Error (Pet Peeve) #3: Poor Punctuation Usage (continued)

Semicolon Errors

Often individuals are unsure when to use semicolons. Semicolons should be used in the following two instances:

To separate items in a series that contain commas.

• (Szapkiw, 2008; Biles, 2009)
• The verbal and math scores for Ms. Johnson's class were 78, 89; 98, 76; 95, 67; and 79, 89.

To separate two independent clauses that are NOT joined using a conjunction.

• Jane is caring, loving, and helpful; she enjoys helping her mother clean and her father work in the yard.