Are commas and semicolons the same?

The most common use of the semicolon is to join two independent clauses without using a conjunction like and. Remember, semicolons are not interchangeable with commas or periods. Instead, they’re somewhere in between: stronger than a comma but not quite as divisive as a period.

How do you use a semicolon Owl Purdue?

Semicolon (;) Use a semicolon when you link two independent clauses with no connecting words. For example: I am going home; I intend to stay there. It rained heavily during the afternoon; we managed to have our picnic anyway.

Where should the commas go in this sentence?

Commas don’t just signify pauses in a sentence ” precise rules govern when to use this punctuation mark. Commas are needed before coordinating conjunctions, after dependent clauses (when they precede independent clauses), and to set off appositives.

What is the comma rule?

Use a comma before which when it introduces a nonrestrictive phrase. Don’t use a comma before which when it’s part of a prepositional phrase, such as “in which.” Don’t use a comma before which when it introduces an indirect question.

What are the four types of commas?

There are four types of comma: the listing comma, the joining comma, the gapping comma and bracketing commas. A listing comma can always be replaced by the word and or or: Vanessa seems to live on eggs, pasta and aubergines. Vanessa seems to live on eggs and pasta and aubergines.

What is the phrase between two commas called?

2. order by. 6. Loading when this answer was accepted… The NOAD reports that one of the meaning of parenthesis is “a word or phrase inserted as an explanation or afterthought into a passage which is grammatically complete without it, in writing usually marked off by brackets, dashes, or commas.”

Which sentence correctly uses the Oxford comma?

The proper definition of the Oxford comma is “a comma used after the penultimate item in a list of three or more items, before ‘and’ or ‘or’.” For example: “Today I went to lunch with my roommates, Tom, and Molly.”

Does the New York Times use the Oxford comma?

(In most cases, The Times stylebook discourages the serial comma, often called the Oxford comma because it was traditionally used by the Oxford University Press.)

Why the Oxford comma is necessary?

The Oxford comma is the comma placed before the conjunction at the end of a list of things. For example, in “the flag was red, white, and blue”, the Oxford comma would be the one appearing before “and”. Proponents of the Oxford comma say it’s necessary for removing ambiguity in sentences.

What is the difference between an Oxford comma and a regular comma?

When you’re writing a list, you naturally include commas to separate each item, but an Oxford comma is when you also put a comma before the “and [Final Item]”. For example: Without Oxford comma: “Her favourite foods were chocolate, marshmallows, cake and chicken.”

Do we use comma before but?

You should put a comma before but only when but is connecting two independent clauses. I would go for a walk, but it’s raining outside. That means they’re independent clauses, so you need to use a comma before but. When you don’t have two independent clauses, leave the comma out.

Is but a conjunction?

But is a coordinating conjunction used to connect ideas that contrast. Coordinating conjunctions connect items which are the same grammatical type. … Although/though can be used to contrast ideas.

Does however need a comma before and after?

Use a semi-colon (;) before and a comma (,) after however when you are using it to write a compound sentence. If ‘however’ is used to begin a sentence, it must be followed by a comma, and what appears after the comma must be a complete sentence.

Does however need two commas?

In a nutshell, however is an adverb, not a true conjunction, so it can’t join two independent clauses with just a comma. But either way, however should be set off by commas. When it’s in the middle of a clause, the commas go on both sides; when it’s at the beginning of a clause, it just needs a following comma.

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