Essay Writing Help - Punctuation Semicolons
Like colons, semicolons are used to indicate aconnection between sentences or clauses which could otherwise be treated asdistinct and grammatically complete in their own right.
A semicolon representsa pause and in emphasis falls somewhere between a colon and a comma.
The most common use for semicolons is punctuating lists. Inthis situation, a semicolon can be seen as a replacement for the word and:
- I had several things on my shopping list: bananas; bread; milk; cheese; beans;
- She had plenty of reasons for not wanting to go - she did not have any money; she had to go to work the next day; she was not a fan of the film's director.
Semicolons are particularly useful for punctuating lists oflonger clauses in order to avoid confusion:
- The following have been short-listed for the player of the seasonaward: Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal and Manchester United winger; Chelsea duoDidier Drogba, the Ivory Coast striker, and Frank Lampard, Englandinternational; Liverpool captain and England midfielder Steven Gerrard.
Semicolons have other stylistic or rhetorical uses. Theircorrect use can be very effective, but care should be taken, as inappropriate usageis common. Semicolons often appear alongside coordinating and subordinatingconjunctions, such as and, but, or, although, however, and therefore:
- John's boss told him he was very happy with his work; and, if hekept it up, he said a promotion was not out of the question;
- The semicolon causes many students difficulties; however, with abit of practice, they can become an important weapon in your writing arsenal;
- Correct use of punctuation is essential when writing a formalessay; therefore, make sure you are familiar with how to use them.
The pause of the semicolon gives emphasis to the clause orsentence which follows in much the same way as a colon. This can be aneffective rhetorical tool when presenting an argument in situations where youwant to contradict one point with another, offer a balanced perspective, oroffer an explanation:
- Shakespeare's sonnets are often overlooked in favour of his plays; but his mastery of metre and diction make them some of the finest examples of lyric poetry in the English canon;
- Leave nothing to chance; always read through your work thoroughly to check for mistakes.
Unlike the colon, there is no debate over whether or not asemicolon should be followed by a lower or upper case letter - a semicolon isalways followed by the lower case.
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