1. Semicolons and Colons UWF Writing Lab Grammar Skills Series #2
From Real Good Grammar, Too by Mamie Webb Hixon
PowerPoint Created by Olivia Hawkins
Last Updated Spring 2017

2. RIGHT OR WRONG?
My favorite foods are: fettuccine alfredo pasta, ice cream, and miso soup.
Most of us wanted to attend the play; and go out for dinner.
A tomato is not a vegetable; it is a fruit.

3. How to Use a Semicolon

4. Use a semicolon between two independent clauses
Please close the windows; the room is too cold.
Tip: independent clause is “grammar-speak” for complete sentence.
What makes a complete sentence?
Subject
Verb
Complete Thought

5. Use a semicolon between two independent clauses connected by a conjunctive adverb
He took great care with his work; therefore, he was very successful.

6. Use a semicolon to separate items in a series when each item contains internal punctuation
I bought an old, dilapidated chair; a marble top table, which was in beautiful condition; and a gold rug.
We are thinking about moving to Omaha, Nebraska; Gainesville, Florida; or Memphis, Tennessee.

7. (coordinating conjunctions)
Use a semicolon between two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction if either or both of the clauses contains other internal punctuation
Success in college, some maintain, requires intelligence, industry, and perseverance; but others maintain that only personality is important.
FANBOYS
(coordinating conjunctions)
For
And
Nor
But Or
Yet So

8. ; ;

9. How to Use a Colon

10. Use a colon between an independent clause and a list or explanation
The company will present three plays by William Shakespeare this summer: Hamlet, Othello, and Macbeth.
There is only one thing left to do now: confess while you still have time.
I hate this one course: English.

11. Do not place a colon after a linking verb or a preposition
The high school I attended was: old, centrally located, and small.
The high school I attended was old, centrally located, and small.
In college algebra, students learn about: polynomials, complex numbers, and linear inequalities.
In college algebra, students learn about polynomials, complex numbers, and linear inequalities.
Tip
Insert the following to make a complete sentence:
“In college algebra, students learn about the following: polynomials, complex numbers, and linear inequalities.”

12. Do not place a colon before the words namely, for example, that is, or for instance even if these words introduce a list
We agreed to the plan: namely, to give him a surprise party.
We agreed to the plan, namely, to give him a surprise party.
Tip
A colon means the same thing as these words. If you are unsure whether to use a colon, substitute the word namely and see if your sentence makes sense.
If these words introduce a complete sentence, use a semicolon; if they introduce a phrase, use a comma or a dash.

13. Remember, you still need a full sentence before your colon!
Use a colon to separate introductory words from a quotation that follows
The acting director often used her favorite quotation from Shakespeare’s The Tempest: “We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep.”
Use this technique if the quote is long, formal, or paragraphed separately
Remember, you still need a full sentence before your colon!

14. RIGHT OR WRONG?
My favorite foods are: fettuccine alfredo pasta, ice cream, and miso soup.
Most of us wanted to attend the play; and go out for dinner.
A tomato is not a vegetable; it is a fruit.