I'm glad to have found this forum.. one thing which I get frustrated about is the correct use of the semi colon.. that's the ; symbol.
I know that it can be use when listing such as... "There was a list of friends: Richard; Cliff; Peter; Sally etc"
Can you explain how to use it properly in other situations with examples?
Thanks
Aardvark!
As we were taught in English grammar, the semicolon is a punctuation mark used primarily in a coordinating function between major sentence elements, like the independent clauses in these two compound sentences: “To err is human; to forgive divine.” “I went to the theater; I was told that tickets were sold out.” Note that in both these sentences, the two closely related and co-equal clauses are conjoined by a semicolon instead of a coordinating conjunction. Of course, the first sentence can also use “and” to link the two coordinate clauses: “To err is human and to forgive is divine.” And the second sentence can also use “but” to link the two coordinate clauses: “I went to the theater but I was told that tickets were sold out.” Whether to use a semicolon or a coordinating conjunction in such situations is often a stylistic decision on the part of the writer.
We will recall that semicolons have four other uses:
1. As punctuation before the introductory words “however,” “therefore,” and “that is” when they introduce a complete sentence. (It is preferable to use a comma after the introductory word.)
Example: “I made it to my son’s graduation ceremony by parking on a side street; however, my car was towed by traffic enforcers during my absence.”
2. As punctuation before introductory words like “namely” or “e.g.,” when they introduce a list following a complete sentence. (Use a comma after the introductory word.)
Example #1: “We toured seven cities in Europe last April; namely, Paris, Rome, Madrid, Amsterdam, Lisbon, Copenhagen, and Leipzig.”
Example #2: “Bring at least four clippings of printed reading matter tomorrow; e.g., news story, feature article, opinion column, editorial, and classified advertising.”
3. Use the semicolon to separate units of a series of items when one or more of the units contain commas.
Example: “The caravan passed the towns of Nagcarlan, Laguna; Tayabas, Quezon; Daet, Camarines Norte; and Sipocot, Camarines Sur.”
4. Use the semicolon between two sentences joined by a coordinating conjunction when one or more commas appear in the first sentence.
Example: “When this terrible crisis is over, I will join forces with you; and you can rest assured of my undying loyalty.”
