The Semicolon as a The Semicolon as a ConnectorConnector

The Semicolon as a The Semicolon as a ConnectorConnector

Lesson 11Lesson 11Joseph C. BlumenthalJoseph C. Blumenthal

We have seen that two similar or related sentences that are equal in importance can be combined into a compound sentence by using the _________ and, but, or or.

We have seen that two similar or related sentences that are equal in importance can be combined into a compound sentence by using the conjunction and, but, or or.

Another useful device for holding two sentences together is the semicolon (;). In many compound sentences, we can use a semicolon in place of the conjunction.

The ceiling was low, and all planes were The ceiling was low, and all planes were grounded.grounded.

The ceiling was low; all the planes were The ceiling was low; all the planes were grounded.grounded.

The semicolon replaces the conjunction ____.

Another useful device for holding two sentences together is the semicolon (;). In many compound sentences, we can use a semicolon in place of the conjunction.

The ceiling was low, The ceiling was low, andand all planes were all planes were grounded.grounded.

The ceiling was low; all the planes were The ceiling was low; all the planes were grounded.grounded.

The semicolon replaces the conjunction _and__.

The ceiling was low; all the planes were The ceiling was low; all the planes were grounded.grounded.

After the semicolon, the compound sentence continues with a (small, capital) letter.

The ceiling was low; The ceiling was low; aall the planes were ll the planes were grounded.grounded.

After the semicolon, the compound sentence continues with a (smallsmall, capital) letter.

The committee discussed the problem. The committee discussed the problem. But they reached no conclusions. But they reached no conclusions.

The committee discussed the problem; The committee discussed the problem; they reached no conclusions. they reached no conclusions.

The semicolon replaces the conjunction ____.

The committee discussed the problem. The committee discussed the problem. But they reached no conclusions. But they reached no conclusions.

The committee discussed the problem; The committee discussed the problem; they reached no conclusions. they reached no conclusions.

The semicolon replaces the conjunction but.

The deadline was rapidly approaching; The deadline was rapidly approaching; we worked furiously to meet it.we worked furiously to meet it.

In this sentence, the semicolon replaces the conjunction _____.

The deadline was rapidly approaching; The deadline was rapidly approaching; we worked furiously to meet it.we worked furiously to meet it.

In this sentence, the semicolon replaces the conjunction and or so.

I could see them; they couldn’t see me.I could see them; they couldn’t see me.

In this sentence, the semicolon replaces the conjunction ______.

I could see them; they couldn’t see me.I could see them; they couldn’t see me.

In this sentence, the semicolon replaces the conjunction _but__.

The bottle should be tightly closed; the The bottle should be tightly closed; the perfume will evaporate.perfume will evaporate.

In this sentence, the semicolon replaces the conjunction ____.

The bottle should be tightly closed; the The bottle should be tightly closed; the perfume will evaporate.perfume will evaporate.

In this sentence, the semicolon replaces the conjunction _or_.

a.a. Doris had made up her mind; Doris had made up her mind; nothing could change it. nothing could change it.

b.b. Virginia didn’t vote; she couldn’t Virginia didn’t vote; she couldn’t make up her mind. make up her mind.

In which sentence does the semicolon take the place of because? (a,b)

A semicolon can also take the place of because, which is not a regular conjunction such as and, but, or or.

a.a. Doris had made up her mind; Doris had made up her mind; nothing could change it. nothing could change it.

b.b. Virginia didn’t vote; she couldn’t Virginia didn’t vote; she couldn’t make up her mind. make up her mind.

In which sentence does the semicolon take the place of because? (a,b)

A semicolon can also take the place of because, which is not a regular conjunction such as and, but, or or.

a.a. The child fell asleep; she was tired The child fell asleep; she was tired out from playing. out from playing.

b.b. We listened very carefully; we could We listened very carefully; we could hear nothing. hear nothing.

In which sentence does the semicolon take the place of because? (a,b)

a.a. The child fell asleep; she was tired The child fell asleep; she was tired out from playing. out from playing.

b.b. We listened very carefully; we could We listened very carefully; we could hear nothing. hear nothing.

