The semicolon is a punctuation mark that is used to separate complex sentences that aren’t separated by a conjunction (and, but, or).
The first semicolon was used in 1494 by Aldus Manutius. He used them to provide a smoother, faster transition for connecting sentences without having to break up the writing. The first notable English writer to use the semicolon was Ben Jonson, a poet and play write commonly compared to William Shakespeare.
Semicolons are not supposed to be used to create a pause, that’s what commas are for. The semicolon is strictly used to separate larger sentences similar in meaning. A semicolon does the same work as a period, but again, the sentences are similar in context and there is no pause. In many cases, students misuse the semicolon as a pause or break in their writing.
*Please note that following a semicolon the sentence begins with a lower case letter, unless the word is a proper noun.
Here are a few examples of how not to use a semicolon:
- I had a great weekend; visiting with friends, playing golf, and eating at a nice restaurant.
- Next weekend, I plan to go hiking; which is one of my favorite activities.
- It might rain next weekend, though; so I might have to stay inside.
- I like to spend time outdoors; and I can’t stand to stay inside.
As you can see above, the writer uses the semicolon as you would use a comma or in places where commas aren’t even necessary.
Here are a few examples of how to properly use the semicolon:
- I had a great weekend; I visited with friends, played golf, and ate at a nice restaurant.
- Next weekend, I plan to go hiking; hiking is one of my favorite activities.
- It might rain next weekend, though; I might have to stay inside.
- I like to spend time outdoors; I can’t stand to stay inside.
- My wife would like tea; I would prefer coffee.
- I went to the basketball court; I was told it was closed for cleaning.
- I told Kate she’s running for the hills; I wonder if she knew I was joking.
For this mini lesson, we have prepped a ‘Kahoot’ that students can use to define the semicolon and the parts it needs to function efficiently and most importantly correctly. Questions will provide definitions of the semicolons and independent clauses. We will attempt to test students on their knowledge thus far by providing correct and incorrect uses of the semicolon. The Kahoot can be accessed here.
By properly using a semicolon, not only are you creating more depth to your writing, but you are making your writing look much more professional and academically sound. The semicolon is probably one of the most commonly misused punctuation mark in the English language, but with proper understanding, it can also become the easiest. Just remember: it’s used to separate independent clauses with similar context.
Yeah, its that simple.
