Page:Handbook of style in use at the Riverside press, Cambridge, Massachusetts (IA handbookofstylei00riverich).pdf/35

 The Semicolon is used—

Between clauses of a compound sentence that are joined by a single conjunction, when a more decided pause than a comma would furnish is desirable; as,—


 * “They found it a barbarous jargon; they fixed it in writing; and they employed it in legislation, in romance, and in poetry.”

To separate two or more coordinate members of a sentence, when those members have commas within themselves.

“Soon his face grew black; his eyes, strangely altered, turned in his head; he uttered a cry, staggered, and fell.”

To separate two members of a sentence when a comma would not make the relation between them clear.

“They had established the Calvinistic doctrine, discipline, and worship; and they made little distinction between popery and prelacy, the Mass and the Book of Common Prayer.”

To separate members of a sentence that are complex, or loosely connected, or that contain commas.

“The defendant filed a plea of justification, alleging that the plaintiff was asking for election to a public office of responsibility; that his moral character was of such a nature as to make his election a great injury to the public, and that the public good required an open discussion of his character, and also of his ability and integrity; that the defendant, in criticizing his character, was acting within his rights, so long as he did not pervert or grossly exaggerate facts or accuse the plaintiff falsely; that,” etc.

Before as, namely, thus, and similar connectives, when these words introduce examples, illustrations, or particulars.

“The plaintiff charges that the defendant has failed in the performance of his contract in these particulars; namely:” "Names of special creeds and confessions of faith; as, Apostles’ Creed, etc.”

Always outside quotation marks.

The Comma

Is used—

To separate proper names belonging to different individuals or places; as, To John, Smith was always kind.

To separate two numbers. In 1911, 100 in the shade was common over the Northern States early in July.