Grade: Grade 2 Subject: SAT/ACT Skills Unit: Sentence Fixups Lesson: 4 of 6 SAT: StandardEnglishConventions ACT: English

Timed Drill

Learn

On big tests, you need to work quickly AND carefully. This lesson helps you practice doing both!

Why Practice with a Timer?

  • Tests have time limits
  • Practicing with time helps you stay calm during real tests
  • You learn to spot errors faster

Tips for Working Fast

  1. Read once, check twice: Read the sentence, then quickly check the start and end.
  2. Look for common errors first: Capital letters and periods are the most common mistakes.
  3. Trust your first answer: If it looks right, it probably is!
  4. Don't get stuck: If you're unsure, make your best guess and move on.
Goal: Try to answer each question in about 30 seconds. That's about as long as it takes to tie your shoe!

Examples

Watch how to quickly find errors:

Quick Check Example 1

"the bird flew away"

Quick scan:

  • Start: lowercase "t" - ERROR! Should be capital T
  • End: no period - ERROR! Needs a period

Fixed: "The bird flew away."

Time: about 15 seconds!

Quick Check Example 2

"My sister is in third grade."

Quick scan:

  • Start: capital M - Good!
  • End: period - Good!
  • Words look right - Good!

Answer: No errors! This sentence is correct.

Time: about 10 seconds!

Practice

Timed Drill Instructions:

  1. Ask a parent or helper to time you (or use a clock)
  2. Try to finish all 12 questions in 6 minutes
  3. Write down which sentences need fixing and what the fix is
  4. Check your answers when you're done

Ready? Set? Go!

1. "my name is Emma."

2. "We went to the park today."

3. "do you like pizza"

4. "The dog ran fast."

5. "i have two brothers"

6. "She is my best friend."

7. "can I have more juice"

8. "Today is tuesday."

9. "The flowers are pretty."

10. "we live on Oak street"

11. "My birthday is in march."

12. "I love to read books!"

Done? Stop your timer! Write down how long it took you.

Check Your Understanding

Answer Key

  1. Needs fix: "my" should be "My"
  2. Correct! No changes needed
  3. Needs fix: "do" should be "Do" AND needs "?" at the end
  4. Correct! No changes needed
  5. Needs fix: "i" should be "I" AND needs "." at the end
  6. Correct! No changes needed
  7. Needs fix: "can" should be "Can" AND needs "?" at the end
  8. Needs fix: "tuesday" should be "Tuesday"
  9. Correct! No changes needed
  10. Needs fix: "we" should be "We" AND "street" should be "Street" AND needs "."
  11. Needs fix: "march" should be "March"
  12. Correct! No changes needed

How Did You Do?

  • 12 correct: Amazing! You're a sentence fixup star!
  • 10-11 correct: Great job! Keep practicing!
  • 8-9 correct: Good work! Review what you missed.
  • Below 8: No worries! Go back to earlier lessons and try again.

Time Check

  • Under 6 minutes: Excellent speed!
  • 6-8 minutes: Good pace, keep practicing!
  • Over 8 minutes: Focus on speed next time - but accuracy matters most!

Next Steps

  • Try the drill again tomorrow - can you beat your time?
  • Practice with sentences from your favorite books
  • Move on to Review Mistakes to learn from your errors