Semicolons

NEC FACET Center

Need a prescription for some common sentence problems?

Try the semicolon to help

solve these writing illnesses:

Run-together sentences

Short, choppy sentences

Confusing lists of details

What’s wrong with this sentence?

Doctor, I have a horrible headache, I’m afraid I am going to faint.

A cure for the run-onsentence:

Doctor, I have a horrible headache; I’m afraid I’ll faint.

Additional Patients

Dr. Sami Colon warned, “You must swallow your medicine without it you won’t get well.”

The patient responded, “I don’t like the yellow pills they taste like bananas.”

“The taste is irrelevant, they’ll make you well,” argued the punctuation practitioner.

With semicolons, these sentences are well again:

Dr. Sami Colon warned, “You must swallow your medicine; without it, you won’t get well.”

The patient responded, “I don’t like the yellow pills; they taste like bananas.”

“The taste is irrelevant; they’ll make you well,” argued the punctuation practitioner.

Important NoteTo cure run-together

sentences, you can use alternative medicine including periods, coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, nor, for, yet, so), or subordinate conjunctions (words such as since, because, after, when) -- but those are another lesson.

Another example:

Located in an old, stately neighborhood, the house offers two large, low screened porches, each boasting ceramic tile floors, four Corinthian columns at the front entrance, giving it a majestic appearance, and three spacious, newly renovated living areas, all containing shimmering chandeliers.

The Patient Cured

Located in an old, stately neighborhood, the house offers two large, low porches, each boasting ceramic tile floors; four Corinthian columns at the front entrance, giving it a majestic appearance; and three spacious, newly renovated living areas, all containing shimmering chandeliers.

Cured four cases of “the run-together sentence.”

Cured four cases of “short, choppy sentences.”

Cured one severe case of the “complicated series.”

Hint:

Use semicolons only as sentence conditions warrant. (DO NOT overuse them.)

Follow the prescription carefully for correct semicolon usage.

And, finally, remember . . .

To strengthen your writing, apply these semicolon rules .

Best wishes for happy writing!