Punctuation: the Semicolon (;) & Colon (:)

hi welcome to write the top I'm Adam in today's video I want to talk to you about punctuation more specifically we're going to look at the semicolon the dot and the comma underneath it and the colon the two dots both can be used to join sentences or to break up sentences both can be used or have functions with lists when we're going to list a few things to explain something you'll understand when we look at the examples so let's dive right in and look at the function and the use of each of these punctuation marks okay we're going to start with this semicolon first thing you need to know about the semicolon is that it shows a relationship between two sentences to complete sentences or think a bit more clearly two independent clauses that each can stand on its own with its own message its own meaning but there is a very clear relationship between the two following the semicolon you never begin with a capital unless you're using a proper noun like a name of something then you're then you're gonna use a capital like normal otherwise no capital the colon is a little bit different it goes one way you see their error going one way whereas the semicolon they work together we're still talking about a relationship between two sentences or two things but the second part after the colon is basically an extension of what was said in the first sentence so before the colon you must have a complete sentence and then use the colon and then what comes after it basically explains or amplifies or defines what was meant in the first sentence before the colon after the colon you can use a capital or not a capital it's more of a choice again proper nouns you're going to use a capital if you're going to give a quotation of something someone said like a full sentence quotation then begin with a capital we're going to see some exempt so let's start with the semicolon again we're going to look at a few different functions and I'm going to look at the in relation to each other the semicolon can work as a coordinating conjunction and but so in other words it is joining two independent clauses and eliminating eliminating the conjunction the coordinating conjunction it basically works as the conjunction keep in mind it's very important that the relationship what the conjunction would do is still very clear if I take it out and put a semicolon so here are three sentences the governor's speech was a disaster period complete idea complete sentence many people considered it the beginning of the end for his campaign of for his campaign another complete independent sentence with a full meaning each sentence can stand by itself now I could join the two sentences with end with a compete with a disaster and many people considered it so basically all I'm doing is adding another point with end but if I want to use a semicolon I get rid of the end I put the semicolon the speech was a disaster many people considered it now in terms of speech you will hear that the pause is a little bit shorter with a semicolon than it is with a comma or a period essentially think of a semicolon as a combination of a period and a comma I have a complete sentence so I want the full stop in a complete sentence I have a complete sentence joined with a conjunction to another complete sentence or I have the same thing but with the semicolon now of these three why would I choose the semicolon and not the period and not be or not the comma and conjunction the reason I would want to choose the semicolon is one I want to emphasize this relationship or two I just want to add a little bit of sentence variety to my writing if I have many short simple sentences eventually it sounds a little bit boring it could be a little bit choppy so what I do is I join sentences together I make that little pause a little bit shorter and that way it seems like a long sentence but essentially it's still two independent clauses keep in mind that when you have a sentence like the last one with a semicolon this whole thing is one sentence okay just like the second one with the conjunction would be now do not put the conjunction and the semicolon unless you're putting it in a list and we're going to look at that in a moment as well okay so before transitional or linking words you can also use a semicolon however otherwise in fact for example so you end your sentence but the next sentence has a direct relationship so for example if you're going to give an example of what you just the point you just made you don't need to separate it you can continue with the semicolon before the for example again you could put a period and start a new sentence capital F for example or semicolon small F for example salespeople need to maintain minimal numbers of new contracts otherwise they may lose their jobs again period capital o otherwise also okay but why why separate them when you can join them and have a nice complex looking sentence instead okay the commission's report found that up to twelve percent of the voters were ineligible to cast a ballot period however independent investigators claimed that the number could be as high as twenty percent or to cast a ballot however after the semicolon notice no capital is a small one independent investigators also notice that after the whatever the transitional word or phrase is I have a comma after so otherwise comma however comma to begin the next sentence okay very important to remember that so we're looking to at a relationship and we're looking for adverbial or transitional phrases or words now in a list sometimes you have a list of like one to three items and that's on problem 1 comma 2 comma and 3 but if your list includes clauses and those clauses have commas in them then you're going to have a lot of commas and it could be a little bit confusing to the reader so when you have complex items in a list complex meaning that there's more than one Clause that could be phrases then separate the items with semicolon membership comes with benefits : and I'm going to talk about those benefits and I'll talk about that : use in a second members can and are encouraged to make use of the club's extensive library they may borrow club equipment and use available supplies at a nominal fee and they may visit the club that their convenience as we are open 24/7 now technically this is correct but it could be a little bit confusing to earlier because there are so many commas going on you sometimes it might not be clear where one item ends and the next item begins in that case separate the items with a semicolon members can are encouraged to make use of the club's extensive library they made more Club equipment and use available supplies at a nominal fee and they may visit the club at their convenience as we are open 24/7 I have the three items very clearly separated and notice with the last item even though I'm using a semi-colon I still use the end to introduce the last item this is not a coordinating conjunction I mean it is kind of but it's more of a coordinating list so do you're just listing one two and three you're not coordinating independent clauses okay so I hope that's pretty clear now let's look at the : when do we use the colon a colon is used to prepare the reader this is very important to remember to prepare the reader for an extension of the previous complete sentence before a colon you must have a complete sentence okay or it's used to introduce a list so let's look at an extension followed by a noun or phrase