Each entry starts with a simple explanation and basic examples before moving to real. To the delight of word nerds everywhere, grammar girl s quick and dirty tips for better writing came out yesterday. Instead of having a period in between them, you use a semicolon and change the capital letter of the second sentence to lowercase. Test your knowledge of comma usage by reading back through this article. Dauphin island, located off the coast of alabama, is a favorite spot for fishing. After the sheep was cloned, the cows tried calling the tabloids. Mignon fogarty, grammar girl, wrote a nyt bestseller, grammar girls quick and dirty tips for better writing. Aug 31, 2011 comma vs semicolon difference between comma and semicolon is a very confusing matter to many as most of us do not know when to use which. When the last comma in a series comes before and or or after daughterinlaw in the above example, it is known as the oxford comma. Uses of the semicolon the semicolon is used to separate lengthy coordinate clauses where the coordinate conjunction is omitted. Heres a fun, free, and awesome online activity about commas and semicolons. Placement with periods, commas, question marks, and semicolons. Thus, you only need semicolons to separate the units of the series from each other and not from the rest of the sentence. Its essentially acting as a comma, but removing some of the confusion that might occur if we had so many commas in one sentence.
The semicolon looks like a period on top of a comma. Use a comma to separate two adjectives when the order of the adjectives is interchangeable. Grammar girls quick and dirty tips for better writing by. Serial commas and serial semicolons by erika suffern serial commas. If the series is long and complex or any one element has a comma within it, separate each element of the series with a semicolon. Make a list of the commas used and see if you can explain why they are there, according to the rules presented. By the end of this video, you will know the basics about using a semicolon. Mignon fogarty is the founder of quick and dirty tips and the author of seven books on language, including the new york times bestseller. Semicolons are used in place of a period to separate two independent clauses that are joined without a conjunction. Imagine im worried about a library book that is due tomorrow. That adverb needs to be snuggled between a semicolon and a comma. Dont replace the second emdash as some tend to with a comma or semicolon.
She breaks down sometimes thorny grammatical questions in a real world, nononsense way. They are used to separate two clauses that are grammatically independent but have related meanings. The teacher corrected the papers and entered the grades in the grade book. As he read the chekhov story, he became aware of the russians genius. Difference between comma and semicolon compare the. Jul 19, 2012 under semicolon, the book says, its main role is to indicate a separation between two parts of a sentence that is stronger than a comma but less strong than dividing the sentence in two.
Semicolons and commas are used to link two sentences or. Learn when to use colons, when to use semicolons, when to use commas, and how the three are. Now you can add the first printed book from mignon fogarty a. I couldnt decide whether to drive or walk to the grocery store. If youre joining two main clauses with a conjunctive adverb, you need a semicolon before that adverb, and a comma after. Given its function, it should have been called a semifull stop or a semiperiod. Mignon fogarty is the founder of quick and dirty tips and the author of seven books on language, including the new york times bestseller grammar girl s quick and dirty tips for better writing. Using commas, semicolons, and colons within sentences. When to use a semicolon best known for its utility in making winky faces, the semicolon can also be a useful grammatical tool. How do i know when to use a comma and when to use a semicolon. In the current edition of the blue book of grammar and punctuation and on the website, we have stated a preference for use of the serial, or oxford, comma.
When the phrases are short, a comma is preferable to the semicolon. Colons and semicolons should never be used interchangeably. Some writers seem to think that semicolons are fancy commas that create longer pauses that commas. She is an inductee in the podcasting hall of fame, and the show is a fivetime winner of best education podcast in the podcast awards.
No commas with which, that and who grammar monster. Semicolons and colons quiz 1 the blue book of grammar and. Commas with transition words grammar girl quick and dirty tips. One of my favorite old grammar books, titled punctuate it right, has. April 2011 the blue book of grammar and punctuation. Oct 01, 2006 in the current edition of the blue book of grammar and punctuation and on the website, we have stated a preference for use of the serial, or oxford, comma. This timesaving video by brightstorm explains how to properly use semicolons. Sep 22, 20 by the end of this video, you will know the basics about using a semicolon. We are glad to hear that you find the blue book of grammar and punctuation helpful. Another way to look at it is to consider the simplest form of the sentence, which could be pam reid, a registered nurse, attended the meeting. For each of the following, choose the sentence with the correct punctuation.
