Use of Semicolons

Legend has it that the semicolon is stronger than a comma but weaker than a period. Perhaps this is true, but there is more to the semicolon than legend. Let’s review a few examples of semicolon use.

A semicolon may be used between two independent clauses

Ryan likes dogs; Maria likes cats.
Bob calls it the bathroom; Jacob calls it the loo.
George was getting depressed; he had little to live for.
I didn’t see it coming; now I have four kids and no job.
Martin is going bald; his hair is getting thinner and thinner.
You should stop eating so much food; you need to go on a diet.
We had too many fumbles; we lost the game.
Andres drives a Jaguar; Ana María drives a Porsche.
I have finished the main course; now I have to make dessert.
She didn’t see the other car coming; now her car has a huge dent.
I will leave when I finish working; that is a promise I will certainly keep.
Some people enjoy the simple life; others like to live large and constantly upload photos of their amazing life.

A semicolon may link lengthy clauses or clauses with commas to avoid confusion

To play the piano well you need: a powerful pair of hands; the ability to read music; and a great passion to perform.
She planned to visit five locations while on vacation: New York, Chicago, and Atlanta; London, Mumbai and Hong Kong.
I really like beef, with mushroom sauce; pasta, with Alfredo sauce; and salad, with French dressing.
We had students from Lima, Peru; Santiago, Chile; and Caracas, Venezuela.
The Christmas ornaments are finally packed away: small, shiny ones; big, bright onesv and the homemade ones.
Some people drive luxury cars, sport utility vehicles, or motorhomes; but others, for a variety of reasons, choose to drive small cars or mini-cars.
There are basically two ways to live: in a small shack, which is inexpensive and easily accessible to everyone; or in a large luxurious home, which is very comfortable but much more expensive.

A semicolon may link clauses connected by conjunctive adverbs or transitional phrases

You must have new brakes installed; otherwise you may not be able to stop quickly enough to avoid an accident.
I had a huge meal; however, I am already hungry again.
I know you don’t like pizza; nevertheless it is very good for you.
Star Trek was my favorite television show during the 1960s; in fact, it is my favorite television show of all time.
Maria had self-defense training; consequently she beat the assailant till he lost consciousness.
Spring brings gentle rains and warmer weather; however, it also brings thunderstorms and hail.
Dad wants the chores completed; moreover he wants them done quickly.
There is mounting evidence of global warming; of course some people will never believe it.
But however they choose to live, people are allowed to make their own decisions; as a result, many people claim that their lifestyle is superior to all others.

Semicolon vs. comma

Don’t use a semicolon when a comma is required!

Incorrect: Because homeless people smell; they offend me.
Correct: Because homeless people smell, they offend me.

In the incorrect sentence above, the first part is not an independent clause, so no semicolon is required.
Don’t use a semicolon when a dependent clause comes before an independent clause.

Incorrect: Although they tried; they failed.
Correct: Although they tried, they failed.

Of course, people also make the mistake of using a comma when a semicolon is needed.

Incorrect: The man is dirty, he is also old.
Correct: The man is dirty; he is also old.

The incorrect sentence above consists of two independent clauses; commas should not be used to connect independent clauses if there is no coordinating conjunction. This mistake is so common it has its own name: a comma splice. Let’s look at another mistake,

Incorrect: I love homeless people, however, I hate the way they smell.
Correct: I love homeless people; however, I hate the way they smell.

In the incorrect sentence above, the conjunctive adverb ‘however’ signals a connection between two independent clauses, and commas should not be used to connect independent clauses if there is no coordinating conjunction.

Incorrect: I like llamas: they give us milk, which tastes good, they give us meat, which also tastes good, and they give us fiber, which is used for blankets and hats.
Correct: I like llamas: they give us milk, which tastes good; they give us meat, which also tastes good; and they give us fiber, which is used for blankets and hats.

In the incorrect sentence above, it's not clear what the three list items are, since the items are separated by commas.

Incorrect: Homeless people, though their majesty has been on the wane in recent years, are still one of the great wonders of this planet, rumpled and dirty, yet proud, they ruminate silently as other humans rush by frantically trying to pay for their nice homes.
Correct: Homeless people, though their majesty has been on the wane in recent years, are still one of the great wonders of this planet; rumpled and dirty, yet proud, they ruminate silently as other humans rush by frantically trying to pay for their nice homes.

In the incorrect sentence above, it's unclear where the first independent clause ends and the second independent clause begins.

Semicolon vs. period

A semicolon can be used to replace a period if you wish to more closely link two sentences.

Correct: Call me tomorrow; you can give me your answer when you call.
Correct: We have made all the required payments; we expect to receive all the benefits defined by the contract.

