# Colon, Semicolon, Brackets, Dashes, Hyphens | SwaVid

Colon, semicolon, brackets, dashes, hyphens: Use a colon after a complete sentence to introduce a list. Rules, examples and a quick check.

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# Colon, semicolon, brackets, dashes, hyphens: rules and examples

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Short answer. Use a colon after a complete sentence to introduce a list. The part before the colon must be able to stand alone.

1 . Pick the mark. Ravi likes maths___ Tina likes art.

A complete clause, then a colon, then the list.

Use a colon after a complete sentence to introduce a list. The part before the colon must be able to stand alone.

Nisha carried two things: a kite and a spool.

A complete clause, then a colon, then the list.

Your child's level and 3 topics to fix first.

All the topics in this chapter, one rule at a time.

- The semicolon between clauses . A semicolon joins two related clauses that could each stand alone as a sentence. A comma alone cannot join them. That mistake is called a comma splice.
- However needs help . However is not a joining word like and or but. Put a semicolon or a full stop before it and a comma after it. A comma before however makes a comma splice.
- Colon or semicolon? . Look at what comes after the gap. A list after a complete clause takes a colon. A second complete clause takes a semicolon.
- When no mark is needed . A colon needs a complete sentence before it. After a verb like is or are, no mark is needed. The three marks: colon (:), semicolon (;) and comma (,).
- Nisha carried two things: a kite and a spool.

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