"(Who/Whom) are you talking to?" Answer: whom. "To" is a preposition, and the pronoun is its object. "You are talking to whom."
"It was (they/them) who started the fight." Answer: they. After a linking verb ("was"), use the subjective case.
"We are better than (she/her) and (he/him) at tennis." Answer: she and he. The implied clause is "than she is and he is."
"(We/Us) students should get more time off." Answer: we. The pronoun is the subject of "should get." Test by removing "students": "We should get more time off" sounds right; "Us should get" does not.
The quick test: try the sentence without the extra noun or complete the implied clause. If the pronoun is doing something, use the subject form. If something is being done to it, use the object form.
Students often think that any short sentence is a fragment. Length has nothing to do with it. "Come to my show!" is short but complete. "Because this is a very important thing" is longer but incomplete.
Students confuse comma splices with correct comma usage. A comma between two independent clauses is a splice unless a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) follows it.
Students sometimes assume passive voice is "wrong." It is not wrong, just less direct. The quiz asks you to convert it, not to judge it.
"Than she" sounds odd in speech (most people say "than her"), but in formal grammar "than" introduces a clause, so the pronoun is the subject of the implied verb: "than she is."
⚠️ Expect to classify sentences as fragment, run-on, comma splice, or complete. The quiz format is: read the sentence, name the error, and correct it.
⚠️ "Who/whom" is a near-certain test item. Remember: who = subject, whom = object. If you can substitute "he," use "who." If you can substitute "him," use "whom."
⚠️ Passive-to-active conversion will likely include at least one sentence with no "by" phrase. You will need to supply a general subject ("someone," "people").
⚠️ The linking-verb pronoun rule ("The villain is he") feels unnatural in speech. The quiz tests formal grammar, so use the subjective case after linking verbs.
True or False: "Although she studied all night" is a complete sentence. (False: it is a fragment, a dependent clause starting with "although.")
Fill in the blank: To spot passive voice, look for a form of "to be" followed by a ______. (Past participle.)
True or False: "I like coffee, I drink it every morning" is a run-on. (True: it is a comma splice, two independent clauses joined by only a comma.)
Fill in the blank: "(Who/Whom) did you invite?" The correct answer is ______. (Whom. "You did invite whom" makes the pronoun the object.)
True or False: After a linking verb like "is" or "was," you use the objective pronoun form. (False: use the subjective form. "It is he," not "It is him.")
Q: Is this a fragment, a run-on, or a complete sentence? "While the rain poured outside."
A: Fragment. "While" makes it a dependent clause. It needs an independent clause to complete the thought: "While the rain poured outside, we stayed indoors."
Q: Convert to active voice: "The report was written by the intern."
A: "The intern wrote the report."
Q: Choose the correct pronoun: "Between you and (I/me), this test is going to be difficult."
A: "Me." "Between" is a preposition, and its object takes the objective case.
Q: Identify the error: "She ran to the store she forgot her wallet."
A: Run-on. Two independent clauses with no punctuation. Fix: "She ran to the store, but she forgot her wallet" or "She ran to the store; she forgot her wallet."
Q: Is this passive or active? "The ball was kicked by the goalkeeper." Rewrite in active voice.
A: Passive. Active: "The goalkeeper kicked the ball."
This connects to clause identification from the Sentence Structure Fundamentals notes: you cannot classify a sentence as a fragment or run-on without knowing what independent and dependent clauses are.
Pronoun case connects to pronoun ambiguity in the Error Correction notes. First make the referent clear (ambiguity), then make sure the pronoun is in the right case (subjective or objective).
Active vs. passive voice connects to subject-verb agreement: converting a muddled passive sentence to active voice can reveal the true subject and make agreement easier to check.
Related Terms / Search Tags
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