Student Assistance

Punctuation Marks     Part 1

Overview

Some people write well but allow themselves to be disabled by a fear of punctuation and grammar. They know how to prewrite, organize, and revise, but proofreading for punctuation and grammar causes them difficulties. There’s no need to fear these conventions of standard written English. In fact, these conventions can help you become a more effective communicator.

Punctuating Your Articles

Before discussing specific punctuation marks, we want you to know one important fact: punctuation is simple. Many people believe that punctuation rules are rigid commandments and that only the “experts” know all the rules. You may be surprised to learn, however, that it is not the “experts” but rather educated speakers and writers, such as yourself, who have established the practices that have come to be known as the “rules of punctuation.” In other words, over the years good writers have used punctuation in ways that have made their messages especially clear to their readers. Writers have agreed to follow these practices because they have proven to be so effective.

As an analogy, think of the traffic signs that govern the rules of the road. When you see a red blinking light or an octagonally shaped red sign, you bring your vehicle to a full stop; when you see a blinking yellow light, you proceed with caution. These traffic rules help make driving safe and efficient. But there’s no reason why a red light signifies a complete stop; it well could have been any other colour. The caution light (orange), too, could very well have been another colour. The important fact to remember is that drivers have agreed to follow these signals and to do certain things when they come upon them. The same is true with punctuation marks: writers have agreed that certain marks will signify specific things in written communication.

The rules of punctuation are not static; they have changed throughout the years and will continue to change. What once might have been considered improper punctuation may now be considered correct. The rules of punctuation are created and maintained by writers to help make their prose more effective, and their exact meaning changes over time, just as traffic rules evolve with time. At any point in time, a particular punctuation mark means what writers agree it means; as consensus shifts, so will its meaning.

If you approach punctuation with this understanding of its origin and flexibility, you will not be intimidated by the conventions of punctuation.

We will now discuss several of the most useful punctuation marks that you will use as a communicator. Instead of listing many rules, as a grammar book does, we discuss these various marks in general so that you can get a sense of how to use them when you write your own articles. Of course, every communicator should own and use a grammar textbook as a reference tool. You will still want to refer to such a book when you come upon a particularly difficult punctuation problem. Here, however, we are most concerned with helping you develop a feel for the way punctuation works.

Introduction

Establishing Relationships

The writer is ready to go All lessons have been learned He sits before his typewriter paper in place and begins to type at first slowly as he thinks about his words but then faster faster as he picks up the pace and his great writing flows Someday these words will be discovered on this dog eared paper in a multiuse library the writer says outloud in a somewhat gleeful somewhat arrogant voice What could be better to be discovered later or discovered now A thought Perhaps though it would help if I knew how to punctuate That way people would understand what I am writing

Punctuation establishes the relationship between words in sentences and paragraphs. The preceding unpunctuated paragraph vividly demonstrates the incommunicative horror that results when standard punctuation marks are not used. The writer who misuses punctuation does so at the risk of comprehension, of diluting a sentence's meaning or changing a word's nuance. A comma in the hands of a klutz is just another punctuation mark; in the hands of someone who appreciates how words can collide, a comma cushions the blow.

Unhappy with some out-of-focus prints he had received, an amateur photographer returned the negatives to a camera store and asked that new prints be made. The clerk agreed. He placed the negatives into a new envelope and wrote on the outside:

redo
out of focus

Fortunately, the clerk realized that he had asked the film-developing company to make new prints out of focus rather than make new prints because the old ones were out of focus. A comma after redo cushioned the words and defined their relationship.

These headlines, punctuated differently, mean different things.

ISRAELI POLICE FIRE AT CROWD, WOUNDING 10

ISRAELI POLICE FIRE AT CROWD WOUNDING 10

ISRAELI POLICE FIRE AT CROWD- WOUNDING 10

The first says the police wounded 10 people; the second says the crowd was wounding 10 people when the police fired; the third says the crowd has wounded 10 people but not necessarily when the police fired. The correct punctuation mark helps the reader understand. (The correct headline is the first.)

The difference between a hyphen and no hyphen can be the difference between gang war and a change of heart, between a gang of delinquents that had broken up deciding to re-form or reform. No small difference, yet it hangs on the thread of a hyphen – and the knowledge of someone who knows how to punctuate.