Semicolon vs. colon

Don’t use a semicolon when a colon is required!

Incorrect: I have one goal; to rid the world of homelessness.
Correct: I have one goal: to rid the world of homelessness.

In the incorrect sentence above, the second part is not an independent clause, so a semicolon cannot be used.
Don’t use a semicolon after an independent clause that precedes a list.

Incorrect: There are three historical sources of belief; reason or intellect, custom or habit,and inspiration.
Correct: There are three historical sources of belief: reason or intellect, custom or habit,and inspiration.

Don’t use a semicolon to separate an explanation, rule, or example from a preceding independent clause.

Incorrect: After a sleepless night, the senator made her decision; she would not seek re-election.
Correct: After a sleepless night, the senator made her decision: she would not seek re-election.

Don’t use a semicolon after the salutation of a business letter.

Incorrect: Dear Mr. Peterson;
Correct: Dear Mr. Peterson:

Don’t use a semicolon in the heading of a business memo.

Incorrect: TO;
Correct: TO:
Incorrect: SUBJECT;
Correct: SUBJECT:

Don’t use a semicolon between the hour and the minutes.

Incorrect: 12;15
Correct: 12:15

Don’t use a semicolon between the chapter and the verse in the Bible, in citations for some literary works, and between the volume and the number of some publications.

Incorrect: Genesis 1;18-20
Correct: Genesis 1:18-20

Incorrect: Part 3;121
Correct: Part 3:121

Don’t use a semicolon ss part of a title.

Incorrect: Homless Power; A Survival Handbook for the Homeless.
Correct: Homless Power: A Survival Handbook for the Homeless.

Don’t use a semicolon in a bibliography between the place of publication and the name of the publisher.

Incorrect: Bloomington, Indiana; Indiana University Press, 1966.
Correct: Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, 1966.

What is the meaning of a semicolon?

Recall legislation makes the political system more transparent to the electors, and it keeps the equal political power for officials and ordinary voters. During WWI, women were not allowed to enlist into the army as soldiers, sailors, or pilots. Nowadays, as we can see there a lot of type of brand of smart phone in the market where can do everything and offer a lot of usage because of the advance of technology. With ongoing advances in imaging technology, increased research on this subject can only result in more accurate and enlightening information. Support from the ABA team was also measured on a single five-point item (“not at all helpful” to “extremely helpful”). Phototoxicity testing was recommended by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), according to which in vitro tests should be carried out before animal testing (17). Hinduism is reported to be the world’s oldest religion while Sikhism is one of the newest. Due to the crisis that took place into motorcycle industry two popular brands Benelli and Motobi merged into one in 1961.

When should I use a semicolon?

Effect sizes were calculated using the metafor package for R using random effects models (Viechtbauer, 2010).

How do I use semicolons correctly?

Made worse by the fact that when the European settlers first came to Canada they made treaties with the Aboriginals, but those treaties were violated by the settlers in an effort to further strengthen their own colonial aims. Well that’s the law we live in, Just going back thinking of all the police brutality that’s was quite dealing with discrimination but deny racism exists. These decisions can range from whether or not to eat the last slice of pizza or to steal bread from your local bakery because you’re short for money that day and you have a starving family at home.
The reason why, as explained by Kaplan "...can be trained to approve any wild thing you want it to approve if you begin its education early and stick to it" (Kaplan, 315). They are also more inclined to be involved in domestic violence, both as victims and as predators and are likely to be in gangs, which shows how the biggest gangs in New Zealand such as the Mongrel Mob and Black Power are Maori-dominated. Basically the main duties of these agencies are to make the investors and creditors aware of the risk attached with any investment. Correspondingly, the state and the citizens are under a fundamental obligation to protect and improve the environment, including the forest, lakes, rivers, wildlife and to have a compassion for living creatures. Consequently, computers become more portable and even currently, the small size of computers is attributed to the invention of the Integrated Circuit. The process of monitoring the performance or the delivery system will be performed by the employees’ internal stakeholders through the online system. There are many things to remember and take care of, before you can successfully publish an ebook. If this number is positive, the country is said to have a favourable balance of trade.

Proper use of the semicolon

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Colon vs. semicolon

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Correct use of the semicolon

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What is a semicolon?

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Example sentences using a semicolon

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Examples of the use of semicolons

The Environment (Protection) Rules 1986 state that the brick kiln within a radius of 50 k. According to the American Psychological Association, from an excerpt titled The Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Clients, gender is defined as "the attitudes, feelings, and behaviors that a given culture associates with a person’s biological sex.
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