Using colons, semi-colons and dashes Title of Short Course Course Tutor Using colons, semi-colons and dashes

Colons (:) are used To introduce a list e.g. To make puff pastry you require the following ingredients: plain flour, salt, butter.

Colons (:) are also used To introduce an explanation (or expansion of what has just been said) e.g. She couldn’t eat another thing: she had already consumed a seven-course meal.

And a colon (:) may be used To introduce a quotation The following statement was released from Downing Street: “No further comment at this time.”

Or To introduce a set of bullet points. For example You should always bear in mind: your assailant may be armed s/he may not like you s/he may have martial arts training

A semi-colon (;) joins two independent clauses usually to draw attention to the contrast but sometimes to point the similarity For example: “She was charming; he was rude.” “He was Algerian; she was Rumanian.” “He was fed up; so was she.”

A semi-colon with a conjunctive adverb (;) Consequently therefore then nevertheless thus still finally for instance hence however in addition moreover

A semi-colon with a conjunctive adverb (;) When a conjunctive adverb is used to connect independent clauses, put a semicolon before the adverb and a comma after it, as shown in the following example: The environment is the context in which all life exists; consequently, it is more than a political issue.

Or a semi-colon (;) may separate items on a list, if the items are wordy (instead of a comma) e.g. She went to the grocers and bought two pounds of Conference pears; five large, pink, luscious grapefruits; a pineapple which was reduced by 50 pence; and finally a huge bunch of beautiful red grapes.

It is wrong to use a semi-colon (;) To introduce a list (it can only separate items on the list) To introduce a set of bullet points To substitute for a comma just because you think it looks nice

Dashes (-) Should not be confused with hyphens A hyphen joins two words together and makes one e.g. semi-detached Hyphens have no spaces round them: they take up the same space as an ordinary letter inside a word whereas dashes always have a single space before and after - like - this.

Dashes (-) Can be used to make an emphatic pause e.g. How can I wear - this? To indicate an explanation will follow (like a colon but more dramatic) e.g. She was just a baby - barely four months old.

Dashes (-) may also be used to indicate a hesitation or interruption “I think I should - er - go now.” “Please help me,” she screamed. “I -” or to separate points of information, like bullets, as they do on this slide

And two dashes can be used to separate a piece of information from the rest of the sentence e.g. She was going to get out the little sharp vegetable knife - the one she had carefully sharpened the previous day - and she was going to threaten to cut his throat. This way of using dashes helps the reader see the main thread of the sentence

And finally There’s the new use for colons, semi-colons and dashes in curious combinations :-) in e-mail signifies a smile ;-) is a wink and a smile :-( is too sad to explain…