☰ Contents · Uzbek language

Question mark, exclamation mark, colon and semicolon

Lessons 52–53 · 2 lessons · N.M. Mahmudov, A. Nurmonov, A.Sh. Sobirov. Ona tili (Uzbek language), Grade 9, 4th edition. “Tasvir” Publishing House, Tashkent, 2019
53

Use of the colon and the semicolon

Textbook: pp. 106–107
GoalIdentify where the colon and the semicolon are used.
New words
colon · ikki nuqtasemicolon · nuqtali vergulgeneralizing word · umumlashtiruvchi so‘zlist · ro‘yxat
Explanation

The colon has three main places: in a conjunction-less composite sentence when the second part opens up and explains the first, after the author’s words that precede direct speech, and after a generalizing word that precedes homogeneous parts. A colon also comes before a list: “Sumkamda uchta narsa bor: daftar, qalam, kitob”. The semicolon is used when the simple sentences in a conjunction-less composite sentence express complete thoughts and are not very close to each other, when their events are compared, or when groups of homogeneous parts are separated and are themselves divided by commas. If list items are given on separate lines, they end with a semicolon and the last with a full stop.

Worked examples
Kutubxonaga bormadim: vaqtim yo‘q edi. / Ustoz so‘radi: «Kim tayyor?» / Hamma narsa: qalam, daftar, kitob – joyida.
Ertalab havo bulutli, yomg‘irli edi; tushdan keyin esa quyosh chiqdi, osmon ochildi. / List: 1) mashq qilish; 2) kitob o‘qish; 3) erta uxlash.
Class activity

“Colon or semicolon?”: the teacher reads a sentence; pupils raise a “:” or a “;” card.

Practice
1
Where is the colon put?
2
Punctuate: “Menda bitta qoida bor ish vaqtida bajarilsin”.
3
Make a sentence with a semicolon.
4
Why is a colon put before a list?