Grammar: B1 - ✨ Grammar Essentials: ✏️ Writing Mechanics - Intermediate - Lesson 4: Semicolons (basic use: joining closely related independent clauses

Grammar: The Semicolon (;) B2 Punctuation: Joining Related Ideas What you will learn: By the end of this lesson, you will be able to correctly use a semicolon to connect two closely related independent clauses, enhancing your sentence variety and writing style. What is a Semicolon? A semicolon (;) is a powerful punctuation mark that acts like a "super-comma." It's stronger than a comma but weaker than a full stop. Its main purpose is to link two complete sentences (independent clauses) that are very closely related in meaning, without using a connecting word like 'and' or 'but'. Choosing Your Connection Using a semicolon is a stylistic choice. Here are four ways to handle the same two ideas, showing the power and purpose of the semicolon. Punctuation Choice Example Full Stop (strong separation) The tour guide was excellent. He knew so much. Comma + Conjunction (standard connection) The tour guide was excellent, and he knew so much. Semicolon (shows a very close l…