Punctuating Clauses
Use semi-colons, colons, and dashes to mark boundaries between independent clauses, choosing the appropriate punctuation based on the relationship between the clauses
Teaching approaches
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1 approach
When your child writes two closely related sentences, can they join them with a semi-colon or colon — like "It was late; the streets were empty" — rather than always using a full stop or "and"?
Use semi-colons, colons, and dashes to mark boundaries between independent clauses, choosing the appropriate punctuation based on the relationship between the clauses
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This concept
Check understanding
- Join two related independent clauses using a semi-colon in place of a conjunction
- Use a colon to introduce an explanation or elaboration of the first clause
- Replace commas with dashes to create stronger pauses between clauses for emphasis
“When your child writes two closely related sentences, can they join them with a semi-colon or colon — like "It was late; the streets were empty" — rather than always using a full stop or "and"?”
Curriculum record
- Type
- Procedural
- Subject
- English
- Domain
- Grammar & Punctuation
- Age range
- Ages 10–11
Standards