When to use Semi Colon

The English language in the written form is incomplete, without the usage of punctuation marks in it. Among the different punctuation marks in the language, the semi colon is a very simple one to understand but at the same time offers a solution to a lot of problems arising in sentence structuring. The semi colon is represented as a comma with a dot over it and pretty much shares the same usage of the comma, albeit with a slight but important difference in its usage. We shall look into the benefits of using the semi colon and the places or situations when it is necessary to use it.

A semi colon is to be used to distinguish closely related independent clauses. It is used to show a link but at the same time to avoid the merger of the meanings of the sentences. An example of this is this sentence; I went for a stroll in the park today; it was a windy day for a stroll. The above sentence will look totally meaningless if it is read as; I went for a stroll in the park today it was a windy day for a stroll. The semi colon however is not used when the sentences are joined with a conjunction word. It is not used in the same sentence when it is read as; I went for a stroll in the park today but it was a windy day for a stroll. The same semi colon can be used when there is a conjunctive adverb linking the two separate clauses in the sentence and when the succeeding clause is closely related the essence of the first one. A good example of this is this sentence; I like to drink wine; however, it gives me a headache if I drink it.

The semi colon is also used in some places as a super comma. In sentences where there are a lot of internal punctuation marks namely commas, the semi colon can used to interject thereby distinguishing and giving clarity to the sentence. The sentence ‘the electoral results in Alabama, Kentucky, Los Angeles, New York; Chicago, Buffalo, Denver, Washington and Delaware are eagerly awaited by the public’ is a good example of the usage of the semi colon as a super comma. The semi colon can also be used in situations when there are many different clauses in a sentence, which is joined by conjunctive adverbs and has a lot of punctuation marks. Usage here will ensure that the sentence is not misread to give a completely new meaning to the sentence. Hence we can say that the semi colon offers us numerous choices when we are framing a sentence and offers us the benefit of a comma or a period mark depending on its usage.

Author – writer baba