Our Friend, the Semicolon

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Our Friend, the Semicolon
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Our Friend, the Semicolon
Lets begin with a simple sentence
Grandma stays up too late.
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Our Friend, the Semicolon
Now lets expand on that a bit
Grandma stays up too late. Shes afraid shes
going to miss something.
This is OK. Two independent ideas, separated by a
period.
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Our Friend, the Semicolon
What if we try to combine the two ideas? Grandma
stays up too late, shes afraid shes going to
miss something.
Somethings wrong. We connected two independent
clauses with only a comma. The dreaded COMMA
SPLICE!
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Our Friend, the Semicolon
We could insert a coordinating conjunction
Grandma is afraid shell miss something, so she
stays up too late.
This is better! Note the comma that accompanies
the coordinating conjunction.
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Our Friend, the Semicolon
We could also try subordinating one of these
ideas Grandma stays up too late because shes
afraid shes going to miss something.
Notice that the comma disappeared. One idea (the
second one) now depends on the other it has
become a dependent clause.
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Our Friend, the Semicolon
But lets try something else.
ENTER THE SEMICOLON !
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Our Friend, the Semicolon
Lets try using a semicolon in this
sentence. Grandma stays up too late shes afraid
shes going to miss something.
Notice there is no conjunction used with this
semicolon either subordinating or
coordinating. Just the semicolon, all by itself.
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Our Friend, the Semicolon
Sometimes semicolons are accompanied by
conjunctive adverbs words such as however,
moreover, therefore, nevertheless, consequently,
as a result.
Grandma is afraid shes going to miss something
as a result, she stays up too late.
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Our Friend, the Semicolon
Notice the pattern as a result,
semicolon conjunctive adverb comma
This is a typical construction with semicolons.
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Our Friend, the Semicolon
There is one other use of the semicolon to help
us sort out monster lists, like this one
The committee included Peter Wursthorn, Professor
of Mathematics, from Marlborough, Connecticut,
Virginia Villa, Professor of English, from
Hartford, Connecticut, Paul Creech, Director of
Rad-Tech, from Essex, Connecticut, and Joan
Leach, Professor of Nursing, from Farmington,
Connecticut.
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Our Friend, the Semicolon
Be careful where you insert semicolons in this
sentence.
The committee included Peter Wursthorn, Professor
of Mathematics, from Marlborough, Connecticut
Virginia Villa, Professor of English, from
Hartford, Connecticut Paul Creech, Director of
Rad-Tech, from Essex, Connecticut and Joan
Leach, Professor of Nursing, from Farmington,
Connecticut.
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Our Friend, the Semicolon
Now you know everything youll ever need to know
about using semicolons!
CONGRATULATIONS
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