In which sentence does the semicolon take the place of because? (a,b)

a.a. Few people attended the game Few people attended the game because of the bad weather. because of the bad weather.

b.b. Paula didn’t worry because she was Paula didn’t worry because she was well-prepared for the test. well-prepared for the test.

In which sentence could the semicolon take the place of because? (a,b)

a.a. Few people attended the game Few people attended the game because of the bad weather. because of the bad weather.

b.b. Paula didn’t worry; she was well-Paula didn’t worry; she was well-prepared for the test. prepared for the test.

In which sentence could the semicolon take the place of because? (a,b)

We can contribute two simple sentences into a compound sentence by using either a conjunction or a _______.

We can contribute two simple sentences into a compound sentence by using either a conjunction or a semicolon.

When might we use a semicolon in preference to a conjunction? If there are too many and’’s in a sentence, we may get rid of one by substituting a semicolon.

The patient asked for steak and The patient asked for steak and potatoes, and the doctors and potatoes, and the doctors and nurses were astonished.nurses were astonished.

How many and’s are there in this sentence? ________

When might we use a semicolon in preference to a conjunction? If there are too many and’’s in a sentence, we may get rid of one by substituting a semicolon.

The patient asked for steak and The patient asked for steak and potatoes, and the doctors and potatoes, and the doctors and nurses were astonished.nurses were astonished.

How many and’s are there in this sentence? _three__

The patient asked for steak and The patient asked for steak and potatoes, and the doctors and potatoes, and the doctors and nurses were astonished. nurses were astonished.

To get rid of one of the three and’s, we can substitute a semicolon for the and which follows the word ______.

The patient asked for steak and The patient asked for steak and potatoes, and the doctors and potatoes, and the doctors and nurses were astonished. nurses were astonished.

To get rid of one of the three and’s, we can substitute a semicolon for the and which follows the word potatoes.

The weather was hot and sticky, and The weather was hot and sticky, and the boys and girls were listless.the boys and girls were listless.

To get rid of one of the three and’s, we can substitute a semicolon for the and which follows the word _____.

The weather was hot and sticky, and The weather was hot and sticky, and the boys and girls were listless.the boys and girls were listless.

To get rid of one of the three and’s, we can substitute a semicolon for the and which follows the word sticky.

The gold and the silver finally gave The gold and the silver finally gave out, and many miners settled down out, and many miners settled down and became farmers. and became farmers.

To get rid of one of the three and’s, we can substitute a semicolon for the and which follows the word _____.

The gold and the silver finally gave The gold and the silver finally gave out, and many miners settled down out, and many miners settled down and became farmers. and became farmers.

To get rid of one of the three and’s, we can substitute a semicolon for the and which follows the word _out_.

a.a. You need your school, and your You need your school, and your school needs you.school needs you.

b.b. You need your school; your school You need your school; your school needs you.needs you.

Which sentence is more brisk and forceful? (a,b)

If you have a good ear for the sound of sentences, you have noticed that a semicolon produces a quicker, brisker rhythm than a conjunction.

a.a. You need your school, and your You need your school, and your school needs you.school needs you.

b.b. You need your school; your school You need your school; your school needs you.needs you.

Which sentence is more brisk and forceful? (a,b)

If you have a good ear for the sound of sentences, you have noticed that a semicolon produces a quicker, brisker rhythm than a conjunction.

a.a. You can sell your home; you can’t You can sell your home; you can’t sell rent receipts.sell rent receipts.

b.b. You can sell your home, but you You can sell your home, but you can’t sell rent receipts.can’t sell rent receipts.

Which sentence is more brisk and forceful? (a,b)

a.a. You can sell your home; you can’t You can sell your home; you can’t sell rent receipts.sell rent receipts.

b.b. You can sell your home, but you You can sell your home, but you can’t sell rent receipts.can’t sell rent receipts.

Which sentence is more brisk and forceful? (a,b)

a.a. Clyde sat right in front of me, and Clyde sat right in front of me, and we soon became close friends. we soon became close friends.

b.b. The brakes failed, and the car The brakes failed, and the car crashed into the truck.crashed into the truck.