Even the much abused semicolon, misplaced, alters meaning. Compare the following:

The drinks are free; unfortunately, the pizza isn't.

The drinks are free, unfortunately; the pizza isn't.

There's a third possibility, albeit incorrect, one common with novice writers – no semicolon at all.

The drinks are free, unfortunately, the pizza isn't.

How will readers know which meaning the writer intended?

Finally, the much overused dash can be used to make meaning clear. Consider the following photo caption, where the dash is needed:

HOME STRETCH: These runners, students and townspeople, near the finish of a 10-mile race held to raise money for Sun Day.

On first reading, the initial comma suggests a series of people runners, students and townspeople. The second comma helps show the apposition, but not strongly enough to avoid a second reading. What is really meant is that the runners comprise students and townspeople, and dashes in place of commas would make that immediately clear.

HOME STRETCH: These runners – students and townspeople – near the finish of a 10-mile race held to raise money for Sun Day.

If you've ever examined something written two or three centuries ago, you will notice that writers then punctuated more than we do today. The style at that time was to write longer sentences, which in turn required more punctuation. Modern style demands briefer sentences that need less punctuation. However, less punctuation does not mean no punctuation at all. Rather, it means a precise use of punctuation.

1.  Full Stop and Ellipses

NOTE:  YOU MAY NOW USE ONLY ONE SPACE AFTER A full stop AT THE END OF A SENTENCE BECAUSE OF SOFTWARE CHANGES.  YOU MAY ALSO DELETE THE SPACES BETWEEN ELLIPSES.

End of Sentence

The full stop indicates the end of a declarative sentence. Officials are baffled about the cause and nature of the disease.

It also indicates the end of an imperative (command) sentence.

Give me your notes.

The full stop also appears at the end of a polite request that sounds like a question.

Would you give me your notes.

Abbreviation

Sometimes called a point by printers, the full stop is used in abbreviations.

The Middlemen Inc.
J. C. Penney Co.
U.S. government
Harrisburg, Pa.
Los Angeles, Calif.

It also serves as a decimal point.

1.3 percent
$2.5 million

With Quotation Marks

The full stop ending a sentence usually appears in front of an ending quotation mark.

He called the mayor a "redneck."

With Parentheses

The sentence-ending full stop appears outside a closing parenthesis when parentheses enclose only a word or fragment.

It is a rare newspaper usage (although Editor & Publisher follows that style).

A full stop appears inside when parentheses enclose a complete sentence.

He called the mayor a "redneck." (Redneck is a derogatory term.)

Ellipsis

When the full stop is used in a series of three (...), it indicates the omission of some words in a direct quotation. The series of three full stops is called an ellipsis.

To be, or not to be ...

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles ...

Journalists, of course, don't usually quote Hamlet. Often they quote people whose statements were spoken only to them or to a small group, and the public has no idea if something is omitted from a direct quotation. In those circumstances journalists don't usually indicate omissions because the reader won't know what the ellipsis signifies. Here is a direct quotation from a news story:

We expect the IRA to hit back at any moment. ... The terrorists have already publicly stated they plan a bombing campaign far worse than anything they have done before.

There is no reason for the ellipsis. What reader would know what was missing? Furthermore, the reader probably wouldn't care. If you do use an ellipsis, remember that it is three full stops and is in addition to the final punctuation of the sentence. See the IRA quotation, above, for an example.

Headline writers sometimes use the ellipsis in two headlines to indicate that two stories, one below the other, are related.

YOUNGSTOWN STEEL UNION ASKS
FOR PRESIDENT'S ASSISTANCE ...
... WHILE STEEL HAULERS BROOD

Note that the ellipses are used at the end of the first headline and at the beginning of the second.

Some broadcasters use the ellipsis to indicate where the news reader should pause or change pace.

The president signed into law today a bill that will lower everyone's income tax next year. ... In Madison, Wisconsin, 10 people died when an early morning fire leveled an apartment building. ... And in London the prime minister devalued the pound. ... details after these messages.

Rule 1. Use the full stop after an indirect question.

Example:
He asked where his suitcase was.

Rule 2. If words are omitted at the end of a quoted sentence, use ellipses (three spaced full stops, with one space before and after each full stop) followed by the necessary ending punctuation mark.

