Semicolons are used to join two independent clauses without using a conjunction. Semicolons aren't interchangeable with commas or periods – they indicate something else entirely.
Let's take a look at some rules for using semicolons correctly.
Semicolons are used to join related independent clauses where each clause shares a close, logical connection.
Let's break down what that means.
Independent clauses are complete sentences. They could stand by themselves, but the ideas in them are related, so joining them makes sense.
Here's an example:
In this example, the two clauses are related. The second clause provides clarification for the first and expands on its ideas.
Semicolons often act like conjunctions. Both join together independent clauses.
That means that using both a semicolon and a conjunction together would be redundant. Whenever you use a semicolon, you should delete the conjunction in the sentence (unless it's a list).
Semicolons can be used to separate the items in a list if the items are long or contain internal punctuation.
Common conjunctive adverbs include moreover, nevertheless, however, otherwise, therefore, then, finally, likewise, and consequently. It's proper to use a semicolon before a conjunctive adverb.
Examples:
Looking for more examples of when to use a semicolon? Check out this article from our friends at The Write Life.
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