The semicolon is a punctuation mark that is not used as often as a period or a comma, possibly because people are afraid of using it incorrectly. This is unfortunate; the semicolon can really spice up your writing if you know how to use it. The semicolon may be one of the trickier marks that we use, but it’s not as intimidating as most people think. If you take the time to learn a little bit about the semicolon, you’ll see that there is nothing to be afraid of. Show
What is a semicolon (;)?A semicolon is a punctuation mark that represents a more significant pause than a comma but less significant than a period. A semicolon resembles a period placed over a comma (;). The two most common reasons to use a semicolon are to join two related independent sentences or to punctuate a list or series that also uses commas. ✏️Examples of a semicolon in a sentenceThe following examples show how we use semicolons in sentences.
When do you use a semicolon?As mentioned already, there are two common uses for semicolons. Joining two independent clausesThe first and probably more confusing reason that we use a semicolon is to connect two independent clauses together. An independent clause has both a subject and a predicate and can stand by itself as a complete sentence. For example, Matt likes baseball is an independent clause, but because Matt likes baseball is not. You can think of a semicolon as a punctuation mark that represents a pause between a comma and a period. It represents a stronger division than a comma but stops short of completely dividing two sentences like a period does. In general, we use a semicolon to indicate that two sentences are closely related to each other. For example, they could discuss the same topic or contrast two similar things:
All of that being said, we can often express the same meaning using either a semicolon, a comma, or a period. For example,
All of the above sentences have the exact same meaning. The main difference between them is the length of a pause and that the semicolon signals that the two sentences are closely related. However, these punctuation marks are not grammatically interchangeable; we will go over this shortly. Semicolon vs. colonThe colon is another punctuation mark that can connect closely related independent sentences. In general, there is a slight difference in how we use these two punctuation marks. A semicolon is used to indicate that two sentences are closely related in general. A colon, on the other hand, is typically used to indicate that the second sentence explains, clarifies, or expands on the previous sentence. For example,
In the first example, we use a colon to indicate that the second sentence gives an explanation as to why Yuki is a great leader. In the second example, we use a semicolon to indicate the second sentence is closely related to the first sentence. However, the sentence following the semicolon doesn’t explain or expand on the sentence that came before it. You probably noticed that there was also a difference in capitalization. More on that in a bit. Make Your Writing Shine!
A list with commasIf a list or series has items that use commas, we often use semicolons to make a sentence less confusing. For example, look at this sentence that only uses commas:
A little confusing, right? We can make this sentence a lot more clear by using semicolons to replace the commas that separate the different items in the list:
While locations are a common reason to use semicolons in a list, we can also use them to clarify a sentence that uses several dependent clauses:
Learn more about when and how to use the comma. How to use a semicolonThere are a few grammatical rules to be aware of when using a semicolon. CapitalizationUnlike a period, a semicolon is not followed by a capital letter unless the sentence begins with a proper noun or other word that is always capitalized: ❌ Incorrect: My brother’s favorite color is blue; Mine is green. ConjunctionsGrammatically, it is considered improper to follow a semicolon with a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so). The second independent sentence can simply stand by itself. ❌ Incorrect: Bats are nocturnal; and owls are also nocturnal. A semicolon can be followed by adverbs, such as however, therefore, and nevertheless, or phrases such as on the other hand, as a result, or in other words that are used to introduce a sentence. ✅ Correct: We liked the new design; however, our boss was unsatisfied with it. Quiz yourself on the difference between colons and semicolons. Punctuate perfectly with Grammar Coach™Confused about punctuation and its proper use? The Thesaurus.com Grammar Coach™ platform makes writing papers, essays, emails, and a whole lot more a whole lot easier. This writing tool uses machine-learning technology uniquely designed to catch grammar as well as spelling errors. Its Synonym Swap will find the best nouns, adjectives, and more to help say what you really mean, guiding you toward clearer, stronger, writing. What is the meaning of the semicolon?noun. the punctuation mark (;) used to indicate a major division in a sentence where a more distinct separation is felt between clauses or items on a list than is indicated by a comma, as between the two clauses of a compound sentence.
What is a semi colon used for example?A semicolon (;) is a punctuation mark that has two main functions: Semicolons separate items in a complex list. For example, The Council is comprised of ten members: three from Sydney, Australia; four from Auckland, New Zealand; two from Suva, Fiji; and one from Honiara, Solomon Islands.
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