Examples:
The regulation states, "All agencies must document overtime ... ."
The original sentence read, The regulation states, "All agencies must document overtime or risk losing federal funds."

She said, "Can you tell me what happened to ... ?"

Rule 3. If sentences are omitted between other sentences within a quotation, use three spaced full stops after the ending punctuation mark of the preceding sentence.

Example:
The regulation states, "Agencies may risk losing federal funds . ... All agencies will be audited annually."

NOTE: Two spaces follow the ending punctuation mark.

Rule 4. If the last word in the sentence ends in a full stop, do not follow it with another full stop.

Examples:
I know that M.D. She is my sister-in-law.
Please shop, cook, etc. I will do the laundry.

2.  Question Mark

This mark appears at the end of a question. Not using it when it is needed can alter the meaning of a sentence.

Know what's happening.

That is a command telling you to know what is happening. The question mark makes it a question.

Know what's happening?

Whether or not the question mark appears inside or outside the quotation mark depends on whether the question mark belongs to the quoted matter or the entire statement.

"Is the mayor going to run for re-election?" council member Pearson asked.

Did you see the movie "All the President's Men"'? When Bill asked me that, I replied: "No, did you?"

Putting the question mark inside the quotation mark in the first sentence of the above example would change the title of the movie to

"All the President's Men?"

Rule 1. Use a question mark only after a direct question.

Examples:
Will you go with me?
I asked if he would go with me.

Rule 2. Use a question mark when a sentence is half statement and half question.

Example:
You do care, don’t you?

3.  Exclamation Mark

The exclamation mark is an indication of intensity or excitation.

Watch out!

Had that been a calmly made statement, such as a piece of advice, a full stop would have been used.

Watch out.

The exclamation mark is used cautiously in good writing. Used too much it is weakened, its intensity made meaningless through numerous appearances. In stories the exclamation mark does not appear outside direct quotations because it could be taken as a reporter's opinion.

Jones was charged with murder!

And even within quotation marks it is seldom used. People do not go through life exclaiming many things (unless they have children). My comments do not preclude the exclamation mark's use in a direct quotation, an editorial or a column of opinion.

Rule. Use exclamation points to show emphasis or surprise. Do not use the exclamation point in formal business letters.

4.  Colon

You might be surprised to learn that the colon is one of the most helpful and easiest to use of all the punctuation marks. You don’t need to remember six or seven rules to understand how a colon works. In prose, a colon really does only one thing: it introduces. It can introduce just about anything: a word, a phrase, a sentence, a quotation, or a list. You’ll notice that we’ve used colons in the two preceding sentences to introduce a sentence, in the first case, and a list, in the second case. This is how simple the colon is. Let’s look at some other examples:

Joe has only one thing on his mind: profit.
Joe has only one thing on his mind: his stock portfolio.
Joe has only one thing on his mind: he wants to get rich.
Joe has three things on his mind: stocks, bonds, and certificates of deposit.

We have used a colon in these four sentences to introduce various kinds of things: a word, a phrase, a sentence, and a list. You can use a colon in your prose in any place where you must directly introduce something. A colon gives special emphasis to whatever you’re introducing because readers must first come to a stop, and so they pay more attention to it. For example, let’s say you are writing a letter describing a product, and you want to emphasize above all that this product, the Jacobsen lawn mower, is reliable. You could very well write:

The Jacobsen lawn mower beats its competitors especially in the key area of reliability.

While this sentence gets the point across, it doesn’t place much emphasis on reliability. A sentence using a colon is much more emphatic:

The Jacobsen lawn mower beats its competitors especially in one key area: reliability.

Notice that the second example places clear emphasis on the point that the writer is trying to communicate to his or her reader: that the Jacobsen lawn mower is above all reliable. The writer of this sentence has used the colon effectively.

Perhaps the most common way to use a colon is to introduce a list of items, as in this sentence:

This report reviews five main criteria to determine whether to purchase the IBM PC: hardware, software, maintenance agreements, service, and customer support.

