1. NEC FACET Center

2. Semicolons make me nervous. I dont know how to use them. Have no fear, Punky is here! I fight the forces of bad punctuation.

3. What can semicolons do? Semicolons can: add sentence variety. correct run-on sentences. rid your writing of short, choppy sentences. eliminate confusion in lists of details.

4. We like to construct sentences with similar structure, but sometimes we need a little variety. Semicolons can connect two complete sentences that share similar thoughts; they can also connect short, choppy sentences and separate items in a list when the items themselves also contain commas.

5. My 7 th birthday party was the best party Ive ever had. There were pony rides and a clown. There were red and orange balloons. There were streamers hanging from the ceiling. A giant banner with Happy Birthday ran the length of the dining room wall. The cake was chocolate with white icing. The ice-cream was my favorite flavor: Neapolitan. I remember the day of the party was beautiful, sunny and bright, cloudless, breezy, and no rain, and everyone wore shorts and t-shirts. The best part, however, was my gift. My parents gave me a bicycle. This paragraph contains short, choppy sentences and long lists of items. Its too confusing!

6. My 7 th birthday party was the best party Ive ever had. There were pony rides and a clown. In addition to the red and orange balloons, there were streamers hanging from the ceiling; and a giant banner with Happy Birthday ran the length of the dining room wall. The cake was chocolate with white icing; furthermore, the ice-cream was my favorite flavor: Neapolitan. I remember the day of the party was beautiful, sunny and bright; cloudless, breezy, and no rain; and everyone wore shorts and t-shirts. The best part, however, was my gift. My parents gave me a bicycle. This revision is much better!

7. Lets practice using semicolons to break up run- on sentences. Hey, wait a minute! I dont know what a run-on sentence is. Thats okay. Ill show you! Rule #1

8. When two independent clauses are joined together without proper punctuation between them. Ex: The suspicious man walked down the street humming to himself he knew people were watching his every move. What is an independent clause? Independent Clause Im glad you asked; come on, Ill show you!

9. There are two types of clauses: Independent and Dependent. Independent Clause Contains a subject, a verb, and makes a complete thought. Can stand alone as a sentence. Ex: The sun rises in the east. Subject: person or thing doing the action Verb: action/what is being done by the subject Complete thought

10. Dependent Clause Contains a subject and a verb but is missing a complete thought. Cannot stand alone as a sentence. Depends on an independent clause to complete the thought. Is subordinate to an independent clause. Ex: Although we went to the movies yesterday. This clause does not have a complete thought; therefore, its a fragment rather than a complete sentence. subjectverb subordinating word Helps show the sentence as subordinate to an independent clause. Wait a minute! What is subordination?

11. Egyptian kings are powerful, …but not as powerful as Egyptian gods. Subordination is when one thought in a sentence is less important than another thought. Egyptian kings are subordinate to Egyptian gods.

12. Ex: Although we went to the movies yesterday, Because a dependent clause cannot stand alone, combine it with an independent clause to complete the thought and produce a complete sentence. Dependent Clause Independent Clause Now we have a complete sentence! we still feel as though we have done nothing during spring break. Use a comma only if the dependent clause is at the beginning of the sentence.

13. The suspicious man walked down the street humming to himself he knew people were watching his every move. This is a run-on sentence. There needs to be a sentence break.

14. Okay, I understand run-ons, but how do I fix them? Add a semicolon between the two independent clauses!

15. Ex: The suspicious man walked down the street humming to himself he knew people were watching his every move. This rule is used when the subjects of the two clauses are closely related. Think of it as a continuation of your thoughts, but they need to be broken into 2 sentences. ; Use a semicolon to indicate a break between two independent clauses.

16. 1. The computer technician said my hard drive is fried; it will cost hundreds of dollars to retrieve the stored information. 2. Theres a plane in the sky pulling a banner; it says FREE FLYING LESSONS TODAY! 3. My brother, the musician, broke his foot last night; he jumped off the stage during a concert, but no one caught him! FREE FLYING LESSONS TODAY!

