The semicolon should be one of the strongest punctuation marks in the English language. It may just be my Grammarian Opinion, of course, but I think the semicolon is the least understood mark of all. What is the purpose of this cool little sign? When is it needed and when is it in the way? To understand the semicolon, you’ll need to understand independent clauses.
Hold the phone! “Independent clauses”?!? What is a clause? What’s an independent clause?? Why does English have to be so complicated?
To work our way backwards, English is complicated because it’s really an art and a skill. That, and it’s a rather old, rather widely used language with a fascinating history. An independent clause is a clause that could stand on its own: it has a subject and a verb. A clause is a group of words that belong together. There’s more to learn about clauses and independent clauses, but that’s another lesson.
The semicolon is most often used to join two independent clauses. All punctuation is a substitute for a small group of words that could get redundant and annoying if left unsubstituted. The semicolon is used to substitute coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, nor, for, yet) and the comma before them.
Example: “Walking is great exercise; I can’t seem to hit the treadmill after a long day.” Instead of “Walking is great exercise for the heart, but I can’t seem to hit the treadmill after a long day.”
Another time you might use the semicolon is if your clauses (independent or not) have commas in them.
Example: “Some of the best exercises are easy and fun: walking, running, or biking; swimming, either in a pool or a pond; rowing a boat, or using a paddle boat; even walking the dog.”
One very important thing to remember: the semicolon is a strong, meaningful punctuation mark. If you are not sure whether you should use it, don’t. It has the potential to change the message you mean to give.
If this article has helped you, or if you have other questions about this topic, please let me know. Thanks!
