In plain English: L.9-10.2 is the Common Core ELA standard that asks students to show command of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. Students use a semicolon, sometimes with a conjunctive adverb such as however or therefore, to link closely related independent clauses, use a colon to introduce a list or a quotation, and spell correctly. It is usually taught in English 9 and 10.
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
a.Use a semicolon (and perhaps a conjunctive adverb) to link two or more closely related independent clauses.
b.Use a colon to introduce a list or quotation.
c.Spell correctly.
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy · Domain: Language Standards · Cluster: Conventions of Standard English · Official standard
Students learn the three marks and skills that L.9-10.2 names. A semicolon links two or more closely related independent clauses, alone or with a conjunctive adverb such as however or therefore. A colon introduces a list or a quotation, but only after a complete sentence. Correct spelling rests on a few reliable patterns, such as forming plurals and adding prefixes, and on knowing when a spelling is British rather than American. Students repair comma splices and fused sentences, test colons, and edit a short proposal draft.
Two nineteenth-century writers supply the reading. The opening of Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre (1847) uses semicolons and colons more freely than current writers do, which lets students judge each mark against today's conventions. Robert Louis Stevenson's essay "An Apology for Idlers" (1881 collection) shows a semicolon with therefore, colons that introduce quotations, and British spellings such as favour and humour. Students quote both writers exactly, and they use American spelling and current punctuation in their own sentences.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
Link two or more closely related independent clauses with a semicolon, and repair comma splices and fused sentences
Choose a conjunctive adverb that fits the relationship between two clauses and punctuate it with a semicolon before and, usually, a comma after
Use a colon to introduce a list or a quotation only after a complete independent clause
Spell plurals and prefixed words by rule, and give the American spelling of British forms found in older texts
Judge the punctuation of a nineteenth-century passage against current conventions and explain each judgment
Prior Knowledge Required
Students should already be comfortable with:
Independent and dependent clauses, and the coordinating conjunctions L.9-10.1
Commas, ellipses and dashes for pauses and omissions L.8.2
Punctuating direct quotations with commas and quotation marks
Looking up a word's spelling and variant forms in a dictionary
"Read these four sentences. Two of them break a rule of edited English. Which two, and what would you change? (1) I finished the essay, I still have to print it. (2) I finished the essay; I still have to print it. (3) I finished the essay; however, I still have to print it. (4) I finished the essay, however, I still have to print it."
Give students two minutes to decide, then take a vote on each sentence. Sentences 1 and 4 are comma splices: each joins two complete sentences with only a comma, and the comma after essay in sentence 4 cannot carry the link on its own because however is an adverb, not a conjunction. Ask students what the semicolon in sentences 2 and 3 tells a reader that a period would not: the two ideas belong together. Keep the four sentences on the board for Direct Instruction.
Direct Instruction20 minutes
Part 1: Semicolons (standard a). Walk through Diagram 1. An independent clause has a subject and a verb and can stand as a sentence. Two of them can be joined in five correct ways and three common wrong ways. Stress three points. First, a semicolon needs a complete sentence on each side. Second, a conjunctive adverb (however, therefore, consequently, nevertheless, moreover, otherwise, meanwhile, instead) is not a conjunction, so it needs the semicolon before it and usually takes a comma after it. Third, when the same adverb sits inside one clause, as in The plan, however, failed, it takes commas only. Show sentences 2 and 3 of the warm-up as rows 2 and 3 of the diagram.
Repairing a comma splice with a semicolon
The bus broke down on the bridge, half the class missed the first bell.
Result: The bus broke down on the bridge; half the class missed the first bell. Both parts are independent clauses and the second follows from the first, so a semicolon links them. A period or , so would also be correct; a comma alone is not.
A semicolon with a conjunctive adverb
Join with an adverb that shows contrast: The library closes at five. The study room stays open until eight.
Result: The library closes at five; however, the study room stays open until eight. The semicolon links the clauses and the comma follows the adverb. The meaning decides the adverb: therefore would claim a cause that is not there.
A colon before a list
For the lab, bring: goggles, a notebook, and a calculator.
Result: Write For the lab, bring three things: goggles, a notebook, and a calculator. or drop the colon: bring goggles, a notebook, and a calculator. A colon comes only after a complete sentence. For the lab, bring is not complete, because the verb still needs its objects.
A colon before a quotation
Introduce the mayor's words: Every family will have clean water by June.
Result: The mayor repeated one promise: "Every family will have clean water by June." The words before the colon form a complete sentence that points to the quotation. After a verb of saying, a comma is the usual choice: The mayor said, "Every family ..."
