Grade 6 Spring — Rhetorical Devices, Sentence Craft, and Formal Multi-Pass Peer Revision Protocols
English · GR G6 eng.g6.s.gr.colon_lists_and_appositives

Use the COLON correctly with 4 rules (CCSS L.6.2.b; English NC Y6 V/G/P)

Apply the 4 colon rules: (1) introduce a list; (2) introduce an appositive (a name or summary); (3) before a quotation; (4) between two independent clauses where the second explains the first. Distinguish colon use from semicolon (joining) and dash (parenthesis).

Mastery threshold
90%
Min instances
10
Typical minutes
40
Spaced intervals (days)
1, 3, 7, 14, 30, 60
Prereqs
Successors
  • eng.g7.f.gr.colon_advanced_uses
    (not yet loaded)
Common misconceptions
  • Uses a colon after a verb directly before its complement ('She likes: reading and writing.' — should be no colon).
  • Uses a comma where a colon is required to introduce a long or formal list.

Exercise pool (2)

Diff Stem Type
3 Apply each of the 4 colon rules in one sentence each: (1) introduce a list; (2) introduce an appositive; (3) before a quotation; (4)... apply colon rules
3 For 5 sentences, decide: COLON or SEMICOLON? (1) 'Maya knew the answer ___ she had practiced.' (2) 'Bring three items ___ pencil,... distinguish colon semicolon