SEMICOLON BASICS
What does a semicolon look like?
;
Which is correct?
A) I was tired, I went home.
B) I was tired; I went home.
B
Complete the sentence:
“I was hungry; ______, I made a sandwich.”
THEREFORE
Fix this sentence:
“I love pizza, my brother loves tacos.”
“I love pizza; my brother loves tacos.”
When can semicolons separate items in a list?
When the items already contain commas.
Is a semicolon stronger than a comma or weaker than a comma?
Stronger than a comma.
Which is correct?
A) I studied; however, I was nervous.
B) I studied, however; I was nervous.
A
Complete the sentence:
“I wanted to play; ______, I had homework.”
HOWEVER
Fix this sentence:
“She studied all week, she still felt nervous.”
“She studied all week; she still felt nervous.”
Why are semicolons useful in a complicated list?
They make it clear where one item ends and the next begins.
Does a semicolon completely end a sentence?
No. It works inside a sentence.
Which semicolon job is this?
“I was tired; I went home.”
Job 1 — joining two related independent clauses.
Where does the comma go in a sentence like this?
“I studied; however, I was still nervous.”
AFTER HOWEVER
Fix this sentence:
“I forgot my umbrella; consequently I got soaked.”
“I forgot my umbrella; consequently, I got soaked.”
Fix this sentence:
“We visited London, England, Paris, France, and Rome, Italy.”
“We visited London, England; Paris, France; and Rome, Italy.”
Name one main job of a semicolon.
To join two related independent clauses.
Which semicolon job is this?
“I wanted to go; however, it started raining.”
Job 2 — using a conjunctive adverb.
Fix this sentence:
“I studied; however I was still nervous.”
“I studied; however, I was still nervous.”
Should this use a semicolon?
“Because I was tired; I went home.”
No. “Because I was tired” cannot stand alone as a sentence.
In a complicated list, what do the commas do and what do the semicolons do?
Commas separate information inside each item; semicolons separate the larger items.
True or false: Both sides of a semicolon in Job 1 should be able to stand alone as sentences.
True.
Which semicolon job is this?
“Paris, France; London, England; and Rome, Italy.”
Job 3 — separating items in a complicated list.
What is the pattern?
Independent clause + semicolon + however/therefore + comma + independent clause.
What is wrong with this sentence?
“I finished my homework;.”
A semicolon does not end a sentence.