Use a semicolon to combine two very closely related complete sentences. The writing center commas, semicolons, and colons guides. Often they will use both marks interchangeably or inappropriately use another punctuation mark, like a period or comma. While a semicolon normally joins two independent clauses to signal a close connection between them, a colon does the job of directing you to the information following it. Using semicolons and colons school of liberal arts iupui. Answer key to colons and semicolons worksheets kiddy math. Each of the following sentences needs either a comma or a semicolon. This is the answer key for the following worksheet. The reason for this is that they have so many uses and so many rulesit can be hard to keep track of them all. Commas are the most frequently used and abused punctuation mark in most kinds of writing. To begin this semicolon vs comma refresher course, lets first look at a few definitions.
The following rules and examples will help you know when and where to use the semicolon as a punctuation mark. Examples on a beautiful spring day, they had a picnic. Click here for stepbystep rules, stories and exercises to practice all english tenses. When i submit something to for example, a newspaper, i do strive for perfection so that the editor does not think i do not know, what i believe they would consider simple grammar. A colon is used to introduce lists of items, after the greeting of a business letter, and to separate hours and minutes in time expressions. Answer key to colons and semicolons displaying top 8 worksheets found for this concept some of the worksheets for this concept are great grammar semicolons and colons, name semicolon or comma, title using commas and semicolons police, colons and semicolons, semicolons, semicolons and colons, colon, punctuation. A group of words containing a subject and a verb and expressing a complete thought is called a sentence or an independent clause. Commas separate items in a series, including coordinate adjectives he bought bananas, apples, oranges, and cheese. Commas, semicolons, and colons the chicago school of. As soon as we explore the examples of colons and semicolons below, youll be that much closer. Our mission is to provide a free, worldclass education to anyone, anywhere. Commas and colons and semicolons uknowledge university of. Guidelines for using semicolons, colons, and dashes.
Because the semi colon can bring nuance to writing, they also ask a little more of readers. Commas, colons, and semicolons commas are used to separate ideas, to set off special elements, and to set off quotations. Learning how to properly use a comma and a semi colon will help you to improve your writing and result in writing that is more concise and polished. Sep 22, 20 by the end of this video, you will know the basics about using a semicolon.
Today, lets look at the difference and the usage of colon vs semicolon together. Commas come before coordinating conjunctions for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so when they link two independent clauses it was raining, and i was hurrying to get home. Well, the semicolon is the squiggle with the dot above it most of us could probably recognize a colon and a semicolon, but do we know how to use them correctly. An independent clause can stand alone as a complete sentence. Nov 28, 2017 christine how true it is that it sometimes is difficult to know whether to use a colon vs a semicolon. A semicolon is a form of punctuation that sorts out complex lists or links complete clauses. Subject the person or thing that is being discussed or described. Originally, typewriters had monospaced fonts skinny letters and fat letters took up the same. The space needed after these punctuation marks is proportioned automatically. T he s em i col on recognize a semicolon when you see one.
The group of words that comes before the semicolon should form a complete sentence, the group of words that. How to use the semicolon there are three uses of the semicolon. Jun 06, 2011 semicolon vs colon knowing the difference between semicolon and colon is of great importance when using the english language. Semicolons are most often used to separate two equal independent clauses within one complete sentence semicolon example.
Many people dont really know the rules about when to use a semicolon versus a colon. The video also explains incorrect ways in which people mistakenly use these punctuation marks. In all languages, not just english, writers use punctuation marks or punctuation points as they are also called to indicate things like pauses and full stops, to convey or demonstrate emotion, the ask questions or declare statements, and even to separate items in a list. Interrupting information nonessential phrases may come at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence. A colon may also be used to introduce a dependent clause that helps to emphasize or illustrate the idea in. Colons, semicolons and dashes the misunderstood teenagers of punctuation ccsu writing center grammar guide the semicolon some other reasons to use a dash are to introduce a list a restatement an amplification to express a sudden change in tone or thought ex. Introduction to the semicolon the colon and semicolon. Difference between semicolon and colon compare the. The chicago manual of style online is the venerable, timetested guide to style, usage, and grammar in an accessible online format. The stearns county theatrical company announces the opening of the following plays. Keep the following rules in mind when choosing to use a comma, colon. The semicolon is a form of punctuation in the english language.
Use a semicolon to separate independent clauses which are long and complex or which have internal punctuation. The other most common use of semicolons is to separate lists when commas are present within the list itself which is part of a single independent clause. The differences are very small, and many people simply dont want to take the time to master the use of these two very similar and confusing punctuation marks. Semicolon and colon are punctuation marks that should be used with precision in order to convey the correct sense. Colons and semicolons are two types of punctuation. If you already remember the meanings of these words, feel free to skim this. Difference between semicolon and colon difference between. Because of the rules and examples of each, students who view the video.
Paige introduces a piece of punctuation called the semicolon. Using commas, semicolons, and colons within sentences. Comma, semicolon, and colon rules flashcards quizlet. Semicolons and colons provides students with the correct punctuation rules for using colons and semicolons in their writing. The colon and the semicolon are two types of punctuation.
Putting a comma between two independent clauses will confuse your readers and make your work frustrating to read. Student choose either a semicolon or comma to complete each sentence and then explain their choice. Use a colon when it is preceded by a complete sentence to introduce an explanation. In the english language, a semicolon can be used between two closely related independent clauses, provided they are not already joined by a coordinating conjunction. Please note that there are a few other ways of using semicolons i.
