Uses for colons and semicolons?

[Mike_Yates]

I never use colons or semicolons in my writing. Because I don't understand how and why they are used.

http://images.suite101.com/2567456_com_colonsemi.jpg

Could someone please explain?

 

[Karen Kraft]

I never use colons or semicolons in my writing. I don't understand how and why they are used.

; and :

Could someone please explain?

If you have two phrases, each with a subject and a verb, such that each might be able to stand alone as a proper sentence, you may not combine them using a comma. That is called a "comma splice" and is incorrect. Two sentences that could stand alone but are wished to be combined into a single sentence, may be spliced together with a semicolon. There are literary and dramatic reasons for wanting to do that: <--- colon

Margie has freckles on her butt; she's pretty.

Suzie has freckles on her, but she's nice.

Sam looked around the room. He looked in the closet, under the sofa, behind the fireplace. He found nothing out of the ordinary; he left, quietly closing the door behind him.

 

[Sonny Limatina]

A colon is used for processing waste out of the body. A semi-colon is used to push it halfway back in.

 

[Karen Kraft]

A colon is used for processing waste out of the body. A semi-colon is used to push it halfway back in.

No, no, no....

A semi-colon is a tail pipe.

 

[Mike_Yates]

If you have two phrases, each with a subject and a verb, such that each might be able to stand alone as a proper sentence, you may not combine them using a comma. That is called a "comma splice" and is incorrect. Two sentences that could stand alone but are wished to be combined into a single sentence, may be spliced together with a semicolon. There are literary and dramatic reasons for wanting to do that: <--- colon

Margie has freckles on her butt; she's pretty.

Suzie has freckles on her, but she's nice.

Sam looked around the room. He looked in the closet, under the sofa, behind the fireplace. He found nothing out of the ordinary; he left, quietly closing the door behind him.

What are some of the other uses for colons and semicolons?

 

[Karen Kraft]

What are some of the other uses for colons and semicolons?

When lists are stated within a sentence, and the items listed contain commas between their components, a semi-colon is used to separate segment strings. For example:

We knew from the start that we would need flashlights, flashlight batteries, canteens, tents and tent stakes; powdered eggs, corn, rice, and beans; eating utensils, dishes, and cooking pots.

 

[phrodeau]

What are some of the other uses for colons and semicolons?

Emoticons.

 

[Karen Kraft]

Emoticons.

Those are not uses; those are abuses.

[ use of semi-colon, aka semicolon ]

 

[Karen Kraft]

Robin Cook wrote a book on an entirely different topic:

(see use of colon above)


http://chroniclesofnatalie.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/cook-coma.jpg

 

[Mike_Yates]

When lists are stated within a sentence, and the items listed contain commas between their components, a semi-colon is used to separate segment strings. For example:

We knew from the start that we would need flashlights, flashlight batteries, canteens, tents and tent stakes; powdered eggs, corn, rice, and beans; eating utensils, dishes, and cooking pots.

When making a list, I thought you only use semicolons if the list contains more than three objects. Do you put semicolons after every third object?

I need to go the grocery store today to purchase the following items; milk, corn, meat, lettuce, and rice.

 

[Colonel Hogan]

]If you have two phrases, each with a subject and a verb, such that each might be able to stand alone as a proper sentence, you may not combine them using a comma.[/B] That is called a "comma splice" and is incorrect. Two sentences that could stand alone but are wished to be combined into a single sentence, may be spliced together with a semicolon. There are literary and dramatic reasons for wanting to do that: <--- colon

Margie has freckles on her butt; she's pretty.

Suzie has freckles on her, but she's nice.

Sam looked around the room. He looked in the closet, under the sofa, behind the fireplace. He found nothing out of the ordinary; he left, quietly closing the door behind him.

Technical foul. The two subject/verb phrases "Suzie has freckles. She's nice. (or "She is nice") can be combined into a single sentence using a comma and the conjunction "but," precisely as you did in your example.

I just didn't want Mike to be confused if he saw a contradiction between your statement and your example.

 

[Karen Kraft]

When making a list, I thought you only use semicolons if the list contains more than three objects. Do you put semicolons after every third object?

I need to go the grocery store today to purchase the following items; milk, corn, meat, lettuce, and rice.

Commas can separate as few as two items. The semicolon is used only when the group of objects in a string changes, as noted above in the camping trip sequence.

I've seen professional sports games featuring the Dodgers, Giants, Braves, and Cardinals; the Rams, Raiders, Cowboys, and Broncos.

 

[Very_Bad_Man]

I thought the colon was in my ass?

 

[mark197205]

I thought the colon was in my ass?

No, thats Dolf's strap-on.

 

[Very_Bad_Man]

No, thats Dolf's strap-on.

I knew there was a reason to fear her

 

[Sonny Limatina]

For a bunch of people claiming to be writers, no one has gotten the distinction correct yet. But please keep going, you're making it interesting...

 

[Karen Kraft]

For a bunch of people claiming to be writers, no one has gotten the distinction correct yet. But please keep going, you're making it interesting...

That's not true.

My examples show the most common uses for the two forms of punctuation.

Your comment, referring to body parts, is off-topic.

 

[Karen Kraft]

Technical foul. The two subject/verb phrases "Suzie has freckles. She's nice. (or "She is nice") can be combined into a single sentence using a comma and the conjunction "but," precisely as you did in your example.

I just didn't want Mike to be confused if he saw a contradiction between your statement and your example.

My contrasting "but" and "butt" was a jest.

I think Mike is confused about the rule-of-three, which is one of the comma rules. It is irrelevant to semicolon usage.