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If the example is broken into two sentences, the expression becomes somewhat ambiguous: John does not-what?Ĥ. It is clear that John does not love pasta primavera. Consider this example: Susan loves pasta primavera John does not. We like to think of the semicolon as providing a greater degree of intimacy and clarity, in the right circumstances, than would two distinct sentences. It should have been called the “semiperiod,” as it is used to join two independent clauses that could stand alone as sentences where either (a) a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, etc.) or (b) a conjunctive adverb (however, therefore, etc.) has been omitted. Tsk-tsk, we beg to differ! It may be that the semicolon’s bad rap began with its naming. Kurt Vonnegut famously said the only reason to use one would be “to show you’ve been to college.” The semicolon is arguably the only punctuation mark subject to long-running ridicule by the writing public. If what follows after the colon is a list, then the words are lowercased.ģ. If either side of the colon can be its own sentence, the word after the colon is capitalized. Depending on its use, the first letter that follows the colon may or may not be capitalized. Like an Army sergeant, the colon is focused and demanding. The colon is straightforward in its application: It is used, as in this sentence, after an independent clause to (a) emphasize a word, phrase, or sentence which directly explains or illustrates the main clause or (b) introduce a list of items. It might not be the flashiest choice, but it gets the job done.Ģ. The comma is so common that usage examples would only elicit a chorus of “duhs.” Suffice it to say that as long as a comma doesn’t preempt a role specifically assigned to the colon, semicolon, or parentheses, it is generally the safe choice to set off information and separate elements. It doesn’t draw undue attention to itself or to the material it sets off or separates. The comma is the most modest of the marks. It wears many hats, but its two main functions are: (a) to set off nonessential expressions that interrupt the flow of thought and (b) to separate elements, thereby clarifying the relationship between them. The most versatile of the marks is the comma. Let’s take a look at how each is properly used:ġ. And some are like the pets that you put in the backyard when company comes over (we’re looking at you, parentheses).ĭashes, commas, colons, and ellipses are often used to heighten drama in a sentence. If you’ve been around long enough, you know that certain kinds of punctuation are trendy (hello, em dash!).