Colon vs Semicolon : When and How to use them Correctly. Gus is having a nervous breakdown. Your second sentence is all right, but we would have used a semicolon instead of a colon. The semi-colon represents a break within a sentence that is stronger than a comma, but less final than a full stop. People generally gets confused as to what is the difference between using a semicolon and a colon. The first difference is that the purpose of a colon is to introduce or define something. The Colon and the Semicolon Compared. Gus is having a nervous breakdown. To join two or more ideas (parts) in a sentence when their ideas are given equal position or rank: The universe has always called to human beings ; there could be no more final frontier than space. Punctuation is an essential part of writing in English and can change the whole point of the writing if didn't use at the right place. Semicolons and Colons Quiz 2. Consider first the following two sentences: Lisa is upset. Colons (:) are used in sentences to show that something is following, like a quotation, example, or list. Semicolons should introduce evidence or a reason for the preceding statement; for example, this sentence appropriately uses a semicolon. There should not be a space before the semicolon or period. Your first sentence is fine, except you have an unnecessary space before the colon. Essentially, a semicolon is like a comma with more meaning or a colon with more flexibility. Model 3 "There are three choices in this life: be good, get good, or give up." In other words, each clause has a subject and a verb. Basically, a semi colon (;) is like a half-way point between a comma and a full stop, which may be why it looks like a combination of the two!
In this lesson, we will take a look at the colon vs semicolon. A) Denise prefers to eat chicken or fish; I’m a vegetarian. Since the use of the colon and the semicolon, although simple in principle, presents so many difficulties to uncertain punctuators, it will be helpful to contrast them here. What Is the Difference between a Semicolon and a Colon? Ex: Tom ate breakfast with his family, and then he left for his trip. Therefore, semicolon means half of the colon. Consider first the following two sentences: Lisa is upset. Semi-colons are used to separate items in a list and to link closely related sentences. Many writers are lost regarding the differences between using a colon and a semicolon, often using these punctuations incorrectly. Colon versus Semicolon Colons and semicolons have different functions.
As nouns the difference between colon and semicolon is that colon is (grammar) the punctuation mark "" or colon can be (anatomy) part of the large intestine; the final segment of the digestive system, after (distal to) the ileum and before (proximal to) the anus or colon can be (obsolete) a husbandman while semicolon is the punctuation mark '' . 1 Comment / Confused Words / By Shraddha Borade.