{"id":194,"date":"2025-04-17T16:35:04","date_gmt":"2025-04-17T16:35:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/chapter\/semicolons-the-connectors\/"},"modified":"2025-06-26T20:45:42","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T20:45:42","slug":"semicolons-the-connectors","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/chapter\/semicolons-the-connectors\/","title":{"raw":"Semicolons and Colons: Learn It 1","rendered":"Semicolons and Colons: Learn It 1"},"content":{"raw":"<section class=\"textbox learningGoals\" aria-label=\"Learning Goals\">\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><span data-sheets-root=\"1\">Demonstrate correct use of semicolons<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span data-sheets-root=\"1\">Demonstrate correct use of colons<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<h2>Semicolons: The Connectors<\/h2>\r\nSemicolons serve as connectors in two ways: connecting two complete ideas and separating items in a list.\r\n<h3>Connecting Two Independent Clauses<\/h3>\r\nFirst, a semicolon can connect two complete ideas (a complete idea is an independent clause, which has a subject and a verb and can stand on its own as a sentence) that are related to each other and\/or equal.\r\n\r\n<section class=\"textbox example\" aria-label=\"Example\">\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2687\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\"]<img class=\"wp-image-2687 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4975\/2019\/12\/30224947\/golden-gate-bridge-388917_1920-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"The golden gate bridge.\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/> <strong>Figure 1<\/strong>. A semicolon is similar to a bridge- it connects two independent clauses to form a connection between ideas.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nLook at this sentence for example:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Tamika\u2019s statue is presently displayed in the center of the exhibit; this location makes it a focal point and allows it to direct the flow of visitors to the museum.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nThe first idea tells us where Tamika\u2019s statue is, and the second idea tells us more about the location and its importance. Each of these ideas could be its own sentence, but by using a semicolon, the author is telling the reader that the two ideas are connected.\r\n\r\nHere are a few more examples:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>I had a salad for lunch; I wasn't all that hungry.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Joe went to the soccer field; Amanda decided to go to the library.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nBoth of these sentences have two connected independent clauses that could both stand alone as individual sentences.\r\n\r\n<\/section><section class=\"textbox proTip\" aria-label=\"Pro Tip\">Often, you may find yourself putting a comma in the place of the semicolon; this is incorrect. Using a comma here would create a run-on sentence. Remember: a comma can join a complete idea to other items while a semicolon needs a complete idea on either side.<\/section>\r\n<h4>Introductory Phrases After Semicolons<\/h4>\r\nSometimes, we have introductory words or phrases in addition to two connected independent clauses.\r\n\r\n<section class=\"textbox example\" aria-label=\"Example\"><strong>Example 1:<\/strong> I had a salad for lunch; however, I wasn\u2019t all that hungry.This example can be broken into two complete sentences and is therefore <strong>correct<\/strong>.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Sentence 1:<\/strong> I had a salad for lunch.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Sentence 2:<\/strong> However, I wasn\u2019t all that hungry.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\u201cHowever\u201d is an example of an introductory word or phrase.\r\n\r\n<strong>Example 2:<\/strong> Joe went to the soccer field; at the same time, Amanda decided to go to the library.\r\n\r\nThis example can be broken into two complete sentences and is therefore <strong>correct<\/strong>.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Sentence 1:<\/strong> Joe went to the soccer field.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Sentence 2:<\/strong> At the same time, Amanda decided to go to the library.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\u201cAt the same time\u201d is an example of an introductory word or phrase.\r\n\r\n<\/section>\r\n<h4>When Not to Use a Semicolon<\/h4>\r\nA semicolon should <strong>not<\/strong> be used if the second part of the sentence is dependent (not a complete sentence).\r\n\r\n<section class=\"textbox example\" aria-label=\"Example\">The following sentence has one independent clause and one dependent clause, so we can\u2019t use the semicolon to join the two:Example: Emojis are fun to text with, because I can show how I\u2019m really feeling.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Sentence:<\/strong> Emojis are fun to text with.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Not a sentence:<\/strong> Because I can show how I\u2019m really feeling.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nYou might also remember our introductory word or clause trick:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>In front of the sentence, use a comma.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Because I can show how I\u2019m really feeling, emojis are fun to text with.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t<li>In the back of the sentence, do not use a comma.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Emojis are fun to text with because I can show how I\u2019m really feeling.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<strong>Note:<\/strong> Never use a comma near \"because\".