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Semicolons

LEARN THREE USES FOR THE SEMICOLON (;)

Like a comma, a semicolon (;) tells the reader to pause. However, the semicolon is a stronger mark of punctuation. It separates clauses and phrases that are closely related or that receive the same emphasis.

Use a semicolon between

  1. Independent (main) clauses.
  2. Independent (main) clauses joined by transitional words and phrases.
  3. A series of items that contain commas.

NOTE:

Unlike periods, question marks, and exclamation points, semicolons always appear within, not at the end of, sentences.

THE SEMICOLON BETWEEN INDEPENDENT (MAIN) CLAUSES

Use a semicolon to connect two independent clauses that are closely related and are not connected with a coordinating conjunctions. An independent clause has a subject and a verb and expresses a complete idea. The coordinating conjunctions are and, or, but, nor, for, so, yet.

Woodrow Wilson was the 28th president of the United States; he followed William Howard Taft.

NOTE:

Don't capitalize a word that follows a semicolon unless it is a proper noun.

Guadeloupe is in the Leeward Islands; Guatemala is in Central America.

THE SEMICOLON BETWEEN INDEPENDENT (MAIN) CLAUSES JOINED BY TRANSITIONAL WORDS AND PHRASES

In the middle of sentences, transitions come in two forms: conjunctive adverbs and transitional phrases. Both emphasize and clarify the relationship between the independent clauses they join.

Conjunctive Adverb:

It's a good thing Columbus came to America; otherwise, the Italians would never have learned about the tomato.

Transitional Phrase:

People before Columbus knew the world wasn't flat; in fact, Eratosthenes accurately measured the earth's circumference in the third century B.C.

NOTE:

Use a comma after a conjunctive adverb or transitional phrase.

THE SEMICOLON BETWEEN A SERIES OF ITEMS THAT CONTAIN COMMAS

Use semicolons to separate items in a series when some or all of the items in that series contain commas.

Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122-–1204) was the daughter of William X, duke of Aquitaine; the wife of Louis VII, king of France; and later the wife of Henry of Normandy, who became Henry II of England.

There are three items in this list: (1) the daughter of . . . ; (2) the wife of . . . ; and (3) later the wife of . . . . If the semicolons were replaced by commas, readers might not be able to tell where one item ends and the next begins. After all, each item already contains a comma of its own.

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