What is a semicolon?
A semicolon is a form of punctuation that you’ve probably seen before. While it can look like a period stacked on top of a comma, it isn’t used like either. Instead, semicolons can be used in a variety of ways including separating items in a list, combining independent clauses, and more. Let’s take a look at some of the ways a semicolon can be used…
Semicolons to Combine Independent Clauses
The first way we can use a semicolon in a sentence is to replace a conjunctive word like “and,” “so,” or “but.” Take a look here:
“Adam ate his dinner quickly, but Amy ate hers slowly.”
In this example, the comma and following conjunction word can be replaced by a semicolon, since the two clauses still make sense on their own, like so:
“Adam ate his dinner quickly; Amy ate hers slowly.”
Semicolons in Lists
Semicolons can also be used in a list when the items within the list contain commas, which clarifies any confusion that might arise. Here is an example:
“The speakers of the event are Sarah, CEO and founder of the company, Kevin, our marketing manager, and Eve, our new vice president.”
This can be rearranged as:
The speakers of the event are Sarah, CEO and founder of the company; Kevin, our marketing manager; and Eve, our new vice president.”
Semicolons and Conjunctive Adverbs
Another common way to use a semicolon is to join an independent clause with a dependent one while also incorporating a conjunctive adverb. This looks a little something like this…
“Katherine wanted to go out with her friends; however, she had to stay home to study for her exam.”
Or…
“Jack was anxious about his first racing competition; nevertheless, he came in first place.”
In these examples, the first clause is able to stand alone whereas the second clause is incomplete on its own, so we have included a semicolon followed by a conjunctive adverb and a comma to combine them together.
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