\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Emojis are fun to text with because I can show how I\u2019m really feeling.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<h3>Separating Items in a List<\/h3>\r\nSemicolons also serve to separate items in a list, especially when those items are complicated and might be confusing when listed simply with commas:\r\n\r\n<section class=\"textbox example\" aria-label=\"Example\"><strong>Example 1: Listing places containing commas<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Written with only commas:<\/strong> As a photographer for National Geographic, Renato had been to a lot of different places including S\u00e3o Paulo, Brazil, Kobe, Japan, Kyiv, Ukraine, and Barcelona, Spain.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nUsing only commas makes this sentence confusing. Written this way, it sounds like Brazil and S\u00e3o Paulo are two different places, rather than a city within a country.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Written with semicolons:<\/strong> As a photographer for National Geographic, Renato had been to a lot of different places including S\u00e3o Paulo, Brazil; Kobe, Japan; Kyiv, Ukraine; and Barcelona, Spain.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<strong>Example 2: Lists that are grouped together<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Correct use of semicolon:<\/strong> As an engineering assistant, I had a variety of duties: participating in pressure ventilation surveys; completing daily drafting, surveying, and data compilation; and acting as a company representative during a roof-bolt pull test.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/section><section class=\"textbox interact\" aria-label=\"Interact\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/lumenlearning.h5p.com\/content\/1292085781254888238\/embed\" width=\"1089\" height=\"638\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" aria-label=\"The Standard Use of Semicolons: Connectors\"><\/iframe><\/section>","rendered":"<section class=\"textbox learningGoals\" aria-label=\"Learning Goals\">\n<ul>\n<li><span data-sheets-root=\"1\">Demonstrate correct use of semicolons<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-sheets-root=\"1\">Demonstrate correct use of colons<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<h2>Semicolons: The Connectors<\/h2>\n<p>Semicolons serve as connectors in two ways: connecting two complete ideas and separating items in a list.<\/p>\n<h3>Connecting Two Independent Clauses<\/h3>\n<p>First, a semicolon can connect two complete ideas (a complete idea is an independent clause, which has a subject and a verb and can stand on its own as a sentence) that are related to each other and\/or equal.<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox example\" aria-label=\"Example\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_2687\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2687\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2687 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4975\/2019\/12\/30224947\/golden-gate-bridge-388917_1920-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"The golden gate bridge.\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2687\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Figure 1<\/strong>. A semicolon is similar to a bridge- it connects two independent clauses to form a connection between ideas.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Look at this sentence for example:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Tamika\u2019s statue is presently displayed in the center of the exhibit; this location makes it a focal point and allows it to direct the flow of visitors to the museum.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The first idea tells us where Tamika\u2019s statue is, and the second idea tells us more about the location and its importance. Each of these ideas could be its own sentence, but by using a semicolon, the author is telling the reader that the two ideas are connected.<\/p>\n<p>Here are a few more examples:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>I had a salad for lunch; I wasn&#8217;t all that hungry.<\/li>\n<li>Joe went to the soccer field; Amanda decided to go to the library.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Both of these sentences have two connected independent clauses that could both stand alone as individual sentences.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"textbox proTip\" aria-label=\"Pro Tip\">Often, you may find yourself putting a comma in the place of the semicolon; this is incorrect. Using a comma here would create a run-on sentence. Remember: a comma can join a complete idea to other items while a semicolon needs a complete idea on either side.<\/section>\n<h4>Introductory Phrases After Semicolons<\/h4>\n<p>Sometimes, we have introductory words or phrases in addition to two connected independent clauses.<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox example\" aria-label=\"Example\"><strong>Example 1:<\/strong> I had a salad for lunch; however, I wasn\u2019t all that hungry.This example can be broken into two complete sentences and is therefore <strong>correct<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Sentence 1:<\/strong> I had a salad for lunch.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sentence 2:<\/strong> However, I wasn\u2019t all that hungry.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cHowever\u201d is an example of an introductory word or phrase.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Example 2:<\/strong> Joe went to the soccer field; at the same time, Amanda decided to go to the library.<\/p>\n<p>This example can be broken into two complete sentences and is therefore <strong>correct<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Sentence 1:<\/strong> Joe went to the soccer field.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sentence 2:<\/strong> At the same time, Amanda decided to go to the library.