AppendixB IPunctuationRules 283
independentclause.
conjunctiveadverb,
OR
transitionphrase,
Skiingis dangerous;nevertheless,millionsofpeopleski.
I haveneverbeentoAsia;infact,I haveneverbeenoutsidethecountry.
Independentclause;
__17. Manypeopleopposedthelawbutitfinallypassed.
__18. Smokingis nowprohibitedinhospitalsairportsstores
officesandrestaurants.
__19. Inmanyothercountrieshoweversmokingis stillallowed.
__20. Antismokinggroupswanttobansmokinginthose
countriestoo.
BeforeConnectors
Usea semicolonbeforeconjunctiveadverbssuchashowevel;therefore,neverthe-
less,moreover,andfurthermore.Alsousea semicolonbeforetransitionphrasessuch
asforexample,asa result,thatis,orinfactwhentheyarefollowedbyanindepend-
entclause.
BetweenSentences
Usea semicolonat theendofa sentencewhenthefollowingsentenceis closelycon-
nectedinmeaning.Youcouldalsousea period,butwhenthesentencesareconnected
inmeaning,a semicolonindicatestheconnection.
Independentclause;independentclause.
Andrewdidnotacceptthejoboffer;hewantstogotograduateschool.
Computeruseis increasing;computercrimeis,too.
Themeetingendedatdawn;nothinghadbeendecided.
Usingsemicolonsis notdifficultifyourememberthata semicolon(;)is morelike
a periodthana comma.Itisa verystrongpunctuationmark.Semicolonsareused
inthreeplaces:
1.Betweentwosentencesthatarecloselyconnectedinidea
2.Beforeconjunctiveadverbsandsometransitionphraseswhe]ltheyare
followedbyanindependentclause
3.Betweenitemsina serieswhentheitemsthemselvescontaincommas
Semicolons
