Punctuating Clauses

A semicolon (;) can join two complete sentences that are closely related. Each side of the semicolon must be able to stand alone as its own sentence. That means each side needs its own subject and verb.

When you link two sentences with a semicolon, remember two things. First, do not use a joining word like and, but, or so. The semicolon does that job by itself. Second, do not capitalize the first word after the semicolon, unless it is a name.

Here is an example: The storm knocked out the power; we played board games by candlelight. Both sides are complete sentences, and they are closely connected, so the semicolon works perfectly.

Watch out for a common mistake: never use a semicolon before a word group that is not a full sentence. 'We played board games; by candlelight' is wrong, because 'by candlelight' cannot stand alone. If the second part is not a complete sentence, use a comma instead.

Conjunctive adverbs are connecting words like however, therefore, and meanwhile. They join two complete sentences and show how the ideas relate to each other. However shows a contrast, therefore shows a result, and meanwhile shows two things happening at the same time.

These words are picky about punctuation. When a conjunctive adverb joins two complete sentences, put a semicolon before it and a comma after it.

Here is an example: Maya practiced her song all week; however, she still felt nervous on stage. The semicolon separates the two complete sentences, and the comma comes right after however.

Do not mix this up with joining words like and or but. Those words use only a comma: Maya practiced all week, but she still felt nervous. A conjunctive adverb is stronger, so it needs the stronger mark, the semicolon.

Commas, parentheses, and dashes can all set off extra information in a sentence, but each one sends a different message.

Commas make the smallest pause. Use them when the extra detail feels like a natural part of the sentence: My dog, a scruffy terrier, loves belly rubs.

Parentheses make the detail feel quiet, like a whisper or a side note: My dog (a scruffy terrier) loves belly rubs.

Dashes make the biggest pause. They grab the reader's attention and shout, look at this part: My dog, a scruffy terrier with one floppy ear, loves belly rubs. Writers use dashes when they want the extra detail to feel dramatic or surprising.

A dash can also set off a strong finish at the end of a sentence: There was only one thing left to do, run!

Here are some punctuation marks that help you build stronger sentences.

A colon (:) can link two complete sentences when the second one explains the first. It can also introduce a list, an example, or a quotation. Example: After visiting the llama rodeo, I realized my life goal: I want to ride llamas in every major city in the world. The part after the colon explains what the goal is.

A semicolon (;) links two complete sentences that are closely related. It can also separate items in a complex list, which is a list where the items already have commas in them.

An appositive is a noun or noun phrase that renames another noun. Example: Carl, my tremendously fancy hamster, is about to become the star of his own TV show. The words between the commas tell you who Carl is.

When you choose between these marks, think about the job you need done: a colon says here comes the explanation, and a semicolon says these two ideas belong together.

A compound sentence joins two or more complete sentences into one. Each part is an independent clause, which means it could be a sentence all by itself.

There are two main ways to join the parts. You can use a comma plus a joining word like and, but, or so: The rain stopped, and the sun came out. Or you can use a semicolon with no joining word at all: The rain stopped; the sun came out.

How do you choose? Use a comma and a joining word when you want to spell out the relationship, like contrast with but or result with so. Use a semicolon when the two ideas are so closely related that the connection is obvious and you want a tighter, snappier sentence.

One rule never changes: a comma alone cannot join two complete sentences. 'The rain stopped, the sun came out' is a mistake called a comma splice. Give the boundary a proper mark, either a semicolon or a comma with a joining word.