Semicolons, Colons, and Commas
By Curtis Tolan and Zayana Katamara
This topic was chosen because semicolons, colons, commas can be seen often,
but their use is easily misunderstood.
Semicolon Use
- combine
two sentences that are closely related
- The
final piece was in place; the project was finished.
- use with
conjunctive adverb to show close relationship between two complete
sentences
- The
final piece was in place; however, the project was not yet finished.
- separate
series of phrases or lists that include punctuation, such as commas
- Carrots
are edible roots; are colored orange, white, or purple; and contain many
essential vitamins.
- use with
coordinating conjunctions for two sentences if comma would cause confusion
- I
still have many old books, newspapers, and magazines; and, if I ever feel
the need, I will read them again.
Colon Use
- signal
series of words, phrases, or clauses following a sentence
- There
were only three people left in the contest: Will, Pat, and Sue.
- signals
the following sentence explains the preceding sentence
- It
was clear as day: the man showed us the way.
- used to
emphasize a name or description following a sentence
- There
is only one person who could have possibly done it with such deft and
swagger: George Washington.
- introduce
a long quotation after a sentence
- As
a politician once said in a famous speech that moved a generation:
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dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco
laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in
reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.
Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia
deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
- in
non-sentences:
- after
salutations in letters
- heading
of business memo
- between
hour and minutes for time
- between
chapter and verse in the Bible
- The
Bible starts with Genesis 1:1.
- separate
title and subtitle
- Rambo
12: No More Stallone
- in
bibliography between location published and publisher name
- New
York City: New York Times, 2000.
Comma
Use
Introductory elements often require a comma, BUT
not always
Commas
are needed….
After an
introductory clause
After a
long introductory prepositional phrase or more than one introductory
prepositional phrase
After
introductory verbal phrases
If there
is a distinct pause.
Some
introductory elements don't require a comma
Sometimes
the subject of a sentence looks like an introductory element… but isn't
Do not
use a comma in the following cases:
After a
brief prepositional phrase
After a
restrictive appositive phrase
To
separate the subject from the predicate
Tricky examples:
Preparing
and submitting his report to the committee for evaluation and possible
publication[,] was one of the most difficult tasks Bill had ever attempted.
To start
a new business without doing market research and long-term planning in
advance[,] would be foolish.
Extracting
the most profit for the least expenditure on labor and materials[,] is the
primary goal of a capitalist.
More info about the comma:
After
introductory clauses, phrases, or words that come before the main clause
Common
starter words: after, although, as, because, if, since, when, while
Examples:
While I
was eating, the cat scratched at the door.
Because her
alarm clock was broken, she was late for class.
If you
are ill, you ought to see a doctor.
When the
snow stops falling, we'll shovel the driveway.
In a compound sentence: A compound sentence is a
sentence that has 2 independent clauses. An independent clause is a group of
words with a subject and verb that expresses a complete thought.
In a compound sentence we use comma
before: and, but, or, nor, for, so, or yet to join two independent clauses that
form a compound sentence.
Example:
-Linda ate a hamburger, but her
friend played basketball.
-John talked to the professor, and
he agreed with him.
Attention!
The compound sentence has to have two independent clauses, if not that will not
work.
For example:
Alpha
read the paper but didn’t agree with the thesis.
In that
sentence we don’t have any comma because the sentence after “but” is not an
independent clause. If we want to have a comma we say:
Alpha read the paper, but he didn’t agree with
the thesis
In a complex sentence: A complex sentence is sentences
that have one independent clause and one dependent clause joined together.
In a
complex sentence we use a comma after a dependent clause which is preceded by a
dependent marker.
Examples
of dependent marker: because, before, since, while, although, if, until, when,
after, as, as if.
Here is
an example of a complex sentence which has a comma:
-
Because doctors are concerned about the rising death rate from asthma, they
have called for more research into its causes.
In a
Restrictive vs Non restrictive
Restrictive
relative clauses are not set off by commas, while nonrestrictive clauses are.
As a
general rule, the pronoun “that” should be used for restrictive relative
clauses, and “which” should be used for nonrestrictive relative clauses.
If a
relative clause adds parenthetical, non defining information, it is
nonrestrictive.
A non
restrictive element is set off by
commas.
Example:
Mr. Smith, who is a well-respected lawyer, has just retired from active
practice.
The Mall
of America, which is located in Minnesota, is a great place for Christmas
shopping.
When the
relative clause limits or restricts the noun substitute it modifies, it is
restrictive.
It is
not set off by commas.
Example:
My brother that lives in Arizona is named Mehdy.
References Used
