semi-colon

colon

Some people think these are old-fashioned punctuation marks but, if you use them correctly, they can greatly enhance the flow of your writing. Both marks indicate a pause. Use the look of the mark to help you remember that a colon is visually closer to a full stop, and therefore a longer pause, while a semi-colon is closer to a comma.

A semi-colon is a full stop above a comma, so it indicates a longer pause than a comma but a shorter one than a full stop. It is used to link two clauses or sentences that have a closer relationship than would be demanded by a full stop.

She thought long and hard about whether she could come up with anything better; clearly that was not going to happen!

No wonder this book was a classic; this single gem proved it.

A semi-colon can also be used to clarify a complex list.

There were so many things to consider when writing about punctuation: clarity for the reader; accuracy; relevance to modern writing; and the addition of a little humour to help people remember the principles.

I can't express this better than Fowler’s Modern English Usage. A colon is designed to:

deliver[ing] the goods that have been invoiced in the preceding words.

A colon can be used to: introduce a list, an explanation, a quote or an example; or to replace a comma before direct speech. In each case, the text following the colon gives you the details required by the text before it.

The book she was reading was dull: complex, erudite and designed for reference. However, hacking through the rocks that made up the text, she discovered a golden nugget: the concise explanation that she had been seeking. She couldn’t help exclaiming aloud: ‘That is just perfect!'

Memory jogger: a semi-colon extends a pause, a colon delivers the goods.

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