Colons - Worksheets, Questions and Revision

17 original exam-style questions - 8 pages of questions with a full mark scheme - free printable PDF.

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KS2 · Grammar

Y6.6 Colons

Calculators not allowed · about 40 minutes
Total Marks
Name: _______________________________    Date: ____ / ____ / ______
Answer ALL questions. Show all your working.

A Visit to Foxglove Wildlife Rescue Centre

Source written for Revision Library (original, copyright-free). Written specifically for this grammar worksheet pack; not derived from or based on any published work, past paper or copyrighted text.

Our class had waited weeks for this trip: a whole afternoon at Foxglove Wildlife Rescue Centre. Mr Adeyemi, the centre's manager, met us at the gate and explained the golden rule at once: visitors must stay quiet near the animal pens. Inside the first shed we saw three patients recovering: a barn owl with an injured wing, a hedgehog no bigger than a fist, and a fox cub still learning to trust people again. Priya asked the question everyone wanted answered: how do the keepers decide when an animal is ready to be released? The keeper, Miss Whitfield, gave a careful answer: an animal is only released once it can hunt, hide and survive completely alone. Before we left, each of us packed a small kit for our own nature journals: a magnifying glass, a notebook and a soft pencil. On the coach home, Jamal made a promise to himself: he would volunteer at the centre as soon as he was old enough.

1
Tick the sentence in each set below that correctly uses a colon to introduce a list.
(a)Which sentence is correct?(1)
  • A) The centre rescues, hedgehogs, owls and foxes.
  • B) The centre rescues; hedgehogs, owls and foxes.
  • C) The centre rescues three kinds of animal: hedgehogs, owls and foxes.
(b)Which sentence is correct?(1)
  • A) Priya packed a torch: a notebook and a pencil.
  • B) Priya packed three things a torch, a notebook and a pencil.
  • C) Priya packed three things: a torch, a notebook and a pencil.
(c)Which sentence is correct?(1)
  • A) The keeper fed the animals, that morning: hay, pellets and fresh water.
  • B) That morning, the keeper fed the animals three foods: hay, pellets and fresh water.
  • C) That morning, the keeper fed the animals three foods, hay, pellets and fresh water.
(d)Which sentence is correct?(1)
  • A) Jamal needed to bring two things a coat and some wellies.
  • B) Jamal needed to bring two things: a coat and some wellies.
  • C) Jamal needed to bring: two things, a coat and some wellies.
2
Below are three sentences taken from the passage above. Circle whether the colon in each sentence introduces a LIST or an EXPLANATION.
(a)Our class had waited weeks for this trip: a whole afternoon at Foxglove Wildlife Rescue Centre.(1)
  • List
  • Explanation
(b)Inside the first shed we saw three patients recovering: a barn owl with an injured wing, a hedgehog no bigger than a fist, and a fox cub still learning to trust people again.(1)
  • List
  • Explanation
(c)Before we left, each of us packed a small kit for our own nature journals: a magnifying glass, a notebook and a soft pencil.(1)
  • List
  • Explanation
3
Tick the two sentences below where the colon is used correctly.
  • A) The zookeeper fed: the lions, the tigers and the wolves.
  • B) Every visitor had to follow one rule: never feed the animals.
  • C) The centre kept three rescued birds: an owl, a kestrel and a sparrowhawk.
  • D) Before we left, we said goodbye to: the keepers and the animals.
4
Six sentences are shown in the box below. Some use a colon correctly and some use a colon incorrectly (because the words before the colon do not make a complete sentence on their own). Sort each sentence into the correct column of the table.
Word bank: The trip included three stops: the museum, the beach and the harbour. | My favourite colours are: green, blue and purple. | Miss Adeyemi explained the rule clearly: stay behind the rope at all times. | The shelf held: books, photographs and old letters. | Jamal had only one wish: to see the fox cub up close. | We needed to bring: wellies, a raincoat and a torch.
Correct colon useIncorrect colon use
(6)
5
Insert a colon in the correct place in each sentence below, so that it correctly introduces the list that follows.
(a)Priya's bag held everything she needed a torch, a notebook and a pencil.(1)
(b)The centre looks after many animals owls, hedgehogs, foxes and badgers.(1)
(c)Three jobs needed doing before lunch feeding the animals, cleaning the pens and washing the bowls.(1)
(d)Our teacher gave us three instructions for the visit stay quiet, stay together and listen to the keepers.(1)
6
Insert a colon in the correct place in each sentence below, so that it correctly introduces the explanation that follows.
(a)Priya had only one fear the fox cub would be too frightened to eat.(1)
(b)The vet gave a simple answer the wing would heal within six weeks.(1)
(c)Jamal already knew the answer he wanted to work with animals one day.(1)
7
Complete each sentence with a suitable ending from the box, adding a colon in the correct place.
Word bank: an owl with a broken wing, a hedgehog and a fox cub | never run near the enclosures | she would ask to volunteer every summer
(a)The keeper introduced us to three animals ___.(1)
(b)The centre had only one strict rule ___.(1)
(c)Priya made a quiet promise ___.(1)
8
Join each pair of sentences below into one sentence, using a colon to introduce the second sentence as an explanation of the first. Remember that a lower-case letter usually follows the colon.
(a)The manager had good news. The centre was releasing the fox cub that afternoon.(2)
(b)Priya remembered the keeper's warning. Wild animals should never be touched.(2)
(c)The class reached one conclusion. Every animal deserved a second chance.(2)
9
Circle the sentence in each pair that punctuates the colon correctly.
(a)Which sentence is correct?(1)
  • A) The shelter needed: blankets, towels and bowls.
  • B) The shelter needed three donations: blankets, towels and bowls.
(b)Which sentence is correct?(1)
  • A) Priya's answer was simple: she loved every animal in the shelter.
  • B) Priya's answer was: she loved every animal in the shelter.
(c)Which sentence is correct?(1)
  • A) The centre's aim is to help: injured and orphaned animals.
  • B) The centre has one aim: to help injured and orphaned animals.
10
Each sentence below has a colon mistake: the colon is missing, misplaced, or the words before it do not make a complete sentence. Find the mistake and rewrite each sentence correctly.
(a)The kit bag held everything Priya needed a torch, a map and some string.(1)
(b)Miss Whitfield explained: the rule, visitors must stay behind the rope.(1)
(c)The fox cub's diet included: meat, eggs and insects.(1)
(d)Jamal had a simple wish, he wanted to become a vet.(1)
11
The paragraph below is missing three colons. Find and correct the three errors.

