Semicolons and Colons

Semicolons and Colons

By Claire Major

Why semicolons?​

​Semicolons create more separation between thoughts than a comma does but less than a period does.

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You can use a semicolon in different ways:

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1) ​To help separate items in a list.

​ John, the baker; Simon, the policeman; and Toby, the architect.

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2) To join two sentences.

​I bought a ton of fruit at the grocery store; apples, grapes, and pears were all on sale.

I love cake; however, I love pizza more.​

​More semicolon examples

​In these sentences, the semicolon is uniting two closely related sentences.​

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Emily loves milk, but she can’t drink it; she’s lactose-intolerant.

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​I don’t buy CDs anymore; I don’t own a CD player, anyway.

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​We created pinch pots using clay; our teacher will fire them in the kiln later.

Multiple Choice

What punctuation mark should go in the blank? "Conjoined twins are common in amphibians, fish, reptiles, wild birds, and even humans _____ however, the mutation is quite rare in wild mammals."

• semicolon

• colon

More semicolon examples

​​In these sentences, the semicolon is separating items in a complex list.

Sally needed a lot of new clothes for summer: swim trunks, flip-flops, and goggles for the pool; a linen shirt, and a straw hat.

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​At the store, I had a very long list including: eggs, milk, and sugar to bake a cake; a party hat, and some candles to celebrate at the party.

Some text here about the topic of discussion

Using colons

The colon is used to introduce a list of items.

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Example: The bookstore specializes in three subjects: art, architecture, and graphic design.

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Example: You may be required to bring many items: sleeping bags, pans, and warm clothing.

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Multiple Choice

What punctuation mark should go in the blank? "I have lived in many large cities_____ Baltimore, Maryland; Dallas, Texas; and Miami, Florida."

• semicolon

• colon

Multiple Choice

What punctuation mark should go in the blank? "After he retires, Mr. Chu wants to visit some of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world ______ Angel Falls in Venezuela, Krimml Waterfalls in Austria, and Iguazu Falls in Argentina."

• semicolon

• colon

Colons Continued

The colon is also used to separate two independent clauses when the second explains or illustrates the first.​

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Example: I have very little time to learn the language: my new job starts in five weeks.​

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Colons can also be used ​for emphasis.

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Example: ​After three weeks of deliberation, the jury finally reached a verdict: guilty.

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Multiple Choice

What punctuation mark should go in the blank? "The Andes Mountains stretch along the entire western coast of South America and are home to numerous animals _______ alpacas, chinchillas, cuys (guinea pigs), guanacos, guemuls, llamas, pumas, vicuñas, vizcachas, and others."

• semicolon

• colon

Multiple Choice

What punctuation mark should go in the blank? "Among turtles, the giant South American river turtle is one of the most social ______ these turtles nest together, migrate together, and communicate with each other using hoots, clicks, and clucks."

• semicolon

• colon

Multiple Choice

What punctuation mark should go in the blank? "South Africa's 7,722-square-mile Kruger National Park is a wildlife sanctuary bordering Mozambique _______ furthermore, the park is home to nearly half of South Africa's endangered rhinoceros population."

• semicolon

• colon

Multiple Choice

What punctuation mark should go in the blank? "You can fill the basket with baby products_____ diapers, baby wipes, baby powder, and bottles."

• semicolon

• colon