Clauses & Semi-Colons Practice

An independent clause is a group of words that...

• have a subject, verb, and a complete thought. It can stand on its own as a sentence.

• does not have a subject, but does have a verb and a complete thought. It cannot stand on its own as a sentence.

• have a subject and verb, but no complete thought. It cannot stand on its own as a sentence.

A dependent clause is a group of words that...

• have a subject, verb, and a complete thought. It can stand on its own as a sentence.

• does not have a subject, but does have a verb and a complete thought. It cannot stand on its own as a sentence.

• have a subject and verb, but no complete thought. It cannot stand on its own as a sentence.

A comma is a versatile piece of punctuation, but it CANNOT...

• combine independent clauses WITHOUT a coordinating conjunction.

• combine independent clauses WITH a coordinating conjunction

A semicolon connects...

• two independent clauses that contain closely related ideas.

• any two independent clauses.

• two dependent clauses that contain closely related ideas.

• any two dependent clauses.

Fill in the blank with the correct punctuation:

Shakespeare created many words _____ and we still use a lot of these words today.

• ;

• :

• .

• ,

Fill in the blank with the correct punctuation:

Shakespeare's works were intended for the stage ______ therefore, they are easier to understand when read aloud or performed.

• ;

• :

• .

• -

A semicolon also should be used to...

• Highlight important parts of a sentence

• Group together items of exactly the same meaning

• Separate items in a list that already have commas

• Emphasize differences in a sentence

Which of the following sentences is punctuated correctly?

• My favorite Shakespeare plays are Julius Caesar, a political story, Twelfth Night, a comedy, and King Lear, a tragedy.

• My favorite Shakespeare plays are Julius Caesar, a political story; Twelfth Night, a comedy; and King Lear, a tragedy.

• My favorite Shakespeare plays are Julius Caesar a political story; Twelfth Night a comedy; and King Lear a tragedy.