5. Semicolon and Colon Usage to join sentences

5. Use a semicolon to link two sentences if the sentences are related.

Use a colon to link two sentences if the second sentence is an example.

Use a semicolon to break up "carry over" verb phrases in a series.

Video on Semicolon use.

Do not join two sentences with a comma. Join two sentences of similar content with a semicolon.

Incorrect: The greatest American novel was written by Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway said that “all modern American literature comes from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.”

Correct: The greatest American novel was written by Mark Twain; Ernest Hemingway said that “all modern American literature comes from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.”

Fixing comma splices:

1) Join two sentences with a semicolon if the second sentence is an amplification or in opposition to the first sentence.

2) Join two sentences with a comma and a conjunction: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so.

3) Separate two sentences by placing a period between them.

Corrections:

1) The greatest American novel was written by Mark Twain; Ernest Hemingway said that “all modern American literature comes from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.”

-commentary: the second sentence adds detail to the first sentence, so a semicolon is used to suggest that the second sentence is an amplification

2) The greatest American novel was written by Mark Twain, for Ernest Hemingway said that “all modern American literature comes from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.”

3)The greatest American novel was written by Mark Twain. Ernest Hemingway said that “all modern American literature comes from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.”

Principle: advanced semicolon use can join two sentences when the sentence implies the "carry over" of the subject and verb.

Ex= “To err is human; to forgive, divine.” (notice the comma indicates the omission of “is”)

Ex= Students have read John Milton’s Paradise Lost on their own and found it boring; with a teacher and found the epic poem inspiring.” (notice the “students have read John Milton’s Paradise Lost” is implied as a "carried over" by the semicolon.)

Principle: use the” annunciating colon” to indicate the onset of an example, rule, or explanation: (two sentences can be joined by a colon if the sentence after the colon is an example, rule, or explanation).

Ex=Duncan develops one central guiding principle: learn from the natives in your life.

Ex= John was upset aft the soccer game: his team lost by one goal in overtime. (the colon indicates the cause or explanation of John's consternation will follow).

Ex=Karl used his most effective weapon on the tennis court: his drop shot. (the colon implies the "carry over" of "Karl used".)

Ex= The teacher had only three problems with my paper: the content, the grammar, and the spelling. (the colon implies the "carry over" of "the teacher had problems with".)

Notice the difference:

Jake was upset all week; the bala shark in the aquarium died. (both annoying someone, but not necessarily Jake)

Jake was upset all week: the bala shark in the aquarium died. (the colon indicates the explanation of Jake’s sadness)

INCORRECT: In Antigone it is seen that Creon subordinates the citizens of the state due to arbitrary attributes, ------------------------5--------------------------he makes laws without agreement from the citizens, and he determines one’s future in the afterlife.

CORRECT: In Antigone it is seen that Creon subordinates the citizens of the state due to arbitrary attributes: he makes laws without agreement from the citizens, and he determines one’s future in the afterlife.

CORRECT: We have a running tally of how senators have voted on the various proposals. Senator Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska, has emerged as a critical voice: she is unlikely to be swayed by pressure from President Trump, our chief Washington correspondent writes. (notice how the sentence after the colon (:) is an example of her criticism of President Trump).

Principle: use the semicolon to break up lists with implied "carry over" verb phrases / sentences in a series.

Example: The news articles informed us of parents who would not drive for fear that being pulled over for a broken taillight would result in deportation; who had never been on an airplane; who were working jobs for below minimum wage in abhorrent conditions.

Commentary: notice how the independent clause / sentence "the news artilces informed us of parents" carries over and across the semicolon and makes all of the subordinate clauses beginning with who become complete sentences.