Year 6 · SPaG · Spring: Lists, colons and semi-colons
Year 6 colons and semi-colons worksheet and PowerPoint
To use colons to introduce lists and explanations, and semi-colons to join closely related main clauses.
Colons and semi-colons
A colon (:) and a semi-colon (;) both come after a complete clause, but they do different jobs.
| colon | introduces a list or an explanation: You need three things: a pencil, a ruler and a rubber. |
|---|---|
| semi-colon | joins two closely related main clauses: Mia plays the violin; her brother plays the drums. |
| remember | the words before a colon must make sense on their own; both clauses around a semi-colon must be able to stand alone |
Examples
- The road was closed: a tree had fallen across it.
- It was cold; the wind was blowing.
Key words
- colon
- a mark that introduces a list or an explanation
- semi-colon
- a mark that joins two related main clauses
- clause
- a group of words with a subject and a verb
- main clause
- can stand alone as a sentence
What is on the worksheet
Every sheet for this lesson has a short teaching box and 12 questions that get gradually harder: 8 fluency questions, then 4 reasoning questions that ask pupils to explain or choose. A writing challenge follows. The questions use the same styles as the key stage 2 grammar and punctuation test (circle, underline, tick, fill the gap, add punctuation, rewrite, explain). They are written for this website, not copied from past papers.
All the answers are on the last page of the same editable Word file. New questions are made every time, so you can print a different sheet for every group or for homework. The same sheet code always gives the same sheet.
Writing challenge: Write four pairs of sentences about your classroom: two joined by a semi-colon and two where a colon introduces a list or an explanation.
Pupil target: I can use colons and semi-colons.
The PowerPoint
A 20-slide lesson deck for the same lesson: a starter that revisits earlier learning, key words, an I do and a You do question on each slide with a countdown timer, answers that appear one click at a time, and a challenge. Download the colons and semi-colons PowerPoint.
Where this lesson fits
This is lesson 31 of 72 in the Year 6 SPaG scheme, in the Spring term, block “Lists, colons and semi-colons”. It is taught before the SATs grammar test in May.
Other lessons in this block
- Writing in note form
- Punctuating bullet points
- Semi-colons
- Colons
- Choosing punctuation to mark boundaries
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