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Semicolons vs. Colons. Use a semicolon when you link two independent clauses with no connecting words. . Examples: I am going home; I intend to stay there. It rained heavily during the afternoon; we managed to have our picnic anyway.
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Use a semicolon when you link two independent clauses with no connecting words. Examples: • I am going home; I intend to stay there. • It rained heavily during the afternoon; we managed to have our picnic anyway. • They couldn't make it to the summit and back before dark; they decided to camp for the night.
You can also use a semicolon when you join two independent clauses together with one of the following conjunctive adverbs. • Conjunctive adverbs: however, moreover, therefore, consequently, otherwise, nevertheless, thus, etc. • Examples: • I am going home; moreover, I intend to stay there. • It rained heavily during the afternoon; however, we managed to have our picnic anyway. • They couldn't make it to the summit and back before dark; therefore, they decided to camp for the night.
Use a semicolon to join elements of a series when individual items of the series already include commas. Example: • Recent sites of the Olympic Games include Athens, Greece; Salt Lake City, Utah; Sydney, Australia; Nagano, Japan.
Use a colon to join 2 independent clauses when you wish to emphasize the second clause or when followed by a list, a quotation, appositive, or other idea directly related to the independent clause. • Road construction in Dallas has hindered travel around town: parts of Main, Fifth, and West Street are closed during the construction. • I went to the grocery store to buy what we needed for dinner: beef, carrots, celery and potatoes.
Use a colon at the end of a business letter greeting. Example: • To Whom It May Concern: