Starter quiz
- Match these punctuation marks to their correct definition.
- :⇔can introduce lists and provide further explanation ✓
- ;⇔can separate two closely related clauses ✓
- -⇔can introduce extra information as a parentheses when used in pairs ✓
- !⇔can indicate an exclamation of some kind ✓
- What type of sentence is being described here? 'A sentence made up of an independent (main) clause and a dependent (subordinate) clause.'
- 'Complex sentence' ✓
- Which punctuation mark is being described here? 'A piece of punctuation that can separate two closely related independent clauses.'
- semicolon ✓
- full stop
- comma
- question mark
- exclamation mark
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- What device is being described here: 'repetition of the same initial consonant sound in closely positioned words'?
- onomatopoeia
- alliteration ✓
- rhetorical question
- analogy
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- When writing a speech, we are aiming to engage the audience. What does 'engage' mean in this context?
- keep the audience silent and passive
- confuse the audience with complex ideas
- make the audience agree with everything you say
- make the audience listen actively and stay interested ✓
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- Laura wrote a persuasive speech where she began several sentences with the phrase 'We must act now,'. What device has Laura used?
- anaphora ✓
- onomatopoeia
- alliteration
- personification
-
Exit quiz
- How does opinion writing differ from speech writing?
- an opinion piece has more scope to develop an argument in a complex way ✓
- a speech has more scope to develop an argument in a complex way
- opinion pieces are one way: you're persuading the audience through written words ✓
- opinion pieces are delivered aloud while speeches are written down
- opinion pieces are more informative than persuasive
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- Where are you most likely to find opinion writing?
- radio
- newspapers ✓
- at a debate
- blogs ✓
- editorial columns ✓
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- Which of these sentences uses a semicolon correctly?
- I have a big test tomorrow; I can't go out tonight. ✓
- She loves chocolate; and he prefers vanilla.
- We went to the park; because it was a sunny day.
- He was tired; the night was silent.
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- Which of these sentences uses a colon correctly?
- She packed the essentials: sun cream, snacks and water. ✓
- We decided to go for a walk: because it was a nice day.
- He had only one goal: to win the championship. ✓
- He likes many colours: (red, blue and green).
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- Read this sentence: 'I need to buy groceries—milk, eggs and bread and clean the house.' It is grammatically incorrect. How would we need to redraft it to make it correct?
- The dash is in the wrong place.
- This sentence wouldn't use dashes, it would use a semicolon.
- This sentence needs a colon.
- There should be a pair of dashes. ✓
- It needs to be separated into two sentences with a full stop.
-
- Read this sentence: 'She was a brave woman ______ her struggle would be remembered for years to come.' Which punctuation mark should go in this gap?
- semicolon ✓
- colon
- dashes
-
Worksheet
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Presentation
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Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- In a sentence with a colon, one side of the colon makes sense; the other side provides detail or clarification.
- Semicolons link or contrast two independent clauses that each make sense on their own.
- A pair of dashes can be used in place of commas to enhance readability.
- Dashes are always more emphatic than commas (they express a point more forcibly and create a longer pause).
Common misconception
Semicolons can be used to join any two clauses of any length.
The clauses joined by a semicolon must be both be independent clauses (which means they make sense of their own) and should be linked in terms of their subject matter.
Keywords
Independent clause - part of a sentence that makes sense on its own with no extra information required
Colon - a piece of punctuation (:) that can introduce lists and provide further explanation
Semicolon - a piece of punctuation (;) that can separate two closely related independent clauses
Dashes - pieces of punctuation (-) that can introduce extra information as a parentheses
Clarity - the quality of being coherent and intelligible
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