Semicolon Between Independent Clauses (No Conjunction)
The Semicolon
Rulebase Summary
Use a semicolon to join two independent clauses that are closely related in meaning when no coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor) connects them. Each clause could stand alone as its own sentence, but the semicolon signals their close relationship. If a coordinating conjunction is present, use a comma instead (not a semicolon).
Examples
A. The light was red, I did not proceed through the intersection.
A. The light was red; I did not proceed through the intersection.
Closely related independent clauses with no conjunction take a semicolon.
A. He opened the envelope, a check was inside.
A. He opened the envelope; a check was inside.
Two related statements — semicolon, not comma.
Transcript Notes
Be particularly careful when the second sentence is short — do not be tempted to use a comma just because the sentence is short. These are called run-on sentences when punctuated with a comma.
Whether to use a semicolon or a period is sometimes a judgment call, and there are reporters who skip this decision altogether and always use periods.
It is worth noting that the semicolon is what is used in front of 'Is that correct?' and 'Is that right?' — the tag clause turns a statement into a question, making the two sentences very closely related in content.
Style Guide References (3)
Morson's
BGGP
BGGP