Use
A semicolon introduces a pause greater than that of a comma but less than that of a period. This is a semicolon: ; ; To Clarify a Series : Semicolons separate elements of a series when the items are long or when individual segments contain material that also must be set off by commas. *Example: She leaves a son, Mike Nach, of Arizona; a daughter, Emily Rosa, of Colorado; and a sister, Sara Evans, of Minnesota. ; To Link Independent Clauses : A semicolon joins two independent clauses within one a sentence without the use of a coordinating conjunction. *Example: The horse was due for an immunization; the veterinarian administered one today. ; A semicolon may also be used if there is a Conjunctive adverb in the sentence. *Example: “I must go grocery shopping; however, I must pick up the dry cleaning today.” ; Placement with Quotes : Semicolons should always appear outside quotation marks. *Example: Marcus often says that "people should remain true to their faith"; however, he is not a man of faith.
Common Misuses
Some examples of improper use of the semicolon: *Between a subordinate clause and the rest of the sentence. Example: Unless you are coming home before your curfew; don't bother coming home. *Between an appositive and the word to which it refers. Example: My favorite animal is a parakeet; a type of bird. *To introduce a list. Example: I own these cars; a Dodge Stealth, an Acura RSX, and a Geo Storm.