Travel and Adventure
Colons and semicolons
Learn how to use colons and semicolons.
You know full stops and commas. Here are two more marks, each with one clear job.
A colon (:) introduces a list or an explanation. It says: here comes what I promised!
- List: "You need these ingredients for Ela Ada: ghee, coconut, jaggery and rice flour."
- Explanation: "He has one goal: to win the championship."
Test: you could put the word namely in place of the colon.
A semicolon (;) joins two closely linked sentences without and or but. Each side could stand alone as a full sentence. "She loves reading; he prefers watching movies." The semicolon holds them side by side so you compare them.
Easy to remember:
| Mark | Job |
|---|---|
| colon : | points forward to a list or explanation |
| semicolon ; | balances two full sentences that belong together |
Watch them work in the book's paragraph about Hyderabad: "We explored the busy by-lanes of Charminar, the heart of Hyderabad; it was an exciting day. We wanted to do a few things: buy bangles, taste biryani, and buy pearl earrings. We saw stalls selling spices, clothes and jewellery; the market was full of colours. We visited some famous spots: Charminar, Golconda Fort, Salar Jung Museum and Chowmahalla Palace; each place was beautiful."
Practise this lesson
Questions that get harder as you improve, a Tutor that helps without giving the answer away, and progress you can see. Free for every learner.
No account, no email address. Opens the real product.