Year 6 Semicolons and Independent Clauses SPaG Worksheets

These bright, appealing grammar worksheets are a great help for practising and revising the use of semicolons and clauses in Y6. There are three worksheets in total, covering the following five sections – ‘understand’, ‘challenge’, ‘test’, ‘explain’ and ‘apply’.

• Understand
  Look at the clauses below. Can you add an extra clause to each one after the semicolon?
• Challenge
  With the aid of an image prompt, write two clauses connected by a semicolon.
• Test
  Draw lines to join clauses which might be connected using a semicolon.
• Explain
  Using your own words, explain why you might choose to use a semicolon between two clauses instead of a full stop.
• Apply
  Use semicolons in three different sentences in response to an image prompt.

What is a semicolon?

A punctuation mark that indicates a pause, typically between two closely related clauses, that is more pronounced a comma but less pronounced than a full stop.

Semicolon examples

• I had a huge meal; however, I am already hungry again.
• I saw a large bird; it was eating a worm.
• Let’s go to the library; there is a book I need to borrow.
  
• I know you don’t like muesli; nevertheless, it is healthier than sugary cereals.

National Curriculum English programme of study links

Pupils should be taught to indicate grammatical and other features by using semicolons, colons or dashes to mark boundaries between independent clauses.

This resource is part of the SPaG Gym collection.
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• Worksheets featuring five sections: understand challenge test explain and apply. Activities include SATs style questions and opportunities for creative writing responses with eye-catching images as prompts