Clauses: Using Colons to Separate Clauses
English: Year 5 & 6 National Curriculum, topic 2.10.8
Using Colons to Separate Clauses
We don’t always need to use a full stop to separate main clauses. Sometimes, we can use other symbols, like a colon (:).
Colons
- We don’t always need to use a full stop to separate main clauses.
- We can use other symbols, like colons.
- A colon is a punctuation mark that looks like this: :
- As you can see, it is one point on top of another.
Examples
- The clock was ticking: midnight was approaching.
- The dog was sad: he lost his bone.
- The boy was hungry: he skipped breakfast.
- Our teacher was angry: the classroom was messy.
Test yourself on Clauses: Using Colons to Separate Clauses
What punctuation could you use to replace the full stop?
The girl was sad. She lost her teddy bear.In which of these sentences could you use a colon to separate the main clauses?