A colon introduces a list or an explanation after a complete clause: “You will need three things: a pen, a ruler and a rubber.” “The match was cancelled: the pitch was flooded.”
A semicolon joins two closely related main clauses without a conjunction: “The sun was setting; the sky turned pink.”
Dashes can mark extra information in the middle of a sentence, like brackets: “My uncle – a keen gardener – grows huge tomatoes.” A single dash can add a dramatic pause.
Worked example
Where does the colon go? “There is one thing I hate rain.”
- The first part is a complete clause.
- Rain explains what the one thing is.
Answer:There is one thing I hate: rain.
Key words
- colon
- the mark : that introduces a list or explanation
- semicolon
- the mark ; that joins related clauses
- dash
- a mark – for extra information or a pause
Practise this
New questions every time.