Sentence B: The road trip included stops in Lake Placid, New York; Boston, Massachusetts; and Providence, Rhode Island. We use a semicolon when connecting items in a series or list. Sentence B is correct because using a coordinating conjunction with a semicolon is redundant. Jane Austen punctuates Mrs Bennet’s dialogue with semicolons to permit some clarity within her characteristically long and rambling recount of events. Sentence A: I hoped to go home early; however, work was very busy.Sentence B: I hoped to go home early, however; work was very busy. Using Semicolons in Complex Lists. To receive informative articles and tailored advice for academics and students, as well as updates about our exciting grant and scholarship opportunities, please subscribe to our blog. We've got the most comprehensive list of adverbs around. Some lists already have commas to join dependent clauses or phrases. Level 4, 15 Moore Street, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia, Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy Sitemap Design & Development by Edge of the Web, Copyright © Capstone Editing Pty Ltd 2017 - 2020, Australian Company Number (ACN): 610 658 887, Level 4, 15 Moore Street, Canberra, ACT 2601, Posted by Capstone Editing on 17 April 2017, Using Semicolons to Punctuate Complex Sentences, Avoiding the Overuse of Complex Sentences, Using Semicolons to Punctuate Complex Lists, Your email address will not be published or shared with anyone. The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points, How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer. If not, don't worry! Do you know when to use a semicolon? Both examples are grammatically correct. The semicolons above break the dialogue into three distinct events: Netherfield has been sold to a wealthy man, he saw the place on Monday and he is taking possession of the property soon. Confused by what a prepositional phrase is? Capstone Editing will perfect the language, formatting and referencing of your document to produce a final version of the highest-possible quality, ready for submission or publication. Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply! Our specialist academic editors will ensure your research is presented in the best light, to help you achieve academic success. When to Use a Semicolon. There are several rules to remember for how to use a semicolon properly. For example, at the market, I’ll be picking up yogurt, blueberries, and coffee. My mom came with me. This resource offers a number of pages about comma use. Sentence A is correct. If you use a comma here, you'd be creating a comma splice, which is grammatically incorrect. We've also got guides on nucleotides, SOHCAHTOA, animal cells, and more. 1. Once again, let's take a look at our previous example: Correct: I went to the mall to go shopping; my mom came with me.Also Correct: I went to the mall to go shopping. It’s useful to repeat here that the semicolon denotes a pause that is longer than a comma, but shorter than a full stop. Except when you're listing items in a series, your semicolon should always be replaceable by a period (or vice versa). So don't just replace a comma with a semicolon (or vice versa). In this example, the two independent clauses are "We ran out of food at home" and "my boyfriend went to the store.". A semicolon often acts like a conjunction in that both join independent clauses. We also go over what semicolon examples look like and give you tips for when to use and not use them. A conjunctive adverb is a word that joins two independent clauses into one sentence. Most often, semicolons are used to connect two independent clauses instead of using a comma + conjunction. In addition to her work for PrepScholar, Hayley is the author of Museum Hack's Guide to History's Fiercest Females. You'd put a semicolon right before the conjunctive adverb that joins the two clauses. Additionally, semicolons are useful when listing places. For more information on semicolons, please see the " 90-Second Semicolon " vidcast series on the Purdue OWL YouTube Channel . We ran out of food at home; my boyfriend went to the store. Rule 2: Use a Semicolon to Divide Items in a List. In our last article, ‘How to Use the Semicolon: The Soft Separator’ , we explained how semicolons are used to create a close relationship between two related independent clauses. An independent clause is a complete sentence, meaning it could stand by itself. Make sure to refer back to the semicolon examples above if you have any lingering confusion over how to use a semicolon! Example 3: There are two ways to go a car; you can either ask someone to drive you to a place, which depends on the convenience of the other person; or by driving yourself to the location of your choice. There's something for everyone on the PrepScholar blog! In the first article ‘Using Semicolons to Connect Independent Clauses’, we explained that semicolons are used in between two closely related independent clauses. When to Use a Semicolon with Examples? Please be respectful when leaving comments. Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here: © PrepScholar 2013-2018. Semicolons are most often used to separate two equal independent clauses within one complete sentence.. Semicolon Example: I have to wake-up early; I hate sleeping in late. There's one additional use for semicolons: If you're making a list and the components in the list include commas, you should use a semicolon to separate the list's larger components. Most of the time, you don't need to use a capital letter after a semicolon. The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points, How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer, Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests. punctuation mark. Semicolons can be used to create clarity in complex lists, especially when the comma is already in use. Pages That said, semicolons are not interchangeable with periods when used in a list: Incorrect: The road trip included stops in Lake Placid, New York. In this article, we break down exactly what semicolons are and how to use this unique (but often frustrating!) It’s useful to repeat here that the semicolon denotes a pause that is longer than a comma, but shorter than a full stop. Examples: A semicolon is a punctuation mark that looks like a period stacked on top of a comma. A semicolon can be used to join related independent clauses if the clauses share a close and logical connection. The ideas expressed in each independent clause are related—they both have to do with eating. When you’re writing a list with items containing commas, the list items must be separated using semicolons for clarity. The correct sentence is Sentence B. How to use a semicolon: To separate items in a list with internal commas If you ever use semicolons, you likely use them this way. and Providence, Rhode Island. And don't forget, you can always watch Dr Lisa Lines' video on how to use semicolons on our YouTube channel too. Do you know how to use a semicolon? ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score, How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League, Is the ACT easier than the SAT? As you can see, it looks strange to have "my" capitalized here since it's neither the beginning of a sentence nor a proper noun. One reason you might choose to use a semicolon instead of a period is if you wanted to add variety to your sentence structure; for example, you might use a semicolon if you thought you had too many short, choppy sentences in a row. Common conjunctive adverbs include the following: You should generally use a semicolon before a conjunctive adverb. There is one exception to this rule, though: if the word coming after the semicolon is a proper noun or an acronym, then you should still capitalize it. A semicolon is used to separate two ideas (two independent clauses) that are closely related. Here is an example where semicolons are used to separate items in a series instead of commas since one or more has a a comma.

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