Praxis Writing : Colons

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for Praxis Writing

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Identifying Punctuation Errors

Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English.

Jeremy flew to Europe last week: He said he wanted to be alone for awhile.

Possible Answers:

week...

week,

week:

week;

Correct answer:

week;

Explanation:

This sentence uses a colon where a semicolon would be more appropriate. While a colon requires an independent clause before it, when trying to separate two independent clauses it is best to use a semicolon. Also, in the example sentence, the first letter of the second clause is incorrectly capitalized. The best version of the sentence reads, "Jeremy flew to Europe last week; he said he wanted to be alone for awhile."

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