Spelling by rule: plurals and prefixes
Spell the plurals of tomato, leaf, journey and studio. Add mis- to spell and un- to necessary.
Result: tomatoes, leaves, journeys, studios; misspell, unnecessary. Many nouns ending in a consonant plus o add -es, but a vowel before the o takes -s, and music words and shortened words such as solo and photo take only -s. Many -f nouns change to -ves, but some, such as chief and roof, add only -s. A consonant before y changes it to -ies; a vowel before y keeps the y. A prefix never changes the spelling of the base word, so both s's and both n's stay.
Part 2: Colons (standard b). Show Diagram 2 and teach the one-question test: cover the colon and everything after it, then read what is left. If it could stand as a sentence, a colon may introduce a list, a quotation, or an explanation. If it ends on a verb, a preposition, or such as, leave the colon out. Add two conventions: a colon and a semicolon go outside closing quotation marks in American usage, and style guides differ on capitalizing a complete sentence after a colon (APA capitalizes it; Chicago lowercases a single sentence unless it is a quotation or a direct question), so students follow the style manual their class uses. A quoted sentence after a colon always keeps its capital letter.
Part 3: Spelling (standard c). Review the rules in the last example, then point out that older books printed in Britain use British spellings. Students copy those spellings exactly inside a quotation and use American forms in their own sentences.
Guided Practice15 minutes
Read the opening of Jane Eyre aloud. Ten-year-old Jane lives with her aunt, Mrs. Reed, who keeps her apart from her own children. In pairs, students highlight every semicolon in one color and every colon in another, then fill in the organizer: what stands on each side of the mark, and whether a writer today would make the same choice. Model the first row. Remind students that Brontë followed the looser habits of her time, so the question is "what would a current writer do?" and not "did Brontë make a mistake?" Save paragraph 1's semicolon before but, paragraph 2's colons, the semicolon before saying, and Mrs. Reed's semicolon before besides for the quiz.
1There was no possibility of taking a walk that day. We had been wandering, indeed, in the leafless shrubbery an hour in the morning; but since dinner (Mrs. Reed, when there was no company, dined early) the cold winter wind had brought with it clouds so sombre, and a rain so penetrating, that further outdoor exercise was now out of the question.
2I was glad of it: I never liked long walks, especially on chilly afternoons: dreadful to me was the coming home in the raw twilight, with nipped fingers and toes, and a heart saddened by the chidings of Bessie, the nurse, and humbled by the consciousness of my physical inferiority to Eliza, John, and Georgiana Reed.
3The said Eliza, John, and Georgiana were now clustered round their mama in the drawing-room: she lay reclined on a sofa by the fireside, and with her darlings about her (for the time neither quarrelling nor crying) looked perfectly happy. Me, she had dispensed from joining the group; saying, “She regretted to be under the necessity of keeping me at a distance; but that until she heard from Bessie, and could discover by her own observation, that I was endeavouring in good earnest to acquire a more sociable and childlike disposition, a more attractive and sprightly manner—something lighter, franker, more natural, as it were—she really must exclude me from privileges intended only for contented, happy, little children.”
4“What does Bessie say I have done?” I asked.
5“Jane, I don’t like cavillers or questioners; besides, there is something truly forbidding in a child taking up her elders in that manner. Be seated somewhere; and until you can speak pleasantly, remain silent.”
Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, chapter I (opening paragraphs) (1847; this edition 1897). Public domain (published 1897). Source text.
Semicolon and colon organizer for the Jane Eyre excerpt (teacher key in the third column)
Mark in the text
What stands on each side
Current convention (teacher key)
"the drawing-room: she lay reclined" (paragraph 3)
Two independent clauses; the second tells what the family group looked like
Accepted: a colon may join clauses when the second explains the first. Many writers would use a semicolon or a period.
"Be seated somewhere; and until you can speak pleasantly, remain silent." (paragraph 5)
Two commands (independent clauses) joined by and
A comma before and is the usual choice for two short commands like these; a semicolon before a conjunction is usually kept for long clauses with several commas inside them.
"Bessie, the nurse," (paragraph 2)
Commas around a phrase that renames Bessie
Still the convention: no semicolon or colon is needed.
Close with a quick check: each pair writes one sentence about Jane's situation that uses a semicolon with a conjunctive adverb, and one that uses a colon to introduce a list of the three Reed children. Pairs trade and test each other's colon with the Diagram 2 question.
