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Grade 7 · English Language Arts · Unit 15 of 18

Punctuation Power

Colons, however and ellipses

What your child practises

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.

Prince Edward Island Curriculum curriculum outcome: GCO 10 · colons, semicolons, dashes and ellipses

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 uses a semicolon correctly?

    • Maya loves art; her sister prefers music.
    • Maya loves art; and her sister prefers music.
    • Maya; loves art her sister prefers music.

  2. Question 2

    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.

  3. Question 3

    Which sentence introduces a quotation correctly?

    • Her answer was clear: “I will not give up.”
    • Her answer was: “I will not give up.”
    • Her answer was clear; “I will not give up.”

  4. Question 4

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

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

  5. Question 5

    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.

  6. Question 6

    A writer leaves out part of a quotation. Which mark shows the omission?

    • an ellipsis
    • a colon
    • a semicolon

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