Colon & Semi-Colon Notes

Semi-Colon- A stylistic mark that is never necessary; it takes the place of a comma or period.
Uses
1. To join two or more close related sentences or complete sentences.
    ex. The black Saturn slid into a snow Bank; the driver go out reciting: "The moon, a silver slither of an eights note."
(Could be written with a coma)

2. To connect interrelated ideas of thoughts.
    ex. In France, we bought tea; in Amsterdam coffee; in America, coke-cola; In Ireland, apple juice.
(Could be written with a coma)

3. A semi-colon may replace a comma to separate items of a list when additional commas may confuse the reader.
    ex. The winning numbers were 1,2783; 3,458; 78,849; and 3,454; Dean had all of them.

Colon- Stylistic mark, never necessary, takes the place of a comma.
Uses
1. Introduce a list
    ex. Bob excels in the following activities, wrecking his car, baseball, and basketball.
(A list must be introduced)

2. After a statement that introduces a quotation
    ex. We were at the pizza station when john shouted: "That girl is in my class."

3. Many writers use the colon to define or expand on some object or subject within a sentence.
    ex. "Powerhouse reads each one, studying with a secret face: that is the face which looks like a mask- any body's; there is a moment when he makes a decision.