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Most people face a dilemma about when to use colons and semicolons in a sentence. The confusion between them is understandable, but picking the right one won’t be a problem if you are acquainted with the basics. There is hardly any situation where either a colon or semicolon is correct. In simple terms, a semicolon is a punctuation mark that is implemented in writing diverse parts of a sentence or list. On the other hand, a colon highlights a stronger and more direct relationship. It is used to provide emphasis, an example, or an explanation.
A colon’s job is to introduce information and give it context. You can think of it as shorthand for “thus” or “as follows.” A semicolon’s job is to explain a series and to express two closely related sentences. A colon separates a sentence into two independent clauses when they are explicitly related and you mean to highlight the second clause. For example: The weather is cloudy: It will be troublesome to go out. When it comes to parting the sentence into two independent clauses, you can use either a colon or semicolon. Consider the same example: The weather is cloudy; it will be troublesome to go out. The semicolon version is more conversational, while the colon feels more direct. Also, the clause after the colon begins with a capital letter.
British and American writers use colons and semicolons differently. For some time, the English people have been using a colon where most Americans rely on semicolons. According to expert grammarians, there is a fine line of difference between them. Semicolons should be used to connect independent clauses where there is a requirement for more separation than a comma would provide, but not so much as a period would impose. They can also be used to introduce evidence or support the preceding statement. Two sentences joined by a semicolon conveys deeper meaning than they would if kept separate. In other words, a semicolon highlights a deeper relationship. For this reason, assignment experts suggest considering semicolons as a shorthand for conjunction.
On the contrary, a colon is used for a more direct relationship. When you give an example, or a clarification of something, a colon will come in handy rather than a semicolon. Whether you use any of the above, don’t capitalize the first word after a semicolon, with proper nouns being the exception. However, you have to capitalize the first word after a colon, even be it a proper noun or an independent clause. There are also exceptions in this regard. If what follows a colon isn’t an independent clause, but a sentence fragment, you need to use lowercase.
Yes, a colon is necessary when the list follows a complete independent clause. For example: Marcos has different construction supplies in his basement: acrylic paints, clay, watercolours, coloured pencils, and papers of various types. After going through the above example, you can understand that “Marcos has different construction supplies in his basement” can be a sentence on its own, but the list that appears after it can’t. Here, the list of supplies gives detail to the above statement about possessing construction supplies in the basement but doesn’t modify its meaning. If the list doesn’t follow an independent clause, a colon is incorrect. Let’s have a look at the same example: When Marcos visited the construction supply store, he bought a new sketchpad, coloured pencils, and some charcoal.
Instances may arise when a semicolon is part of a list. More specifically, it’s between items in the list rather than at the starting. A semicolon is used to separate items clearly, especially if the items contain commas.
Have a look at these examples to get an idea of how colons and semicolons work in sentences:
It was a wonderful day: The sun was bright and the flowers were in full bloom.
The crows love to harass my dog; they sat all over its body when my dog was sleeping.
Avoiding colon and semicolon errors in assignments is a tricky affair for most learners. After going through the above blog, you must have got an idea of the same. The best approach is to check your content through the lens of a grammar tool. It will help you to spot the inconsistencies within seconds. You can also try the following methods if you want to reduce the number of colon and semicolon errors in your essay writing:
Dealing with colons and semicolons isn’t an easy job for students. Most learners misplace these elements in a sentence. If your teacher is particularly conscious about grammar and punctuation, you may lose marks in case of any wrongdoings. Don’t let that happen in your case. After all, it’s one of the silliest ways to lose marks. So, be careful before you plunge into the sea of colons and semicolons in your content.
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