3 Uses for Semicolons
1. The semi-colon can be used to connect two closely related sentences.
Ex. Eliza decided to bake her famous strawberry cake; the delectable scent of the cake baking summoned her family to the kitchen.
Ex. Eliza sliced the cake; it was a lovely pink color inside.
NOTE: It is important that the ideas in the two sentences have a clear relationship. If the ideas in the two sentences are not clearly related, the semicolon will only confuse the reader.
Incorrect Ex. Eliza decided to bake her famous strawberry cake; every day, the dog wanted to go to the park.
2. The semi-colon can be used to join two independent clauses when the second clause contains
a conjunctive adverb.
Ex. Most Americans understand the importance of a healthy diet; however, they fail to make nutritious choices when deciding what to eat.
3. The semi-colon can be used to separate items in a series when they include commas.
Ex. The students are traveling to Zurich, Switzerland; Lisbon, Portugal; and Paris, France.
Ex. The officers of the running club were Steve Smith, President; Susan Jones, Vice President; and John Devlin, Secretary.
Appliances that are prohibited include space heaters, small models as well as large ones; open-coil cooking appliances; and halogen lamps, including desk and
Updated August 2023 by The Learning Center staff
