Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
Common Core State Standards, Grades 9-10, Language · Read it at the source · Checked October 14, 2026
What L.9-10.2 Means in Plain English
Ninth and tenth graders join two closely related sentences with a semicolon, adding a word like however or therefore when the link needs naming. They put a colon after a complete sentence to introduce a list or a quotation, and they spell correctly, including words like separate and occurred.
Eighth graders (L.8.2) used commas, dashes and ellipses to mark a pause, a break or an omission. Grades 9 and 10 add the two marks that join and introduce. In grades 11 and 12 (L.11-12.2), the new convention is hyphenation, as in a well-known author.
L.9-10.2 I Can Statements
I can join two related sentences with a semicolon.
I can punctuate however correctly between two independent clauses.
I can use a colon after a full sentence to introduce a list.
L.9-10.2 Worked Example
Three sentences from a report on a carousel restoration, with a comma splice, two misplaced marks and two misspellings.
Prompt
Fix the punctuation and spelling in these sentences from a local history report. “The carousel had survived two fires, however, most of its carved horses were badly damaged. The restorers needed: gold leaf, horsehair for the tails and a seperate paint formula for each horse. The lead carver explained why the work occured so slowly, ‘Every horse has its own face, and you can’t rush a face.’”
Not YetThe carousel had survived two fires, however; most of its carved horses were badly damaged. The restorers needed: gold leaf, horsehair for the tails and a separate paint formula for each horse. The lead carver explained why the work occurred so slowly; “Every horse has its own face, and you can’t rush a face.”The spelling is fixed, but the semicolon sits after however instead of before it, the colon still splits the verb from its objects, and a semicolon can’t introduce a quotation.
Meets the StandardThe carousel had survived two fires; however, most of its carved horses were badly damaged. The restorers needed three things: gold leaf, horsehair for the tails and a separate paint formula for each horse. The lead carver explained why the work occurred so slowly: “Every horse has its own face, and you can’t rush a face.”The semicolon now joins two independent clauses, with however and its comma opening the second. Each colon follows a complete sentence, one introducing a list and one a quotation, and separate and occurred are spelled correctly.
Moves to Use
A semicolon joins two complete sentences that belong together.With however or therefore, put the semicolon before it and a comma after it.A colon follows a complete sentence, never a bare verb or preposition.When a full sentence introduces a quotation, use a colon, not a comma.Check the words you always misspell: separate, occurred, definitely.
Common Mistakes with L.9-10.2
The semicolon on the wrong side of however
“The road was icy, however; the bus kept its schedule.”
Try this: Have students cover the word however: if a complete sentence stands on each side, the semicolon goes right before it.
A colon after the verb
“The kit includes: a map, a compass and a whistle.”
Try this: Teach the full-stop test: if the words before the colon couldn’t end with a period, delete the colon.
Semicolons as fancy commas
“We packed snacks; water; and a first-aid kit” in a simple list
Try this: Show that a semicolon in a list is only for items that already contain commas, and practice with one such list.
Spelling Worksheet GeneratorFree ToolBuild a list from the words students misspell in their own drafts, like separate, occurred and definitely, and practice them in sentences.Commonly misspelledHigh school
Sentence Scramble GeneratorFree ToolRebuild two related sentences joined by a semicolon and however, so students place the semicolon, the transition and the comma in order.SemicolonsConjunctive adverbs
Why does the first sentence need a semicolon before however?
Both halves are complete sentences. A comma alone makes a comma splice, so a semicolon goes before however and a comma follows it.
Why is the colon wrong in “The restorers needed: gold leaf…”?
The words before it aren’t a complete sentence. A colon can’t split a verb from its objects, and adding three things completes the sentence.
Why does the quotation take a colon instead of a comma?
A full sentence introduces it (the carver explained why the work occurred so slowly), and a colon is the mark that introduces a quotation after a complete sentence.