Use semicolons, colons and dashes

Grade 7 Reading Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.

1. 1.

   The bake sale had one goal; to buy new team jerseys, however it fell short. Pia finds two slips in the draft. Which revision fixes both and adds no new slip?

   • The bake sale had one goal; to buy new team jerseys; however, it fell short.
   • The bake sale had one goal: to buy new team jerseys, however, it fell short.
   • The bake sale had one goal: to buy new team jerseys; however it fell short.
   • The bake sale had one goal: to buy new team jerseys; however, it fell short.
2. 2.

   My neighbor’s dog—a small brown terrier barks at the mail carrier, however it never bites. Bo finds two slips in the draft. Which revision fixes both and adds no new slip?

   • My neighbor’s dog—a small brown terrier—barks at the mail carrier, however, it never bites.
   • My neighbor’s dog—a small brown terrier barks at the mail carrier; however, it never bites.
   • My neighbor’s dog—a small brown terrier—barks at the mail carrier; however, it never bites.
   • My neighbor’s dog—a small brown terrier—barks at the mail carrier; however it never bites.
3. 3.

   The kite club needs: a field, a windy day, and a dozen volunteers, the first meeting is Friday. Milo finds two slips in the draft. Which revision fixes both and adds no new slip?

   • The kite club needs a field, a windy day, and a dozen volunteers, the first meeting is Friday.
   • The kite club needs a field; a windy day, and a dozen volunteers; the first meeting is Friday.
   • The kite club needs: a field, a windy day, and a dozen volunteers; the first meeting is Friday.
   • The kite club needs a field, a windy day, and a dozen volunteers; the first meeting is Friday.
4. 4.

   Kira checks four sentences for punctuation. Which sentence is NOT correct?

   • The class needs: a map, a ruler, and a pencil.
   • The road was icy; nevertheless, the buses ran on time.
   • The lighthouse—tall, white, and old—guided ships for a century.
   • Our coach had one rule: fair play.
5. 5.

   Ren checks four sentences for punctuation. Which sentence is NOT correct?

   • The museum opens at nine, however, the cafe opens at ten.
   • The bakery has one rule: fresh bread daily.
   • The cave was cold; meanwhile, the guide waited outside.
   • The match—which lasted three hours—ended in a tie.
6. 6.

   Esme checks four sentences for punctuation. Which sentence is NOT correct?

   • Pack these items: tape, glue, and scissors.
   • The test was hard—really hard—but the class passed.
   • The pie was gone by noon; the cookies lasted until three.
   • The old bridge—was closed for repairs.
7. 7.

   Noah checks four sentences for punctuation. Which sentence is NOT correct?

   • The sled—bright red and a little rusty—raced down the hill.
   • The path was steep; nevertheless, we reached the top.
   • Our teacher gave one warning: no phones.
   • The recipe had a secret ingredient; cinnamon.
8. 8.

   The garden needs: water, sunlight, and rich soil. Ari checks the sentence. Which statement names the real problem with it?

   • The commas in the list should be dashes.
   • The sentence is correct, because a colon can introduce a list.
   • The words before the colon are not a complete sentence.
   • The colon should be a semicolon, because three items follow.
9. 9.

   The tent was ready, however, the weather turned. Luz checks the sentence. Which statement names the real problem with it?

   • A comma cannot join two full sentences, so a semicolon belongs before “however.”
   • The comma after “however” should be removed.
   • The sentence is correct, because commas can set off “however.”
   • The word “however” should be followed by a colon.
10. 10.

    The lake—clear, cold, and deep was perfect for swimming. Tala checks the sentence. Which statement names the real problem with it?

    • The sentence is correct, because one dash can set off an aside.
    • The first dash should be a colon.
    • The commas inside the aside should be semicolons.
    • The aside needs a closing dash after “deep.”