Independent Practice15-20 minutes
Part A: read the Stevenson excerpt. Stevenson argues, half seriously, that young people learn a great deal outside school. Students mark each semicolon and colon, sort them with Diagram 1 and Diagram 2, and circle every British spelling. The quiz uses this excerpt, so collect the marked copies before students take it.
1But though this is one difficulty of the subject, it is not the greatest. You could not be put in prison for speaking against industry, but you can be sent to Coventry for speaking like a fool. The greatest difficulty with most subjects is to do them well; therefore, please to remember this is an apology. It is certain that much may be judiciously argued in favour of diligence; only there is something to be said against it, and that is what, on the present occasion, I have to say. To state one argument is not necessarily to be deaf to all others, and that a man has written a book of travels in Montenegro, is no reason why he should never have been to Richmond.
2It is surely beyond a doubt that people should be a good deal idle in youth. For though here and there a Lord Macaulay may escape from school honours with all his wits about him, most boys pay so dear for their medals that they never afterwards have a shot in their locker, and begin the world bankrupt. And the same holds true during all the time a lad is educating himself, or suffering others to educate him. It must have been a very foolish old gentleman who addressed Johnson at Oxford in these words: “Young man, ply your book diligently now, and acquire a stock of knowledge; for when years come upon you, you will find that poring upon books will be but an irksome task.” The old gentleman seems to have been unaware that many other things besides reading grow irksome, and not a few become impossible, by the time a man has to use spectacles and cannot walk without a stick. Books are good enough in their own way, but they are a mighty bloodless substitute for life. It seems a pity to sit, like the Lady of Shalott, peering into a mirror, with your back turned on all the bustle and glamour of reality. And if a man reads very hard, as the old anecdote reminds us, he will have little time for thought.
[...]
3The other day, a ragged, barefoot boy ran down the street after a marble, with so jolly an air that he set every one he passed into a good humour; one of these persons, who had been delivered from more than usually black thoughts, stopped the little fellow and gave him some money with this remark: “You see what sometimes comes of looking pleased.” If he had looked pleased before, he had now to look both pleased and mystified. [...]
Robert Louis Stevenson, An Apology for Idlers, in Virginibus Puerisque (excerpts) (1881; this edition 1897). Public domain (published 1897). Source text.
Part B: edit the proposal draft. A student club wrote the draft below to ask the principal for help. It contains 12 errors: comma splices, a semicolon or colon in the wrong place, a missing comma after a conjunctive adverb, one capitalization error and misspelled or misused words. Two marks that look unusual are correct. Students mark each correction, name the rule, and then check every doubtful word in a dictionary, since a spell checker would pass except.
Teacher key: book library, students becomes book library; students (a colon also works, since the second clause explains the first); the Spring becomes the spring; collected: tomato becomes collected tomato; ; however the club becomes ; however, the club; this advice; "Start becomes this advice: "Start; permision becomes permission; free, therefore any becomes free; therefore, any; beleive becomes believe; responsability becomes responsibility; familys becomes families; store; if becomes store if; except becomes accept. Correct as written: the colon after three things from the school and the semicolon before it is a small step.
Our club would like to start a seed library in the school library. A seed library works like a book library, students borrow seeds in the Spring and return new seeds after the harvest. We have already collected: tomato, basil, squash, and sunflower seeds. Last year, the garden club saved hundreds of seeds; however the club had no place to share them. Ms. Alvarez, our advisor, gave us this advice; "Start small and keep good records." We need three things from the school: a shelf near the front desk, a small budget for envelopes, and permision to use the morning announcements. The seed library will be free, therefore any student can use it. We beleive it will teach responsability and save familys money. The seeds are easy to store; if they are kept dry and cool. We hope the principal will except our proposal; it is a small step toward a greener school.
Written for this page (an invented student draft; the club and advisor are invented), Draft for editing: A Seed Library Proposal. Original passage written for this page.
Closure5-10 minutes
Exit ticket: (1) Write two related sentences about your week and join them with a semicolon and a conjunctive adverb. (2) Write one sentence that uses a colon to introduce a list of three things in your backpack. (3) Name one spelling rule from today that you will use.
Teacher note on the texts: both excerpts keep their authors' British spelling and nineteenth-century punctuation exactly. Explain a few older words before reading: in the Brontë excerpt, cavillers are people who raise petty objections, and "taking up her elders" means contradicting adults. In the Stevenson excerpt, "sent to Coventry" is a British idiom for being ignored by everyone, "please to remember" is an older way of saying "please remember", and the old gentleman's "ply your book" means "study hard". Stevenson is writing with irony; invite students to say how seriously he means his defense of idleness.
