Semi-Colons and Colons (and a Bit about the Ellipsis Mark)

1. Semi-Colons and Colons(and a Bit about the Ellipsis Mark) Many writers confuse semi-colons and colons. Let’s get them straight!

2. Rule #1 • You can use a semi-colon to join two independent clauses. Joining two independent clauses this way implies that the two clauses are related and/or equal, or perhaps that one restates the other.

3. Examples • Seinfeldwas definitely my favorite television show during the 1990s; in fact, it is my favorite television show of all time. • I am going to visit Anna in St. Louis next weekend; we’ll get to see the Arch, Busch Stadium, and the Landing.

4. Rule #2 • Use semi-colons between items in a list that already involve commas.

5. Examples • I have lived in Chicago, Illinois; Kansas City, Missouri; and Omaha, Nebraska. • The sweaters I bought today were purple, blue, and green; yellow, white, and red; and pink, black, and grey.

6. Rule #3 • Use a colon after an independent clause when introducing a list.

7. Examples • The catering facility offers the following entrees: fried catfish, grilled chicken, pan-seared salmon, and sirloin steak. • For our Saturday Extended Essay session in the Library, I brought the following goodies: cut-up cantaloupe and pineapple; squares of chocolate; sour cream and onion Pringles; and a bag of trail mix. Yum!

8. Rule #4 • Use a colon after an independent clause when introducing a quotation.

9. Examples • My teacher’s remark on my final essay was very complimentary: “This essay coherently analyzes musical trends of the late 20th century.” • Unfortunately, another teacher’s comments were somewhat distressing: “This is the most pathetic load of ##$%@#* that I have ever had the misfortune to read.”

10. Rule #5 • Use a colon between two independent clauses when you want to emphasize the second clause.

11. Examples • I don’t understand why everyone shops at that store: everything there is so expensive. • I know why you adopted that dog: she is nothing but adorable.

12. Rule #6 • Use a colon between independent clauses if the second summarizes or explains the first.

13. Examples • Faith is like love: it cannot be forced. • Faith is like love: It cannot be forced. (Also correct)

14. Rule #7 (Conventional Uses) • Use a colon after the salutation in a formal letter, to indicate hours and minutes, to show proportions, between a title and subtitle, and between city and publisher in bibliographic entries.

15. Examples • Dear Sir or Madam: • 5:30 p.m. • The ratio of women to men was 2:1. • The Glory of Hera: Greek Mythology and the Greek Family • Boston: Bedford, 2005.

16. Common Misuses of the Colon BETWEEN A VERB AND ITS OBJECT OR COMPLEMENT • Some important vitamins and minerals in vegetables are vitamin A, thiamine, niacin, and vitamin C BETWEEN A PREPOSITION AND ITS OBJECT • The heart’s two pumps each consist of an upper chamber, or atrium, and a lower chamber, or ventricle.

17. Another Common Misuse of the Colon AFTER SUCH AS, INCLUDING OR FOR EXAMPLE • The trees on our campus include many fine Japanese specimens such as black pines, ginkgos, and weeping cherries.

18. The Ellipsis Mark (or Ellipse) • The ellipsis mark consists of three spaced periods (. . .). Use an ellipsis mark to indicate that you have deleted material from an otherwise word-for-word quotation.

19. Example • Reuben reports that ‘when the amount of cholesterol circulating in the blood rises over . . . 300 milligrams per 100, the chances of a heart attack increase dramatically.”

20. More on the Ellipsis Mark If you delete a full sentence or more in the middle of a quoted passage, use a period before the three ellipsis dots. • “Most of our efforts,” writes Dave Erikson, “are directed toward saving the bald eagle’s wintering habitat along the Mississippi River. . . . It’s important that the wintering birds have a place to roost, where they can get out of the cold wind.”

21. A Final Use of the Ellipsis MarkDo NOT overuse this! • The ellipsis mark may also be used to mark a hesitation or an interruption in speech or to suggest unfinished thoughts.

22. Examples • “The apartment building next door. . . It’s going up in flames!” yelled Marcia. • Before falling into a coma, the victim whispered, “It was a man with a tattoo on his . . . .”