Dr. Grammar says:

“What’s wrong with these sentences? John has not slept in a week, however, he has managed to do the following, lose his job, break up with his girlfriend and break his leg.”

EXPLANATION:

Colons (:) and semicolons (;) look quite similar, but serve very different purposes. Most students have probably seen them used, but may be unsure how and where to use them.

This lesson will go over the uses of these two useful punctuation marks.

The Colon (:)

A colon is two dots, one above the other, and is often used for listing and for quoting.

Listing

In these sentences we haven’t used words to introduce the list (such as, for example, etc), so it is a good idea to use the colon to indicate that the list is starting:

When you go to university, you will need to remember three things: study, socialize and sleep.

There are two places you must visit when in my hometown: the museum and the botanical gardens.Quoting

In these sentences, the colon shows where a quote is starting:

Woody Allen, who is a famous comedian, once said: I'm not afraid to die. I just don't want to be there when it happens.

The genius Albert Einstein famously said: anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.

However, often these sentences may be written using quotation marks instead. For example:Woody Allen, who is a famous comedian, once said, “I'm not afraid to die. I just don't want to be there when it happens.”

The Semicolon (;)

Semicolons are a bit more difficult to understand, and to use correctly. They are commonly used when joining two independent clauses, but for two different reasons.

To make the reader think about the relationship

One reason to use a semicolon is to replace a transition signal that shows a relationship between sentences. Let’s look at an example to understand this more clearly:

She did no homework or self study and failed; he studied at home every day and passed with high marks.

We could write this sentence using but as the relationship between the two clauses is contrast. However, by not using but, it makes the reader pause and think about the connection between the sentences. Here’s another example:

The company did not check their machines very carefully; many employees were injured last month.

In this sentence, the relationship is probably cause and effect and we could say “so many employees were injured last month”. However, by using the semicolon, we are not saying there is a cause and effect relationship, and so are being more careful about what we say.

To link sentences with a transition signal

Another common use is to link sentences together where a transition signal such as however, on the other hand or therefore is used. For example:

Traffic in the city was banned for the festival; however, this didn’t prevent a few motorbikes from driving through the streets.

The Internet has grown rapidly all over the world; therefore, people in different countries can now communicate more easily.

So…

John has not slept in a week, however, he has managed to do the following, lose his job, break up with his girlfriend and break his leg. X

John has not slept in a week; however, he has managed to do the following: lose his job, break up with his girlfriend and break his leg. √

EXERCISE:

Try to add the correct punctuation to the following sentences using the lesson above to help you:

1. It is important to practice all four English skills listening, reading, writing and speaking.

2. There are many ways to use soya beans however, tofu is probably the most popular.

3. The doctor called me to say you are all better I cried with relief.

Answers:

1. It is important to practice all four English skills: listening, reading, writing and speaking.

2. There are many ways to use soya beans; however, tofu is probably the most popular.

3. The doctor called me to say: you are all better; I cried with relief.

FURTHER PRACTICE:

Now go to the article “Punctuation, Politics and Pandas” to see what problems might arise when punctuation is used incorrectly.

This material is provided by the Australian Centre for Education and Training (ACET).