B2
colon vs semicolon
The difference
| Word | Meaning | Goes with | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| colonnoun/ˈkoʊ.lən/ | Meaning the mark (:) that comes before a list or an explanation; also a body part near the end of the gut | Goes with colon cancer | Example Use a colon before a list, like this: eggs, milk and bread. |
| semicolonnoun/ˈsem.iˌkoʊ.lən/ | Meaning the punctuation mark (;) used to join two related parts of a sentence or separate items in a list | Goes with use a semicolon | Example You can use a semicolon to join two sentences that are closely connected. |
Which word fits?
1 of 7Pick the word for the gap. Its form may change in the sentence.
Many writers avoid the because they are not sure when it is correct.