Differentiation Strategies
For Struggling Students
Give a card with the five correct patterns from Diagram 1 and a short list of conjunctive adverbs sorted by meaning (contrast, result, addition, time)
Before any semicolon work, have students underline the subject and verb on each side of the mark to prove both parts are independent clauses
In the proposal edit, tell students how many errors of each kind to find: 6 punctuation, 1 capitalization, 5 spelling or word choice
For Advanced Students
Ask students to rewrite paragraph 2 of the Brontë excerpt with current punctuation in two different ways and explain how each changes the rhythm
Have students find a semicolon or colon in a current news article and in a nineteenth-century novel, and compare what each writer used the mark for
Have students write a style-sheet entry for the class on capitalizing after a colon, comparing APA and Chicago
Assessment Guidance
What to Look For
Look for students who test both sides of every semicolon for a subject and a verb, not students who add semicolons for variety. Watch for a comma alone before however or therefore between two sentences, for semicolons before dependent clauses (; because), and for colons after verbs, prepositions and such as. In spelling, check plurals and prefixed words and real-word errors a spell checker passes (except for accept). When students discuss the older texts, accept any judgment they support with the conventions in Diagrams 1 and 2, and check that their quotations copy the source exactly.
02
Classroom Activities
3 Activities
1
Splice Repair Relay
15 minGroups of 3-4
Teams race to diagnose and repair 10 sentence cards, using each correct pattern from Diagram 1 at least once (standard a).
Cards
1. The concert sold out in an hour, extra seats were added on Friday.
2. Maya practiced every night; as a result, her solo went smoothly.
3. The river rose overnight the campsite flooded.
4. The library was quiet, however, the hallway was loud.
5. Our cat hid under the bed; because thunder scared her.
6. The trail was steep; the view at the top, however, was worth the climb.
7. The bakery ran out of bread by noon, the line had started at six.
8. The forecast called for rain, nevertheless the parade went on.
9. The first group built the frame; the second added the wheels; the third painted the body.
10. The store opens at nine it closes at six.
Procedure
One runner per team takes a card, and the team labels it: correct, comma splice, fused sentence, or semicolon before a dependent clause
The team writes a repair on the back and names the Diagram 1 pattern it used; across all cards, counting the ones already correct, each of the five correct patterns must appear at least once
Teacher key: correct as written, cards 2, 6 and 9 (3 cards); comma splices, cards 1, 4, 7 and 8 (4 cards); fused sentences, cards 3 and 10 (2 cards); semicolon before a dependent clause, card 5 (1 card, repaired by deleting the semicolon)
Discussion Questions
Cards 4 and 6 both contain however. Why does one need a semicolon before it and the other does not?
For card 7, which conjunctive adverb or conjunction best shows how the two ideas relate?
Card 9 links three clauses. When would you split it into separate sentences instead?
2
Colon Court
15 minPairs
Pairs act as judges: each colon is "admitted" if it passes the Diagram 2 test and "overruled" if it does not, and every overruled sentence is rewritten (standard b).
Sentence Strips
1. The camping list had four items: a tent, a stove, two lanterns, and a map.
2. For the trip, we packed: sandwiches, fruit, and water.
3. The principal ended with a reminder: "Doors close at 7:30."
4. The recipe calls for: flour, sugar, and eggs.
5. My grandmother had one rule for the kitchen: clean as you go.
6. The team needs: a new goalie.
7. The speech ended with these words: "We rebuild together."
8. The club sells snacks such as: pretzels, popcorn, and juice.
Procedure
Pairs cover everything after the colon and read the rest aloud; if it can stand as a sentence, the colon is admitted
For each overruled sentence, pairs write two repairs: one that removes the colon and one that adds words so the colon becomes correct
Teacher key: admitted, strips 1, 3, 5 and 7 (1 and 5 introduce a list and an explanation, 3 and 7 a quotation); overruled, strips 2, 4, 6 and 8 (the colon follows a verb, a preposition, a verb, and such as)
Modification for Distance Learning
Post the strips on a shared slide; pairs drag each one into an Admitted or Overruled column and type their repairs in the speaker notes.
3
Spelling Across the Atlantic
15 minGroups of 3
Groups sort British spellings, including three from the Stevenson excerpt, by pattern, give the American form of each, and write a rule for the class spelling log (standard c).
