It’s a colon! It’s a semicolon! What’s the difference? It’s a dot. It’s a couple of dots. Oh, one dot is a comma. I don’t know. Use either one of them.
No.
Colons and semicolons look a lot alike, but they are not siblings in the family of punctuation. They are probably not even first cousins. They are hardly ever interchangeable. They have entirely different purposes. Actually, the semicolon is more a sibling to the comma, and maybe a first cousin to the period. The colon might be an only child and perhaps a first cousin to the period also.
My sensitivity to this issue began when I was giving some information to someone who was putting a catalogue together, and my name was in it. She said, “So I put your name and then a semicolon, and then the information about you. .” NO. You need a colon. You can’t just throw in any old punctuation mark. The semicolon does not belong in such a place.
So, what is the different between colons (:) and semicolons (;) ?
Colon
A colon introduces something. It has a relationship to what follows it. Often it introduces a list, whether the list is vertical or horizontal. A colon can also introduce a quote in a sentence. And occasionally you can use a colon (as you might also use a semicolon, but in different circumstances) to separate two parts of a compound sentence instead of using a period, or a comma and a conjunction. However, if you use a colon in this way, it implies that the second part of the sentence (after the colon) is either a result of or follows from the first part of the sentence. Here are some examples of these ways to use colons:
1.The following colors are among my favorites: blue, purple, and pink.
2. These are the ingredients for the cake:
- Eggs
- Flour
- Milk
- Butter
- Cocoa
- Baking powder
3. The mayor made this promise in front of the city council: “We will do everything we can this year to extend the hours that the library is open.”
4. The meeting is crucial and you should attend: we will be discussing raises and promotions.
Semicolon
The semicolon connects things rather than introduces them. They are really “stronger” commas. They can separate two closely related sentences if you don’t want to use a conjunction with a comma. They can separate items in a series that already have commas within them. They can separate the two parts of a compound sentence that already has a series or two that could complicate its meaning. Here are examples of these ways to use a semicolon:
1. I am taking a trip to Asia; my husband doesn’t fly, so he is staying home.
2. The guests included Diane Timmons, a noted artist; the museum curator; Joe Wall, an art critic; and Professor Smith, an art history instructor at the local college.
3. Last year I traveled to Mexico, Canada, the southern part of the United States, and Argentina; and France, Italy, and Greece are in my plans for next year.
You could not substitute a colon for a semicolon in those examples – or vice versa.
If you are doing some type of catalogue or list or dictionary, entries should be followed by a colon, not a semicolon:
Apple: A round, red fruit
Coconut: A tropical fruit with white meat inside
Orange: A thick-skinned fruit containing Vitamin C
And obviously you cannot substitute a semicolon for the other places you would use colons:
- Digital Time: 3:45
- Between title and subtitle of a book when writing the title in context: The Red Dog: The Story of Amos
- The salutation of a business letter: Dear Mr. Plante:
There you have it . . . Cousins, maybe. But the semicolon and the colon are different animals.
Grammar Diva News
If one of your New Years Resolutions is better grammar, punctuation, writing, or speaking — or any combination thereof, please check out my books on Amazon (or wherever you buy books!), I am currently working on The Best Little Dictionary of Confused Words and Malapropisms, which will have just about every confused pair/group of words you can think of! It will be the third book in the series The Best Little Grammar Books, which will also include the two already published books, The Best Little Grammar Book Ever, Second Edition; and The Best Little Grammar Workbook Ever! They will each be able to be purchased separately. Look for the new Dictionary in the next two or three months.
I will be speaking in March at the monthly meeting of the Napa chapter of California Writers Club.
Happy to announce that schools, including Goucher College in Baltimore, have been purchasing my two workbooks this month.
Hope 2017 is starting off successfully for all!
Hi Arlene,
Your explanation of the uses of the colon and semicolon is excellent. I would add on point on the use of the colon that I have always found useful. Consider the colon to be an equal sign (=).
For example:
My favorite colors are: black, gray, and purple.
You wouldn’t have a colon in your example because it cuts the sentence. You would have a colon in this sentence:
My favorite colors are as follows: black, gray, and purple.
In my example the sentence ends after follows, so you need a punctuation mark.
How can those who are already on your emailing list get the download of Solutions to 25 Grammar Questions? I checked on Amazon and didn’t see this download. Unfortunately, I am still a dinosaur in technology.
I will send it to your e-mail.
My mother tongue is Spanish, and I am originally from Guatemala. Because like to soften things up, I prefer the example you gave: and France…
Omitting the “and ” sounds too abrupt to me.
Thank you for the review; I liked it; and it was very helpful. (I am a court interpreter and also do translations from time to time.)
Elynor Whitaker
Thanks so much for your comment! I know you court reporters have to get it all right; I have spoken to you and had you in my classes.
Thanks a lot for your grammar info. I like the way you compare colon and semicolon with animals. What animals would be appropriate for the compoarison??
Well, I compared them in a people kind of metaphor. I don’t know if they would relate to animals?????
Excellent, Arlene (or Excellent: Arlene!) ! I love your cheerful, crisp style!
Just wondering… Do they still use the colon as used below?
The salutation of a business letter: Dear Mr. Plante:
Thanks and happy 2017.
Ah! Great question! I forgot to include that one in this post, but I wrote all about the salutations and closings of letters a few weeks ago, and yes, there is a colon following the salutation of a business letter.
Don’t you use semicolons in a list when the elements of the list include commas? For example:
We will be traveling to Detroit, Michigan; Cleveland, Ohio; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Would it make sense to replace the semicolons with commas?
Yes, you are correct. My example with the names and titles of people is the same as your city, state example. However, your example is great!
In this example, “3. Last year I traveled to Mexico, Canada, the southern part of the United States, and Argentina; and France, Italy, and Greece are in my plans for next year,” I would prefer a comma to the semicolon before the second independent clause. Alternatively the “and” after the semicolon should be deleted.
My 2 cents.
I agree that the “and” is certainly optional, and I would leave it out. In fact, the sentence is not well-written and could be written differently, and not needing the semicolon. However, I was just trying to give an example.