Colons & Semicolons

Semicolons & Colons

By Christina Hicks

​Semicolons ;

​1. Place semicolons between items in lists if some items the list include commas.

• My classmates are from Milwaukee, Wisconsin; St. Paul, Minnesota; Des Moines, Iowa; and Detroit, Michigan.

​2. Place a semicolon between two independent clauses (they could stand alone as a sentence) to link them in the same sentence.

• I don’t have time to practice fiddling; my school work is too demanding.

​3. Linking complete clauses with a conjunctive adverb: Place a semicolon between independent clauses linked with a conjunctive adverb.

• It looks like it might rain; however, the weather report suggests sunshine all day.

Multiple Choice

Choose the sentence that uses a semicolon correctly.

• Zach came to class breathless and overwhelmed; he had just come from volleyball practice.

• Zach came to class; breathless and overwhelmed he had just come from volleyball practice.

• Zach came to class breathless; and overwhelmed he had just come from volleyball practice.

• Zach came to class breathless and overwhelmed, he had just come from volleyball practice.

Multiple Choice

Choose the sentence that uses a semicolon correctly.

• The defendant failed to check his rear-view mirror before changing lanes; therefore, he breached a duty owed to the plaintiff.

• The defendant failed to check his rear-view mirror before changing lanes, therefore; he breached a duty owed to the plaintiff.

• The defendant failed to check his rear-view mirror before changing lanes therefore; he breached a duty owed to the plaintiff.

• The defendant failed to check his rear-view mirror before changing lanes ;therefore he breached a duty owed to the plaintiff.

Colons :

​1. Prior to a list

• Our girls softball team will play the following rivals: Mabank, Malakoff, and Kemp.

​2. Before an explanation that has a complete clause (could be a sentence) before it

• There was only one priority left for me to see to: finishing my homework.

​3. To separate an independent clause from a quotation

• ​My baseball coach loves to use the same phrase before every practice and game: “Shut up and play baseball.”

4. ​Between a title and subtitle

• The textbook for our class is called Ideas across Time: Classic and Contemporary Readings for Composition.

Multiple Choice

Choose the sentence that uses a colon correctly.

• The tables had wonderful decorations: flowers, balloons, confetti, ribbons, and marble birds.

• The tables: had wonderful decorations flowers, balloons, confetti, ribbons, and marble birds.

• The tables had wonderful decorations: flowers: balloons: confetti: ribbons: and marble birds.

• The tables had wonderful decorations flowers, balloons, confetti, ribbons: and marble birds.

Multiple Choice

Choose the sentence that uses a colon correctly

• The first book he cited in his paper was Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art.

• The first book he cited in his paper was: Understanding Comics The Invisible Art.

• The first book he cited in his paper: was Understanding Comics The Invisible Art.

• The first book he cited in his paper was: Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art.