TODAY'S LESSON IS ABOUT
GRAMMAR AND PUNCTUATION: USING
SEMICOLONS
WHAT IS A SEMICOLON?
A semicolon is a punctuation mark that separates major sentences.
A semicolon ((;) is used in place of a period (.)
to separate two sentences where the conjunction has been left out.
Conjunctions are words like for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so ( FANBOYS). A easy way to remember conjunctions.
Don't use semicolons with conjunctions.
EXAMPLE:
My uncle's feet are very large, but I have no desire to tell him.
A comma is used because there's a but separating the two sentences.
My uncle's feet are very large; I have no desire to tell him.
A semicolon is used in place of but to separate the two sentences.
A semicolon can also be used in place of commas to separate items in a list, especially when the list contain commas. If you find that one of your list items contains a comma, you should change the other commas to semicolons. Example
Bread, milk, butter, cheese, pork, steak, and chicken.
Bread, milk, butter, and cheese from the deli shop; pork, steak and chicken from the meat mart; and carrots from the supermarket.
HOW
TO USE A SEMICOLON?
"Can anyone tell me how a semicolon is used?"
If you have two independent clauses, meaning they could stand alone as their own sentences, then a semicolon can be used. For example.
My daughter also has long hair; she loves to comb and wash it.
These are two independent clauses, meaning they can stand alone as a complete sentence. They don't need to be attached.
What's the point of a semicolon?
The most common ways to use a semicolon is to connect two independent clauses or sentences.
For example
The FedEx truck man drove by my street today. He had a large package.
The two statements are separated by a period. If read aloud, it would sound like this:
The FedEx truck man drove by my street today; he had a large package.
What we did was to eliminate the pause between the two sentences by using a semicolon.
Don't
Don't use semicolons with conjunctions.
Conjunctions are words like and, but, or, nor, for, so and yet. Example:My uncle's feet are very large, but I have no desire to tell him.
A comma is used because there's a but separating the two clauses.
WHEN?
When should you use a semicolon?
Use a semicolon when you want to connect between two statements, when they are related to or contrasted with one another.
Example
The rat nibbles on old wood; it helps to strengthen his jaw so he can prepare himself for his bates.
These sentences are strengthened by using a semicolon.
The relationship between nibbling on wood and preparing for his bates is strengthened by using a semicolon.
Do the excercises below after viewing this film on Ted.Ed.com
Semicolons - Exercise 1
Joining Independent Clauses or sentences.Instructions
- A semicolon is needed in each of the sentences below. Decide where the semicolon belongs. Then put the word that comes just before the semicolon.