CBSE Class 8 English Semicolons and Colons Worksheet

Use a semicolon to join parts of a compound sentence when a conjunction such as and, but, or or is not used.

Belinda likes oatmeal for breakfast; I prefer cream of wheat.

Use a colon to introduce a list of items that ends a sentence. Use words such as these, the following, and as follows to introduce lists.

English words that come from Spanish include the following: ranch, corral, and stampede.

Do not use a colon immediately after a verb or a preposition.

Jaime likes to read, play basketball, and dance.

Use a colon to separate the hour and the minute.

School begins at 8:15 on the dot.

Use a colon after the salutation of a business letter.

Dear Professor D’Amico:              To whom it may concern:
 

Exercise 1 Add semicolons and colons where needed. Write C if a sentence or phrase is correct.

         C         Devin is my brother; he’s my best friend, too.

.................. 1. At the grocery store Mom bought milk, fruit, and cereal.

.................. 2. Meet me at the corner at 1230.

.................. 3. Pete loves flowers; roses are his favorite.

.................. 4. The forecast called for rain;it snowed instead.

.................. 5. The green shoes are pretty;the red ones are more comfortable.

.................. 6. She may get a parrot;she may not.

.................. 7. For the class trip you’ll need the following:raincoat, boots, pencil, paper or pen, and lunch.

.................. 8. Earth is the third planet from the sun; Mars is the fourth.

.................. 9. We had chicken last night;tonight we’ll have fish.

.................. 10. Robert Frost wrote poems; L. Frank Baum wrote books.

.................. 11. The last episode was great;the next will be even better.

.................. 12. Say “thank you” in Spanish as follows: “Gracias.”

.................. 13. The following dogs received honorable mention:Spot, Blaze, Nathan, and Maggie.

.................. 14. Be here by 7:10 so we’ll have plenty of time.

.................. 15. The spelling test will focus on these words:spectacles, decimal, shrill, and fantastic.

.................. 16. Dear Dr. Washington:

.................. 17. This store is sold out of batteries; we’ll have to look elsewhere.

.................. 18. Ladybugs are helpful insects;so are bees.

.................. 19. The show starts at 7:30;we should try to get there earlier.

.................. 20. Lionel is a good writer; he draws well, too.

.................. 21. Put a stamp in the upper right corner; put your return address in the upper left.

.................. 22. These students please report to the office: Sally, Geno, and Basil.

.................. 23. The movie only costs $2.25; you gave him $2.50.

.................. 24. My mom’s not home;please call back later.

.................. 25. The cat has green eyes; the dog’s are brown.

.................. 26. Cuba is a warm country; Canada is colder.

.................. 27. For drinks we have the following:milk, juice, water, and soda.

.................. 28. The baby eats mashed potatoes, carrots, and bananas.

.................. 29. This is a picture of my mom; my dad is standing behind her.

.................. 30. One of the twins has short hair; the other twin’s hair is long.

.................. 31. Read this book about pirates; it’s the best I’ve come across.

.................. 32. This fruit juice is delicious;you should try it.

.................. 33. I can’t reach the top shelf; it’s too high.

.................. 34. The wastebasket is full;please empty it.