17. Fix the following run-ons by inserting a semicolon where necessary Yesterday, my sister borrowed my car without asking then she ran over a nail and popped one of the tires. Sylvester won the pie eating contest he ate 10 whole pies in 3 minutes. My favorite book as a child was Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing it was so funny that I read it over and over. The gel inserts in my shoes are starting to rub against my toes, I should replace them with new inserts Yesterday, my sister borrowed my car without asking ; then she ran over a nail and popped one of the tires. Sylvester won the pie eating contest ; he ate 10 whole pies in 3 minutes. My favorite book as a child was Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing ; it was so funny that I read it over and over. The gel inserts in my shoes are starting to rub against my toes ; I should replace them with new inserts.

18. Sometimes our essays are filled with short, choppy sentences. Lets talk about how to fix them using semicolons. Rule #2

19. But I like short sentences. Theyre safe. They make me feel like a big man. I like to knock out long sentences. Everyone should speak and write in short sentences! Not so fast Strongman! Im going to knock out your short, choppy sentences! They break up your writing, add confusion, and bore your reader.

20. Use a semicolon with a transition word to connect two closely related sentences. Ex: The baker burnt the loaves of bread this morning; therefore, he must start over from scratch. When using a semicolon and a transition, you must use a comma after the transition. A transition can do many things, such as add additional information, change direction, show contrast, etc.

21. Consequently On the other hand Furthermore Moreover Thus Still In addition As a result Ex: Joel went to school without his homework; consequently, he had to stay late to make up the assignment. Ex: Miranda left the beauty shop feeling like a queen; furthermore, her friends raved all night about her new style. Ex: The Springfield Cardinals lost their game against the Tulsa Drillers; as a result, their 6-week losing streak continues.

22. 1. Jackies brother wants to see the new Pixar animation movie she will take him to see it tomorrow. 2. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers danced and sang together in 10 films they won the hearts of millions of Americans during the early 20 th century. 3. Soda and pop are used interchangeably to describe sweetened, carbonated beverages the terms are generally regional in their usage. 4. Everyday, Sam rides home on the city bus he enjoys the ride because he gets to people-watch. Jackies brother wants to see the new Pixar animation movie; therefore, she will take him to see it tomorrow. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers danced and sang together in 10 films; thus, they won the hearts of millions of Americans during the early 20 th century. Soda and pop are used interchangeably to describe sweetened, carbonated beverages; however, the terms are generally regional in their usage. Everyday, Sam rides home on the city bus; as a result, he enjoys the ride because he gets to people-watch.

23. Short, choppy sentences hurt the flow of your writing. Its better to combine phrases and thoughts into longer, cohesive, correctly punctuated sentences. This way your reader wont feel bogged down or disinterested in disconnected thoughts and ideas. Okay, I understand how to fix short, choppy sentences, but tell me again why theyre bad.

24. Sometimes when we create lists of items (like a grocery list), we also have extra detail we need to give about the items. We dont want to confuse the reader by using too many commas. So, we can use semicolons to separate each item. Rule #3

25. Hey ma, give me a PBJ with grape jelly, purple and jiggly, no crusts, soft middles only, and none of that wheat bread stuff, all course and grainy! Hey kid, your sentence is crowded with too many commas. Use semicolons to separate the items in your list Oh yeah! Respect your ma, too!

26. Hey ma, give me a PBJ with grape jelly, purple and jiggly, no crusts, soft middles only, and none of that wheat bread stuff, all course and grainy! 1 st item uses a comma 2 nd item uses a comma 3 rd item uses a comma Well Mr. Know- it-All, how should I fix this? And be quick. I gotta meet my gang! Whos your gang, the jungle-gym kids? And, the names Punky!

27. You can fix this sentence by separating each item with a semicolon! Hey ma, give me a PBJ with grape jelly, purple and jiggly no crusts, soft middles only and none of that wheat bread stuff, all course and grainy! ;; Aw shucks, that wasnt so hard! Also, the name of my gang is the Green Ts cause we only wear green t- shirts!

