I often see writers and editors putting a comma before the word because, for example, this wont surprise anyone who has known her for a long time, because she has always espoused both liberal and conservative perspectives. The train is scheduled to arrive fortyfive minutes late. Grammar girl, is determined to wipe out bad punctuationbut shes also determined to make the process as painless as possible. It is also common for the nervous system to be damaged due to a direct injury. Lots of people arent sure how to use a semicolon the semicolon might be the most misunderstood punctuation mark in the english language.
This pretty much echoes the guidance given by sites such as grammar girl, cccf, grammarbook, unc writing center. Using a lowercase letter after the semicolon looks wrong. Buy our book smashing grammar 2019 written by the founder of grammar monster, smashing grammar includes a glossary of grammar essentials from apostrophes to zeugma and a chapter on easily confused words from affecteffect to whetherif. Previously published as part of grammar girls quick and dirty tips for better writing online sensation grammar girl makes punctuation fun and easy in grammar girls punctuation 911 mignon fogarty, a. Frequently asked questions in this faq youll find answers to common grammatical questions that may provide help with your writing ills. Grammar girls quick and dirty tips for better writing grammar girl. From punctuation to style, grammar girl has you covered in her weekly on demand podcasts. Grammar girl explains how to use them well and improve your. Grammar question do you capitalize the word coming after. Grammar and punctuation the blue book of grammar and.
Ten grammar rules every writer should know writing forward. Sanghoon finished typing the report and saved multiple copies of it two hours after his supervisor gave the information to him he types 85 words per minute. Semicolons the blue book of grammar and punctuation. All of them can move you to awe with their power and finesse, and all of them can frustrate and disappoint you with their weaknesses. Semicolons can help create variety, emphasize relatedness and separate items in a list. In this excerpt from david thatchers book saving our prepositions, see how. The semicolon prevents the repetition of the comma and keeps apart the more important members of the sentence. In addition, if youre quoting someone after a colon, they open their speech or text with a capital letter. In fact, rather surprisingly, the majestic pike is hardly used in cooking today. Semicolons punctuation rules the blue book of grammar.
In the english language, a semicolon can be used between two closely related independent clauses, provided they are not already joined by a coordinating conjunction. The semicolon looks like a comma with a period above it, and this can be a good way to remember what it does. Grammar girl provides short, friendly tips to improve your writing. According to the gregg reference manual, always insert a comma after i. Like commas, semicolons indicate an audible pauseslightly longer than a commas, but short of a periods full stop.
Colons and semicolons should never be used interchangeably. Do not capitalize the first word in a list after a semicolon unless the word is a proper noun, e. No, not unless it is a word that would always be capitalized. To distinguish between the comma and the semicolon is an achievement, a real test of understanding punctuation. Contact us montclair book testimonials cwe accomplishments business and. Grammar girl the famous semicolon advice from vonnegut. Grammar girl breaks down when and how to use colons, including when formatting lists. Capitalization after colons grammar and punctuation. Heres something you probably never have to worry about. Some writers seem to think that semicolons are fancy commas that create longer pauses that commas. After reading the handout, you will be better able to decide when to use these forms of punctuation in your own writing. Capitalization after colons chicago style and mla style. Mignon is the author of the new york times bestseller grammar girl s quick and dirty tips for better writing and six other books on writing.
It may seem like capitalization after a semicolon is necessary, especially when two clauses are combined. Unless its a proper noun that youd capitalize anyway or part of a title, there is no reason to capitalize after a semicolon or even a colon. When you use a semicolon in a sentence, is the word after. The gregg reference manual, tribute edition 11, page 383. On the other hand, you sometimes have to make a decision about capitalization when you use a colon. Each entry starts with a simple explanation and basic examples before moving to reallife, entertaining examples.
One of my favorite old grammar books, titled punctuate it right, has. Capitalize titles of persons when used as part of a proper name but usually not when used alone. The famous semicolon advice from vonnegut was taken out of context. The semicolon is made up of a dot and comma and has three different uses in writing. When a colon introduces a list of of things, do not capitalize the first word after the colon unless it is a proper noun. If the word that comes after a colon or semicolon is a proper name, you definitely would capitalize it. How to use semicolons grammar girl semicolons create variety one reason you might choose to use a semicolon instead of a period is if you wanted to add variety to your sentence structure. Its no accident that a semicolon is a period atop a comma. The chicago manual of style chicago style and mla style from the modern language association recommend lowercasing the first word of a sentence after a colon unless the colon precedes multiple closely related sentences, in which case the first word should be capitalized. Semicolons, colons, and parentheses purdue writing lab. Whats up with words that are spelled the same but sound different. Should you capitalize the first word of a sentence after a.
Its not the kind of thing that, if you get wrong, people will roll their eyes or giggle behind your back or pass you over for a job or. Grammar question do you capitalize the word coming after a semicolon in a sentence. Grammar girl quick and dirty tips for better writing rru library. Capitalization after colons in a list english language. How to use semicolons grammar girl quick and dirty tips. It is also preferable to use a comma after these words and terms.
In american english, styles differ, but it is best to capitalize. You should not capitalize after semicolons since the semicolons are simply separating units in a series that contains commas. Thats exactly why you cant substitute a comma for a semicolon. The two main clauses that the semicolon joins should be closely related in meaning. This dotcomma combination is often used where a period, colon, or even a plain old comma belongs. You treat the first word after a dash the same way youd treat it if it followed a comma.
Mignon fogarty is the founder of quick and dirty tips and the author of seven books on language, including the new york times bestseller grammar girl s quick and dirty tips for better writing. Should i capitalize the first word after a semicolon or. Neither this rule nor any of the semicolon rules specifically address capitalization after semicolons. A dash doesnt require any extra thought regarding capitalization. When it comes to colons, grammar girl writes that you should be able to replace a colon with the word namely. She is an inductee in the podcasting hall of fame, and the show is a fivetime winner of best education podcast in the podcast awards. When including these, put a colon after the works title and follow the same rules of composition capitalization for the subtitle. Use a colon to introduce an item or a series of items. The most common use of the semicolon is to join two independent clauses without using a conjunction like and. How to use semicolons grammar girl colon vs semicolon. From the quick and dirty tips series, grammar girl aka mignon fogarty provides you tips to improve your writing in a short and fun format. The semicolon is generally used in long sentences, but you can also use it properly in short ones. Because your second example uses a capital h after the semicolon, it suggests that youre talking about god.
Oh well, i always capitalize the first letter after a semicolon, by reason that the semicolon has a full stop in its symbol. Semicolon before a conjunction when a sentence made up of two independent clauses contains commas, it is possible to use a semicolon before a conjunction which joins the two independent clauses to outrank any commas in those clauses. A semicolon combines two independent clauses into one compound sentence, and it is now just one sentence. Associated press stylebook, you capitalize the first letter after a colon. When to capitalize after a colon grammar underground. A word is not capitalized after a semicolon as well. Listen to grammar girl quick and dirty tips for better writing episodes free, on demand. Capitalizing after semicolons or colons crossroads. A semicolon creates more separation between thoughts than a comma does but less than a period does. The first appropriate use of the semicolon are semicolons required rather than commas in a list after a colon when the list is not bulleted. Using semicolons before conjunctions and, or, but, etc. Apr 21, 2020 tips and articles from the grammar girl website. Grammar girl is part of the quick and dirty tips podcast network. Do you capitalize the word after a colon and a semicolon.
I learned the hard way that grammar girl readers or at least the readers who like to complain have an overwhelming preference for the more complicated styles. Notice that the letter following the semicolon is not capitalized. A guide to modern usage note that a is capitalized because it is the first word of the subtitle. Keep these three things in mind when you use a semicolon. The overnight managers connie on weekdays, john on weekends will prepare bakery goods, coffee, and tea before the morning shift arrives. The problem with this construction is that the word because is a subordinating conjunction, which means that it. Also, learn the rules for spacing and capitalization after a colon. Another great resource for trying to decipher grammar rules is grammar girl. The simple thoughts we overlook and those that keep us up at night are beautifully put into this unique work of art. But what about lists with colons as separators between list item and its description. Often, the decision requires identifying the independent and dependent clauses in the sentence.
It should be lowercase, unless of course the word after the semicolon always needs an initial capital for example, because its a proper name. When a colon introduces a phrase or an incomplete sentence that is meant to add information to the sentence before it, do not capitalize the first word after the colon unless it is a proper noun. Comma with because everything language and grammar. In this interview, i talk with bourne morris about starting a writing career after. So i decided to use the supposedly british grammar and only capitalize nouns or acronyms after a colon. Grammar girl quick and dirty tips for better writing. In british english, the word following a colon is not capitalized unless it is a proper noun or an acronym. Dont capitalize the word that follows the semicolon unless that word is a proper noun, one that is always capitalized. The only words that should be capitalized after a semicolon are proper nouns, which are. Covering the grammar rules and word choice guidelines that can confound even the best writers, grammar girl makes complex grammar questions simple with memory tricks to help you recall and apply those troublesome grammar rules. Grammar and style center for writing excellence montclair. A very beautiful and emotional book, divided into 4 sections. Punctuation marks are tools that have set functions.
This post is all about colons and semicolons punctuation is the name for the marks we use in writing. Use a semicolon before such words and terms as namely, however, therefore, that is, i. Do you capitalize the word coming after a semicolon in a. A grammar girl why do we use plural form of verbs with the singular subject. The examples above are both made up of two complete, grammatically correct sentences glued together. When it comes to the question of whether to capitalize the first word after a semicolon or colon, the answer is likely it depends.
My feeling is that if you cannot capitalize after a semicolon without changing the sense, then a colon would have done anyway. The easiest way to listen to podcasts on your iphone, ipad, android, pc, smart. For many writers, picking your favorite punctuation mark is a bit like picking your favorite child. Alice remains capitalized, and so does missouri, but north would not. She has appeared as a guest on the oprah winfrey show and the today show and has been featured in the new york times, business week, the washington post, usa today, and more. Yes, that means there are four total sentences up thereand thanks to the semicolon, only two capital letters. Also, in your example, a colon might be a better choice than a semicolon.
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