Colons and semicolons indicate pauses in a sentence that are stronger than the pause marked by a comma, but not as final as that marked by a period.
The semicolon is sometimes described as stronger than a comma but weaker than a period.
The Full Stop [.]
This is the strongest punctuation mark, making the most definite pause (in reading aloud or silently) when used at the end of a sentence.
Called a period in the US, the full stop marks the end of a sentence. It suggests a long pause in the writing. Comma. , A comma has two purposes; it can break up a sentence with a short pause between phrases and clauses, or be used to separate items in a list.
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.
WHAT IS A SEMICOLON? A semicolon (;) is a stronger mark of punctuation than a comma but not as strong as a period.
Use semicolons to separate items in a list. This comes in handy when the list items are lengthy or contain internal punctuation. Sometimes this use of a semicolon is referred to as a "super-comma" for its powerful ability to separate sentences.
A caesura is a break in a conversation, a line of verse, or a song. Usually, a caesura means total silence, but not for long.
a: Use punctuation (comma, ellipsis, dash) to indicate a pause or break. may be in the middle of a sentence or at the end of it. You can use commas, dashes, or ellipses to cue different types of pauses.
adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun] A long event or period of time lasts for a great amount of time or takes a great amount of time. Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
Asterism
It's also known as a triple asterisk. People have used asterisms to mark part of a text, or to indicate minor breaks (e.g., scene changes within a chapter in a novel). But this punctuation mark is rare these days, with a line of three or more asterisks more common.
Colons and dashes are two of the most mysterious and misunderstood marks of punctuation. This handout is meant to demystify and clarify the function of these forms of punctuation, so that you can use them more accurately.
Use semicolons to replace commas when individual items in a series are long or contain commas. Use a semicolon instead of a comma to separate the items.
The serial comma is also known as the Oxford comma, Harvard comma, or series comma. Although less common in British English, its usage occurs within both American and British English. It is called the Oxford comma because of its long history of use by Oxford University Press.
Dashes are able to substitute for commas and semicolons in the right situation. They can replace commas to note non-essential information or semicolon to note an example. Despite, and because of this versatility dashes should not be frequently employed in your writing.
Remember the three types of pauses: (1) phrasing, (2) deliberate, and(3) dramatic.
Em dashes are used to indicate a pause or an emphasis. They often take the place of many other punctuation marks, such as colons, commas, or parentheses. When used correctly, there is a subtle yet significant impact on the sentence. That is why writers love this little punctuation mark.
Add emphasis to key points - a pause before, during or after you say something you wish to emphasise can be a powerful verbal tool in a presentation. When preparing your speech, make a note of the important phrases and plan pauses around them.
A stop or pause in a metrical line, often marked by punctuation or by a grammatical boundary, such as a phrase or clause. A medial caesura splits the line in equal parts, as is common in Old English poetry (see Beowulf).
A caesura (/siˈzjʊərə/, pl . caesuras or caesurae; Latin for "cutting"), also written cæsura and cesura, is a metrical pause or break in a verse where one phrase ends and another phrase begins. It may be expressed by a comma (,), a tick (✓), or two lines, either slashed (//) or upright (||).
The feminine caesura is a pause that occurs after a non-stressed syllable in a line. For example, in the following passage from Shakespeare's 'Winter's Tale,' each caesura occurs after a non-stressed syllable: 'It is for you we speak, // not for ourselves: You are abused // and by some putter-on.
There are four types of comma: the listing comma, the joining comma, the gapping comma and bracketing commas.
Score: Reset. If a complex sentence begins with a dependent adverb clause, a comma is used to separate the two clauses. Since we are already late, we don't have time to stop.