How to Use a Semicolon: I Was Terrible Until I Found This Simple Trick

Last updated on November 18th, 2025 at 12:45 pm

All right, I am going to tell you the truth, semicolons struck me long enough. I would read about them in articles and imagine that they belong only to the English majors and simply continue using commas, as well as periods, as everyone does.

Then I wrote an email to my boss using three run-on sentences and she mildly mentioned that I needed to work on my punctuation. Ouch.

Hence a weekend computation of this. Semicolons are actually not a form of grammar pretense. It is like stupid simple once you get that there is a rule that counts.

Table of Contents

The Golden Prick That Altered The World.

It came to me as follows: I figured out the semicolon is only two sentences that are complete and embraced by hands.

That’s it. In case a period can be placed between two sentences, one may use a semi colon instead, however, only when the sentences are referring to the same subject.

Test it like this:

Read the one which comes before the semicolon. Does it make sense alone?
Read the part after. Does that make sense alone?
Are they related ideas?

Answering yes to all three then you are good. If not, don’t use it.

Example that works:

Laundry is something that I despise; I spend all day on Sunday doing it.

Both sides work as sentences. Both talk about laundry. Boom.

Example that doesn’t:

I abhor laundry: a neighbour of mine keeps a dog.

Of course, they are full sentences, but haphazard. The semicolon should not be used here but period.

When I Use Semicolons Actuality.

I eventually learned to do it, and I began to see where semicolons were more suitable than other marks of punctuation.

Linking Related Thoughts

This is my go-to. I use a semicolon in cases when I am typing and two sentences are too broken with the point but too long run not with a comma.

Before: I finished the report. I sent it to the team.
Before: I completed the report; I forwarded it on the team.

It’s smoother. It shows the connection.

Using “However” and “Therefore”

I would stick commas all around these words. Turns out, that’s wrong.

Mistake: I got pizza but I had intended to get salad.
Fix: I had a craving to eat pizza, but I had placed a pizza order to eat a salad.

The rule? Before the “however,” there is a semicolon, and there is a comma at the end of it. The same applies to such words as therefor, meanwhile, and moreover. This made my emails sound like a business item as soon as I heard it.

Complex Lists

The following one rescued me at the time when I was making travel plans. When you have items in your list, which already contain the commas in it, insert semicolons between the large portions.

pick-up: I have visited Seattle, Washington, Portland, Oregon and Austin, Texas.
Clear, I have been to Seattle, Washington; Portland, Oregon, and Austin, Texas.

How more convenient that is to read?

What I Still Mess Up

I’m not perfect. I do find myself still using semicolons with and or but, however, you cannot do that. You have got a conjunction use a comma instead.

Wrong: I love coffee; however, I give up caffeine.
Right: I am a coffee lover, but have given up caffeine.

I also got to know that I should not overdo it. Semicolons are good, but when you use semicolons three times in an ordinary paragraph you are trying too hard. Take some things apart into individual sentences.

Why Bother Learning This?

Honestly? It does not sound artificial, it makes you seem smarter. As recent figures of research into the punctuation tendencies suggest, only 11 of the population is able to use semicolons frequently. It implies that when you manage to do this, then you are already doing better than most professional writers.

Plus, it’s satisfying. It feels good when one is dropping a perfect semicolon in the email. Like you’ve leveled up.

My Simple Checklist Now

I proof-read before sending anything important:

Are the two sentences independent of each other?
Are they actually related?
Were there cases when I did not use it with and, but, or?

If yes to all three, I keep it. Otherwise, I would sell instead to a comma or period.

There really is no more to it. Semicolons aren’t scary. They’re not pretentious. They are merely a method of linking ideas that should be united. As soon as I ceased to worry over it and began trying by that two-sentence holding-hands rule, all became clear.

I would even seek places to apply them now. Weird how that works.