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Semicolons and Colons. Name that Quote. "My Mama always said, 'Life was like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're gonna get.” What movie is this from and who said this quote? Why do we use the semicolon in this sentence?. An Introduction to Semicolons.
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Name that Quote • "My Mama always said, 'Life was like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're gonna get.” • What movie is this from and who said this quote? • Why do we use the semicolon in this sentence?
An Introduction to Semicolons • Semicolons are one of the most commonly misused grammatical components • The semicolon has many functions • 1) A semicolon is used to join two phrases that could stand alone as sentences instead of using a conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, yet, so). • Ex: Tennis is an amazing sport; I play at least twice a week.
Semicolons • 2). A semicolon is used to join two phrases that could stand alone as sentences joined by a conjunctive adverb (however, therefore, in addition, meanwhile, etc.). • Ex: I did not feel well yesterday; however I still went to the football game.
Semicolons • 3) A semicolon is used to separate phrases that are long or contain commas • Ex: I really need a vacation; I would love to visit Los Angeles, New York City, or Miami; but would not want to visit Tuscan, Oklahoma City, or Boston.
Semicolons • 4) A semicolon is used between items in a series if the items contain commas. • Ex: Some of the VMA winners were: Beyonce, Video of the Year; Lady Gaga, Best New Artist; and Green Day, who won Best Rock Video
Colons • 1) The colon is used after an independent clause to introduce a list of items. • My favorite types of food are: Italian, Chinese, and American.
Colons • 2) The colon may be used to emphasize a word, phrase, clause, or sentence which explains or impacts the main clause. • Ex: I discovered an animal that is even cuter than my dog: Meerkats
Colons • 3) Use a colon to introduce a quotation (only if the words before the colon are an independent clause). • Ex: My mom always used to screech: “Put your dishes up”!
Colons 4) Use the colon in the salutation in a formal business letter. -Ex: Dear Sir: or Dear Madam: