Writing skills success - LearningExpress 2009
Lesson 6. Semicolons and colons
Pretest
Sometimes you get a glimpse of a semicolon coming, a few lines farther on, and it is like climbing a steep path through woods and seeing a wooden bench just at a bend in the road ahead, a place where you can expect to sit for a moment, catching your breath.
—Lewis Thomas, English scientist (1913-1993)
LESSON SUMMARY
Is it the colon that links and the semicolon that introduces? Or is it the other way around? You will learn exactly which does what in this lesson.
You learned to use semicolons to separate independent clauses in Lesson 3. In this lesson, you’ll review that use of semicolons, as well as the use of some of the other punctuation marks you have studied so far. You will learn how to use semicolons with conjunctive adverbs and when to separate items in a series with semicolons. You will also learn to use colons in business communications and other settings.
Begin by seeing how much you know. Insert semicolons and colons where you think they are needed in the Problem column on the following page. Check your answers against the correct version in the Solution column on the right as you go.
Problem
Dear Mr. Powell
This letter is a formal complaint regarding service our company received from your representatives at 130 p.m. on January 26, 1996. These are the procedures for which we were billed a complete scotomy, a procedure to rid the machinery of electrostatic material a comprehensive assessment, a procedure for checking all mechanical and electronic parts in the machinery and a thorough cleaning, a procedure necessary to keep the machine running efficiently.
This may be what the representative reported to have done however, only the first procedure in the list was finished. Only one of the three items was completed therefore, we should be refunded the amount charged for the other two services.
We are filing this complaint in accordance with your technical manual McDounah New Age Electronics A Complete Manual. This information is found in Volume 2, page 27 “Customers dissatisfied with our service for any reason have the right to file a full complaint within 10 (ten) days from the date of service. Such a complaint must be addressed in writing to Mr. Douglas Powell, Service Manager McDounah New Age Electronics Demming, Delaware. Mr. Powell will respond within two days to remedy the alleged problem or to refund the amount in question.”
We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Semicolons
There are three different cases in which a semicolon is used to separate independent clauses. (See Lesson 3 if you’ve forgotten what an independent clause is.)
Solution
Dear Mr. Powell:
This letter is a formal complaint regarding service our company received from your representatives at 1:30 p.m. on January 26, 1996. These are the procedures for which we were billed: a complete scotomy, a procedure to rid the machinery of electrostatic material; a comprehensive assessment, a procedure for checking all mechanical and electronic parts in the machinery; and a thorough cleaning, a procedure necessary to keep the machine running efficiently.
This may be what the representative reported to have done; however, only the first procedure in the list was finished. Only one of the three items was completed; therefore, we should be refunded the amount charged for the other two services.
We are filing this complaint in accordance with your technical manual McDounah New Age Electronics: A Complete Manual. This information is found in Volume 2, page 27: “Customers dissatisfied with our service for any reason have the right to file a full complaint within 10 (ten) days from the date of service. Such a complaint must be addressed in writing to Mr. Douglas Powell, Service Manager; McDounah New Age Electronics; Demming, Delaware. Mr. Powell will respond within two days to remedy the alleged problem or to refund the amount in question.”
We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
■ To separate independent clauses joined without a conjunction. This rule may seem familiar to you because it was also included in the last lesson.
Examples:
Three doctors began the research project; only one completed it.
Discard the packaging; save the paperwork for accounting.
The hour is over; it’s time to stop working.
■ To separate independent clauses that contain commas even if the clauses are joined by a conjunction. The semicolon helps the reader see where the break in thought occurs.
Example:
The team needed new equipment, updated training manuals, and better professional advice; but since none of this was provided, they performed as poorly as they had in the previous competition.
■ To separate independent clauses connected with a conjunctive adverb. Follow the adverb with a comma. A conjunctive adverb is an adverb that joins independent clauses. Conjunctive adverbs are punctuated differently from regular conjunctions. The first independent clause is followed by a semicolon; the conjunctive adverb is followed by a comma.
Examples:
Our copy of the central warehouse catalogue, arrived after the budget deadline; consequently, our requests are late.
In the book An American Childhood, Annie Dillard recounts her experiences as a child; furthermore, she questions and speculates about the meaning of life.
