The colon the colon can be used in the following 7 ways. The video also explains incorrect ways in which people mistakenly use these punctuation marks. Toni morrison uses parabolic storytelling in her writing. As opposed to the comma, the semicolon principally separates related sentences. Commas or semicolons worksheet 2 heres an awesome 20 problem comma and semicolon worksheet. As you can see, you should not use a capital letter in the first word after a semicolon. Place semicolons between items in lists if some items the list include commas. Punctuation commas, semicolons, quotation marks, and dashes commas the basic rule of thumb for commas use is where there is a natural pause, use a comma. My parents, who met each other in 1962, have been married for 50 years. Simply put, the colon is used to provide a pause before introducing related information, while the semicolon is just a break in a sentence that is stronger than a comma but not as final as a full stop. Colons and semicolons should never be used interchangeably. The semicolon is a form of punctuation in the english language. Introduction to colons get 3 of 4 questions to level up.
How to use the semicolon there are three uses of the semicolon. Please note that there are a few other ways of using semicolons i. Use a semicolon to emphasize the link between the ideas of two independent clauses i. Find this semicolon worksheet on this page of punctuation worksheets. Semicolons are used to separate main clauses that are closely. Commas, semicolons, and colons the chicago school of. Linking function of the colon opens a modal the colon as a separator opens a modal practice. To separate items in a list that already has commas. As you can see, you should not use a capital letter in the first word after a semi colon. Always use a semicolon when you use however as a conjunction in a compound sentence. Colons and semicolons one of the least understood but quietly significant distinctions of grammar is between a semicolon and a colon. Like commas, semicolons indicate an audible pauseslightly longer than a commas, but short of a periods full stop. You can use a semicolon to join two closely related independent clauses.
However, there are other instances where commas should be used as well. If youre behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains. An independent clause can stand alone as a complete sentence. Heres a fun, free, and awesome online activity about commas and semicolons. Professor drew was my mentor at the university of alabama. Two common uses for semicolons 1 a semicolon is much like a period. But colon usage is more specific than semicolon usage. Shared possessives possession is shared by more than one noun take an apostrophe and s on the last noun only, unless the nouns do not share. How to use a semicolon punctuation english current.
Semicolons and colonsprovides students with the correct punctuation rules for using colons and semicolons in their writing. Using semicolons and colons school of liberal arts iupui. When in doubt, take the semicolon out and make two separate sentences. Mary, who was 32 years old javier, who was 28 years old and ming, who was 17 years old. Our mission is to provide a free, worldclass education to anyone, anywhere. Combining independent clauses word groups that can stand alone as separate sentences. Home writing center use a colon to signal a series of words, phrases, or clauses after a complete sentence. The following rules and examples will help you know when and where to use the semicolon as a punctuation mark. The writing center commas, semicolons, and colons guides. Semicolons and colons intimidate many people because writers do not understand how these punctuation marks operate within the text. A colon is made up of two dots, one placed above the other. Hyperlinks will take you to the specific articles im quoting from, not just the site homepage. The first appropriate use of the semicolon is to connect two related sentences.
Its no accident that a semicolon is a period atop a comma. This handout shows how to use them in ways that most academic readers expect. Think you know when to use a semicolon in your writing. The colon usually comes after words describing the subject of the list or after summary words, such as the following or these things. Remember that using too many semicolons and colons can make a paper look cluttered, particularly a shorter paper. A semicolon is a form of punctuation that sorts out complex lists or links complete clauses. Student choose either a semicolon or comma to complete each sentence and then explain their choice. This office cannot accept your complaint, we have brought it before the appropriate. For thousands of years the semicolons have endured the abuse.
No apostrophe is needed because there is no ownership. Use a semicolon in the appropriate place to separate items in a list in the following sentences. Anytime you can use a period, you can also use a semi colon but you should only do so if the ideas are closely related. Oct 23, 2015 the first appropriate use of the semicolon the semicolon. One common use of the colon is to introduce a list. A runon occurs when main clauses are joined without a coordinating conjunction or punctuation mark. Graduate wrijng help student learning services ask. Semicolons and colons are important marks of punctuation in writing that fulfill important grammatical and stylistic functions. Semicolons and colons indicate sophisticated writing. Use a semicolon to combine two very closely related complete sentences. Use a semicolon to separate independent clauses which are long and complex or which have internal punctuation. A colon can be used to separate two independent clauses when a the second clause is directly related to the first clause not just vaguely related and b when the emphasis is on the second clause. Throughout history the semicolons of punctuation island have been forced to live on the swampy side of the island by their more powerful neighbors, the period, comma, and the dreaded colon.
