Commas, Semi-Colons, and Colons

Front

What is a colon?

Back

A colon (:) is a punctuation mark used to introduce a list, a quote, or an explanation.

Front

What is a semicolon?

Back

A semicolon (;) is a punctuation mark used to connect closely related ideas or to separate items in a complex list.

Front

What is a comma?

Back

A comma (,) is a punctuation mark used to indicate a pause between parts of a sentence or to separate items in a list.

Front

When do you use a colon?

Back

Use a colon to introduce a list, a quote, or to explain something that follows.

Front

When do you use a semicolon?

Back

Use a semicolon to connect two independent clauses that are closely related or to separate items in a list that already contains commas.

Front

When do you use a comma?

Back

Use a comma to separate items in a list, before conjunctions in compound sentences, or after introductory phrases.

Front

Which sentence is correct? 'I have apples, oranges, and bananas.'

Back

This sentence is correct because it uses commas to separate items in a list.

Front

Which sentence is correct? 'I have a dog; he is very friendly.'

Back

This sentence is correct because it uses a semicolon to connect two related independent clauses.

Front

Which sentence is correct? 'She said: I will be there soon.'

Back

This sentence is incorrect because a colon should not be used before a complete sentence.

Front

Which sentence is correct? 'We have three pets: a cat, a dog, and a rabbit.'

Back

This sentence is correct because it uses a colon to introduce a list.