SG 16: Semicolon Use

When should a semicolon be used between main clauses?

• When the clauses are joined by a conjunction

• When the clauses are not joined by a conjunction

• When the clauses are unrelated

• When the clauses are questions

Which of the following is a correct use of a semicolon?

• Marybeth and Ellen played basketball; and then took a shower.

• Joselle bought her ticket in January; however, she never received the ticket.

• Alice has visited France, Spain, and England; and Africa will be her next vacation spot.

• Everyone visited Chicago, Illinois, Denver, Colorado; Seattle, Washington, and Miami, Florida.

What is the purpose of using a semicolon according to the principle?

• To replace all commas

• To separate main clauses

• To end a sentence

• To join unrelated ideas

Which conjunctions can be used with a semicolon?

• And, or, but

• However, then, still

• Because, since, if

• Although, unless, until

What is an example of using a semicolon between items in a series?

• Marybeth and Ellen played basketball; they then took a shower.

• Joselle bought her ticket in January; however, she never received it.

• The Student Council elected its officers: Sara Longfellow, president; Elwood Harrison, vice-president; Janna Westlake, secretary; and Peg Norton, treasurer.

• Alice has visited France, Spain, and England; and Africa will be her next vacation spot.

What is a main clause?

• A group of words with a subject and a verb

• A group of words without a verb

• A single word

• A punctuation mark

Which of the following sentences correctly uses a semicolon?

• Winter vacation will be shorter this year; therefore, we are not planning to vacation in Florida.

• We have purchased a home; however, we have not moved in.

• Our football team suffered many injuries this year; still, we had a winning season.

• All of the above

What is the problem with the sentence: "Alice has visited France, Spain, and England, and Africa will be her next vacation spot."?

• It uses a semicolon incorrectly

• It uses a comma incorrectly

• It uses a period incorrectly

• It uses a conjunction incorrectly

Which note on the Skill Guide paper suggests using a semicolon to avoid confusion with commas?

• Note 1

• Note 2

• Note 3

• Note 4

What punctuation can be used before conjunctions like "however" and "therefore"?

• Comma

• Period

• Semicolon

• Colon