22 Apr What is a Semicolon Used For
What is a Semicolon Used
For?
What is a semicolon?
A semicolon is a punctuation
mark that consists of a period above a comma. It looks like this (;).
What is a Semicolon
Used For?
Semicolons are most
commonly used to indicate pauses between two independent clauses in a sentence.
When a semicolon is used, it typically indicates a pause that is stronger than
a pause indicated by a comma. To use a semicolon instead of another punctuation
mark, such as a comma, the two independent clauses must be closely related in
thought. When semicolons are used to link two or more parts or ideas in a
sentence, the ideas that are being linked are given equal rank or position.
In addition to being
used to indicate pauses between two independent clauses, semicolons are also
used to separate items in a list if the list items contain commas. When a
semicolon is used in this way, it is to eliminate confusion that might be
caused by trying to use a comma to separate list items that already contain
commas.
Examples of
Semicolons Used in Sentences
·
Some
people like to run on treadmills; others prefer to run outside.
·
The
school building is red; it is also made of brick.
·
I
ordered another slice of pizza; one wasn’t enough.
When to Use
Semicolons?
You should use a
semicolon in all of the following situations:
1. To connect related independent clauses
She gave me a watch; she knew that was my
favorite type of gift.
2. In the place of a conjunction between two
independent clauses
I
need sunshine; I need to be outside.
3. With a conjunctive adverb or transitional
phrase
I
finished my work out early; as a result, I made it home sooner than I expected.
4. To separate items in a list in which commas
are used
Filming
locations included London, England; Austin, Texas; and New Orleans, Louisiana,
Semicolons vs. Colons
Semicolons are very
similar to colons, but they are not the same. A colon is a punctuation mark
that consists of two periods stacked on top of each other (:). Semicolons and
colons are both used in sentences to show that something is happening. However,
unlike semicolons, which show that a pause is occurring between two related
independent clauses, colons show that something is coming. Colons usually
indicate that new information such as a quote, an example, or a list is coming.
Colons can also be used to set off a book’s subtitle, to explain numerical
ratios, or to express time.
Another important
thing to understand about colons is that they usually connect two dependent
clauses. This means that the words that follow a colon usually could not stand
alone as an independent sentence. This is different from semicolons that
primarily connect two independent clauses.
Examples of Colons
Being Used
·
It is
4:30 PM. (expressing time)
·
60
Days Alone: Surviving a Desert Island (expressing a book’s subtitle)
·
The
teachers at the elementary school teach in a 20:1 ratio. (mathematical ratio)
We knew which people
would arrive first: Steven, Laura, and Sammy.
(list)
