Punctuation controls the rhythm of prose. A series of semicolons can build linked images while keeping them distinct. A colon creates a pause before a revelation.
Paired dashes add emphasis to inserted information: “The prize—a scholarship worth $10,000—went to Ade.” In US style, a complete sentence after a colon may begin with a capital letter.
Read your writing aloud. Where do you want the reader to pause, speed up or stop? Choose punctuation that creates that rhythm.
Worked example
Which punctuation best joins “The rain had stopped” and “the streets still shone”?
- Both are main clauses with no conjunction.
- They are closely linked images.
Answer:a semicolon: “The rain had stopped; the streets still shone.”
Key words
- rhythm
- the flow and pace of language
- revelation
- something surprising revealed
- em dash
- a long dash used for emphasis
Practise this
New questions every time.
Common Core-referenced: L.11-12.2