UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS DARTMOUTH WRITING & READING CENTER

COLON/SEMICOLON WORKSHEET

Insert necessary colons. Put a "C" in front of any sentence that is correct.

1. All his thoughts were centered on one objective profit. C

2. We may divide poems in to three classes narrative, lyric, and dramatic.

3. Three kinds of poems are narratives, lyrics, and dramas.C

4. Within three hours we had a strange variety of weather rain, hail, sleet, and snow.

5. Promptly at 815 p.m. the minister began his sermon by quoting John 2021.

6. The conference had only one purpose agreement upon a suitable topic for a research paper.

7. The players shared one goal winning.C

8. My roommate has a simple formula for looking like a sophomore act depressed.

9. He mentioned that the only interests he has are cars, sports, and cars.C

10. I took the following courses last year history, math, geography, and speech.

11. Last year I took history, math, geography, and speech.C

12. The following students should report to the office Bill Burke, Mary Donne, and Charles Bannerman.

13. We left around 1000 p.m.

14. An old law has been discovered to read as follows "When two trains meet at a crossing, both shall
stop and neither shall start until the other has gone on.

15. We sat down to a wonderful hot stew made of boiled beef, potatoes, and onion.C

16. He ended his remarks with this quotation from Emerson "Nothing can bring you peace but yourself."

17. Four large manufacturing companies dominate the American automobile market Ford, General
Motors, Chrysler, and American Motors.C

18. When we go to New England, we want to visit such places as Plymouth, Massachusetts; Burlington,
Vermont; and Bar Harbor, Maine.C
19. As spring advanced we found that we had to set the timer on the living room light to come on at 800
p.m. instead of 730.

20. The path to the spring was filled with hazards for the unwary rock outcroppings, fallen trees, and
barbed wire hidden in brush.

21. Julie took a deep breath and successfully rattled off the names of the major known planets Mercury,
Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune, as well as the dwarf-planet Pluto.C

22. I have just one more piece of advice for you learn to have some thought for others as well as
yourselfC

23. I have had the good fortune to live and work in these foreign cities Tainan, Taiwan; Seoul, Korea; and
Tokyo, Japan.C

24. I hope I never hear him start a radio talk show with "My Friends" again.

25. Entomologists have one piece of good news for Florida residents the love bugs that for some years
have plastered windshields and even plugged radiators are at last declining in numbers.

SEMICOLONS

1. A bitter wind swept the dead leaves along the street it cast them high in the air and against the
building.

2. The first town we drove through was only twenty miles from home therefore, we decided not to stop
there for lunch.

3. It began raining about ten o'clock consequently, the picnic was postponed until the next day.

4. You may wait here if you wish otherwise, you can come back tomorrow.

5. We didn't abolish that even we couldn't do that.

6. I had great anxiety and no means of relieving it I had vehement convictions and small power to give
effect to them.

7. I hope to spend my vacation in Canada I enjoy fishing there.

8. I hope to spend my vacation in Canada where I enjoy the fishing.

9. Popularization is one thing dedicated music-making is another.

10. The narrow windows and the steeply sloping roof oppressed me I wished to turn away and go back.

11. Even stillness is a positive factor it is to motion what silence is to sound.

13. Mr. Wilson, the lawyer Mr. Jones, the teacher and Mr. Hawthorne were present.

14. The comma is used to indicate grammatical relationships to separate words, phases, and clauses and
to prevent misreading.

It is beyond possibility to mention all the outstanding books however, some of the highlights are
suggested in the chronological lists that follows.

16. Mac has improved in golf he has trimmed several strokes off his game since we played together last.

17. I hear it said by people that the old mansion is haunted in fact there are some who swear that it is.

18. Early every morning we are forced to endure the racket of our neighbor's chain saw he cuts firewood
for his stove and fireplace.

19. The president of the senior class is Harriet, the vice-president James the secretary, Colin and the
treasurer, Martha.

20. The company in which my aunt had invested heavily suffered many years of bad management finally,
it went into bankruptcy.

21. I must admit that I am no friend of his if I were I should certainly give him some good advice.

22. At the Winchester dog show, first place was won by High Hill's Happy, a beagle second prize by
Buffy's Choice, a bull terrier and third prize by Blackburn's Freckles, and English setter.

23. It is an old chair but still solid consequently, I have decided to bid on it when the auctioneer puts it
on the block.

24. After the accident, he vowed that he would never touch alcohol again he kept that vow for the rest of
his life.

25. You must order your tickets before noon tomorrow it is the only way to be certain of getting seats.