Word List
From the Stevenson excerpt: favour (paragraph 1), honours (paragraph 2), humour (paragraph 3)
Other British forms: colour, centre, travelled, labelled, organise, defence
Procedure
Groups sort the nine words into patterns: -our and -or, -re and -er, a doubled l before a suffix, -ise and -ize, -ce and -se
For each word, the group checks an American dictionary and writes the American form and the pattern in the spelling log
Teacher key: -our to -or, favour, honours, humour and colour (favor, honors, humor, color); -re to -er, centre (center); doubled l, travelled and labelled (traveled, labeled); -ise to -ize, organise (organize); -ce to -se, defence (defense)
Challenge Variation
Groups look up two of the words in a British dictionary as well and note any word that both countries accept in more than one form.
03
Diagrams & Visual Aids
2 diagrams
Diagram 1: Joining Two or More Independent Clauses
The five blue rows are correct ways to join independent clauses; the three red rows are errors. In row 3, the conjunctive adverb therefore needs the semicolon because it is an adverb, not a conjunction, and it is usually followed by a comma. Row 4 shows that one sentence can link more than two clauses with semicolons. In the last row, because the fog was thick cannot stand alone, so the semicolon must go.
Diagram 2: The Colon Test
Read only the words before the colon. A complete sentence there means a colon may introduce a list, a quotation, or an explanation. A colon never separates a verb or a preposition from the words that complete it.
04
Homework Assignment
~30 min
L.9-10.2 Homework: Semicolons, Colons and Spelling
Directions: Complete all six problems. For Problems 2, 3 and 5, name the rule behind each answer. Problem 4 uses the Stevenson excerpt in Independent Practice.
Part 1: Semicolons (Problems 1-2)
Combine each group into one sentence with semicolons. In (d)-(f), also add a conjunctive adverb that fits and name the relationship it shows (contrast, result, addition or time). (a) The hallway lights flickered. Someone called the custodian. (b) Lena writes in pencil. Her brother writes only in pen. (c) The first bell rang. The hallways emptied. The doors closed. (d) The museum was free on Sunday. It was crowded. (e) The bus was late. We reached the game before kickoff. (f) The team bought new jerseys. It raised money for a scoreboard.
Find and fix the errors. One sentence is already correct; say which. (a) The movie started late, the audience waited patiently. (b) The stage crew finished early; therefore, the actors rehearsed twice. (c) We stayed inside; because the air quality was poor. (d) The recipe called for butter; however we used olive oil. (e) The garden needs water it has not rained in weeks.
Part 2: Colons (Problems 3-4)
Decide whether each colon is correct. Two are; rewrite the other four. (a) Our playlist for the bus ride included: three jazz songs and a sea shanty. (b) Coach Lee repeated her only rule: "Pass before you shoot." (c) The seminar will cover topics such as: poetry, drama, and film. (d) Before the test, remember two things: sleep well and eat breakfast. (e) The winners were: Ana, Theo, and Priya. (f) In his letter, my grandfather wrote: that he missed the ocean.
Write a paragraph of six to eight sentences that answers Stevenson: is time away from school work really wasted? Include (1) a quotation from the Stevenson excerpt, introduced by a colon after a complete sentence and followed by its paragraph number; (2) a list introduced by a colon; (3) two semicolons, one of them with a conjunctive adverb; and (4) at least two proper nouns, capitalized. Label each element.
Part 3: Spelling (Problems 5-6)
Spell each word and name the rule: (a) the plural of hero (b) the plural of shelf (c) the plural of city (d) the plural of piano (e) the plural of belief (f) mis + step (g) dis + satisfied (h) un + natural
Proofread 250-300 words of your own recent writing for semicolons, colons and spelling. List every change you make and the rule behind it, marking any spelling error a spell checker did not flag. Then add eight words you often misspell to a personal spelling log, each with its rule or a memory aid.
Rubric
Criterion
Full Credit (2 pts)
Partial Credit (1 pt)
No Credit (0 pts)
Semicolons
All six combinations and all five fixes correct, with fitting adverbs and the correct sentence named
Eight to ten of the eleven correct
Fewer than eight correct
Colons
All six colon decisions right and every rewrite correct; paragraph colons pass the test
Four or five decisions right, or one paragraph colon misused
Fewer than four right
Spelling
At least seven of eight words correct with the rule named; complete proofreading list and log
Five or six correct, or an incomplete log
Fewer than five correct
Quoting and Capitalization
Stevenson quoted exactly with a paragraph number; proper nouns capitalized
Quotation slightly altered or not cited
No quotation
05
Quiz: 20 Questions
Interactive, with answers
Instructions
Questions 8-11 and 18 use the Brontë excerpt in Guided Practice, and Questions 12-14 use the Stevenson excerpt in Independent Practice. Answers follow the conventions of edited American English. Your score updates as you answer, and Reset quiz clears everything so you or your students can try again.
