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7th grade · English Language Arts · Unit 8 of 13

Punctuation Power

Colons, however and ellipses

What your child practices

Using a colon before a quotation, a semicolon with words like however and therefore, and ellipses or dashes to show a pause, an omission or a break.

Arizona Academic Standards learning standard: 7.L.2 · colons, conjunctive adverbs and ellipses

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Use a semicolon before however or therefore when it joins two sentences, and a comma after: “It was icy; therefore, we walked.”
  2. Use commas around however when it interrupts one sentence.
  3. Dashes show an interruption or break. An ellipsis (…) shows a pause or words left out. A colon can introduce a quotation.

Example: “The path was icy ___ therefore ___ we walked slowly.” What goes in the blanks? “Therefore” joins two complete sentences. Put a semicolon before it and a comma after. Answer: ; and ,

Punctuation Power in Arizona

In the Arizona Academic Standards, this is unit 8 of 13 in 7th grade English Language Arts, after Poetry Lab and before Whose Story?.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Arizona Department of Education

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    Which sentence punctuates the conjunctive adverb correctly?

    • I studied hard, however, the test was tough.
    • I studied hard; however, the test was tough.
    • I studied hard; however the test was tough.

  2. Question 2

    Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

    • The path was icy; therefore, we walked slowly.
    • The path was icy, therefore, we walked slowly.
    • The path was icy therefore; we walked slowly.

  3. Question 3

    Which sentence uses a dash to add emphasis?

    • She—had one wish to win.
    • She had one wish—to win.
    • She had one wish to—win.

  4. Question 4

    What does the ellipsis (…) show here? “I think … we should go,” said Kai.

    • a title
    • a pause or something left out
    • a question

  5. Question 5

    What do the dashes show? The answer—if there is one—is not easy.

    • a list of items
    • the end of the sentence
    • an interruption or break in the sentence

  6. Question 6

    Which sentence uses a colon correctly?

    • Remember this rule: always read the question twice.
    • Remember this: rule always read: the question twice.
    • Remember: this rule always read the question twice.

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