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7th grade · English Language Arts · Unit 8 of 20

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.

New York State Learning Standards learning standard: 7L2 · 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 New York

In the New York State Learning Standards, this is unit 8 of 20 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: New York State Education Department (NYSED)

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 shows an interruption with dashes?

    • My cousin—the one who plays hockey is visiting.
    • My cousin—the one who plays hockey—is visiting.
    • My—cousin the one who plays hockey—is visiting.

  2. Question 2

    Which is a conjunctive adverb?

    • but
    • although
    • meanwhile

  3. Question 3

    Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

    • We were tired; nevertheless, we kept going.
    • We were tired, nevertheless, we kept going.
    • We were tired nevertheless; we kept going.

  4. Question 4

    Which sentence uses a semicolon correctly?

    • Rain; fell all day, the game was canceled.
    • Rain fell all day; canceled.
    • Rain fell all day; the game was canceled.

  5. Question 5

    Which sentence uses a colon correctly to introduce a quotation?

    • The poster said it best: “Be kind.”
    • The poster said, it best: “Be kind.”
    • The poster said it best; “Be kind.”

  6. Question 6

    Which word is a conjunctive adverb?

    • because
    • and
    • however

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