Multiple choice: pick an option to check it. Short answer: write your answer, then reveal the model answer.
0 of 20 answered · 0 correct
Question 1 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
Answer: C
C links two closely related independent clauses with a semicolon. A is a comma splice: a comma alone cannot join two sentences. B is a fused sentence with no mark at all. D puts a semicolon before because a line had already formed, a dependent clause that cannot stand alone.
Question 2 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which punctuation belongs in the blank? Our team scored first ___ the other team won by two goals.
Answer: A
However is a conjunctive adverb, so a semicolon comes before it when it links two independent clauses, and a comma usually follows it. B and D use only a comma before it, which makes a comma splice. C leaves out the comma after however that it usually takes at the start of a clause.
Question 3 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which word fits the meaning? The main road was closed for repairs; ___, we took the long way around.
Answer: D
The second clause is a result of the first, and consequently signals a result. However (C) signals a contrast that is not there, similarly (B) a comparison, and for example (A) an illustration of the first clause, which taking the long way is not.
Question 4 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which sentence correctly links three closely related independent clauses?
Answer: B
B places a semicolon between each pair of independent clauses, which the standard allows for two or more clauses. A strings the clauses together with commas, a comma splice. C still ends with a comma splice before the singer. D treats the phrase following the bass player, which has no subject, as if it were a clause.
Question 5 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
Answer: C
Here however interrupts a single independent clause (The forecast called for sun), so it is set off by commas. A semicolon is used only when the adverb begins a second independent clause. A, B and D all put a semicolon inside one clause, splitting the subject from its verb.
Question 6 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which sentence uses a colon correctly?
Answer: D
In D, The judges score projects in three areas is a complete sentence, so the colon can introduce the list. A places the colon after the preposition on, and B after the verb consider; in both, the words before the colon are not complete. C puts the colon inside the list, after its first item.
Question 7 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which sentence punctuates the quotation correctly?
Answer: A
A complete sentence introduces the quotation with a colon, the quoted sentence begins with a capital letter, and the period goes inside the closing quotation mark. B uses a semicolon, which never introduces a quotation. C lowercases the quoted sentence and puts the period outside the quotation mark. D places the colon after the verb repeated, before its object.
Question 8 of 20 · Multiple Choice
In paragraph 5 of the Brontë excerpt, Mrs. Reed says, "I don’t like cavillers or questioners; besides, there is something truly forbidding in a child taking up her elders in that manner." Which statement explains the punctuation?
Answer: B
Both parts are independent clauses, and besides works like moreover, adding a second reason for Mrs. Reed's refusal. As a conjunctive adverb it takes a semicolon before it and a comma after it, so current writers would punctuate the sentence the same way. A mistakes the adverb for one of the seven coordinating conjunctions. C misreads the second part, which has its own subject and verb (there is). D is wrong because nothing is listed.
Question 9 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Paragraph 2 of the Brontë excerpt begins, "I was glad of it: I never liked long walks, especially on chilly afternoons: dreadful to me was the coming home in the raw twilight [...]." Brontë's colons follow the looser habits of her time. Which revision would a current writer most likely make?
Answer: D
A colon may join two independent clauses when the second explains the first, and I never liked long walks explains why Jane was glad. Current writers avoid a second colon in the same sentence, so the clause after afternoons becomes a new sentence (a semicolon would also work). A creates comma splices, B creates fused sentences, and C adds a contrast (however) that the sentence does not have.
Question 10 of 20 · Multiple Choice
In paragraph 3 of the Brontë excerpt, Jane writes, "Me, she had dispensed from joining the group; saying, 'She regretted to be under the necessity of keeping me at a distance [...].'" Why would a current writer use a comma instead of the semicolon before saying?
Answer: A
The words after the semicolon, saying, "She regretted [...]", form a participial phrase with no subject of their own, so they cannot stand as a sentence; today they would follow a comma. B is wrong because a semicolon often links two clauses with no adverb (Diagram 1, row 2). C invents a rule. D mistakes a verb form for a conjunction.
Question 11 of 20 · Multiple Choice
The Brontë excerpt spells sombre (paragraph 1) and endeavouring and quarrelling (paragraph 3). What do these spellings show?
