How to Use a Semicolon

1. 1. 1. 
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         Write one complete sentence. A complete sentence must contain a subject and a verb and be a complete thought. The subject is the person, place, or thing that the sentence is about, and the verb is the action that is being performed in the sentence.
         • Ex: "Wanda couldn't fall asleep last night."
      2. 
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         Write another closely related sentence. This sentence must be strongly related to the first sentence for the semicolon to work.
         • Ex: "She had too much on her mind."
      3. 
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         Connect the sentences with a semicolon. Remember to make the first letter of the second sentence lower case.
         • Ex: "Wanda couldn't fall asleep last night; she had too much on her mind."

      Method 2 of 5: Linking Items in a List

      1. 
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         Write a sentence that contains a complicated list. Each item in the sentence should contain commas, and each item should also be separated by commas.
         • Ex: "I have a sister in Columbus, Ohio, another sister in Palm Springs, Florida, and a third sister in Oakland, California."
      2. 
         2
         Use the semicolon as a "super-comma" to separate the items of the list. This will make it easier to distinguish between the items in the list.^[1]
         • Ex: "I have a sister in Columbus, Ohio; another sister in Palm Springs, Florida; and a third sister in Oakland, California."

      Method 3 of 5: Linking Sentences with Internal Punctuation

      1. 
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         Write one sentence with internal punctuation. This sentence can use a colon, dash, or a comma. Sentences with internal punctuation tend to be longer. Using semicolons to separate sentences with internal commas is the most common method.
         • Ex: "My cousin, Martha Mary Louise, is the most talented and original cook I have ever met."
      2. 
         2
         Write another closely related sentence with internal punctuation.
         • Ex: "She is very resourceful and can make almost any old food taste delicious, but she does specialize in the following items: cod, fruitcake, and squash."
      3. 
         3
         Connect the sentences with a semicolon.
         • Ex: "My cousin, Martha Mary Louise, is the most talented and original cook I have ever met; she is very resourceful and can make almost any old food taste delicious, but she does specialize in the following items: cod, fruitcake, and squash."
      4. 
         4
         Note that you can also use a semicolon to connect one sentence with internal punctuation and one simple sentence.
         • Ex: "My cousin, Martha Mary Louise, is the most talented and original cook I have ever met; I love her cooking."

      Method 4 of 5: Linking Sentences with a Transitional Phrase or Conjunctive Adverb

      1. 
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         Write a sentence. You can keep it simple.
         • Ex: "I ate an entire apple pie last night."
      2. 
         2
         Write another closely related sentence using a transitional phrase or a conjunctive adverb.
         • Conjunctive adverbs are words that show a relationship between the two sentences, such as cause and effect, contrast, or comparison. Some examples include: however, besides, finally, and hence.
         • Transitional phrases are used to move from one sentence to the next in a logical and smooth way. Some examples include in other words, moreover, and in addition.
           • Ex: "As a result,' I felt sick when I woke up."^[2]
      3. 
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         Connect the two with a semicolon.
         • Ex: "I ate an entire apple pie last night; as a result, I felt sick when I woke up."

      Method 5 of 5: Avoid Confusing the Semicolon with the Comma

      1. 
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         Do not use a semicolon instead of a comma. Commas can be used to connect two simple sentences and a coordinating conjunction (but, and, nor, or so, for example), while a semicolon cannot.^[3]
         • Example of correct usage: "I love my cat, but he drives me crazy."
         • Example of incorrect usage: "I love my cat; but he drives me crazy."
      2. 
         2
         Do not use a comma instead of a semi-colon. A comma can never be used to separate two independent clauses (complete sentences). This is called a comma splice and should be avoided at all times.
         • Example of correct usage: "My kitty is cute; he loves to cuddle."
         • Example of incorrect usage: "My kitty is cute, he loves to cuddle."

      
      

      Semicolon Usage Chart

      
      

      Semicolon Usage Chart