This bright, appealing colon list worksheet is an excellent way to practise and revise using colons and semicolons to separate items in lists in Y6.
Colon list worksheet
We’ve divided this primary resource into five sections:
- Understand
Place the colon in the correct place in the sentences, and rewrite the example sentence, using colons and semicolons to punctuate the list correctly.
- Challenge
Write a list using a colon and bullet points for the boy to take to the shop so that he remembers what to buy, then write a sentence showing what the girl will need to take using a colon and semicolons to separate items within the list
- Test
Tick which sentence uses a colon correctly, and write the correct punctuation marks needed in the boxes to make the sentences correct
- Explain
Read the sentence and explain why it needs to use semicolons to separate items in the list
- Apply
Use the picture to write an ingredients list for the chocolate granola recipe shown below. Think carefully about how best to present the information and which punctuation to use
Activities include SATs-style questions and opportunities for creative writing responses, with eye-catching images as prompts.
What is a colon?
A punctuation mark that we typically use to introduce a list of items, a direct quotation or some form of explanation.
Colon examples
- Mrs Jones said: “This was not supposed to happen.”
- They talked about three things: the weather, what they’d had for lunch and how noisy it was.
- The pain was bad enough to make one thing clear: he’d really hurt himself.
What is a semicolon?
A punctuation mark that indicates a pause, typically between two closely related clauses, that is more pronounced a comma but less pronounced than a full stop.
Semicolon examples
- I had a huge meal; however, I am already hungry again.
- I saw a large bird; it was eating a worm.
- Let’s go to the library; there is a book I need to borrow.
- I know you don’t like muesli; nevertheless, it is healthier than sugary cereals.
National Curriculum English programme of study links
Pupils should be taught to indicate grammatical and other features by using semicolons, colons or dashes to mark boundaries between independent clauses [and] using a colon to introduce a list.