A semicolon (;) separates two independent clauses, but it keeps those two thoughts more tightly linked than a period can: “I type letters; he types bills.”

The semi-colon sometimes raises people’s blood pressure, but it is a very useful punctuation mark. A semi-colon has three important features:

• It is considered a more defined pause than the pause required by a comma.
• It is used to separate major sentence elements of equal grammatical rank.
• It is used to separate sentences joined by logical conjunctions such as however, therefore, thus, and nevertheless.

Example: “I learned all the rules and regulations; however, I never really learned to control the ball.”

It can also be used to separate two closely related sentences not joined by a conjunction. The semi-colon in this instance is useful for showing contrast or balance.

Example: “Having more work to do is relatively easy to bear; what stings is having more to do than everyone else.”