Label each clause as independent, subordinate, relative, or not a clause. After the game ended Which was very large He swam across the lake Because your mother told you to do it Who works all day long Winning the tournament To the movie theater

Punctuation Rules:

When you have two independent clauses connected… Option 1 – Insert a comma followed by a conjunction. Your best friend is Mike, and I saw him yesterday. Option 2 – Insert a semicolon Your best friend is Mike; I saw him yesterday. Option 3 – Condense sentence, if possible. I saw your best friend, Mike, yesterday.

When you have a subordinate and independent clause connected… Insert a comma without adding a conjunction. A subordinate/dependent clause already contains a subordinate conjunction. Example: After you visit grandma, you should stop by Aunt Lucy’s house. It does not matter what the order of the clauses is for punctuation.

Using Conjunctive Adverbs… When using words such as however, therefore, for example, for instance, moreover, etc… Place a semicolon prior to the conjunctive adverb, and a comma afterwards. Example: I love their music; however, I can’t go to their concert.

Semicolon Rule: When using a semicolon, the two sides of the sentence need to be closely related. Bad example: Purple is my favorite color; he is wearing blue. – Yes they are both about color, but they aren’t tied together tightly.

Semicolon Rule: A subject and verb must be on both sides of the semicolon. Bad example: I need to bring supplies for the trip; for example, a tent, boots, sleeping bag, and pillow. Good example: I need to bring supplies for the trip; for example, I need a tent, boots, sleeping bag, and pillow.

The exception: A complete idea does not have to be on both sides of a semicolon, if there is a list in a sentence with individual units that contain commas within the units. Example: I plan to visit Richmond, Virginia; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Charleston, South Carolina.