A semicolon (;) is a punctuation mark that has two main functions: Semicolons separate items in a complex list. For example, The Council is comprised of ten members: three from Sydney, Australia; four from Auckland, New Zealand; two from Suva, Fiji; and one from Honiara, Solomon Islands.
I ordered a cheeseburger for lunch; life's too short for counting calories. Martha has gone to the library; her sister has gone to play soccer. The examples above are each made up of two complete, grammatically correct sentences glued together.
Semicolons are most often used to connect two independent clauses (full sentences) that are related in meaning. Both the words before the semicolon and the words after it must be complete sentences that could be separated with a period. We could go fishing on Saturday. You could borrow a pole from my neighbor.
Rule 1. Use a semicolon in place of a period to separate two sentences where the conjunction has been left out. Examples: Call me tomorrow; I will give you my answer then.
Rule 2. Avoid using a colon before a list if it directly follows a verb or preposition that would ordinarily need no punctuation in that sentence. Not recommended: I want: butter, sugar, and flour. Recommended: I want butter, sugar, and flour.
A semicolon is used to separate items in a list when the items themselves have commas. The top shelf of her bookcase had math, science, and nature books; the second shelf had biographies, memoirs, and self-help books; and the third and fourth shelves had fiction and literature.
Use commas with the phrase 'for example'
Generally, use a comma before and after the phrase 'for example' in a sentence.
Colons and semicolon in the same sentence
I have lived in many large cities: Baltimore, Maryland; Dallas, Texas; and Miami, Florida. In this example, the colon is used to introduce the cities. Semicolons are used to separate each city and state from the next city and state in the list.
Rule. Use a semicolon between closely related independent clauses which are not joined by a coordinating conjunction. This rule means that semicolons are used between two complete sentences which are not already linked by words like and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet.
As stated above, e.g. is short for “for example.” The easiest way to remember this one is that it starts with an “e” and so does “example.” Here's how to use for example (e.g.) in a sentence: “There are many types of trees (e.g., spruce, oak, maple) in the study area.”
A colon can be used to connect two independent sentences. Typically, a colon is used when the second sentence clarifies or explains the first sentence. For example, Me and my sisters are really excited: We're going to Disneyland!
The colon
For example: You will need to bring three things to the party: some food, something to drink, and a small gift for the hostess. This sentence contains a list of three items. The first part of the sentence tells you that there will be three things; then the colon tells you "here are the three things".
A colon is used to give emphasis, present dialogue, introduce lists or text, and clarify composition titles. Emphasis—Capitalize the first word after the colon only if it is a proper noun or the start of a complete sentence. (She had one love: Western Michigan University.)
Colons introduce or define something. The primary use of semicolons is to join two main clauses. The difference between semicolons and colons is that colons can combine two independent clauses, but their primary use is to join independent clauses with a list or a noun.
DO NOT use a colon if the complete statement is followed by a transitional word or phrase such as “namely”, “for example”, “for instance”, or “however”.
How not to use a colon Incorrect example: The grocery list included: apples, grapes, milk, bread, and eggs. “The grocery list included” is not an independent clause, so it cannot be used with a colon—even if it is listing something after!
A conjunction adverb (such as however or consequently or significantly) might also be placed after the semicolon. Finally, a transitional phrase (such as for example, or as a result) can be used after the semicolon to connect the two related ideas.
Semicolons separate items within a list, while a colon precedes and introduces a list. He took three things on the hike; his lunch, his binoculars, and his trusty walking stick.
In writing, it is often abbreviated as e.g. and used to introduce an example or series of examples. This Latin abbreviation stands for “exempli gratia,” which translates to “for the sake of example.” The abbreviation should be written with lowercase letters, with a period after each letter, and followed by a comma.
In American English, a comma is always placed after “i.e.” or “e.g.” In fact, this is a punctuation rule on which both the AP Style Book and the Chicago Manual of Style agree. However, in British English, a comma is not used after “i.e.” or “e.g.”