Punctuation: Colons and Semicolons

Why do we punctuate?

To show pauses in our writing.

Multiple Choice

Where does the colon go?

I need to go to the gas station the tank is on empty.

• no colon needed

• gas: station

• go: to

• station: the

• tank: is

Multiple Choice

Where does the colon go?

I went shopping for tires, soap, and jelly.

• no colon needed

• shopping: for

• tires: soap

• went: shopping

• soap: and

Multiple Choice

Where does the colon go?

Annie's singing is stuck in my head "The sun will come out tomorrow!"

• no colon needed

• stuck: in

• head: "The

• sun: will

• singing: is

Multiple Choice

Where does the colon go?

School is usually dismissed at 324 in the afternoon.

• no colon needed

• dismissed: at

• usually: dismissed

• 3:24

• the: afternoon

Multiple Choice

Where does the colon go?

The day could not get any worse it was just awful.

• no colon needed

• worse: it

• not: get

• was: just

• could: not

​Colons should always come after

a complete sentence.

Multiple Choice

Where does the semicolon go?

I like dogs however, I hate the way they smell.

• no ; needed

• dogs; however

• way; they

• however; I

Multiple Choice

Where does the semicolon go?

The play was short but fantastic.

• no ; needed

• play; was

• was; short

• but; fantastic

Multiple Choice

Where does the semicolon go?

The barn is really small only one tractor fits inside it.

• no ; needed

• really; small

• small; only

• tractor; fits

Multiple Select

Where do the semicolons go?

My family is filled with artists. There is my sister, who is a pianist my brother, who is a sculptor and my mother, who is a painter.

• no ; needed

• filled; with

• pianist; my

• sculptor; and

​A semicolon is used to separate

major sentence elements.