When should a semicolon be used examples?

When should a semicolon be used examples?

A semicolon may be used between independent clauses joined by a connector, such as and, but, or, nor, etc., when one or more commas appear in the first clause. Example: When I finish here, and I will soon, I’ll be glad to help you; and that is a promise I will keep.

How do you properly use a semicolon?

Rules for Using Semicolons

1. A semicolon is most commonly used to link (in a single sentence) two independent clauses that are closely related in thought.
2. Use a semicolon between two independent clauses that are connected by conjunctive adverbs or transitional phrases.

Where do you use a semicolon instead of a comma?

Rule to Remember Use a semicolon to replace a comma when you use a coordinating conjunction to link independent clauses that already contain commas. In this example, using a semicolon makes it easier to read the two independent clauses on either side of the coordinating conjunction: Correct: My dog is sick.

When listing Do you use a comma or semicolon?

It is usual to use commas to separate the items in a list. However, when the list items themselves contain commas, you can “outrank” those commas by using semicolons as the separators for your list items.

What are the three semicolon rules?

Three Essential Semicolon Rules

• Rule 1: Use a semicolon between independent clauses that are closely related in theme.
• Rule 2: Use a semicolon before conjunctive adverbs and transitional phrases that join independent clauses.

When can you not use a semicolon?

Do not use a semicolon when a dependent clause comes before an independent clause. As we have stated above, semicolons can be used to join two complete sentences. Since a dependent clause does not express a complete thought, it is not a complete sentence and cannot be joined to your independent clause by a semicolon.

What is the main purpose of a semicolon?

A semicolon has two general uses: to clarify a series and to indicate two closely related sentences. Series—If one or more elements in a series contain a comma, use semicolons to separate them. Include a semicolon before the final conjunction.

Is a semicolon a formal?

The semicolon (;) is a punctuation mark in English separating elements but used much less than the comma. It is more often used in more advanced extended sentences and adds a formal tone.

What is the effect of using a semicolon?

The semicolon forces the reader to make a pause, shorter than you would with a period, but longer than you would for a comma; however, the pause isn’t as abrupt as for a dash. The semicolon pause creates that relationship, close, but not too close, not too abrupt.

What’s the meaning of semicolon?

: a punctuation mark; that can be used to separate parts of a sentence which need clearer separation than would be shown by a comma, to separate main clauses which have no conjunction between, and to separate phrases and clauses containing commas. More from Merriam-Webster on semicolon.

What punctuation do you use after dear sir?

Do Not Use a Comma After “Dear” There is no comma after the word “Dear” when it is used at the start of a letter or an email. You should, however, use a comma after the salutation.

What is open punctuation style?

What does open punctuation mean? The term open punctuation stands for the omission of characters and marks such as full stops (periods), colons, or commas in the address, after the salutation, in abbreviations, etc. in English correspondence.

Which part of a formal e mail is optional?

Contact information will always be optional when you are writing to someone.

What is the proper punctuation after a salutation?

colon

How do you punctuate greetings?

The consensus:

1. If your email has a formal tone, use Dear and a colon at the end your email salutation. Dear Ms.
2. If your email has an informal tone, insert a comma between the greeting and the name, and use either a comma or a period at the end of the greeting. Hello, Kathy, (followed by your message) or Hi, Kathy.

Should you put a comma after Kind regards?

Yours sincerely was used when the writer knew the person or was writing more informally. These days, many organisations choose to use Yours sincerely for all letters. Some even sign them off with Kind regards or Regards. As with the greeting, you do not need any commas after the sign-off.

How do you punctuate a formal letter?

Here’s the correct punctuation: a comma for a personal letter, a colon for a business letter, and either punctuation mark in an email. (The colon is formal.) But remember: Dear isn’t required in email, even when writing to a stranger.

Which part of a formal letter comes immediately after date?

The letter should start with the date, which can be written on the top left or top right side of the page. After the date, you may skip one or two lines and then address the recipient of the letter.

Is punctuation a mark?

The punctuation marks are: period, comma, question mark, hyphen, dash, parentheses, apostrophe, ellipsis, quotation mark, colon, semicolon, exclamation point. The student then writes down the punctuation marks and an example for each.

What is punctuation and examples?

Punctuation includes marks, not words, that help the structure of a sentence and help the reader understand or navigate that sentence: Punctuation includes commas, semicolons, colons, periods, quotations, and apostrophes. Periods are a form of punctuation that signals the end of a sentence, or where a sentence stops.

What is dot dot dot called?

The ellipsis …, . . ., or (in Unicode) …, also known informally as dot-dot-dot, is a series of (usually three) dots that indicates an intentional omission of a word, sentence, or whole section from a text without altering its original meaning.

What are the 14 punctuation marks?

Broadly speaking, there are 14 Punctuation Marks listed in English Grammar. They are the period (full stop), question mark, exclamation point/mark, comma, semicolon, colon, dash, hyphen, parentheses, brackets, braces, apostrophe, quotation marks, and ellipses.

What are the 14 punctuation marks and their uses?

The 14 punctuation marks that we most commonly use includes:

• the period (or full stop), question mark, exclamation point,
• comma, semicolon, colon,
• dash, hyphen,
• parentheses, brackets, braces,
• apostrophe, quotation marks, and ellipsis.

What is the punctuation for a list?

There are three punctuation marks that are particularly useful when presenting lists: the colon, the semicolon and the comma.

When should we use punctuation?

They are complete statements. Punctuation shows how the sentence should be read and makes the meaning clear….The Comma (,)

1. pause before proceeding.
2. add a phrase that does not contain any new subject.
3. separate items on a list.
4. use more than one adjective (a describing word, like beautiful)

How do you use different punctuation?

Top ten punctuation tips

1. Use apostrophes correctly.
2. Know where to place quotation marks.
3. Know how to punctuate with parentheses.
4. Use a hyphen for compound adjectives.
5. Distinguish between the colon and the semicolon.
6. Avoid multiple punctuation at the end of a sentence.

What are punctuation rules?

6 Basic Punctuation Rules

• Punctuation Must be Parallel.
• An Emdash is a Strong Comma.
• A Colon Appears at the End of a Main Clause.
• A Semicolon is Used for Equal Emphasis.
• Parentheses Show Related, Nonessential Elements.
• Apostrophes Show Possession or Indicate an Omission.

Where do you put punctuation?

Sentence-ending punctuation is a whole different story. In the United States, the rule of thumb is that commas and periods always go inside the quotation marks, and colons and semicolons (dashes as well) go outside: “There was a storm last night,” Paul said. Peter, however, didn’t believe him.