T HE SEMICOLON IS ONE OF THE MOST USEFUL BUT LEAST USED PUNCTUATION MARKS. F OR WHATEVER REASON, MANY OF US AVOID IT. M AYBE IT INTIMIDATES US ; IT SHOULDN ’ T. ( SEE, WASN ’ T THAT EASY ?)

Use a semicolon when you link two independent clauses with no connecting words Les Miserables is a great book; I can’t wait for the movie. I love learning in my English class; I wish I could come errrday.

you join two independent clauses together with one of the following conjunctive adverbs (adverbs that join independent clauses): however, moreover, therefore, consequently, otherwise, nevertheless, thus, etc. I love going to Baltimore to watch the Orioles win; however, I love watching them beat the Yankees the most. The Ravens’ stellar offense is marked by Ray Rice and Dennis Pitta; nevertheless, the staple of this team is their menacing defense. example

Use the semicolon to separate units of a series when one or more of the units contain commas. This conference has people who have come from Raleigh, North Carolina; Los Angeles, California; and Annapolis, Maryland. My favorite authors are Dr. Seuss, who used to put me to sleep as a child; Roald Dahl, because he’s the man; Randy Pausch; and Suzanne Collins, who writes flawlessly.

Y OUR TURN Combine these sentences using a semicolon to create one sentence: I love coming to school. Therefore, I get sad when the bell rings at 2:30. My favorite books are Life of Pi, because I love tigers, Les Miserables, because of its human compassion, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, because Mark Twain’s flawless use of local color transcends time, The Last Lecture, and Catch-22, because of it’s unique satirical prose. The debate in Baltimore on whether or not to resign Mark Reynolds has mixed reviews by many fans. If the O’s don’t sign him then they’ll have to look elsewhere for a first baseman. One that can preferably hit for power and flash the leather.