Relationships & Partners and Writing Skills Tips. (A Writing Advice Guide Book

Punctuations: Colons & Semicolons

Punctuations: Colons & Semicolons Lesson Help

At this stage in your writing life, you're probably comfortable using periods and commas.
Colons and semicolons, on the other hand, are probably unfamiliar. Have you ever used them in your writing? Do you know the difference between them? If you're a newcomer to these punctuation marks, you may find them confusing even experienced writers find them tricky. Yet they are very helpful, adding subtlety and logic to a sentence. Before we learn their uses, keep these two things in mind:

The only way to learn new punctuation is to include it in your writing. It's better to make mistakes and learn than it is to stay safe and stagnate. (typo from original typer of this book "stagnate" isn't really a word. It's never used. On the other hand "stagnant" is a word.)
Watch for these punctuation marks in your reading. When you see a colon or semicolon, observe its function. This will help you gain an intuitive sense of these marks.

Colons are commonly used when introducing a list.

-We need the following items: tomatoes, carrots, juice, bread and jelly.

The colon introduces the list of foods. If it helps, think of the colon as a preview to coming attractions. Remember that colons never follow directly after verbs or prepositions. Here is an example of incorrect use and its remedy:

My favorite hobbies are: stamp collecting and book reading. [incorrect]
- These are my favorite hobbies: stamp collecting and book reading. [correct]
Colons are also used to introduce long quotations after a complete sentence. If you're writing a research paper, this comes in handy. Here's an example:

This statement by the president of the company proves my point: "We cannot afford to lay off workers. We must stay loyal, even if it means loss of income."

Semicolons ;;;;;;; ; ;;;;;
Beginning writers often avoid semicolons. However, they are instrumental to good writing. The semicolon is easy to understand if you look at its shape. Here's a big one:

Notice that the semicolon is made up of a period over a comma. Hence, it creates a more direct pause than a comma, but a more subtle break than a period. Here's a semicolon in action:
- It's a mystery; no one knows who ate the spaghetti.
The semicolon separates independent parts of the sentence. The meanings are so closely related that using a period would be too abrupt, whereas using a comma would be incorrect.
(That's why in my new reference book you rarely see me remove a semicolon cause they were accurately placed. A tip with semicolons usually happens before and after specific nouns separating sentences.)
Here are some more examples of semicolons separating independent clauses. Note that you can also place transitional words after semicolons.
- He shouldn't have missed the meeting; in fact, it was the most important one of the year. (this is acceptable because it still starts a new sentence that is up and coming as said at the top of the page.)
- That's the biggest dog I've ever seen; it must weigh 75 pounds!
- No one can stand the weather here; it's either cold or hot.
- The team played well; however, they didn't make the playoffs.

In most cases, items in a series are set off by commas. However, if the items themselves contain commas, they must be separated by semicolons.
- The meeting included the boss, Mrs. Claypool; the chairman, Dr. Smith; and the lawyer, Mr. Jones. (I usually ignore semicolons for this type of sense organization unless I really want to switch subject mid-sentence. Commas and colons are best for listing things off anyways less rules to remember, Skylights.)

Writing Exercise Prompt
1. Each of the sentences below needs either a colon or semicolon. Rewrite them, adding the appropriate punctuation mark. In some cases, the punctuation is faulty, and you'll need to restructure the sentence.

1. We'll need these tools for the project, screwdrivers, wrenches, hammers and pliers.
2. He's in a lot of trouble, he left without paying his bill.
3. My favorite dances are: the waltz, the polka, and the tango.
4. Stanley's garage is full of dynamite, it's not a safe place to visit.
5. Public speaking requires a good, strong voice, a confident, secure manner, and a classy, pleasing wardrobe.
6. The astronauts were very excited, they landed safely on Mars.
7. At the petting zoo, you must see the horse, Danger, the cat, Monster, and the bird, Chirpy.
8. She won these awards at the ceremony, most determined, most improved, and most likely to succeed.

(There is an answer key for these sentences, I will add it later.)

Writing Exercise Prompt
2. Each of the sentences below needs either a colon or semicolon. Rewrite them, adding the appropriate punctuation mark. In some cases, the punctuation is faulty, and you'll need to restructure the sentence.

1. Some people are vegetarians, some people are meat eaters.
2. After being questioned by the police, he said the following, "I'm an innocent man!"
3. George can't wait to get there, he has already packed his bags.
4. Sally works for these companies, General Electric, IBM, and AT&T.
5. The old-time theater is showing The Godfather, starring Marlon Brando, Tommy, starring Ann-Margret, and City Lights, starring Charlie Chaplin.
6. I'm learning a lot about astronomy, I can't wait to get a telescope.
7. The finalists in the swimming competition are: Betsy, Julie, Maria, and Nancy.
8. She wasn't listening when he asked her this question, "Will you marry me?"

Writing Exercise Prompt
3. Using a free reading book as a reference, copy five sentences that use colons and three that use semicolons. Beside each sentence, explain why the colon or semicolon is used. Next, create six sentences of your own-three using colons, three using semicolons. Beside each one, explain why the punctuation mark is used.