Semicolons, colons, and dashes

SEMICOLONS

Use a semicolon between independent clauses that are closely related in thought and are not joined by a coordinating conjunction (and, or, but, nor, for, so, yet) The rain had finally stopped; a few rays of sunshine were pushing their way through the breaks in the clouds. Owning a dog is a big responsibility; a dog requires training, grooming, and regular exercise. Do not use a semicolon to join independent clauses unless there is a close relationship between the main ideas of the clauses.

Use a semicolon between independent clauses joined by a conjunctive adverb or a transitional expression. COMMONLY USED CONJUNCTIVE ADVERBS Accordingly However Moreover Besides Indeed Nevertheless Consequently Instead Otherwise Furthermore Meanwhile Therefore The snowfall made travelling difficult; nevertheless, we arrived home safely. COMMONLY USED TRANSITIONAL EXPRESSIONS In other words For instance As a result For example In fact That is Denisa plays baseball well; in fact, she would like to try out for a major-league team.

A semicolon (rather than a comma) may be needed before a coordinating conjunction to join independent clauses that contain commas. Some monarch butterflies migrate all the way from Canada to California, to Florida, or to Mexico; and then, come spring, they head north again. I wanted to register for biology, volleyball, and conversational Spanish; but only calculus, golf, and intermediate German were available during late registration.

Use a semicolon between items in a series if the items contain commas. The club’s president has appointed the following people to chair the standing committees: Richard Stokes, planning; Rebecca Hartely, membership; Salvador Berrios, financial; and Ann Jeng, legal. The collection of short stories includes “The Circuit,”by Francisco Jimenez; “The Iguana Killer,” by Alberto Rios; and “Everybody Knows Tobie,” by Daniel Garza.

COLONS

Use a colon to mean “note what follows. Use a colon before a list of items, especially after expressions such as as follows and the following. Prior to 1722, the Iroquois Confederation consisted of five American Indian nations: Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca. My brother is working on a multimedia presentation featuring the following women: Mary Baker Eddy, Clara Barton, Maria Mitchell, Mary Church Terrell, Susan B. Anthony, and Sarah Winnemucca.

Do not use a colon between a verb and its complement(s) or between a preposition and it(s) objects. INCORRECT The emergency kit included: safety flares, jumper cables, and a flashlight. CORRECT The emergency kit included safety flares, jumper cables, and a flashlight. Each student taking the math test was provided with: two sharpened pencils, some paper, and a ruler. Each student taking the math test was provided with two sharpened pencils, some paper, and a ruler.

Use a colon before a long, formal statement or quotation. Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address begins with these famous words: “Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”

Use a colon between independent clauses when the second clause explains or restates the idea of the first. Lois felt that she had done something worthwhile: She had designed and sewn her first quilt. Thomas Jefferson had many talents: He was a writer, a politician, an architect, and an inventor.

Use a colon in certain conventional situations. Use a colon between the hour and the minute. 7:30 P.M. Use a colon between a title and subtitle. Superman IV: The Quest for Peace Use a colon after the salutation of a business letter. To Whom It May Concern: Dear Sir or Madam:

DASHES

Use a dash to indicate an abrupt break in thought or speech. The team’s leading scorer—I can’t remember her name—is also an excellent defensive player. The real villain turns out to be—but I don’t want to spoil the ending for those of you who have not yet seen the movie.

Use a dash to mean namely, in other words, or that is before an explanation. Amanda joined the chorus for only one reason—she loves to sing. Very few people in this class—three, to be exact—have not completed their projects.