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Year 6

Colons: first function

I can use the colon to introduce a list or a question.

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New
New
Year 6

Colons: first function

I can use the colon to introduce a list or a question.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. A colon is a piece of punctuation with more than one purpose.
  2. A colon is always placed after a main clause.
  3. A colon can introduce a list or a question.
  4. A colon can help to improve text cohesion.

Common misconception

Pupils may not place a main clause before the colon.

Emphasise that for questions and lists, we always have a main clause before the colon; for questions, we also have one after the colon.

Keywords

  • Colon - a piece of punctuation placed after a main clause that can introduce a list or a question

  • Main clause - a group of words that contains a verb and makes complete sense

  • Text cohesion - how a text flows to maintain the interest of the reader and achieve text purpose

Encourage pupils to use colons to combine complex and compound sentences in question form as a way of improving text cohesion. The use of the colon allows us to connect sentences and remove interruptions to the flow of the text.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What can we use hyphens for?
Correct answer: to join words or parts of words together
to show a space between words
Correct answer: to create compound adjectives
Correct answer: to add prefixes to words
Q2.
Which numbers are punctuated correctly?
Correct answer: twenty-seven
one hundred and seventy two
Correct answer: nineteen
Correct answer: twenty-two thousand, four hundred and forty-seven
Q3.
Which of these phrases requires a hyphen to create a compound adjective?
Correct answer: a long standing commitment
a deep dark cave
a tall beautiful tree
Correct answer: a feel good movie
Q4.
Which of these sentences uses the word 'recover' to mean 'get back to normal'?
I don't think I'll re-cover this wall with paint - I prefer the bare bricks.
Correct answer: It will take the country a long time to recover from this shock.
Please re-cover the food in the fridge after you have eaten some.
Q5.
Match the prefixes with hyphens to the root words that they could be joined to.
Correct Answer:pro-,active

active

Correct Answer:self-,centred

centred

Correct Answer:non-,verbal

verbal

Correct Answer:co-,author

author

Q6.
Which of these sentences use ellipsis correctly?
Correct answer: Then, the door slammed behind me...
There it was, the... hidden treasure!
Correct answer: There it was... the hidden treasure!

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following could be used to introduce a list?
There were many people at the party, including:
Correct answer: There were many people at the party, including the following:
Correct answer: There were many people at the party:
Q2.
Match the main clauses to the lists that could follow the colon.
Correct Answer:We bought a range of items: ,mince pies, a turkey, potatoes, rice and double cream.

mince pies, a turkey, potatoes, rice and double cream.

Correct Answer:He visited three countries: ,Spain, Portugal and Switzerland.

Spain, Portugal and Switzerland.

Correct Answer:She asked for four presents:,a book, a hair tie, a cricket bat and a watch.

a book, a hair tie, a cricket bat and a watch.

Q3.
Which of these sentences is correctly punctuated?
There were three competition winners, including: Alex, Jun and Sofia.
Correct answer: There were three competition winners: Alex, Jun and Sofia.
There were three competition winners: Alex, Jun, and Sofia.
Q4.
Which of these could come before a question introduced by the colon?
Correct answer: The real question was this:
We all had a question running through our minds about:
One question that occurred to me was:
Q5.
Which of these sentences is the correct version?
Correct answer: As we stepped in, my heart was racing: were we alone in the house?
As we stepped in, my heart was racing: Were we alone in the house?
As we stepped in, my heart was racing I wondered: were we alone in the house
Q6.
Which of the following are possible uses for a colon?
Correct answer: to improve text cohesion by joining sentences
Correct answer: to introduce a question
Correct answer: to introduce a list of nouns
to come after a list of nouns