Don't use semicolons with conjunctions (and, or, but, for, yet...) If you need to pause with a conjunction, use a comma example: Our lunch tasted horrible, but we still ate it.Rule 2 Link two closely related ideas that already have punctuation (colon, dash, or comma) in them exa...
The rules for using a semi-colon are fairly easy to understand. Let me quickly explain when and how to use a semi-colon. When to Use a Semi-colon A semi-colon should join two sentences that are related. This usually means they are about the same topic. Examples: Water is important; ...
In the first example, we use a colon to indicate that the second sentence gives an explanation as to why Yuki is a great leader. In the second example, we use a semicolon to indicate the second sentence is closely related to the first sentence. However, the sentence following the semicol...
You can use a semicolon to join two closely related independent clauses. Let’s put that another way. 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 sentence...
1. Semicolons Connect Related Independent Clauses You can use a semicolon to join two closely related independent clauses. Let’s put that another way. The group of words that comes before the semicolon should form a complete sentence, the group of words that comes after the semicolon shou...
Semicolon and conjunctive adverb examples My parents are hopelessly indecisive; as a result, it takes over an hour to pick a restaurant. Before anything else, we need to grease the pan and cut the vegetables; then, we can actually start cooking. ...
Here are some examples of how to correctly use semicolons: "I've never eaten chocolate;I'm actually allergic to it." "She had never seen a rainbow before;it was even more beautiful than she'd imagined." "You don't know what you did wrong;it feels like everyone's blaming you for ...
Use a semicolon inside quotation marks when it’s part of the quoted material. “Take off your filthy shoes before coming into the house; helping keep the house clean is up to all of us,” said my father. 3 Do question marks and exclamation marks go inside quotes? If the question mark...
Semicolons, colons, and dashes always go outside the closing quotation mark. Periods and commas always go inside the closing quotation mark (in American English). Question marks and exclamation points require you to think about the sentence a little to determine where they go. ...
How to Use a Colon 3 Examples of Sentences With Colons Colon vs. Semicolon: What’s the Difference? Want to Learn More About Writing? N. K. Jemisin Teaches Fantasy and Science Fiction Writing What Is a Colon? A colon (:) is a punctuation mark that initiates a list, introduces a quote...