28. More Examples The hot-air balloon soared above the trees, touching the leaves as it passed ; floated below the clouds, catching the mist that dropped ; and swept past mountains, knocking snow off their tops. The duck on the pushcart sped down the sidewalk, squawking at on-lookers ; wheeled into the open streets, honking its nose at on-coming cars ; and splashed into the cool pond, catching air as it raced down the boat ramp.

29. Fix the following sentences by adding semicolons to separate the items in the list. The semi-annual millionaires skydiving exhibition will be held in several locations across the U.S., including Greenville, South Carolina, Joplin, Missouri, and Normal, Illinois. The semi-annual millionaires skydiving exhibition will be held in several locations across the U.S., including Greenville, South Carolina ; Joplin, Missouri ; and Normal, Illinois. Martin walked through the pumpkin patch searching for the perfect pumpkin. His ideal pumpkin would be very large, as big as his arms could hold ; a gorgeous color, bright orange with no blemishes ; and the right shape, perfectly round with no dents. Martin walked through the pumpkin patch searching for the perfect pumpkin. His ideal pumpkin would be very large, as big as his arms could hold, a gorgeous color, bright orange with no blemishes, and the right shape, perfectly round with no dents.

30. Additional Rule You may want to use a semicolon with long sentences that contain other commas and a coordinating conjunction. Off with his head! Halt! Who brings me this rule? It is I, Punky, the protector of punctuation. Tell me what this means, or Ill have your head! Settle down little guy; Ill explain it to you!

31. Remember how you must use a comma to combine a dependent with an independent clause if the dependent clause is at the beginning of the sentence? We talked about independent and dependent clauses, right? Well, sometimes we like to combine this sentence with another complete sentence by using a coordinating conjunction. Even though Paul loves to swim, the water was simply to cold today. Dependent Clause Comma because the dependent clause is at the beginning of the sentence. Independent Clause

32. Even though Paul likes to swim, the water was simply too cold today, so he will visit the neighborhood pool tomorrow. This sentence may be too confusing with this many commas! Lets use a semicolon before so. This will make the sentence less confusing. So is a coordinating conjunction

33. Even though Paul likes to swim, the water was simply too cold today so he will visit the neighborhood pool tomorrow. ; Unlike the rule with semicolons and transition words, dont use a comma after a coordinating conjunction! There are 7 coordinating conjunctions: AndFor ButYet OrSo Nor

34. More Examples: While I am at the store, please vacuum the living room ; and then I want you to clean the bathroom. Since I became president of the cooking club, we have created 6 new recipes ; yet we still dont know which one to enter in the annual amateur chef contest. Unless we join some extracurricular organizations, neither of us will be receiving any awards ; nor will we be allowed to attend the banquet. Before next season, the team will need to raise funds for new uniforms ; or they may have to play in mismatched jerseys.

35. Fix the following sentences by using a semicolon. Whenever Dons grandmother buys him new clothes, she often buys them two sizes too big, so he is unable to wear them before they go out of style! Since the theme of Mollys birthday party is pinwheels, everyone will be making their very own pinwheel to take home, and the birthday cake will be shaped like a pinwheel. Whenever Dons grandmother buys him new clothes, she often buys them two sizes too big ; so he is unable to wear them before they go out of style! Since the theme of Mollys birthday party is pinwheels, everyone will be making their very own pinwheel to take home ; and the birthday cake will be shaped like a pinwheel.

36. Fix the following sentences by using a semicolon. Although Jimmy was enjoying the ice-cream cone, it melted all over his new t-shirt, but his mother wasnt upset because the look on Jimmys face was nothing but delight. Since becoming independently wealthy, Lucy stays in the sun all afternoon reading books, for she enjoys not having to work a full-time job. Since becoming independently wealthy, Lucy stays in the sun all afternoon reading books ; for she enjoys not having to work a full-time job. Although Jimmy was enjoying the ice-cream cone, it melted all over his new t-shirt ; but his mother wasnt upset because the look on Jimmys face was nothing but delight.

37. Remember, semicolons can: add sentence variety. correct run-on sentences. rid your writing of short, choppy sentences. eliminate confusion in lists of details. Following the simple rules we discussed for semicolon usage will help improve your writing! Thanks Punky, Im not afraid anymore!