Colons and Semicolons By Christy Bynum, Larica Kintchen and James Burdge

What is a Colon? It follows an independent clause and introduces one of 3 things: It follows an independent clause and introduces one of 3 things: A defining example A defining example A list A list A quotation A quotation

Examples of Using a Colon She had only one person to blame: herself. She had only one person to blame: herself. The baseball coach claimed the team’s success stemmed from four things: solid pitching, good fielding, consistent hitting, and excellent teamwork. The baseball coach claimed the team’s success stemmed from four things: solid pitching, good fielding, consistent hitting, and excellent teamwork. The chairman was forceful in his pleas for help: “Everyone must do his or her part to make this company profitable in the third quarter.” The chairman was forceful in his pleas for help: “Everyone must do his or her part to make this company profitable in the third quarter.”

What is a Semicolon? A punctuation symbol used to separate major sentence elements A punctuation symbol used to separate major sentence elements Use them to join two independent clauses Use them to join two independent clauses Use them to separate a list which already has internal commas Use them to separate a list which already has internal commas Link clauses connected by conjunctive adverbs or transitional phrases Link clauses connected by conjunctive adverbs or transitional phrases

Examples of Semicolons My grandmother goes to bed early; she’s afraid of missing out on something. My grandmother goes to bed early; she’s afraid of missing out on something. My favorite pizza combinations are sausage, pepperoni, and onions; extra cheese, mushrooms, and hamburger; and peppers, onions, and olives. My favorite pizza combinations are sausage, pepperoni, and onions; extra cheese, mushrooms, and hamburger; and peppers, onions, and olives. We greatly appreciated your excellent on-the-job performance; therefore, we are giving you a raise. We greatly appreciated your excellent on-the-job performance; therefore, we are giving you a raise.

Works Cited "Semicolons." The Writing Center: University of Wisconsin-Madison The Writing Center: University of Wisconsin-Madison. 26 June "Semicolons." The Writing Center: University of Wisconsin-Madison The Writing Center: University of Wisconsin-Madison. 26 June "The Semicolon." Guide to Grammar and Writing. The Guide to Grammar and Writing. 26 June "The Semicolon." Guide to Grammar and Writing. The Guide to Grammar and Writing. 26 June "Basic Colon And Semicolon Rules." Faculty of Arts Writing Centre Memorial University of Newfoundland. 26 June "Basic Colon And Semicolon Rules." Faculty of Arts Writing Centre Memorial University of Newfoundland. 26 June 2007.