Here is a complete list of words used as conjunctive adverbs.
accordingly instead
besides moreover
consequently nevertheless
furthermore otherwise
hence therefore
however thus
Many people confuse subordinating conjunctions, such as because, though, until, and while, with the conjunctive adverbs previously mentioned. The difference is important. A clause beginning with a subordinating conjunction is only a subordinate clause; it can’t stand alone as a sentence. A clause with a conjunctive adverb is an independent clause, which should be separated from another independent clause with a period and capital letter or with a semicolon.
Here’s a trick to determine whether the word that begins a clause is a conjunctive adverb. If you can move the word around within the clause, it’s a conjunctive adverb. If you can’t, it’s probably a subordinating conjunction. For example, here are two main clauses:
My paycheck was delayed. I couldn’t pay my rent on time.
Here are two ways of joining those two main clauses:
My paycheck was delayed; therefore, I couldn’t pay my rent on time.
I couldn’t pay my rent on time because my paycheck was delayed.
Check whether the first version uses a conjunctive adverb. Can you move therefore around in its clause? Yes, you could say, “I couldn’t, therefore, pay my rent on time.” So therefore is a conjunctive adverb.
Use the same test to see whether because is a conjunctive adverb that should come after a semicolon. Can you move because around in its clause: “My paycheck because was delayed”? No. So because is a subordinating conjunction, and the clause it introduces is not a main clause.
There’s one more way a semicolon is used to separate:
■ Use a semicolon to separate items in a series if the items contain commas. Unlike items in a series separated by commas, a semicolon is used even when there is a conjunction.
Examples:
The dates we are considering for our annual party are Thursday, June 5; Saturday, June 7; Sunday, June 8; or Monday, June 9.
When we go to the lake, I am sure to take a pizza pan, a popcorn popper, and pancake griddle; fishing tackle, life jackets, and ski equipment; and puzzles, cards, board games, and my guitar.
The expansion committee is considering locations in Columbus, Ohio; Orange, California; Minton, Tennessee; and Jacksonville, Florida.
Practice
Practice what you’ve learned by adding semicolons where they are needed in the following sentences. You will find the answers at the end of this lesson.
1. I need a break I’ve been working for five hours straight.
2. The storm was torrential it hammered the small town with high winds and heavy rain.
3. We had no problem meeting the deadline however, we were still able to find ways of streamlining production.
4. It was a typical Saturday afternoon of washing clothes vacuuming and mopping the floors changing all the bed sheets and grocery shopping.
5. Paige left some of the confidential documents sitting on her desk at work consequently, she worried about their safety all night long.
Colons
Colons That Introduce
■ Use a colon to introduce a list of items, as long as the part before the colon is already a complete sentence.
Examples:
These people were cast in the play: Andrea, Horatio, Thom, Alley, and Benito.
We packed these items for the trip: cameras, dress clothes, scuba equipment, and beach wear.
■ Do not use a colon if the list of items complements a verb; in other words, if it completes the meaning begun by the verb. Look at the previous sample sentences rewritten in such a way that a colon is not necessary.
Examples:
The people cast in the play were Kristin, Horatio, Thom, Alley, and Benito.
For our trip, we packed cameras, dress clothes, scuba equipment, and beach wear.
■ Use a colon to introduce a formal quotation.
Example:
John F. Kennedy ended the speech with these notable words: “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.”
■ Use a colon to emphasize a word, phrase, or clause that adds particular emphasis to the main body of a sentence. Again, the part before the colon should already be a complete sentence.
Examples:
The financial problems our company has been experiencing have been caused by one thing: poor planning.
We were missing a vital piece of information: how the basic product design differed from last year’s model.
Colons That Show a Subordinate Relationship
Use a colon to show a subordinate relationship in the following cases:
■ Between two sentences when the second explains the first.
Examples:
Brenton shouted and threw his fists in the air: He had just set a new world record.
Nicole put the check into her scrapbook rather than cashing it: It was the first check she had ever earned.
Scott ignored the phone: He knew it was a salesman for whom he had no time.
■ Between the title and the subtitle of a book.
Examples:
Internet Starter Kit: A Complete Guide to Cyberspace
Beyond 2000: A Futuristic View of Time
O Death, Where is Thy Sting: Tales from the Other Side
■ Between volume and page number or between chapter and verse.
Examples:
World Book Encyclopedia V: 128
New Age Journal of Medicine IX: 23
John 3:16
Genesis 1:1
Psalms 23:2
■ Between hour and minute.
