Semicolons and colons: how to use them correctly

Use a semicolon between two independent clauses (each could stand alone as a sentence) that are closely related:

• The storm grew louder; the children huddled closer together.
• Some revise in the morning; others prefer the evening.

A semicolon is stronger than a comma but weaker than a full stop. It tells the reader the two ideas belong together.

When a linking word like however, therefore, otherwise or consequently joins two complete sentences, use a semicolon before it and a comma after it:

• The test was difficult; however, most students passed.
• It was late; therefore, we took a taxi.

Using a comma here ("The test was difficult, however, most students passed") is a comma splice.

If the items in a list already contain commas, separate them with semicolons so the reader can tell where each item ends:

The tour visited Paris, France; Rome, Italy; and Madrid, Spain.

A comma splice joins two complete sentences with only a comma: It was raining, we stayed inside. It's one of the most common errors in student writing. Four ways to fix it:

Use a colon after a complete sentence to introduce:

• A list: You'll need three things: a pen, a ruler and a calculator.
• An explanation or reason: She was exhausted: she'd been awake since four.
• An example or result: There was only one option left: run.
• A quotation: Macbeth reveals his guilt: "Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?"

A colon after a complete sentence makes the reader expect what comes next, so it's also useful for building tension in creative writing.

Test for a semicolon: could you put a full stop there instead? If yes, a semicolon works. Test for a colon: does the second part explain or list what the first part sets up?

• A colon after an incomplete sentence: "The ingredients are: flour, eggs and milk." Remove the colon, or write "You need the following ingredients: flour, eggs and milk."
• A colon after "such as" or "including": "fruits such as: apples and pears." No colon needed.
• A semicolon before a list: "I bought; bread, milk and eggs." Use a colon, or nothing.
• A semicolon joining unrelated ideas: "I like football; the sky is blue."
• Capital letters: in British English, the word after a colon or semicolon is usually lower case, unless it's a proper noun or a quotation.

Add a semicolon or colon:

1. I have one rule never give up.
2. The bus was late we missed the start of the film.
3. She packed everything a tent, a sleeping bag and a torch.
4. He trained every day however, he lost the race.

Answers: 1. I have one rule: never give up. 2. The bus was late; we missed the start of the film. 3. She packed everything: a tent, a sleeping bag and a torch. 4. He trained every day; however, he lost the race.

In AQA GCSE English Language, technical accuracy (AO6) is marked in the writing section of both papers, and a range of punctuation used correctly is part of the top band. See also comma rules and apostrophes.