the media seems to have a favorite target now the reader wants to know who that target is right it's an expectation a colon prepares the reader for it to expect something and then the writer must fulfill that expectation with an explanation so the media seems to have a favorite target what big business and secret government agencies notice that I don't follow the colon with a complete sentence I don't have to noun 1 word noun find a phrase also fine you can also follow it with an independent clause there can only be one explanation for this scandal so the readers say well what is it the mayor simply doesn't care so both sentences stand together stand independently they can be sentences by themselves but if you put the mayor simply doesn't care by itself it's a bit of a weak sentence because I don't know what does this mean like what is this in relation to when I join it to the previous sentence with a colon I understand it as a direct extension there can there can only be one explanation and that is that the mayor simply doesn't care so the idea can extend continues into the next independent clause and you can also use a colon with a quote the leader had this to say and now you're saying you're setting up here's what he had to say and then what did he say in quotation marks we are here to win not to simply make our presence known now notice that when I use a direct quote in a full sentence quote I begin it with a capital okay not a small W a capital W okay let's go on and look at how to introduce a list with a colon please bring to passport photos a completed application form in two pieces of ID this is a totally okay sentence now I will not put a colon after bring please bring colon not correct do not put a colon and start a list after a verb only use a colon after a complete sentence don't use it after a preposition either if the preposition needs an object put in the object then colon and then give me give me the list so you can do it two ways please bring the following so please bring the following this is a complete sentence and then you put the colon and then give me the list of items you need to bring if you're doing a vertical list same idea please bring the following colon and then you can put your lists in bullet points you cannot say please bring colon and then your a vertical list it's the same as the above one after the verb do not put a colon complete verb complete sentence okay another some more examples the dish calls for several key ingredients : what are they a B and C the dish calls for several key ingredients for example a B and C okay there's the last semicolon if you wanted to use it that way you're not going to use a colon because you have your transitional phrase to begin the next Clause full clause the dish calls for several key ingredients including a B and C do not put after including a colon because it's not a complete sentence anymore the dish calls for several key ingredients including is already needs an object so that's already part of the list not part of the clause that came before it and I've seen people do that many times after including they put the colon not correct now let's look at some situations where you can use either a colon or the semicolon but I'll tell you what you should or shouldn't do there as well the governor's speech was a disaster it was full of inaccurate so it should be full of inaccuracies no one lasted the jokes and the media tear it to shreds so here I'm giving you a list of reasons why the governor's speech was a disaster there's a direct relationship it's not really and or but or so but you don't always have to have a coordinating conjunction you can use a semicolon this we merely show a relationship but look at the second sentence the governor's speech was a disaster : it was full of inaccuracies no one lasted the jokes the media tear it to shreds so here I have three complete sentences each one by itself period period period I'm not giving you a list now why would I use the first one or the second one or not a vice versa right first of all notice with the colon I'm using capitals I have three separate sentences each begins with the capital this further semicolon it's more of a list and it doesn't begin with a capital begins with a small I for it why would I use one or the other emphasis that's really all it is the colon is a little bit stronger the semicolon shows you that there is a direct relationship and you want to keep it in mind that they go together and technically it was full of inaccuracies no one laughed with a seven : this is a complete sentence by itself even though it's kind of a list okay it's a list of independent clauses now which one should you use in your writing personally I recommend avoid the colon for this kind of sentence use the colon to introduce a list use a colon when you're about to very clearly extend the previous sentence when you're about to define it or clear it up clarified or amplify it if you're going to use this better not to you might make mistakes now keep in mind that native English speakers also have a very difficult time with semicolons and colons if you're not a hundred percent sure that you're using either of these quarter punctuation marks correctly don't use it put a period put a comma and but whatever if you're not sure avoid it okay better to have a few short simple sentences then make the bad connection and the whole sentence falls apart anyway right let's look at the last example the concert was canceled why not enough tickets were sold the concert was cancelled not enough tickets were sold same meaning why because not enough tickets were sold the relationship doesn't have to be one of a coordinating conjunction it just has to be a very clear relationship but again I would not use the comma I would I would not use the colon sorry I would usually semicolon because the colon is very strong all right it create a lot of expectation for the reader again if you're not using it correctly you can basically disturb the flow of the reading which works against you use the semicolon to show the relationship user use a semicolon to show the relationship use the colon to introduce a list or define something clearly now I know that this stuff is not easy again not easy for native English speakers when they're doing their writing you avoid it or practice it a little bit you'll see how it works when you do reading in newspaper articles or online or wherever you do pay attention when the writer uses semicolons and colons and figure out why he or she is using them and then you'll yourself as well of course if you have any questions about this please ask me here below in YouTube I'll be happy to help you out and of course don't forget to come back watch more videos grammar vocab test tips writing etc if you like this video please press like subscribe to my channel and I'll see you again real soon bye bye

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Keywords: ielts, English writing, English, writing, language test, editing, structure, writetotop.com, TOEFL, how to write, essay writing, question types, usage, skills, sentence structure, test preparation, test tips, pass the IELTS, ielts high score, toefl high score, pass toefl, Engvid Teacher Adam, conjunctions, coherence, GMAT, GRE, SAT, punctuation, semicolon, colon, cohesion, how to punctuate, how to use, better writing, writing skills, how to write in English

Id: _yACi434aqY

Length: 15min 53sec (953 seconds)

Published: Wed Mar 22 2017