GEAR UP FOR LIFE
WRITING MENTOR :Colons
and Semicolons
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GEAR UP FOR LIFE |
| You have learned how to use a period.
A period ends a
sentence. You have learned how to use a comma. It separates items in a sentence. It never ends a sentence. You will also need to practice using the colon and the semicolon. They look similar. both have dots, but they work very differently. The colon :Some people use the colon to create a smile in typing :) But that is not what the colon is used for in writing sentences. Most often a colon is used to list words that give details about a noun (person or thing).
Colons are also used to introduce definitions: Debt: the amount of money someone owes
The semi-colon ;Some people use the colon to create a wink when they are typing. ;-) But that is not what the colon is used for in writing sentences.A semi-colon acts like a period. It closes one sentence and opens another that is very close to it. The two ideas split by a semicolon are like brother and sister. The have a close relationship.They may take the place of "and" or "but," for example.
Sometimes, the second part of the sentence uses a word to prepare the reader for the relationship (opposite, similar, another example, contradiction. These words are called transitions because they carry the idea from one part to another.
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