The semi-colon (‘;’) is a punctuation mark that is generally used to create pauses and breaks. You may see it being used quite regularly. However, you might not fully understand what it is and why it is in the text. Don’t worry. You are not alone. The semi-colon can be one of those tricky punctuation marks. Once you get the hang of it, however, your writing will greatly benefit. You will also gain additional confidence in your writing abilities – further increasing your writing endeavors.
There a number of occasions that signal when to use a semi-colon:
- To connect two independent clauses. That is, if a sentence can stand on its own, it is an independent clause. The semi-colon unites two similar ideas.
- When clauses are connected by a conjunctive verb (such as ‘also’, ‘however’, ‘otherwise’) or a transitional phrase (such as, ‘in addition’, ‘in contrast’, ‘on the other hand’). The use of the semi-colon here also unites two similar ideas.
- To separate items in a list. The semi-colon is used in lists where there is already comma usage. It prevents misunderstanding.
- To connect long clauses where there are already commas being used (University of Wisconsin, 2009).
One common problem related to punctuation and when to use a semi-colon is that of the comma splice. The comma splice is where a comma is placed between two independent sentences (Barnhill, 2007). Often, the comma should not be present and instead a full stop or semi-colon can be used. A semi-colon can also be used in regards to a 'run-on sentence' (Barnhill, 2007). That is, often two sentences will be put into one. There will be no punctuation marks at all. If they are independent clauses, a semi-colon or full stop can be used.
Sometimes colons (‘:’) and semi-colons are mixed up. Good writing is knowing when to distinguish between such punctuation. Unlike the semicolon, the colon can be used to introduce information that describes or supports previous details (University of Wollongong, 2000). The colon is also used to separate one sentence from another when the latter sentence reaffirms the former sentence. The semi-colon is used when the writer wants to write extra information or when they write opposing information (University of Wollongong, 2000).
References
Barnhill, D. 2007, Writing It Right: Avoiding Common Grammatical Mistakes, University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh, viewed 9 July, 2009.
University of Wisconsin – Madison 2009, When to Use a Semicolon, viewed 9 July, 2009.
University of Wollongong 2000, The Difference between Semi-colons and Colons, viewed 9 July, 2009.