Lesson 3: Semicolons (;)

I have found that students usually have misconceptions about the uses of the semicolon. Basically the semicolon is used most often to connect two independent clauses to make one sentence. Here are the semicolon rules:

Rule 1: If one is connecting two independent clauses to make one sentence, and the two independent clauses are so closely related that they do not need a conjunction to explain their relationship, then one should use a semicolon by itself.

Example: Immigration acts were passed; newcomers had to prove, besides moral correctness and financial solvency, their ability to read. -Mary Gordon, "More Than Just a Shrine"

This particular rule is what, I think, causes most students to have comma splices. The students realize that the two independent clauses that they are trying to connect do not need conjunctions, but the students forget that a comma by itself can not connect two independent clauses.

Rule 2: If one is connecting two independent clauses to make one sentence and the connection needs a conjunctive adverb, then place a semicolon before the conjunctive adverb and a comma behind the conjunctive adverb.

Example: The circus comes as close to being the world in microcosm as anything I know; in a way, it puts all the rest of show business in the shade. -E. B. White, "The Ring of Time"

Rule 3: Use a semicolon to separate items in a series when the series contains internal commas.

Example: Anthropology encompasses several fields: archaeology, the study of ancient civilizations through artifacts; linguistics, the study of the structure and development of language; and cultural anthropology, the study of the way of life of various peoples, especially small, nonindustralized societies.

Rule 4: Place semicolons outside of closing quotation marks.

Example: Jackson's most famous story is "The Lottery"; it is a horrifying allegory about the power of tradition and the search for scapegoats.

Rule 5: Do not use a semicolon to introduce a list; use a colon (:) instead.

Example: Utah has five national parks: Arches, Bryce, Canyonlands, Capital Reef, and Zion.