CommasSemicolonsColons
Commas
Commas are important to the writing process. They separate words and groups of words within sentences, allowing each word to stand out as its own idea. Although commas are common forms of punctuation, there are many rules for how they should be used in writing.
When should you use commas?
When are commas not required?
Additional Rules About Commas
Semicolons
Semicolons are often used to link related ideas in a sentence.
When should you use semicolons?
- Sometimes, two independent clauses are related, but there are no connecting words to link them together. In this case, a semicolon is needed. You can think of the semicolon as a “connector” between two independent clauses.
Example: French fries did not originate in France; many people think they came from Belgium. - Conjunctive adverbs are often used to link two independent clauses, and they require the assistance of a semicolon. A few conjunctive adverbs are indeed, consequently, also, however, therefore, moreover, and hence. When semicolons are used with conjunctive adverbs, the semicolon precedes the conjunctive adverb, and a comma follows the conjunctive adverb.
Example: I was going to visit my grandparents this weekend; however, I decided to go to the mountains with my friends instead. - Semicolons are required when you create a list or series within a sentence, and each part of the series uses a comma.
Example: Jack is going to travel to two countries, Germany and Switzerland; participate in two exciting activities, skiing and eating the local cuisine; and fly on several planes during his summer vacation. - Sometimes, two independent clauses are joined with a coordinating conjunction (for, and, but, etc). If such clauses are especially lengthy or contain commas, a semicolon is necessary to link these two clauses. When this occurs, the semicolon directly follows the first independent clause, and a comma directly follows the coordinating conjunction.
Example: Dogs like to chase frisbees, play with sticks, and dig; yet, cats enjoy playing with feathers, scratching furniture, and jumping on things.
Colons
A colon is a type of punctuation that consists of two equally sized circles that are centered on the same vertical line.
When should you use colons?
- Colons are used to introduce a list.
Example: Hope needs the following items from the grocery store: yogurt, noodles, milk, and peanut butter.
Note: a colon is used when listing, but there must be a complete sentence or an independent clause before the listed items. - Colons are used to introduce a single item.
Example: There was something dead on the side of the road: a deer. - Colons are used to introduce an explanation.
Example: Oatmeal is disgusting: the consistency is gross. - Colons are used to introduce speech.
Example: Hope screamed loudly at the soccer game: “Yeah girls score a goal!”
Note: You should capitalize the first letter of the first word of a complete sentence that is a quotation when it follows a colon. - Colons are used between independent clauses when the second sentence explains, illustrates, paraphrases, or expands on the first sentence.
Example: Jérôme’s house is extremely elegant: it even contains a formal sitting room. - Colons are also used to show the time.
Example: The meeting tomorrow is at 10:30 a.m.
Note: A colon is used to separate the hour and minutes when expressing the time. Also, there should not be a space before or after the colon.