Consider when you have two distinct statements that are related but the former does not necessarily lead into the latter; a semicolon is appropriate in such an instance.
Alternatively, just don't bother and use two sentences.
Dev with a flair for writing over here. Using semicolons is a good practice for separating clauses, especially if you're being verbose
My mother gave me my first car; it was an beautiful 2002 Honda Civic with a falling-off bumper and bald tires.
You could replace the semicolon with a comma thus:
My mother gave me my first car, a beautiful 2002 Honda Civic with a falling-off bumper and bald tires.
That feels a little more natural, but is harder to read accurately.
It's useful in legal and technical writing, but not necessarily great for everyday life. Personally, I don't really use semicolons; you may have different opinions on their usage.
I like using these two ‘jokes’. Neither of them are actually funny, but they help (me).
- What is the difference between a semicolon and a cat??
One has a pause at the end of its clause. The other has claws at the end of its paws.
- What happened when the semicolon broke grammatical rules??
It got two consecutive sentences.
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All that said, it’s usually better not to. There aren’t really many cases in modern English where a semicolon is necessary. And there are even fewer cases where a semicolon provides a more clear expression than two sentences. In practice, they’re most often part of really badly disjointed ‘sentences’.
My mother has a PHD in English Literature and has taught languages and writing in college for decades. She's also a book editor and an author with published works from picture books for children to graduate-level text books. She tells me that the semi-colon's primary use is to let the reader know that the author attended college. Just use a period.
What's an easy-to-remember trick for semicolon usage?