How do you use a Semicolon?

Question

The semicolon is probably the most confusing and misused punctuation mark in the English language, but hopefully, this answer should set the record straight on how to use it.

Answer 1

Please consider the two additions below, each connected to one of the sentences provided in the first expert opinion.

Original: We shouldn’t use a period here, as a period stops a sentence and starts an entirely new one: “Rhoda didn’t like going to the mall. She liked the place but she hated the crowds.” It gives off a clunky and robotic sound by adding an unnecessary full stop between the two clauses.

Additional Another advantage of a semicolon to connect these two ideas relates to more clearly showing and emphasizing the closeness between the two ideas, not just the effect of sound.

Original: A comma isn’t the way to go either, as a comma is typically meant to denote a shorter pause between two clauses. “Rhoda didn’t like going to the mall, she liked the place but hated the crowds.” While not necessarily incorrect, a comma here gives off a rushed tone that many experienced readers might find distracting, as it tries to tack a complete thought onto the end of another complete thought.

Additional Many consider the use of a comma here a grammatical error, aka a comma splice,

the comma not having enough verve to link the two points. The semicolon achieves

not only less pause but also stronger glue between the sections.

Answer 2

The semicolon ( ; ) is one of, if not the, most commonly misused punctuation marks in the English language. One thing to note up front is that the semicolon is not interchangeable with a colon or comma like you might have been led to believe. Here is how a semicolon works:

1. A semicolon is most commonly used to link together two independent clauses to make a single strong and coherent thought. 
2. Remember that an independent clause is a complete thought (containing a subject and predicate) that can stand on its own, such as “Jody always preferred cats over dogs,” Jody being the subject and preferred being the predicate.  
3. A good way to think of a semicolon is to think of it as a pause that’s longer than a comma but shorter than a period.
4. The best way to show how this works is through an example. Take these two independent clauses: “Rhoda didn’t like going to the mall” and “She liked the place but she hated the crowds.” 
5. We shouldn’t use a period here, as a period stops a sentence and starts an entirely new one: “Rhoda didn’t like going to the mall. She liked the place but she hated the crowds.” It gives off a clunky and robotic sound by adding an unnecessary full stop between the two clauses.  
6. A comma isn’t the way to go either, as a comma is typically meant to denote a shorter pause between two clauses. “Rhoda didn’t like going to the mall, she liked the place but hated the crowds.” While not necessarily incorrect, a comma here gives off a rushed tone that many experienced readers might find distracting, as it tries to tack a complete thought onto the end of another complete thought.     
7. A much smoother way to join the two together into a complete thought is with a pause not quite as short as a comma but not quite as long as a period, a semicolon. Like so: “Rhoda didn’t like going to the mall; she liked the place but she hated the crowds.” Now we have a full thought without needing to start a whole new sentence, and a long enough pause between the two clauses to flow nicely without having to mash them together with a comma.   

1. One of the most common errors made with the semicolon is thinking that it can be used interchangeably with the colon. This is incorrect.
2. A colon has three main functions. 
3. Denoting lists. “We need to get these items from the store: bread, milk, and eggs.” 
4. Denoting quotes or quotations. “It’s like what Hammurabi once said: ‘An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.’” 
5. Or adding emphasis. “There’s only one thing more terrifying than an angry spouse: an angry in-law.”

1. Semicolons also serve the rarer function of separating items in a list when the items themselves contain commas. 
2. Take a look at this example: “I took care of lots of chores over the weekend: On Saturday I cleaned the kitchen, washed the dishes, and did the laundry; On Sunday I mowed the lawn, pulled weeds, and took out the garbage.” You use a semicolon to separate the individual days so the activities you performed on each one remain distinct.

I hope this helps in the future!