Colons & semicolons: how to use them?

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The colon and semicolon (along with its cousin the comma) organize, separate, and control the individual elements of a sentence. They have not always been included in the world of punctuation; the semicolon did not appear in common usage until the 1400s for example. Initial sentence structure relied more on trailing punctuation, such as periods and question marks, to separate independent thoughts. The advent of both the colon and the semicolon allowed writers to form complex sentences, which gave written language much more variation and interest to readers.

The colon looks like a vertically stacked colon (:). It may be helpful to keep the period in mind as the rules of colon use are studied. Just like the period, the colon creates a permanent stop in the flow of a sentence. The most common use of this stopping power is to build anticipation for a long list of items. An independent sentence, which could stand on its own, often introduces a list like this: “The following articles should be read by all visitors to wiseGEEK: Euphemism, Pseudonym, Haiku and Palindrome”. In this sentence, the colon is used to set a list in the mind of the reader. The opening sentence is independent and strongly implies that a list must follow. The colon is used to separate the setting from the list itself. The individual elements of this list are separated by commas. If the list were even more complex, the semicolon can also be used to separate individual items: “The speakers at the conference were a cross-section of today’s brightest minds: Dr. S. Jones, chief neurosurgeon; S. Smith, mission coordinator; the Rev. J. Harris, parish spokesman; and J. Saunders, public relations officer”. Colons set up lists, but do not separate individual items in those lists. The colon should not be used in situations where the configuration is not independent: “The students who won the spelling bee were J. Smith, J. Doe, and T. Johnson.” In this case, the colon would not be needed.

Another use of the colon involves quotations. If the quote is long, a colon is often used to distinguish it from the rest of the sentence. “Mrs. Jones reminded students of Abraham Lincoln’s words: “Four and seven years ago, our forefathers begot on this earth a new nation, conceived in freedom and dedicated to the idea that all men are created equal.” However, colons should not be used to separate short quotes. “Forrest looked at the boy and said, ‘Stupid is like stupid.’ Colons are also used to separate dialogue in a theatrical or court transcript:
CATHERINE: I heard every word you said over there, Jeff.
JEFF: (angry) And you still made me think you weren’t home?
CATHERINE: I didn’t think you cared.
A colon can also be used to separate hours from minutes when writing times in a sentence: “She told me to come in at 8:15 in the morning, but I didn’t see her until 8:45.” Some style manuals also suggest that a colon can be used to connect two related sentences. Instead of writing “The plane is always late. The pilot never leaves on time.”, the colon could be used to create a complex sentence: “The plane is always late: the pilot never leaves on time”. This use of the colon is not common, but it fixes the common grammatical error called comma splicing. Some writers improperly connect two sentences with a comma, which can often make for a very awkward combination. Using a colon when the two sentences have a definite relationship is an acceptable solution.

The semicolon is also used to fix comma splices. A semicolon encourages the reader to relate two independent clauses: “The snow covered the walkways and entrances; officials suspended school for the day.” In this case, the semicolon implies a cause and effect relationship between the realities of the time and the actions of the referees. The same sentence could also contain a transition: “The snow covered the walkways and entrances; therefore, officials stopped school for the day.” Semicolons don’t create the same level of anticipation as colons, but they do create a stronger pause than commas.

Commas are often used to separate elements of dependent clauses, but semicolons only connect independent elements. Writers sometimes use dashes (-) in place of the semicolon to add a related thought, but the semicolon should be the default punctuation when connecting sentences with definite relationships. Beginning writers will often create simple sentences to avoid the use of semicolons, but practice and an understanding of the principles behind punctuation should lessen these fears.

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