The first appropriate use of the semicolon is to connect two related sentences. The colon the colon can be used in the following 7 ways. When listing items one by one, one per line, following a colon, capitalization and ending punctuation are optional when using single words or phrases preceded by letters, numbers, or bullet points. Using the semicolon and colon university of leicester.
Use commas to separate items in a list if none of the items in the list require commas too. Rules for using colons and semicolons colons rules semicolons rules graphic organizer when you watch the video, listen for rules for using colons and semicolons. The most common punctuation marks in english are probably the period and the comma. Toni morrison uses parabolic storytelling in her writing. This handout explains the most common uses of three kinds of punctuation. Simply put, the colon is used to provide a pause before introducing related information, while the semicolon is just a break in a sentence that is stronger than a comma but not as final as a full stop. Nov 29, 2017 12 common errors in academic english and how to fix them. For more information about commas, semicolons, and colons in apa style, see pages 88 to 90 of the publication manual, sixth edition 4. Colons, semicolons, and dashes punctuation can be used to connect groups of words. If each point is a complete sentence, capitalize the first word and end the sentence with appropriate ending punctuation.
Semicolons and colons are important marks of punctuation in writing that fulfill important grammatical and stylistic functions. A colon introduces an element or series of elements that illustrates or amplifies the information that preceded the colon. These three punctuation markssemicolons, colons, and dashesare most effective when theyre used sparingly. Semicolons the semicolon has three primary functions.
When to use commas, colons, semicolons, and dashes wordvice. The semi colon and colon are often underused, yet their correct use can enhance the clarity of your writing. A worksheet for teachingrevising colons and semi colons, including definitions, sentence examples and a paragraphing exercise. But rules are important and made to be followed, especially in academic writing. Grammar and mechanics using the colon and semicolon. Look in your writing for opportunities to use the semi colon and colon in the ways described in this guide. Even when the house looks clean, there is usually a bunch of dirt swept under the rug. Like commas, semicolons indicate an audible pauseslightly longer than a commas, but short of a periods full stop. A semicolon is used to join two related sentences, each with balanced meaning. These three punctuation marks semicolons, colons, and dashesare most effective when theyre used sparingly. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Times impact times new roman comic sans ms blush our friend, the semicolon our friend, the semicolon our friend, the semicolon our friend, the semicolon our friend, the semicolon our friend, the semicolon our friend, the semicolon our friend, the semicolon.
Many companies make sugarfree soft drinks, which are flavored by synthetic chemicals the drinks usually contain only one or two calories per serving. Beware of an over dependence on the comma and full stop, as this can make for ambiguous and repetitive sentence structure. Use a colonnot a semicolonwhen what follows the punctuation restates what comes before. The following are the comma, semicolon, and colon rules you need to know when writing in apa style. Read each sentence below, and write another sentence using the same punctuation marks. Semicolons and colonsprovides students with the correct punctuation rules for using colons and semicolons in their writing. A semicolon should be followed by a capital letter only if the word is a proper noun or an acronym.
Includes lots of examples on how to use colons and semicolons. Use a colon not a semicolon when what follows the punctuation restates what comes before. Colon usessemicolon rulescolon vs semicolonassessment rubricsteachers can use these handouts as ready reference material to remind the learners about punctuation details, thereby helping them to enhance. The colon is the one composed of two vertical dots, like so. Semicolon vs colon knowing the difference between semicolon and colon is of great importance when using the english language. O using a semicolon as an extrastrength comma o introducing a list with a semicolon see the section on colons on the next page o separating an independent clause from a dependent clause with a semicolon notes and tone and style some readers feel that semicolons are unnecessary and are only used by writers trying to show off. However, good writing in english will usually make use of the colon and the semi colon. On the other hand, a wellplaced semi colon can add nuance and subtlety to.
Thus, the semicolon separates groups of words that could be complete sentences by themselves. It is hence very important to distinguish between the two punctuation marks, colon and semicolon. Punctuating with semicolons and colons the semicolon and colon look similar. They look very similar, have similar names, and they can both be used as a pause in a sentence or to combine different parts into a single sentence. After reading the handout, you will be better able to decide when to use these forms of punctuation in your own writing. You can use a semicolon to join two closely related independent clauses. The use of these punctuation marks often confuses students.
For more information on semicolons, please see the 90second semicolon vidcast series on the purdue owl youtube channel. If someone ask you to explain colon vs semicolon, what would you say. The most common use of the semicolon is to join two independent clauses without using a conjunction like and. Oct 01, 2006 use a colon instead of a semicolon between two sentences when the second sentence explains or illustrates the first sentence and no coordinating conjunction is being used to connect the sentences. This commentary is brought to you for free and open access by the law faculty publications at uknowledge. If only one sentence follows the colon, do not capitalize the first word of the new sentence. The semicolon looks like a comma with a period above it, and this can be a good. All definitions are courtesy of merriamwebster dictionary. In the majority of the cases, the colon is used to introduce a list of things. The colon is used after an independent clause to introduce or direct attention to. Colons and semicolons were initially used to express pauses longer than a comma and shorter than a period. They can also create long sentences, which can be tiring for the reader. Colons and semicolons worksheet teaching resources. Our rule 1 of spacing with punctuation states, with a computer, use only one space following periods, commas, semicolons, colons, exclamation points, question marks, and quotation marks.
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