Semi-colons
Semi-colons are used to separate important and equal parts of a sentence. There are a few basic rules for using semi-colons.
DO use a semi-colon to:- separate independent clauses that are not connected by a coordinating conjunction like and, but, or, nor, for, so, or yet Love is in the air; the flowers are in bloom.
- separate the items in a list, if that list contains commas We visited Dallas, Texas; Portland, Oregon; and Naples, Florida.
- separate independent clauses connected by a transitional expression like anyway, besides, for example, and in other words (See below for a longer list) She couldn't meet him at seven; after all, she had a tennis lesson then.
- introduce a list
The recipe calls for these ingredients; flour, eggs, milk, and butter. - separate a subordinate clause from the rest of the sentence
Without studying; you can't expect to pass the test. - separate an appositive (a phrase that describes a noun) from the noun it describes
His favorite pastime was bocce; a game played with heavy stone balls.