1. At the party there were cake, cookies, punch, and fruit. (Comma: lists of items)
2. Our basketball team had too many fouls; we lost the game. (Semicolon: joins two independent clauses)
3. My gym teacher is a strong, healthy man. (Comma: separates coordinate adjectives)
4. My whole family knew who would win the NBA Championships: the Lakers. (Colon: introduces a list or explanation)
5. He walked all the way to school, but he arrived late. (Comma: before coordinating conjunction joining two independent clauses)
6. We wanted to visit three countries in Asia: China, India, and Indonesia. (Colon: introduces a list; comma: separates items in a list)
7. I saw that my mom was on the phone, so I waited to talk to her. (Comma: before coordinating conjunction joining two independent clauses)
8. My teacher said, "If you are unsure about this math problem, please let me know." (Comma: inside quotation marks, before the closing quotation mark, to separate clauses)
9. You can order different sandwiches at the restaurant: one with bacon and cheese, one with chicken and avocado, or one with ham and provolone. (Colon: introduces a list; commas: separate items in a list; semicolon: separates complex list items)
10. After our plane landed in Miami, we went to the hotel. (Comma: after introductory phrase)
11. I ate a lot at lunch; however, I am still hungry. (Semicolon: joins two independent clauses; comma: after introductory word "however")
12. Last Wednesday there was a blizzard, and school was canceled. (Comma: before coordinating conjunction joining two independent clauses)
13. Let's go to GameStop; there are new games released today. (Semicolon: joins two independent clauses)
14. My little cousin was born on August 15, 2018. (Comma: separates day and year in a date)
15. There are four states that start with the letter I: Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa. (Colon: introduces a list; commas: separate items in a list)
16. My uncle and aunt live in Conroe, Texas. (Comma: separates city and state)
17. I bought a lot of treats for the party: ice cream, cookies, cake, candy, and chocolate. (Colon: introduces a list; commas: separate items in a list)
18. My favorite book, Wonder, makes me cry. (Comma: sets off nonrestrictive appositive)
19. Andre, my brother, has to attend detention after school. (Comma: sets off nonrestrictive appositive)
20. When I am in high school, I want to join the wrestling, basketball, drama club, and chess club. (Comma: separates items in a list; comma: after introductory phrase)
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of semicolon and colon worksheet.
