business english 2e by mary chapter 11

1
1

Semicolons
and Colons
MARY ELLEN GUFFEY AND CAROLYN M.
SEEFER

BUSINES
S
ENGLISH
12e

© 2017 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license
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website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.
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LEARNING
OUTCOMES

Level 1
▶ Use semicolons correctly in
punctuating compound
sentences.
▶ Use semicolons when
necessary to separate items
in a series.

© 2017 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a
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2


Basic Uses of the
Semicolon
 Independent Clauses Separated by
Conjunctive Adverbs
 Independent Clauses Without
Coordinating Conjunctions or
Conjunctive Adverbs
 Series Containing Internal Commas or
Complete Thoughts

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posted to

to a
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publicly accessible
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website, in
in whole
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in part,
part, except
except for
for use
use as
as permitted
permitted in
in a
a license distributed with a
license distributed
with a certain
product
or otherwise on
a password-protected
website
or school-approved
learning
management
for classroom
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certain
product or service

or otherwise
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3


 Independent Clauses
Separated by Conjunctive
Adverbs
 Use semicolons when two
independent clauses are separated
by a conjunctive adverb or a
transitional expression.
 Common conjunctive adverbs
include therefore, however,
consequently, and then.

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2017 Cengage

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use as
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in a
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4


 Independent Clauses
Separated by Conjunctive
Adverbs Examples

She needed fast answers; therefore,
she checked online sources.
She found what she needed; then
she added the data to her report.
Her boss was impressed with her
findings; as a result, she was offered
a promotion.

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in whole
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in part,
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use as
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permitted in
in a
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5


 Independent Clauses
Without Coordinating
Conjunctions or Conjunctive
Adverbs
 Separate two or more closely related
independent clauses not separated
by a conjunctive adverb or a
coordinating conjunction (and, or,
nor, but, so, yet, for) with a
semicolon.
Common stock carries voting rights;
preferred stock does not carry such
rights.

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in a
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6


What other
punctuation
marks could be
used in the
previous sentence
instead of a
semicolon? What
other changes

would be
necessary?
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in a
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7

Alternatives to the
Semicolon
 Use a period and capitalize the
first word in the second
independent clause.

Common stock carries voting rights.
Preferred stock does not carry such
rights.

 Use a comma followed by a
coordinating conjunction to join
the two independent clauses.
Common stock carries voting
rights, but preferred stock
does not carry such rights.

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2017 Cengage
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Learning®. May
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or duplicated,

duplicated, or
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in part,
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use as
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in a
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8


 Series Containing Internal
Commas or Complete
Thoughts
 Use semicolons to separate items in
a series when one or more of the
items in the series contain internal
commas.
Some of the dignitaries attending are Karen
Howie, NMC; Barbara J. Malom, WITC; and
Kathleen Stewart, MVCC. (Internal commas)
The union shop recognizes compulsory union

membership of all employees; the closed shop
requires that all new employees must be
members of the union before hiring; and the
open shop allows either status. (Complete
thoughts)

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9


TRY YOUR
SKILL

Add, change,
1. Many employers
or remove
research job applicants
;
punctuation as
online therefore
job
,
needed in
seekers should clean up
these
“digital dirt.”
sentences.
2. Some job seekers use
Facebook wisely
; they
set up pages specifically
for employers to see.
© 2017 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a
© 2017 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a

license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use. ©
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10


TRY YOUR
SKILL

Add, change,
3. Brandon will visit Rome,
;
or remove
Italy,
; Geneva,
punctuation as
Switzerland, and ,
needed in
Munich, Germany this
these
fall.
;
sentences.
4. His passport has
expired, thus he needs
to apply for a new one
immediately.
© 2017 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a
© 2017 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a

license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use. ©
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11


LEARNING
OUTCOMES

Level 2
▶ Learn the proper use of
colons to introduce listed
items.
▶ Correctly use colons to
introduce long quotations and
explanatory sentences.

