Semicolons, Colons, and Punctuation
Aligned to L.9-10.2 — Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.
What this lesson teaches
Command of punctuation includes joining related independent clauses with a semicolon and using a colon to introduce a list or explanation. Correct punctuation clarifies how ideas relate.
Worked example
'The plan had one flaw: no one had checked the budget' uses a colon to spotlight the flaw; a period there would lose the sense that the second part explains the first.
Practice questions
- Join two related sentences correctly with a semicolon.
- Write a sentence that uses a colon to introduce an explanation or list.
- Correct a sentence where a comma is wrongly used to splice two independent clauses.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Punto y Coma, Dos Puntos y Puntuación
El dominio de la puntuación incluye unir cláusulas independientes relacionadas con punto y coma y usar los dos puntos para introducir una lista o explicación. La puntuación correcta aclara cómo se relacionan las ideas.
Ejemplo: 'El plan tenía una falla: nadie había revisado el presupuesto' usa los dos puntos para destacar la falla; un punto ahí perdería el sentido de que la segunda parte explica la primera.
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