In the english language, a semicolon can be used between two closely related independent clauses, provided they are not already joined by a coordinating conjunction. While you can also use a semicolon or a period between two independentyetrelated clauses, the colon is a little softer than the period, but a. Use a semicolon to connect two closely related sentences. The group of words that comes before the semicolon should form a complete sentence, the group of words that comes after the semicolon should form a complete sentence, and the two sentences should share a close, logical connection. Spacing with punctuation periods commas semicolons colons question marks parentheses and brackets apostrophes hyphens dashes ellipses quotation marks exclamation points slashes.
If you use semicolons in your writing, use them sparingly and apply the rules correctly. Commas set off parenthetical elements such as an appositive, which is a noun phrase or clause that renames or describes the noun directly beside it, and nonrestrictive relative clauses. If a plural noun does not end in s, add an apostrophe and s. Misused colons and semicolons in your writing can result in grammatically incorrect sentence structures, which can. The baseball coach claimed that his teams success stemmed from three things. Link two closely related ideas that already have punctuation colon, dash, or comma in them example. Thus, the semicolon separates groups of words that could be complete sentences by themselves. Semicolons can also be used in place of commas to separate the items in a list, particularly. Colons and semicolons are two valuable pieces of punctuation that separate sentence elements from each other. The washington monument, a massive obelisk, was completed in 1884.
Punctuation 9 misuses of apostrophes do not use the apostrophe to form plurals. Semicolons can also be used in place of commas to separate the items in a list, particularly when the elements of that list contain commas. Punctuation commas, semicolons, colons, quotation marks. Because of the rules and examples of each, students who view the video.
Test your ability by identifying which sentences are correct. Semicolons and colons provides students with the correct punctuation rules for using colons and semicolons in their writing. If youre seeing this message, it means were having trouble loading external resources on our website. Skill summary legend opens a modal introduction to colons. A colon is also used between hours and minutes, titles and subtitles of books, city and publisher in bibliographies, in biblical citations between chapter and verse, and for salutations in business letters and other formal letter writing. Click here for stepbystep rules, stories and exercises to practice all english tenses. After reading the handout, you will be better able to decide when to use these forms of punctuation in your own writing. Semicolonand colon rules semicolons usea semicolon betweentwo independentclauses not connected by a coordinating conjunction. Semicolon from wikipedia, the free encyclopedia redirected from. Semicolons and colons semicolons and colons intimidate many people because writers do not understand how these punctuation marks operate within the text. Also check out the recent post on serial commas and serial semicolons on. To connect two related independent clauses complete sentences in order to emphasize a relationship between the clauses. Colons and semicolons were initially used to express pauses longer than a comma and shorter than a period. Nones sentials use commas to set off nonessential information in the middle of a sentence and to set off nonessential clauses that begin with which.
Colons and semicolons are punctuation marks that confound many people. A colon followed by a complete sentence should have the first letter after the colon be capitalized example. T he s em i col on recognize a semicolon when you see one. Also check out the recent post on serial commas and serial semicolons on the mla style center. The semicolon looks like a comma with a period above it, and this can be a good way to remember what it does. This handout explains the most common uses of three kinds of punctuation. By the end of this video, you will know the basics about using a semicolon. The first appropriate use of the semicolon the semicolon. Wikipedia succinctly states that a colon informs the reader that what follows the mark proves, explains, or lists elements of what preceded the mark.
Here are the two most common uses of the semicolon. To help separate items in a list, when some of those items already contain commas. Ineach of these sentences a period could be used instead of the semicolon. When using a colon, the phrase that comes before the colon should always be a complete sentence. It is easy to use, but many people do not understand how to use it correctly. Heres an awesome 20 problem comma and semicolon worksheet. The following are the comma, semicolon, and colon rules you need to know when writing in apa style. Anytime you can use a period, you can also use a semicolon but you.
759 335 1488 1070 1397 488 349 906 1058 1100 647 554 775 788 153 60 1441 356 1129 1106 1172 425 1306 426 440 289 1451 1430 722 624 275 406 878 675 1487 911 1421 924 272 558 1226 41 175 42 1013 652