Priya packed her bag with everything for the trip a torch, a notebook and a spare jumper. At the gate, the keeper gave the class one clear warning, the animals must never be startled. Later, the vet made a hopeful prediction the fox cub would be released within the month.
(3)
12
The sentence below uses a colon incorrectly, because the words before the colon do not make a complete sentence. Rewrite the sentence correctly, then explain in one sentence why the original was wrong.

The rescue centre helps: hedgehogs, owls and foxes.
(2)
13
The sentence below introduces a list with a colon, but the list items themselves contain commas, so semicolons are needed to separate them clearly. Insert the colon and the two missing semicolons in the correct places.

For the open day, the centre needed three donations a soft, warm blanket a tin of good quality dog food and a bag of clean, dry straw.
(3)
14
Find three more examples of a colon in the passage above, not already used in Question 2. Do not use 'this trip:', 'recovering:' or 'journals:' - these already appeared in Question 2. For each example, state whether it introduces a list or an explanation.
(3)
15
In the passage, the final sentence reads 'Jamal made a promise to himself: he would volunteer at the centre as soon as he was old enough.' Explain the effect of the colon in this sentence on the reader.
(2)
16
Write two sentences of your own, each using a colon correctly: one where the colon introduces a list, and one where the colon introduces an explanation.
(2)
17
Write a short paragraph (three to four sentences) about an imagined visit to an animal shelter or rescue centre. Your paragraph must include at least one colon introducing a list and one colon introducing an explanation. Underline each colon.
(4)
Mark scheme · Y6.6 Colons

Question 1

Question 2

Question 3

Question 4

Question 5

Question 6

Question 7

Question 8

Question 9

Question 10

Question 11

Question 12

Question 13

Question 14

Question 15

Question 16

Question 17