What do semicolons do?
separate two independent clauses
separate dependent clauses
separate dependent clauses and non-essential clauses
1 answer
The primary function of a semicolon is to separate two independent clauses that are closely related and could stand alone as separate sentences. This punctuation mark is used to create a stronger connection between the two clauses than a period would. Semicolons are not used to separate dependent clauses or non-essential clauses, as these types of clauses are typically separated by commas or other punctuation marks.