Semicolons, colons and dashes

Are you curious about when to use semicolons, colons or dashes? This 5-point assignment might help. Check your syllabus for the due date.

1. Read Semicolons, Colons and Dashes from the writing website for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
2. Read the draft of your essay and find five sentences that use or could use semicolons, colons or dashes.
3. Copy and paste the five sentences from your draft into a document for this assignment.
4. You may need to revise sentences in order to use semicolons or colons or dashes. If so, show both the “before” sentence from your draft and the “after” version.
5. Now consider the best version for your essay. For each of the five sentences, support your position, perhaps by starting with one of these statements:
   • The original sentence is the best way because…
   • The semicolon, colon, or dash is more effective than the original because…