With Asyndetic Independent Clauses

Last day of summer vacation finally arrived; reluctantly we prepared for the first day of a new school year.

I was willing to compromise; you were not.

Note: Do not use a semicolon to join independent clauses unless there is a close relationship in thought between the main ideas of the clauses.

Incorrect: I enjoy ice-skating; I learned how to roller-skate when I was a child.

Correct: I enjoy ice-skating. I learned how to roller-skate when I was a child.

1S

Rewrite the following sentences replacing the commas and conjunctions with semicolons.

1. Math is easy for my friend, but it’s difficult for me.

2. I like our math teacher, but I don’t care for the class.

3. History is my best subject, and economics is my worst.

4. I’m studying Chinese because I want to become an expert on the Far East.

5. Foreign languages are easy for me, but reading is difficult.

2S

Punctuate the following with semicolons.

1. My friend thought the movie was terrific I thought it was boring.

2. I really don’t care to see films with a lot of violence I don’t like musicals either.

3. I like to go to movies I never watch them on TV.

4. I don’t go to movies they are expensive, and I am on a tight budget.

5. Nobody likes the theater near the campus the seats are very uncomfortable.

3S

In which of the examples might a semicolon be preferred to the full stop?

1. Neurotic men, from Lord Byron to Cary Grant, have been admired for dominating their condition. Neurotic women, notably Marilyn Monroe, have been admiring for surrendering to it.

2. Sir John was found guilty of driving with double the legal limit of alcohol in his bloodstream. ‘You are a very foolish man’, said the judge, ‘but on this occasion I shall turn a blind eye to your folly.’

3. At about two in the morning, the last customers left the bar. The next day, I was awakened early by the sound of laughter outside my window.

4. In winter, I bring the geraniums into the house. All the other plants I leave outside.

5. The strong kept on walking until they reached the safety of the woods. The weak stopped to rest by the side of the road.

6. It was good to be in Italy at last. My grandmother had traveled a lot in Europe, but the rest of the family had little or no curiosity about the Old World.

Semicolon with Transitional Phrases

Use a semicolon between independent clauses joined by the words ACCORDINGLY, FURTHERMORE, HENCE, HOWEVER, INDEED, INSTEAD, MOREOVER, NEVERTHELESS, OTHERWISE, SIMILARLY, STILL, THEREFORE, THUS, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR INSTANCE, THAT IS, IN FACT. A transitional expression is followed by a comma.

Peter failed two subjects; consequently, he will have to be in a junior home room next year.

My father is a basketball fan; in fact, he has not missed a single home game in the last three years.

4S

Punctuate the following using commas and semicolons where they are appropriate.

1. We have some cinnamon in the cupboard it is very old however.

2. This recipe is my grandmother’s therefore it should be very good.

3. We don’t have any tea consequently I can’t offer you any.

4. This coffee is very weak moreover it is almost cold.

5. I’ve already had two pieces of pie I’ll have another small piece nevertheless.

6. I’ve eaten too much I am therefore going to skip dinner.

7. Fish is low in fat and it is high in protein.

8. Fresh fish is difficult to get in this part of the country I would eat more of it otherwise.

9. Have some fried carrots or eat one raw as a snack.

10. Actually I like vegetables I do not eat a lot of fruit however.

11. Celery is an excellent food but too much of it is not good for you.

12. I usually avoid greasy foods nevertheless I sometimes have French fries with a hamburger.

3. A Semicolon and a Comma

A semicolon (rather than a comma) may be needed to separate independent clauses if there are commas within the clauses.

In the seventeenth century, the era of such distinguished prose writers as Sir Thomas Browne, John Donne, and Jeremy Taylor, the balanced compound sentence using commas and semicolons reached a high degree of perfection and popularity; but the tendency of many writers today is to use a fast-moving style with shorter sentences and fewer commas and semicolons.

Use a semicolon between items in a series if the items contain commas or long elements.

The three top seniors in this year’s class have the following four-year averages: Marvin Adams, 94.8; Ruth Ann Cummins, 93.6; and Joan Dorf, 92.8.

Yesterday was really busy. I met with my staff in the morning; I gave a speech at the club at lunchtime; and I was interviewed on TV for the Sunday evening news.

5S

Use commas and semicolons in the following sentences:

1. Though he could not usually distinguish fish flesh and fowl his taste buds were to put it charitably underdeveloped and he often annoyed his gourmet friend Peter who was the editor of Fine Foods magazine by ordering a hamburger in a fancy restaurant.

2. Watching stupid sentimental dull soap operas eating junk food like French fries cheeseburgers and milkshakes and just doing nothing are my favorite vices.

3. The wheelhouse is like a video arcade: equipment bleeps and pings radar fingers circle endlessly the printout information matching chatters away to itself.

4. Almost half the club will be playing in the doubles tournament: six women including myself Peter Bates and John Wade the twins and of course the team captain with his partner.

5. While working at the hospital she was overworked exploited and constantly criticized at the same time as being underpaid undervalued and taken for granted.

6. When you come to one of our theatre workshops you can expect a whole rainbow of activities: music and singing and circus skills including juggling vegetarian cooking mime and acrobatics improvisations and above all a warm group experience.

6S

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