Colons and Semicolons
The Semicolon
Use semicolons to separate independent clauses not joined by coordinating conjunctions.
They went to the grocery store; Suzi bought milk and bread.
This is my favorite restaurant; I'm glad we came here.
He always takes the extra shift; this time he was out of town.
Use semicolons between long or internally punctuated independent clauses even when they
are joined by coordinating conjunctions.
The students, who were first semester high school freshman, were not familiar with the
new environment; but now they are completely comfortable.
We had already ordered the cake, arranged the entertainment, and selected the
decorations; so there wasn't much left to be done by John, Joan, or Chris.
I am eager, as you can imagine, to move forward with the plan; but the funding, which is
being reduced, has not been approved.
Use semicolons to separate independent clauses joined by conjunctive adverbs or
transitional expressions.
He trained for months for the competition; however, he broke his wrist the week before
the main event.
The substitute speaker arrived at the last minute; thus the meeting was saved from being a
complete failure.
He did not register before the deadline; consequently, he was not eligible to participate.
Use semicolons to separate phrases or clauses in a series if they are long or contain
commas.
On that unlucky day, Jane couldn't find her homework, lost her shoes, and slipped on the
sidewalk; John broke his arm, ripped his shirt, and his wallet was stolen; and Bob was
late for work, didn't remember to wear his tie, and scratched his glasses.
We visited Houston, Texas; St. Petersburg, Florida; and Boston, Massachusetts.
Jane got flowers, a bracelet, and a ring from her aunt; shoes, a purse, and earrings from
her parents; and a briefcase, a pen, and a watch from her godparents.
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