 Semi-Colon, Colon, and Parenthesis

Semi-Colon  1). Two Independent Clauses with connective meaning  Example:  I went to the carnival with my grandmother; she was the worst date ever!

Semi-Colon  2). Conjunctive Adverbs: however, moreover, therefore, consequently, otherwise, nevertheless, thus  Example:  I went to the carnival with my grandmother; therefore, I had a terrible time.

Semi-Colon  3). Avoid Confusion: Sometimes sentences will have too many commas.  Example:  We went to Chicago, Illinois; Austin, Texas; and San Francisco, California for our road trip.

Practice – Place semi-colons where necessary. Explain why the sentence needed one.  I’m not a good man however, I’m not the worst either.  I was busy cleaning the house, inviting the guests, and cooking the meals, also, I was told to buy fruit, vegetables, and drinks.  The service learning project is almost finished what a nightmare!  On our road trip we travelled to Washington, D.C., Maryland, Boston, Massachusetts, and Springfield, Illinois.  The mock trial was very interesting to watch expressive personalities that I never knew of my students came out.

Colon  1). Presenting a List of Items:  Example: You need to bring three things to the campsite: clothing, a sleeping bag, and a toothbrush.

Colon  2). When you’re elaborating on something stated before the colon  Example:  I believe in two things: the power of nature and the unpredictability of man.

Colon  3). When you’re introducing a quotation after an independent clause  Example:  I try to live by a quote from Gone With the Wind: “After all, tomorrow is another day!”

Parenthesis  Use Parenthesis to Enclose Supplemental Information, e.g. asides, tangents, afterthoughts.  Example:  For the last five years (some say longer), the house on the hill has been haunted.