In which sentence is the action more exciting? (a,b)

a.a. Clyde sat right in front of me, and Clyde sat right in front of me, and we soon became close friends. we soon became close friends.

b.b. The brakes failed, and the car The brakes failed, and the car crashed into the truck.crashed into the truck.

In which sentence is the action more exciting? (a,b)

a.a. Clyde sat right in front of me, and Clyde sat right in front of me, and we soon became close friends. we soon became close friends.

b.b. The brakes failed, and the car The brakes failed, and the car crashed into the truck.crashed into the truck.

Which sentence, because of its more exciting action, would benefit more from the brisk effect of a semicolon? (a,b)

a.a. Clyde sat right in front of me, and Clyde sat right in front of me, and we soon became close friends. we soon became close friends.

b.b. The brakes failed, and the car The brakes failed, and the car crashed into the truck.crashed into the truck.

Which sentence, because of its more exciting action, would benefit more from the brisk effect of a semicolon? (a,b)

a.a. The strike was called, and five The strike was called, and five thousand workers laid down their thousand workers laid down their tools.tools.

b.b. The game was very slow, and many The game was very slow, and many fans left the stadium.fans left the stadium.

In which sentence would the use of a semicolon reinforce the excitement of the action? (a,b)

a.a. The strike was called, and five The strike was called, and five thousand workers laid down their thousand workers laid down their tools.tools.

b.b. The game was very slow, and many The game was very slow, and many fans left the stadium.fans left the stadium.

In which sentence would the use of a semicolon reinforce the excitement of the action? (a,b)

a.a. Bea shook the branches, the apples Bea shook the branches, the apples came tumbling down.came tumbling down.

b.b. Bea shook the branches; the apples Bea shook the branches; the apples came tumbling down.came tumbling down.

Which sentence is correctly punctuated? (a,b)

Don’t use a comma without a conjunction to connect sentences. Only a semicolon has the power to hold two sentences together without the help of and, but, or or.

a.a. Bea shook the branches, the apples Bea shook the branches, the apples came tumbling down.came tumbling down.

b.b. Bea shook the branches; the apples Bea shook the branches; the apples came tumbling down.came tumbling down.

Which sentence is correctly punctuated? (a,b)

Don’t use a comma without a conjunction to connect sentences. Only a semicolon has the power to hold two sentences together without the help of and, but, or or.

a.a. The weather was wet, and the field The weather was wet, and the field was muddy.was muddy.

b.b. The weather was wet, the field was The weather was wet, the field was muddy.muddy.

In which sentence is the comma correctly used? (a,b)

a.a. The weather was wet, and the field The weather was wet, and the field was muddy.was muddy.

b.b. The weather was wet, the field was The weather was wet, the field was muddy.muddy.

In which sentence is the comma correctly used? (a,b)

a.a. The weather was wet, and the field The weather was wet, and the field was muddy.was muddy.

b.b. The weather was wet, the field was The weather was wet, the field was muddy.muddy.

Which sentence is correctly punctuated? (a,b)

a.a. The weather was wet, and the field The weather was wet, and the field was muddy.was muddy.

b.b. The weather was wet, the field was The weather was wet, the field was muddy.muddy.

Which sentence is correctly punctuated? (a,b)

If you omit the conjunction from a compound sentence. Put a (comma, semicolon) in its place.

If you omit the conjunction from a compound sentence. Put a (comma, semicolon) in its place.

There are a number of adverbs that are sometimes mistaken for conjunctions.

ADVERBS:ADVERBS:

howeverhowever otherwiseotherwiseneverthelessnevertheless

therefore therefore consequentlyconsequentlyfurthermorefurthermoreSince these words are adverbs, they do not have the power of _________ to combine sentences.

There are a number of adverbs that are sometimes mistaken for conjunctions.

ADVERBS:ADVERBS:

howeverhowever otherwiseotherwiseneverthelessnevertheless

therefore therefore consequentlyconsequentlyfurthermorefurthermoreSince these words are adverbs, they do not have the power of conjunctions to combine sentences.

a.a. The air is humid, therefore the paint The air is humid, therefore the paint dries slowly.dries slowly.

b.b. The air is humid, and therefore the The air is humid, and therefore the paint dries slowly.paint dries slowly.