Answer: C
Brontë was an English writer, and these are British forms: -re for -er, -our for -or, and a doubled l before a suffix. American dictionaries give somber, endeavoring and quarreling as the usual forms. A and D are wrong because British dictionaries still list these spellings. B ignores the American forms. When quoting, keep the original spelling.
Question 12 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Paragraph 1 of the Stevenson excerpt says, "The greatest difficulty with most subjects is to do them well; therefore, please to remember this is an apology." Which revision is also correct?
Answer: B
A period can replace the semicolon between two independent clauses, and Therefore then opens the new sentence with its comma. A uses only a comma before therefore, a comma splice. C has no mark between the clauses, a fused sentence. D puts a colon after the adverb, where nothing is introduced.
Question 13 of 20 · Multiple Choice
In paragraph 2 of the Stevenson excerpt, an old gentleman "addressed Johnson at Oxford in these words: 'Young man, ply your book diligently now [...].'" Why is the colon correct?
Answer: D
It must have been a very foolish old gentleman who addressed Johnson at Oxford in these words can stand alone, and in these words points ahead to the quotation, so a colon introduces it. A overgeneralizes: after a verb of saying, a comma is the usual choice. B is wrong because a quotation is not a list. C is wrong because the part before the colon is independent.
Question 14 of 20 · Multiple Choice
In paragraph 3 of the Stevenson excerpt, a boy "set every one he passed into a good humour; one of these persons, who had been delivered from more than usually black thoughts, stopped the little fellow [...]." What does the semicolon link?
Answer: A
He set every one he passed into a good humour and one of these persons [...] stopped the little fellow each have a subject and a verb, and the second follows closely from the first, which is what a semicolon links. B is wrong because nothing is listed. C confuses this mark with the colon before the quotation later in the sentence. D is wrong because neither part is dependent.
Question 15 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which list spells every plural correctly?
Answer: C
Echo adds -es after the consonant plus o (echoes), knife changes f to v (knives), valley keeps its y because a vowel comes before it (valleys), and radio adds only -s because a vowel comes before the o (radios). A and D write echos; A and B write knifes; B and D change valley's y to ies; A and D add -es to radio.
Question 16 of 20 · Short Answer
Combine the two sentences into one, using a semicolon and a conjunctive adverb that shows contrast: The quiz covered three chapters. Nobody ran out of time. Explain your punctuation.
Model answer: "The quiz covered three chapters; nevertheless, nobody ran out of time." (however or still also work). The semicolon links two independent clauses, and the comma follows the conjunctive adverb. Rubric line: 2 points for a contrast adverb with the semicolon and comma and a correct explanation; 1 point for correct punctuation with a weak explanation or a result adverb such as therefore.
Question 17 of 20 · Short Answer
Your class is planning a beach cleanup, and each volunteer needs gloves, a trash bag, and a water bottle. Write one sentence that introduces this list with a colon, and explain why the colon is correct.
Model answer: "Each volunteer needs three things: gloves, a trash bag, and a water bottle." The colon is correct because Each volunteer needs three things is a complete sentence that points to the list. Rubric line: 2 points for a correct sentence and explanation; 1 point for a correct sentence with no reason, or a colon placed after needs.
Question 18 of 20 · Short Answer
In paragraph 1 of the Brontë excerpt, a semicolon comes before but: "We had been wandering, indeed, in the leafless shrubbery an hour in the morning; but since dinner [...] the cold winter wind had brought with it clouds so sombre, and a rain so penetrating, that further outdoor exercise was now out of the question." A classmate says the semicolon is an error because but is a coordinating conjunction. Is the classmate right? Explain.
Model answer: Not quite. A comma before but is the usual choice, but many style guides accept a semicolon before a coordinating conjunction when the clauses are long or already contain commas. Here the first clause has commas around indeed, and the second has a parenthesis and the commas around and a rain so penetrating, so the semicolon shows the main break. Rubric line: 2 points for naming the long-clause convention and citing the internal commas or parenthesis; 1 point for saying a comma or semicolon is acceptable without the reason.
Question 19 of 20 · Short Answer
A spell checker found no errors in this sentence. Find and correct the four misused words: After the game, the captain lead us passed the old stadium; afterward, we couldn't decide weather to stay for desert.
Model answer: "After the game, the captain led us past the old stadium; afterward, we couldn't decide whether to stay for dessert." Led is the past tense of lead; past means beyond (passed is a verb); whether introduces a choice (weather is rain or sun); dessert is the sweet course (desert is dry land). The semicolon with afterward is correct. Rubric line: 2 points for all four; 1 point for two or three.
