ELA Bell Ringer Archive: Grades 6–12
Every ELA bell ringer from our daily sets, for both middle school and high school: 4 bell ringers so far, newest first. They cover grammar fixes, word choice, short writing and reading skills. Pick a grade band below to narrow it down.
ELA Bell Ringer for Grades 9–12: Three ways to fix a comma splice
This sentence is a comma splice. Fix it three different ways: once with a period, once with a semicolon, and once with a comma plus a conjunction.
The bus was late again, most of us missed the start of first period.
Answer and teacher notes
Period: The bus was late again. Most of us missed the start of first period.
Semicolon: The bus was late again; most of us missed the start of first period.
Comma + conjunction: The bus was late again, so most of us missed the start of first period.
A comma splice joins two complete sentences with only a comma. A comma alone can't hold two independent clauses together. Ask which version best shows that the second idea is caused by the first (the "so" version makes it explicit).
ELA Bell Ringer for Grades 6–8: Similes versus metaphors
Label each sentence as a simile or a metaphor. Then write one of your own about your morning.
- After the bell, the hallway was a river of backpacks.
- My little brother eats cereal like a vacuum cleaner.
- The full moon looked like a shiny coin in the sky.
Answer and teacher notes
1. Metaphor. 2. Simile. 3. Simile.
A simile compares two things using "like" or "as." A metaphor says one thing is another. Quick check: if you can spot "like" or "as" doing the comparing, it's a simile. For the student sentences, ask what the comparison helps the reader picture.
ELA Bell Ringer for Grades 6–8: Their, there, and they’re
Fix the two mistakes in this sentence:
Their going to the library after school, but they left there backpacks in the classroom.
Answer and teacher notes
Corrected: They're going to the library after school, but they left their backpacks in the classroom.
They're = they are. Their = belongs to them. There = a place. Quick test: if "they are" fits, use they're.
ELA Bell Ringer for Grades 9–12: Active versus passive voice
Rewrite this sentence in the active voice so it is shorter and clearer:
The decision was made by the committee after the votes were counted.
Answer and teacher notes
Possible answer: The committee made the decision after it counted the votes.
In active voice, the one doing the action (the committee) comes first. Ask students who did each action; that is their subject.
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