© 2017 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a
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12


Basic Uses of the Colon
 Listed Items
 Long Quotations
 Explanatory Sentences

©

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2017 Cengage
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13


 Listed Items

 Use a colon after an independent
clause that introduces one item, two
items, or a list of items.
 A list following an independent
clause may be shown horizontally
in sentence form or vertically in list
form and is usually introduced by
such words as the following, as
follows, these, or thus. Use a colon
even if these words are implied.
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2017 Cengage
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Learning®. May
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in whole

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in part,
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except for
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in a
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license distributed
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14


 Listed Items Examples
Independent Clause Introduces One
Item:
We need one thing from you: your
loyalty.
Independent
Clause Introduces Two
Items:
Our best interns possess two important
traits: flexibility and enthusiasm.
Horizontal List in Sentence Form:
Success in the auditing field depends
on the following: ability, training, and
perseverance.
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2017 Cengage
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15


 Listed Items Examples
Horizontal List in Sentence Form With
Introductory Expression Implied:
Three of the five tallest buildings in the
United States are in New York City: One
World Trade

Center, 432 Park Avenue, and
the Empire State Building.
Vertical List:
Other tall buildings can be found in
Chicago:
• Willis Tower
• Trump International Hotel and Tower
• Aon Tower
• John Hancock Center

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16


 Listed Items
 Do NOT use a colon in a sentence
unless the list is introduced by an
independent clause.
 Lists introduced by verbs or
prepositions require no colons
because the introductory statement
isThe
incomplete.
primary colors are red, yellow, and blue.
(Verb introduces list—no colon)
Bids have been received from Kayler
Construction, McManus Builders, and Finesse
Builders. (Preposition introduces list—no colon)
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17


 Listed Items
 Do NOT use a colon when an
intervening sentence falls between
the introductory statement and the
list.
Budget requests have not been

received from the following
departments. Contact them at once.
• Legal Services
• Research and Development
• Quality Control

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18


 Long Quotations
 Use a colon to introduce long onesentence quotations and quotations
of two or more sentences.
Remember to enclose the quotation
in quotation marks.

Ted Turner said: “When you lose
small businesses, you lose big ideas.
People who own their own
businesses are their own bosses.
They are independent thinkers. They
know they can't compete by
imitating the big guys; they have to
innovate. So they are less obsessed
with earnings than they are with

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2017 Cengage
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19


 Explanatory Sentences
 Use a colon to separate two
independent clauses if the second
clause explains, illustrates, or
supplements the first.
Mr. Cohen had only one goal: he
wanted to offer the best product at
the lowest possible price. (Second

clause explains what the “one goal”
is.)

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2017 Cengage
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20


TRY YOUR
SKILL

Add, change,
1. Effective graphics
or remove
require consistency in
punctuation as
these three
: elements,
needed in
colors, shapes and
these
logos.
sentences.
2. Effective graphics
require
, consistence in
colors, shapes and
logos.
© 2017 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a
© 2017 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a
license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use. ©
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21

TRY YOUR
SKILL

Add, change,
3. Our company has one
or remove
main
: goal to go public
punctuation as
by the end of the year.
needed in
4. The companies where
these
she plans to apply are
sentences.
Microsoft, Google
, and
Apple.

© 2017 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a
© 2017 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a
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22

LEARNING
OUTCOMES

Level 3
▶ Distinguish between the use
of commas and semicolons
preceding expressions such
as namely, for instance, and
that is.
▶ Use colons appropriately in
business letter salutations,
website addresses, time,
ratios, and publication titles;
and know when to capitalize
words following colons.

© 2017 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a
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23


Special Use of the
Semicolon
 When introductory expressions (such
as for example, for instance, that
is, and namely) immediately follow
independent clauses, they may be
preceded by either commas or
semicolons.

 If the words following the
introductory expression form a
series or an independent clause,
use a semicolon before the
introductory expression and a
comma after it.

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2017 Cengage
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Learning®. May
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in part,

part, except
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use as
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in a
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24


Special Use of the
Semicolon Examples
Namely introduces a series:
Some services must be curtailed;
namely, customer assistance,
equipment installation, and training.
That is introduces an independent
clause:
Banking hours will be extended
on weekdays; that is, we will
be open until 6 p.m.
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2017 Cengage
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Learning®. May
May not
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to a
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in whole
whole or
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in part,
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except for
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use as
as permitted
permitted in
in a
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license distributed
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25