A sentence is a group of words that tells who or what and what happens, and it makes sense on its own: The cat naps. A fragment is only part of a sentence, with the who or the what happens missing: The cat. Runs fast. Children who learn to hear the difference write complete thoughts and fix their own mistakes.
On this grade 1 worksheet each line is a group of words, and your child circles sentence or fragment. Each sheet has a mix of both, in a mixed order. Ask two questions about each group: who or what is it about, and what happens? If both answers are there, it is a sentence.
What your child will learn
Tell a whole sentence from a fragment
Check that a group of words says who or what
Check that it tells what happens
Fix a fragment by adding the missing part
Common Core standard: L.1.1.J
Worked example
The cat naps. It tells who and what happens, so it is a sentence. The cat. It does not say what happens, so it is a fragment.
Common mistake
Calling a group of words a sentence because it starts with a capital letter and ends with a period.
Helpful hint
Ask: who is it about? What happens? If one is missing, it is a fragment.
Questions parents ask
What is the most common mistake with sentence or fragment?+
Calling a group of words a sentence because it starts with a capital letter and ends with a period.
How can I help my child with sentence or fragment?+
Ask: who is it about? What happens? If one is missing, it is a fragment.
Are these 1st grade grammar worksheets free to print?+
Yes. All 6 printable versions on this page are free to download and print, with no account needed.