Colons and semicolons

Writing Tip Some people avoid using colons (:) and semicolons (;) because they are not sure how to use them correctly or appropriately. However, these punctuation marks are useful and important features of academic writing. Colons Read these sentences from a social studies essay and find the punctuation errors. A government report highlighted three main causes of crime in the inner city. High unemployment, poor housing and family breakdown. The report concluded as follows. ‘Solving the problems of the inner city is not simply a question of providing money for initiatives.’ The report raised one serious question, how could these problems best be addressed to improve quality of life for those in the inner city? A government report highlighted three main causes of crime in the inner city: high unemployment, poor housing and family breakdown. ← Colon before a list The report concluded as follows: ‘Solving the problems of the inner city is not simply a question of providing money for initiatives.’ ← Colon before a quotation The report raised one serious question: how could these problems best be addressed to improve quality of life for those in the inner city? ← Colon before an explanation of something just mentioned (what the ‘serious question’ is)