Which sentence is incorrect because there is no conjunction to connect its two parts? (a,b)

a.a. The air is humid, therefore the paint The air is humid, therefore the paint dries slowly.dries slowly.

b.b. The air is humid, and therefore the The air is humid, and therefore the paint dries slowly.paint dries slowly.

Which sentence is incorrect because there is no conjunction to connect its two parts? (a,b)

The air is humid, and therefore the paint The air is humid, and therefore the paint dries slowly.dries slowly.

The word therefore is not a conjunction and has no connecting power. For this reason, we need to use the conjunction ____ in this sentence.

The air is humid, and therefore the paint The air is humid, and therefore the paint dries slowly.dries slowly.

The word therefore is not a conjunction and has no connecting power. For this reason, we need to use the conjunction _and_ in this sentence.

The air is humid; therefore the paint dries The air is humid; therefore the paint dries slowly.slowly.

This sentence is correct because a semicolon has the power of a _________ to connect the two parts of a compound sentence.

The air is humid; therefore the paint dries The air is humid; therefore the paint dries slowly.slowly.

This sentence is correct because a semicolon has the power of a conjunction to connect the two parts of a compound sentence.

a.a. It rained all day, nevertheless everyone It rained all day, nevertheless everyone had a good time.had a good time.

b.b. It rained all day, but everyone had a It rained all day, but everyone had a good time.good time.

Which sentence is correct because its two parts are connected by a conjunction. (a,b)

a.a. It rained all day, nevertheless everyone It rained all day, nevertheless everyone had a good time.had a good time.

b.b. It rained all day, but everyone had a It rained all day, but everyone had a good time.good time.

Which sentence is correct because its two parts are connected by a conjunction. (a,b)

a.a. It rained all day, nevertheless everyone It rained all day, nevertheless everyone had a good time.had a good time.

b.b. It rained all day, but everyone had a It rained all day, but everyone had a good time.good time.

Which sentence is correctly punctuated. (a,b)

a.a. It rained all day, nevertheless everyone It rained all day, nevertheless everyone had a good time.had a good time.

b.b. It rained all day, but everyone had a It rained all day, but everyone had a good time.good time.

Which sentence is correctly punctuated. (a,b)

a.a. Our team was overconfident; Our team was overconfident; consequently we lost.consequently we lost.

b.b. Our team was overconfident, and Our team was overconfident, and consequently we lost.consequently we lost.

c.c. Our team was overconfident, Our team was overconfident, consequently we lost.consequently we lost.

Which one of these sentences is incorrectly punctuated? (a,b,c)

a.a. Our team was overconfident; Our team was overconfident; consequently we lost.consequently we lost.

b.b. Our team was overconfident, and Our team was overconfident, and consequently we lost.consequently we lost.

c.c. Our team was overconfident, Our team was overconfident, consequently we lost.consequently we lost.

Which one of these sentences is incorrectly punctuated? (a,b,c)

ADVERBS:ADVERBS:

HoweverHowever otherwiseotherwiseneverthelessnevertheless

ThereforeTherefore consequentlyconsequentlyfurthermorefurthermoreIt is equally correct to start a new sentence with one of these adverbs. Many writers prefer to do so.

Our team was overconfident. Consequently Our team was overconfident. Consequently we lost.we lost.

This sentence is (correct, incorrect).

ADVERBS:ADVERBS:

HoweverHowever otherwiseotherwiseneverthelessnevertheless

ThereforeTherefore consequentlyconsequentlyfurthermorefurthermoreIt is equally correct to start a new sentence with one of these adverbs. Many writers prefer to do so.

Our team was overconfident. Consequently Our team was overconfident. Consequently we lost.we lost.

This sentence is (correct, incorrect).

a.a. I lost my car keys; I would have driven.I lost my car keys; I would have driven.

b.b. I lost my car keys, otherwise I would I lost my car keys, otherwise I would have driven.have driven.

c.c. I lost my car keys. Otherwise I would I lost my car keys. Otherwise I would have driven.have driven.

