The Complete Guide to Writing in English

Punctuation Semicolons

I hear all the time from people who say they don't know when to use a semicolon and I often see in people's writing where they have substituted it for some other punctuation mark, such as a hyphen. Using a semicolon is very easy and it will make your work look professional, make the meanings of your sentences clear, and make it much easier for the reader to know what you mean to say.

Do not be afraid to use them and practice with them; the more you use them, the easier it gets and the more natural it will seem.

Again, the rules are in regular type and the examples are in italics.

Semicolons (;)

Semicolons are used to separate items in lists and to link related clauses in a sentence. It is often difficult to know when to use a comma or a semicolon and in some instances, you can get away with either, but if you already have a comma or two in a sentence, using a semicolon can help make the meaning clearer or make the sentence look more polished.

Semicolons are used to separate items in lists when the items have commas in them already.

Jane looked at three dogs: the Yorkie, which was brown; the Pug, which was white; and the Doberman which was black.

There are three cities in which you can find a Disney World: Orlando, Florida; Paris, France; and Hong Kong, China.

Semicolons are used to separate independent clauses that are not joined by a conjunction. (See comma splice)

I hate going to sleep; I miss out on all the fun.

Semicolons are used to separate independent clauses that are linked with a transitional phrase or with a conjunctive adverb (However, in fact, therefore, nevertheless, moreover, furthermore, still, instead, too [when it means also])

The semi truck crashed on the highway; as a result, traffic was delayed for hours.

I love going to the theater; however, I hate standing in line.