1. Colons and Semicolons
: ;

2. Colons To introduce a list AFTER a complete sentence.
I need to pack for my camping trip. I will take: a tent, a stove, some clothes and food.
To introduce a quotation or direct speech.
Brian said: “I should have remembered that it was my Mum’s birthday.”

3. Colons Continued
In play scripts, colons follow the speaker’s name. So they introduce dialogue.
Juliet: Oh Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?
When expressing time in numbers.
14:27 (27 minutes after 2pm)

4. Colons Continued
Separate two parts of a sentence. This happens when the second sentence explains or gives more information about the first sentence OR when it is the opposite in meaning.
The garden was a complete mess: everything was dying or dead.
The sun shone brightly: it was bitterly cold.

5. Semicolons
To separate two independent clauses in a single sentence which are closely related.
In spite of her cold, my grandmother refuses to go to bed early; she is afraid she will miss something.
To separate items on a list where items already have commas included.
I want to take: A two person tent, just for me; my most comfortable boots, which are at the repair shop and food for a week.

6. Insert the colon or the semicolon in the correct place in these sentences
John ate his dinner a mountain of mashed potatoes, lamb chops and peas.
Isabella is great at sports she plays badminton, tennis and hockey.
It’s 1144 exactly.
Stephen asked “Would you like fries with that?”

7. A winter’s day is all freezing fingers and toes but it’s all warm fires and hot toast too.
Julia left a message on the answer phone she forgot to leave her name and number unfortunately.
This afternoon I ate six pink fluffy sticky marshmallows, seven different coloured jellybeans and a piece of broccoli.