1. Semicolons and Colons ; and :

2. Joins two independent clauses Rachel works for the news; my brother Bill works in entertainment. Independent Clauses with transition words. I thought the party would never end; however, the police proved me wrong.

3. Lists with commas in the units In his career, Keith has interviewed Howard Dean, the former governor of Vermont; John Bolton, former ambassador to the U.N.; the Dalai Lama, and Michael Jackson, the former King of Pop.

4. Colons: Time and Plays Hamlet: Forsooth, it is 2:34 in the morn. Pray tell, at what hour doth the sun rise. Title:Subtitle Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn Thank You for Arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln… Bible Reference  Chapter:Verse I Kings 16:18

5. Related Clauses Joins Two Independent where the second explains the first. My dog is the perfect hiking companion: Siberian huskies have boundless energy.

6. Preceding a list Please purchase the following items: paint, brushes, and an easel. Don’t Split prepositional phrases or verb/compliment links. I ate: sushi, steak, and scallops The post office delivers during: rain, sleet, and snow.

7. Set long formal quotes Thoreau’s Walden is best summed up in his conclusion that resonates with naturalists of all stripes: “I went to the woods to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not when it came time to die discover that I had not lived.”