Which one of these three sentences is incorrectly punctuated? (a,b,c)

a.a. I lost my car keys; I would have driven.I lost my car keys; I would have driven.

b.b. I lost my car keys, otherwise I would I lost my car keys, otherwise I would have driven.have driven.

c.c. I lost my car keys. Otherwise I would I lost my car keys. Otherwise I would have driven.have driven.

Which one of these three sentences is incorrectly punctuated? (a,b,c)

a.a. Education must include the whole Education must include the whole person; otherwise it is not true person; otherwise it is not true education.education.

b.b. Education must include the whole Education must include the whole person. Otherwise it is not true person. Otherwise it is not true education.education.

Both a and b are correct. (true, false)

a.a. Education must include the whole Education must include the whole person; otherwise it is not true person; otherwise it is not true education.education.

b.b. Education must include the whole Education must include the whole person. Otherwise it is not true person. Otherwise it is not true education.education.

Both a and b are correct. (true, false)

a.a. Education must include the whole Education must include the whole person; otherwise it is not true person; otherwise it is not true education.education.

b.b. Education must include the whole Education must include the whole person. Otherwise it is not true person. Otherwise it is not true education.education.

Both a and b are correct. (true, false)

Write the following answers on Write the following answers on your own sheet of paper.your own sheet of paper.

The field was muddy The field was muddy it didn’t stop the Rangers.it didn’t stop the Rangers.

Write if each sentence needs a commacomma to go with its conjunction or if it needs just a semicolonsemicolon.

1. Comma or 1. Comma or semicolon?semicolon?

The wise are so uncertain the ignorant are so The wise are so uncertain the ignorant are so positive.positive.

Write if each sentence needs a commacomma to go with its conjunction or if it needs just a semicolonsemicolon.

2. Comma or 2. Comma or semicolon?semicolon?

There are thirteen dogs on our block and all of There are thirteen dogs on our block and all of them seemed to be barking at once.them seemed to be barking at once.

Write if each sentence needs a commacomma to go with its conjunction or if it needs just a semicolonsemicolon.

3. Comma or 3. Comma or semicolon?semicolon?

Much of the soil is poor consequently the Much of the soil is poor consequently the Japanese farmer depends greatly upon fertilizers.Japanese farmer depends greatly upon fertilizers.

Write if each sentence needs a commacomma to go with its conjunction or if it needs just a semicolonsemicolon.

4. Comma or 4. Comma or semicolon?semicolon?

Mrs. Merrill may be old however, she is not old-Mrs. Merrill may be old however, she is not old-fashioned.fashioned.

Write if each sentence needs a commacomma to go with its conjunction or if it needs just a semicolonsemicolon.

5. Comma or 5. Comma or semicolon?semicolon?

Fruit trees must be sprayed at the right time or Fruit trees must be sprayed at the right time or the fruit will be wormy.the fruit will be wormy.

Write if each sentence needs a commacomma to go with its conjunction or if it needs just a semicolonsemicolon.

6. Comma or 6. Comma or semicolon?semicolon?

Fruit trees must be sprayed at the right time Fruit trees must be sprayed at the right time otherwise the fruit will be wormy.otherwise the fruit will be wormy.

Write if each sentence needs a commacomma to go with its conjunction or if it needs just a semicolonsemicolon.

7. Comma or 7. Comma or semicolon?semicolon?

Before reading Before reading JawsJaws I never thought about sharks I never thought about sharks after reading after reading JawsJaws I worried about sharks every I worried about sharks every summer. summer.

Write if each sentence needs a commacomma to go with its conjunction or if it needs just a semicolonsemicolon.

8. Comma or 8. Comma or semicolon?semicolon?

Athletics keep a person physically fit and Athletics keep a person physically fit and furthermore they develop a sense of teamwork.furthermore they develop a sense of teamwork.

Write if each sentence needs a commacomma to go with its conjunction or if it needs just a semicolonsemicolon.

9. Comma or 9. Comma or semicolon?semicolon?

You are done!!!You are done!!!