English Grammer

  What is a semicolon? What is correct semicolon use? The most common semicolon use is joining two  independent clauses  without using a  coordinating conjunction  like  and . Semicolons can also replace commas when listing items that already use commas, such as listing cities and states. Semicolons (;) are as basic as a period stacked on top of a comma. Does that mean you can use it like either one? Don’t get your hopes up. But don’t let this  punctuation  mark get you down either. How to use a semicolon correctly The most common use of the semicolon is to join two independent  clauses  without using a coordinating  conjunction  like  and . Do you use a capital letter after a semicolon? The general answer is no. A semicolon should be followed by a capitalized word only if the word is a proper noun or an acronym. We can go to the museum to do some research ; Mondays  are pretty quiet there. Remember, semicolons are no...

  An ellipsis, or  ellipses  in the plural form, is a punctuation mark of three dots (. . .) that shows an omission of words, represents a pause, or suggests there’s something left unsaid. Known casually as  dot, dot, dot , the ellipsis is a favorite tool of writers because it can symbolize silence in text, but it’s also used more practically to show that a direct quote has been altered.  Ellipses can be powerful tools for  writing  . . . if you know how to use them. Below, we give a more thorough  ellipsis  definition and explain how to use those three dots in writing. We also clear up the  ellipsis  vs.  ellipses  debate and share plenty of ellipsis examples to demonstrate its use.  What is an ellipsis? The ellipsis (pronounced  il-LIP-sis ) is a type of  punctuation  that represents a pause or that something has been intentionally left out. Specifically, it shows that words have b...