Examples:
12:53 a.m.
2:10 p.m.
■ After the greeting of a business letter. You learned that commas are used after greetings in personal or friendly letters. A colon signals the reader that what is to follow is a business matter, something to be taken seriously. This is particularly true if you include the position, but not the name of the person to whom the letter is addressed. However, even in a business letter, the closing is followed by a comma.
Examples:
Dear Mr. Strange: Cordially,
Dear Operations Manager: Respectfully submitted,
Practice
Choose the correctly punctuated version in each of the following sets of sentences. You will find the correct answers at the end of the lesson.
6. a. The next bus that leaves for Las Vegas, Nevada, from Bakersfield, California, is at 6:45 a.m.
b. The next bus that leaves for Las Vegas, Nevada from Bakersfield, California is at 6:45 a.m.
c. The next bus that leaves for Las Vegas Nevada, from Bakersfield California, is at 6:45 a.m.
7. a. Margo said she completed the application, however the last two sections were still blank.
b. Margo said she completed the application; however the last two sections were still blank.
c. Margo said she completed the application; however, the last two sections were still blank.
8. a. When I go to the employee retreat I’ll need a tennis racket, a bathing suit, a pair of sneakers, and a towel.
b. When I go to the employee retreat, I’ll need a tennis racket, a bathing suit, a pair of sneakers, and a towel.
c. When I go to the employee retreat, I’ll need: a tennis racket, a bathing suit, a pair of sneakers, and a towel.
9. a. Dear Aunt Sally:
It was so nice to see you at the family picnic yesterday.
b. Dear Aunt Sally,
It was so nice to see you at the family picnic yesterday.
c. Dear Aunt Sally;
It was so nice to see you at the family picnic yesterday.
10. a. Matthew made certain the essential items were packed for the weekend hike into Big Bear: a tent and stakes; sleeping bag; a working compass; extra food and water; a first-aid kit; a map, pencil, and paper; a flashlight with batteries and an extra bulb; insect repellant; and waterproof matches.
b. Matthew made certain the essential items were packed for the weekend hike into Big Bear, a tent and stakes, sleeping bag, a working compass, extra food and water, a first-aid kit, a map, pencil, and paper, a flashlight with batteries and an extra bulb, insect repellant, and waterproof matches.
c. Matthew made certain the essential items were packed for the weekend hike into Big Bear; a tent and stakes, sleeping bag, a working compass, extra food and water; a first-aid kit, a map, pencil, and paper, a flashlight with batteries and an extra bulb; insect repellant, and waterproof matches.
11. a. We agreed to plant tulips, a cheerful and colorful flower; daisies, a simply yet lovely crowd favorite; lavender, a delicate flowering herb; and ivy, a low-maintenance ground cover.
b. We agreed to plant tulips, a cheerful and colorful flower: daisies, a simply yet lovely crowd favorite: lavender, a delicate flowering herb: and ivy, a low-maintenance ground cover.
c. We agreed to plant tulips a cheerful and colorful flower, daisies a simply yet lovely crowd favorite, lavender a delicate flowering herb, and ivy, a low-maintenance ground cover.
12. a. The students learned the following information from the museum guide: the artist’s name; the artist’s date of birth; the artist’s credentials; and the artist’s general style.
b. The students learned the following information from the museum guide the artist’s name, the artist’s date of birth, the artist’s credentials, and the artist’s general style.
c. The students learned the following information from the museum guide: the artist’s name, the artist’s date of birth, the artist’s credentials, and the artist’s general style.
Answers
1. I need a break; I’ve been working for five hours straight.
2. The storm was torrential; it hammered the small town with high winds and heavy rain.
3. We had no problem meeting the deadline; however, we were still able to find ways of streamlining production.
4. It was a typical Saturday afternoon of washing clothes; vacuuming and mopping the floors; changing all the bed sheets; and grocery shopping.
5. Paige left some of the confidential documents sitting on her desk at work; consequently, she worried about their safety all night long.
6. a.
7. c.
8. b.
9. b.
10. a.
11. a.
12. c.
TIP
Take a look at some of the letters or communications you have received or written recently. Examine the punctuation. Did the author use end marks, commas, semicolons, and colons correctly? If not, correct them. It will be good practice.