1. The basics of sentences
Thinking about complex punctuation
Colons – semicolons – parenthesis (commas, brackets or dashes), hyphens, bullet points and ellipsis
2. Colons
Use colons to introduce information as a list.
What you will need: a spade, some water and a seed.
The little hobbit packed: a bed, plenty of food and a fire-stone.
Also, to formally introduce an explanation or example.
Badgers have thick fur: this keeps them warm in winter.
3. Semicolons
Use semicolons to link two main clauses that relate.
Bob was sad; Sue was happy.
The blue whale is the largest mammal on the planet; it weighs
as much as the equivalent of 33 elephants.
The blue whale is the largest mammal; the Etruscan shrew is
the smallest.
4. Semicolons
They can also be used instead of commas within complex lists.
Bob ate vast salads smothered in olive oil; bananas, which
came from Kenya, grilled with butter; slices of papaya with
lime juice; and a glass of orange juice.
5. a. Parenthesis - commas
Drop in extra information or explanation with commas.
You can use commas with relative clauses:
Brian, who was angry, stamped his three feet!
You can also drop in ‘ed-ing-ly’:
Brian, hoping he was safe, jumped across the bridge.
You can also drop in other subordinate clauses:
Brian, after eating the donut, slept all afternoon.
6. b. Parenthesis - brackets
Drop in extra information or explanation with brackets.
Brian (the oldest son) laughed aloud.
7. c. Parenthesis - dashes
You can use dashes – which often sound less formal:
She saw a cat – just like her own Timmy – curled fast asleep.
Dashes can be used to tag on an afterthought or comment:
The car pulled up – the doctor had arrived.
8. Hyphens – join
Use hyphens to link 2 words to act as a single noun.
They can be nouns such as kennings:
He gripped the skull-basher.
The night-flyer perched.
A storm-catcher pulled out his net.
9. Hyphens – join
Use hyphens to link 2 words to act as a single adjective.
The Etruscan shrew is penny-sized.
The fire dragon is copper-coloured, snub-snouted and
furnace-hot.
They are sometimes used to connect a prefix and root word:
We need to re-cover the chairs.
10. Ellipsis
Ellipsis shows that a word or phrase has been missed out.
The door slammed…
The dragon opened its mouth and…
After he sneezed, they gasped…
We often use ellipsis to build tension.
11. Bullet points
Use bullet points to organize a list for the reader.
They are often used in instructions.
• Open your dragon’s jaws.
• Drop in the medicine.
• Close the jaws.
• Hide at some distance and wait.
