A useful punctuation mark, a semi colon can make writing clearer when it’s used correctly.
There are several uses for semi colons, including joining closely connected ideas in a single sentence and breaking up lists that include longer phrases. Here, we look at when to use a semi colon in greater detail.
Connecting independent clauses
Perhaps the most common circumstance when adding a semi colon to writing is appropriate is when you want to join two or more closely linked ideas in one sentence. The two ideas must be independent and form complete sentences of their own while being closely connected. For instance:
Tom spent four hours fishing in the river; he couldn’t catch anything.
Semi colons are often employed instead of coordinating conjunctions like “but” and “and”.
For example, the same information could be presented as:
Tom spent four hours fishing in the river, but he couldn’t catch anything.
A full stop can also be used rather than a semicolon. However, the impact on the reader changes. A semi colon connects ideas closely, allowing readers to interpret two statements as occurring simultaneously.
Understanding using semi colons and conjunctive adverbs
Conjunctive adverbs like therefore, however, instead, meanwhile, accordingly, consequently, also and therefore connect ideas within a sentence. When a conjunctive adverb is deployed to link two separate sentences, the semi colon must be placed in front of the conjunctive adverb, and a comma must follow the conjunctive adverb. For instance:
Tom spent four hours fishing in the river; however, he couldn’t catch anything.
Separating items in a list
Semi colons can be used when writing lists. In most lists, writers can just use commas to divide the items:
When Tom goes fishing, he makes sure he has his rod, net, tackle and bait.
However, when a list is more complex, semi colons may be required to ensure the list is clear to the reader: for instance:
When Tom travels to France to fish, he makes sure he has his passport, tickets and luggage for the port; rod, net, tackle and a bait for fishing; and euros for meals.
The semi colons are included to show the reader the items are grouped together, which makes the entire list easier to understand.
While less common than a comma or a full stop, semi colons can clarify writing to readers and connect separate ideas.