Question

Select the three incorrectly used colons and semi-colons in the extract below. There are many different tours that offer a more interesting; and healthy; way of getting around: the Darwin 7- day dash: the Mawson Trail; and the Bondi bike ride are just three of our most popular options."

Answer 1

Answer:

There are many different tours that offer a more interesting; and healthy; way of getting around: the Darwin 7- day dash: the Mawson Trail; and the Bondi bike ride are just three of our most popular options."

Explanation:

The above sentence is wrongly punctuated as it employs the colon and semicolon wrongly.

Colons(:) are used for various purposes like separating two independent clauses or to introduce a list or series of items while semicolon is employed to connect two independent clauses which convey complete thoughts together.

In the given sentence, semicolons are wrongly employed after 'interesting', 'healthy', and 'Mawson Trail' as it is separating the elements of the sentence which destroys the meaning of the sentence. The Colon is also used incorrectly after 'the Darwin 7-day dash' as it is introducing the list inappropriately.

In order to rectify these errors, the semicolons would be removed from the prior clause and in the latter clause, the incorrect colon and semicolon would be replaced with a comma(,) to separate the items of the list. After rectifying these errors, the sentence reads as:

There are many different tours that offer a more interesting and healthy way of getting around: the Darwin 7- day dash, the Mawson Trail, and the Bondi bike ride are just three of our most popular options."