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cAt the same time\u201d is an example of an introductory word or phrase.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<h4>When Not to Use a Semicolon<\/h4>\n<p>A semicolon should <strong>not<\/strong> be used if the second part of the sentence is dependent (not a complete sentence).<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox example\" aria-label=\"Example\">The following sentence has one independent clause and one dependent clause, so we can\u2019t use the semicolon to join the two:Example: Emojis are fun to text with, because I can show how I\u2019m really feeling.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Sentence:<\/strong> Emojis are fun to text with.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Not a sentence:<\/strong> Because I can show how I\u2019m really feeling.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You might also remember our introductory word or clause trick:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>In front of the sentence, use a comma.\n<ul>\n<li>Because I can show how I\u2019m really feeling, emojis are fun to text with.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>In the back of the sentence, do not use a comma.\n<ul>\n<li>Emojis are fun to text with because I can show how I\u2019m really feeling.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> Never use a comma near &#8220;because&#8221;.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Emojis are fun to text with because I can show how I\u2019m really feeling.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<h3>Separating Items in a List<\/h3>\n<p>Semicolons also serve to separate items in a list, especially when those items are complicated and might be confusing when listed simply with commas:<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox example\" aria-label=\"Example\"><strong>Example 1: Listing places containing commas<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Written with only commas:<\/strong> As a photographer for National Geographic, Renato had been to a lot of different places including S\u00e3o Paulo, Brazil, Kobe, Japan, Kyiv, Ukraine, and Barcelona, Spain.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Using only commas makes this sentence confusing. Written this way, it sounds like Brazil and S\u00e3o Paulo are two different places, rather than a city within a country.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Written with semicolons:<\/strong> As a photographer for National Geographic, Renato had been to a lot of different places including S\u00e3o Paulo, Brazil; Kobe, Japan; Kyiv, Ukraine; and Barcelona, Spain.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Example 2: Lists that are grouped together<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Correct use of semicolon:<\/strong> As an engineering assistant, I had a variety of duties: participating in pressure ventilation surveys; completing daily drafting, surveying, and data compilation; and acting as a company representative during a roof-bolt pull test.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"textbox interact\" aria-label=\"Interact\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/lumenlearning.h5p.com\/content\/1292085781254888238\/embed\" width=\"1089\" height=\"638\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" aria-label=\"The Standard Use of Semicolons: Connectors\"><\/iframe><\/section>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"menu_order":22,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"original\",\"description\":\"Semicolons\",\"author\":\"\",\"organization\":\"Lumen Learning\",\"url\":\"\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Image of the Golden Gate Bridge\",\"author\":\"Free-Photos\",\"organization\":\"Pixabay\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/photos\/golden-gate-bridge-san-francisco-388917\/\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"other\",\"license_terms\":\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/service\/terms\/#license\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Semicolons\",\"author\":\"Modified by Robert Danielson\",\"organization\":\"Robert Danielson for Lumen Learning\",\"url\":\"\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"}]","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"part":180,"module-header":"learn_it","content_attributions":[{"type":"original","description":"Semicolons","author":"","organization":"Lumen Learning","url":"","project":"","license":"cc-by","license_terms":""},{"type":"cc","description":"Image of the Golden Gate Bridge","author":"Free-Photos","organization":"Pixabay","url":"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/photos\/golden-gate-bridge-san-francisco-388917\/","project":"","license":"other","license_terms":"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/service\/terms\/#license"},{"type":"cc","description":"Semicolons","author":"Modified by Robert Danielson","organization":"Robert Danielson for Lumen Learning","url":"","project":"","license":"cc-by","license_terms":""}],"internal_book_links":[],"video_content":null,"cc_video_embed_content":{"cc_scripts":"","media_targets":[]},"try_it_collection":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/194"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/194\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2623,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/194\/revisions\/2623"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/180"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/194\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=194"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=194"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=194"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=194"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}