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Year 10
AQA

Using colons, dashes, and semicolons effectively in opinion writing

I can use colons, semicolon and dashes to elevate my opinion writing.

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Year 10
AQA

Using colons, dashes, and semicolons effectively in opinion writing

I can use colons, semicolon and dashes to elevate my opinion writing.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. In a sentence with a colon, one side of the colon makes sense; the other side provides detail or clarification.
  2. Semicolons link or contrast two independent clauses that each make sense on their own.
  3. A pair of dashes can be used in place of commas to enhance readability.
  4. Dashes are always more emphatic than commas (they express a point more forcibly and create a longer pause).

Keywords

  • Independent clause - part of a sentence that makes sense on its own with no extra information required

  • Colon - a piece of punctuation (:) that can introduce lists and provide further explanation

  • Semicolon - a piece of punctuation (;) that can separate two closely related independent clauses

  • Dashes - pieces of punctuation (-) that can introduce extra information as a parentheses

  • Clarity - the quality of being coherent and intelligible

Common misconception

Semicolons can be used to join any two clauses of any length.

The clauses joined by a semicolon must be both be independent clauses (which means they make sense of their own) and should be linked in terms of their subject matter.


To help you plan your year 10 english lesson on: Using colons, dashes, and semicolons effectively in opinion writing, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

At the end of the lesson, encourage students to write a sentence using each of the punctuation marks and peer mark each other's work, checking if all three types of punctuation were used correctly.
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Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
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Supervision

Adult supervision required

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Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match these punctuation marks to their correct definition.
Correct Answer::,can introduce lists and provide further explanation
tick

can introduce lists and provide further explanation

Correct Answer:;,can separate two closely related clauses
tick

can separate two closely related clauses

Correct Answer:-,can introduce extra information as a parentheses when used in pairs
tick

can introduce extra information as a parentheses when used in pairs

Correct Answer:!,can indicate an exclamation of some kind
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can indicate an exclamation of some kind

Q2.
What type of sentence is being described here? 'A sentence made up of an independent (main) clause and a dependent (subordinate) clause.'
Correct Answer: Complex sentence, complex, a complex sentence
Q3.
Which punctuation mark is being described here? 'A piece of punctuation that can separate two closely related independent clauses.'
Correct answer: semicolon
full stop
comma
question mark
exclamation mark
Q4.
What device is being described here: 'repetition of the same initial consonant sound in closely positioned words'?
onomatopoeia
Correct answer: alliteration
rhetorical question
analogy
Q5.
When writing a speech, we are aiming to engage the audience. What does 'engage' mean in this context?
keep the audience silent and passive
confuse the audience with complex ideas
make the audience agree with everything you say
Correct answer: make the audience listen actively and stay interested
Q6.
Laura wrote a persuasive speech where she began several sentences with the phrase 'We must act now,'. What device has Laura used?
Correct answer: anaphora
onomatopoeia
alliteration
personification

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
How does opinion writing differ from speech writing?
Correct answer: an opinion piece has more scope to develop an argument in a complex way
a speech has more scope to develop an argument in a complex way
Correct answer: opinion pieces are one way: you're persuading the audience through written words
opinion pieces are delivered aloud while speeches are written down
opinion pieces are more informative than persuasive
Q2.
Where are you most likely to find opinion writing?
radio
Correct answer: newspapers
at a debate
Correct answer: blogs
Correct answer: editorial columns
Q3.
Which of these sentences uses a semicolon correctly?
Correct answer: I have a big test tomorrow; I can't go out tonight.
She loves chocolate; and he prefers vanilla.
We went to the park; because it was a sunny day.
He was tired; the night was silent.
Q4.
Which of these sentences uses a colon correctly?
Correct answer: She packed the essentials: sun cream, snacks and water.
We decided to go for a walk: because it was a nice day.
Correct answer: He had only one goal: to win the championship.
He likes many colours: (red, blue and green).
Q5.
Read this sentence: 'I need to buy groceries—milk, eggs and bread and clean the house.' It is grammatically incorrect. How would we need to redraft it to make it correct?
The dash is in the wrong place.
This sentence wouldn't use dashes, it would use a semicolon.
This sentence needs a colon.
Correct answer: There should be a pair of dashes.
It needs to be separated into two sentences with a full stop.
Q6.
Read this sentence: 'She was a brave woman her struggle would be remembered for years to come.' Which punctuation mark should go in this gap?
Correct answer: semicolon
colon
dashes