Showing posts with label Lookalikes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lookalikes. Show all posts

Friday, August 26, 2011

Grammar Friday - Semicolon

If you are right-handed, the scissors should be in your right hand, if you are left-handed, scissors go in the left hand.

The above comma is called a comma splice and is considered grammatically incorrect. What you have here is two complete sentences. The writer either needs to separate them with a period or question mark. or connect them with conjunctions like and, but, or, nor, yet, and so.

Another option is to separate them with a semicolon. You can use a semicolon to signal the reader that the two sentences are closely related to each other.

Bear in mind, however, that a semicolon is considered a soft period and not a hard comma.

Are semicolons your friends? Or do you run from them for fear of using them incorrectly? Or do they just bug you when you read them?
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