When to use colons semicolons and commas

A semi-colon is used to join two sentences when they are very closely related and a conjunction becomes too wordy.

In place of a coordinating conjunction:

For example:

She loves me; she loves me not.

They say it's your birthday; it's my birthday too! - Paul McCartney

Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things. - Peter Drucker

Along with a conjunctive adverb:

Sometimes mistaken for a FANBOY, a conjunctive adverb actually joins two sentences with a semi-colon AND has additional punctuation inside the second sentence.

For example:

I hate spinach; however, I love broccoli.

I want to graduate with honors; furthermore, I want to go to law school.

I don't want to go out tonight; besides, I have homework to do.

Some common conjunctive adverbs include accordingly, also, however, furthermore, nevertheless, consequently, finally, likewise, and meanwhile.

Semi-colons are also used to separate items in a series when the items themselves contain commas.

Some important dates in US history are July, 4, 1776; December 7, 1941; and September 11, 2001.

A colon emphasizes what comes after it. It is used only when a comma isn’t enough to set off the next part of the sentence.

• To introduce a long list:

The baker gathered supplies for the competition: flour, sugar, eggs, butter, and milk.

• To introduce a long or formal quotation:

The preamble of the Declaration of Independence guarantees these rights: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

• To introduce an explanation:

My sweetie canceled our date for a really stupid reason: to go to the game.

Punctuation within sentences can be tricky; however, if you know just a few of the following rules, you will be well on your way to becoming a polished writer and proofreader.

Rule: Use a comma between two long independent clauses when conjunctions such as and, or, but, for, nor connect them.
Example: I have painted the entire house, but she is still working on sanding the floors.

Rule: If the clauses are both short, you may omit the comma.
Example: I painted and he sanded.

Rule: If you have only one clause (one subject and verb pair), you won’t usually need a comma in front of the conjunction.
Example: I have painted the house but still need to sand the floors.
This sentence has two verbs but only one subject, so it has only one clause.

Rule: Use the semicolon if you have two independent clauses connected without a conjunction.
Example: I have painted the house; I still need to sand the floors.

Rule: Also use the semicolon when you already have commas within a sentence for smaller separations, and you need the semicolon to show bigger separations.
Example: We had a reunion with family from Salt Lake City, Utah; Los Angeles, California; and Albany, New York.

Rule: A colon is used to introduce a second sentence that clarifies the first sentence.
Example: We have set this restriction: do your homework before watching television.
Notice that the first word of the second sentence is not capitalized. Whether to capitalize the first word after a colon depends on the stylebook or style guidelines you are following. If you have multiple sentences following the sentence with the colon and you bullet or otherwise itemize them, capitalization and punctuation are optional. For example, if each bullet or numbered point is a complete sentence, you might capitalize the first word and end each sentence with proper ending punctuation. The rule of thumb is to be consistent.

Rule: Use a colon to introduce a list when no introductory words like namely, for instance, i.e., e.g. precede the list.
Example: I need four paint colors: blue, gray, green, and red.

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When should semicolons and colons be used?

Where do you use commas semicolons and colons?

When should you use a semicolon instead of a comma?

What are the three rules for using a colon?