Determine whether to use a comma, a semicolon, or no punctuation at all. It should indeed be known that both are not one and the same punctuation. Under semicolon, the book says, its main role is to indicate a separation between two parts of a sentence that is stronger than a comma but less strong than dividing the sentence in two. Ixl use semicolons, colons, and commas with lists 8th. Jun 15, 2017 serial commas and serial semicolons by erika suffern serial commas. But in writing, the comma only makes the sentence seem stilted. Interestingly, the dispute was resolved through the use of semicolons and cash. Most of the time, you dont need a comma before as well as. Semicolons separate clauses semicolons separate things.
One of our readers wrote that her grammar issues are the colon. Comma vs semicolon difference between comma and semicolon is a very confusing matter to many as most of us do not know when to use which. Serial commas and serial semicolons the mla style center. The semicolon is one of the least common punctuation marks, but it is a useful one. Semicolons can help create variety, emphasize relatedness and separate items in. Both the colon and the semicolon are made on a keyboard.
Semicolons can help create variety, emphasize relatedness and separate items in a list. I love that the colon and semicolon have been brought into question for a few reasons. Written with the wit, warmth, and accessibility that the podcasts are known for, grammar girls quick and dirty tips for better writing covers the grammar rules and wordchoice guidelines that can confound even the best writers. In certain uses, this is a reasonably accurate definition. The semicolon makes sense because the second clause expands on the. In us english, periods and commas go inside quotation marks. One of my favorite old grammar books, titled punctuate it right, has a. In this lesson, we will take a look at the colon vs semicolon.
Jan 01, 2008 now you can add the first printed book from mignon fogarty a. When to use the semicolon english practice learn and. This comma precedes the final item in a list or series, before the word and or or. When we have a list inside of another list, or elements in a list that already have commas in them, we use semicolons to separate all the elements to make sure the sentence is. Writers must decide oxford or no oxford and not switch back and forth, except when omitting the oxford comma could cause confusion as in the cheese and crackers example. Think you know when to use a semicolon in your writing. Using commas, semicolons, and colons within sentences two weeks ago we revisited the case of the lawsuit brought by a group of maine dairy truck drivers that centered on the proper use of commas. Rule 1 to avoid confusion, use commas to separate words and word groups with a series of three or more. The same is true of periods, question marks, commas, and exclamation points. Grammar project commas, semicolons, colons youtube. When should one use the comma versus the semicolon, and vice. Semicolons are sometimes used instead of full stops. Mignon fogarty is the founder of quick and dirty tips and the author of seven books on language, including the new york times bestseller grammar girls quick and dirty tips for better writing.
My second book, the grammar devotional, is now available in stores. Fiction and nonfiction books generally prefer the oxford comma. Please note that there are a few other ways of using semicolons i. Grammar girl books grammarpopbooks grammar girl is part of the quick and dirty tips podcast. Perhaps no mark of punctuation ruffles feathers more than the serial comma also called series comma, oxford comma, and harvard comma. My estate goes to my husband, son, daughterinlaw, and nephew.
Most commonly, they separate two main clauses that are closely related to each other but could stand on their own as sent. Use commas to separate words and word groups in a simple series of three or more items. This chart from grammar girl presents the ultimate writing guide for students gives examples of the 15 most common ways to use a comma. In this example we use the coordinating conjunction and but have 1 subject and 2 verbs. Remember, a main clause, also known as an independent clause, is just something that could be a complete sentence if it were all by itself. Like commas, semicolons indicate an audible pauseslightly longer than a commas, but short of a periods full stop. In fact, commas have a very specific place and its generally incorrect to use them. In short, a semicolon is used when two complete sentences independent clauses are joined. Nov 28, 2017 one of our readers wrote that her grammar issues are the colon. Although she herself is interested in a lot of the fiddly aspects of grammar, she writes and podcasts this is a cleanedup collection of past podcasts for those who just want to know how to write better. How to use semicolons grammar girl quick and dirty tips.