Question 20 of 20 · Short Answer
Edit the paragraph. It has four errors, and two marks that may look unusual are correct. Name each fix. Our debate club meets on thursdays; because the gym is free then. We bring: timers, note cards, and water. Our advisor gave us one rule: "Listen before you answer." Each member must reseach both sides; otherwise, practice rounds are too easy.
Model answer:thursdays becomes Thursdays (days of the week are capitalized); delete the semicolon before because, since a dependent clause follows it; delete the colon after bring, since a verb comes before it; reseach becomes research. Correct as written: the colon before the quotation, which follows a complete sentence, and the semicolon with otherwise, which links two independent clauses. Rubric line: 2 points for all four fixes and no change to the correct marks; 1 point for three fixes.
0 of 20 answered · 0 correct
06
Frequently Asked Questions
10 Questions
What does L.9-10.2 mean?
L.9-10.2 means that students in grades 9 and 10 use standard capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when they write.
It names three skills: using a semicolon, sometimes with a conjunctive adverb, to link closely related independent clauses (part a); using a colon to introduce a list or a quotation (part b); and spelling correctly (part c). Students show these skills in their finished writing, not only on worksheets.
Is L.9-10.2 taught in 9th grade or 10th grade?
Both: L.9-10.2 is one standard for the grades 9-10 band.
Many schools introduce semicolons and colons in English 9 and expect students to use them in essays by the end of English 10. The next standard in the sequence, L.11-12.2, moves on to hyphenation.
When should you use a semicolon instead of a comma?
Use a semicolon when both parts could stand alone as sentences and you want to show they are closely related.
A comma alone between two sentences is a comma splice. A comma is correct only with a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet), or when one part is a dependent clause or a phrase.
What is a conjunctive adverb, and how do you punctuate one?
A conjunctive adverb is a word such as however, therefore, consequently or nevertheless that shows how two clauses relate.
When it begins the second of two independent clauses, put a semicolon before it and, usually, a comma after it: The gym was full; therefore, we practiced outside. When it interrupts one clause, set it off with commas: We, however, stayed inside.
Can you put a semicolon before and or but?
Usually not; a comma is the normal mark before a coordinating conjunction that joins two independent clauses.
Many style guides accept a semicolon there when the clauses are long or already contain commas, because it shows the main break.
When do you use a colon before a list?
Use a colon before a list only when the words before it form a complete sentence.
We need three supplies: tape, glue, and scissors is correct. We need: tape, glue, and scissors is not, because the colon separates the verb from its objects. Leave out the colon after such as, including and prepositions too.
Should you use a colon or a comma before a quotation?
Use a comma after a verb of saying, and a colon after a complete sentence that introduces the quotation.
She said, "We leave at noon." uses a comma. She gave one instruction: "We leave at noon." uses a colon. Colons are also common before long or block quotations in essays.
Do you capitalize the first word after a colon?
Capitalize it if it is a proper noun or the start of a quoted sentence; for other complete sentences, style guides differ.
APA style capitalizes a complete sentence after a colon, while the Chicago Manual of Style lowercases a single sentence and capitalizes when two or more sentences, a quotation or a direct question follows. Follow the style manual your class uses, and never capitalize a list of words just because a colon comes before it.
Why do older books like Jane Eyre use so many colons and semicolons?
Nineteenth-century writers used these marks more freely than current writers, often where we would use a comma or a period.
Reading them is a good test of the rules: students can decide which marks still follow current conventions and which a writer today would change. When quoting an older text, copy its punctuation and spelling exactly.
How can students improve their spelling if they use a spell checker?
Learn a few reliable rules and proofread for the errors a spell checker cannot see.
Plural and prefix rules cover many words, and a personal spelling log targets the words each student misses. A spell checker passes real words used wrongly, such as except for accept or loose for lose, and it may flag British spellings such as colour; checking a dictionary settles those cases. On the digital SAT, the Standard English Conventions questions test punctuation between clauses but not spelling, so spelling practice matters most in students' own writing.
07
Related Standards
5 standards
These standards connect to L.9-10.2: prerequisites to review first, parallel standards at the same level, and next steps that build on it.
Before this lesson
L.8.2Prerequisite
Use commas, ellipses and dashes for pauses, breaks and omissions; spell correctly
Lesson coming soon
Alongside
L.9-10.1Parallel
Command of grammar and usage: parallel structure and phrases and clauses