Improve your language arts knowledge with free questions in use semicolons, colons, and commas with lists and thousands of other language arts skills. Some of the items represent style choices instead of rules, such as how to use a comma in a list, but when youre making a simple list, you have to make choices. See more ideas about grammar and punctuation, grammar, teaching grammar. Jun 22, 2017 remember, a main clause, also known as an independent clause, is just something that could be a complete sentence if it were all by itself. Most commonly, the semicolon is used between two independent clauses i. In fact, commas have a very specific place and its generally incorrect to use them solely when you want the reader to pause. Semi colons provide medium separation between ideas and can help vary your sentence structure. English grammar worksheets grammar tips grammar and punctuation learn english grammar spelling and grammar grammar lessons writing lessons teaching english grammar rules this resource would be useful for students to receive as a handout after a mini lesson on commas with all the uses of commas clearly listed, along with examples, for their. Writers are often tempted to insert a comma between a subject and verb this way because speakers sometimes pause at that point in a sentence. Use a semicolon along with a conjunctive adverb and a comma to clarify the relationship between two closely related complete sentences. Yes, it is a general rule that there should not be a space before a semicolon or colon.
Buy our book smashing grammar 2019 written by the founder of grammar monster, smashing grammar includes a glossary of grammar essentials from apostrophes to zeugma and a chapter on easily confused words from affecteffect to whetherif. When the last comma in a series comes before and or or after daughterinlaw in. A colon is like a literary equals sign as opposed to mathematical one, and a semicolon is like a half full stop or half period. Grammar girl breaks down when and how to use colons, including when formatting lists. Most commonly, they separate two main clauses that are closely. Although the colon and the semicolon look similar, they each have very different uses in the english language. Grammar girl explains how to use them well and improve your. The semicolon is sometimes described as stronger than a comma but weaker than a period. To the delight of word nerds everywhere, grammar girls quick and dirty tips for better writing came out yesterday. How to use the comma and semicolon correctly pen and the pad. Also check out the recent post on serial commas and serial semicolons on the mla style center.
Learn what a comma splice is and how to fix comma splices in your writing. Use a semicolon to separate units of a series when one or more of the units contain commas. With few exceptions, a comma should not separate a subject from its verb. Using a comma turns the thing youre talking about with as well as into an asideinformation thats less important than the rest of the sentence. Use a semicolon between main clauses connected by conjunctive adverbs such as however, nevertheless, moreover, for example, and consequently. Conjunctive adverbs include however, therefore, in addition, moreover, subsequently, consequently, instead, and additionally. In french, a semicolon pointvirgule, literally dotcomma is a separation between two full sentences, used where either a colon or a comma would not be appropriate. Also check out the recent post on serial commas and serial semicolons on. Grammar girls quick and dirty tips to clean up your writing. The blue book of punctuation and grammar gives this example. Semicolons punctuation rules the blue book of grammar. Use a semicolon to join independent clauses when one or both clauses contains a comma. Written with the wit, warmth, and accessibility that the podcasts are known for, grammar girl s quick and dirty tips for better writing covers the grammar rules and wordchoice guidelines that can confound even the best writers. Aug 24, 2017 in short, a semicolon is used when two complete sentences independent clauses are joined.
The fanboys are a set of conjunctions for, and, nor, but, or yet, so, that used with a comma can combine two independent clauses in the same sentence. Identifying how an emdash is used and actually using one in your own writing are two different things, the latter being trickier. Learn grammar commas semicolons colons with free interactive flashcards. Heres the scoop on using commas and semicolons with however, therefore. Test your ability by identifying which sentences are correct. In each sentence, a popup box is placed where punctuation might be needed. Today, i would like to demystify the colon and semicolon just like we demystified that dirty word grammar. In grade school you were likely taught that a comma signifies a pause.
The phrase following a semicolon has to be an independent clause, which is related to the previous one but not explaining it, contrary to a sentence introduced by a colon. Even better, you arent limited to two independent clauses. Choose from 335 different sets of grammar commas semicolons colons flashcards on quizlet. Commas punctuation rules the blue book of grammar and. Also, learn the rules for spacing and capitalization after a colon.