If you aren’t sure whether you need a colon in a particular sentence, here is a handy test: read the sentence, and when you reach the colon, substitute the word namely; if the sentence reads through smoothly, then there’s a good chance that you do need a colon. For example, you can read any of the example sentences above with the word namely in the place of the colon:

Joe has only one thing on his mind [namely] profit.
Joe has only one thing on his mind [namely] his stock portfolio.
Joe has only one thing on his mind [namely] he wants to get rich.
Joe has three things on his mind [namely] stocks, bonds, and certificates of deposit.

This test may not work 100 percent of the time, but it is a fairly reliable indicator of whether you need a colon.

One word of caution: do not place the colon after the verb in a sentence, even when you are introducing something, because the verb itself introduces and the colon would be redundant. For example, you would not write:

My three favourite friends are: Evelyn, Marlyne, and Ronni.

The colon is not necessary in the sentence above because the verb does the work of introducing the three friends. You can check this sentence by using the test we just mentioned. It would seem awkward to read this sentence,“My three favourite friends are, namely, Evelyn, Marlyne, and Ronni.”The fact that the sentence is awkward when you read it with namely is an indication that the colon is unnecessary. Remember, the colon shows emphasis and, therefore, you want the reader to stop at the colon before preceding on to whatever it is you are introducing.

Other Uses and Rules

The colon is used to show a relationship. Think of it as an equals sign--whatever follows it is equivalent or similar to what precedes it or is an explanation of what precedes it.

With the outbreak of war, another style of dress is common on campus: green army fatigues.

Students' grades in writing courses reflect a dramatic change: The basics are being taught again in high schools, which shows up in better written term papers.

Note the difference in capitalization. The initial letter that follows the colon in the first example is not capitalized while it is in the second example. When what follows a colon is a complete sentence (subject-verb construction), the initial letter is capitalized. When what follows a colon is a series or list, do not capitalize the initial letter.

You have three choices: the Army, college or work.

The colon is also used to separate a long introduction from a direct quotation that follows.

The president did not speak during the applause. After the crowd had quieted, he resumed: "I stand here today to explain my energy plan in full."

He said he was confronted by Mrs. Jones, who told him: I did it. I hope he doesn't die."

Rule 1. Use the colon after a complete sentence to introduce a list of items when introductory words such as namely, for example, or that is do not appear. Skip two spaces after a colon.

Examples:
You may be required to bring many items: sleeping bags, pans, and warm clothing.
I want the following items:  butter, sugar, and flour.
I want a secretary who can do the following:  1) type, 2) take shorthand, and 3) answer telephones.
I want a secretary who can 1) type, 2) take shorthand, and 3) answer telephones.

NOTE: No colon precedes the numbers in the last example because I want a secretary who can is not a complete sentence.

Rule 2. Use the colon to introduce a list in tabular form whether it is preceded by a complete sentence or not.

Examples:
I want a secretary who can:
a) type
b) take shorthand
c) answer telephones

I want a secretary who can do the following:
a ) type
b) take shorthand
c) answer telephones

NOTE: Capitalization and punctuation are optional when using tabular form. The rule of thumb is to be consistent.

Rule 3. Use the colon to introduce a direct quotation that is more than three typewritten lines in length. In this situation, single space the long quotation and indent five spaces from each margin. Using quotation marks is optional.

Rule 4. Use the colon to follow the salutation of a business letter even when addressing someone by his/her first name. Never use a semicolon after a salutation. A comma is used after the salutation for personal correspondence.

5.  Semicolon

The semicolon is another important tool you can use when you write. There are two ways to use this punctuation mark: as a connector between two sentences and as a supercomma.

To Connect Two Sentences

The semicolon is most often used to connect two sentences. Obviously, the sentences ought to be relatively close in content, but other than that you can connect any two sentences with a semicolon.

The diagram below may help you remember this usage:

As a communicator, you are always putting together complex items in your prose and showing how they relate to one another. A semicolon is an economical way to join two sentences, and therefore two ideas, so that your reader sees the relationship. For example, you may write any of the following sentences:

Jim is a good typist; he makes few mistakes.

The AFC Corporation is an excellent company to invest in; its investments have risen sharply and steadily over each of the last ten years.

Ms. Sanchez is a successful real estate salesperson; however, she was unable to sell her own house.

Each of the three examples above contains two sentences glued together by a semicolon. The second part of each sentence makes a comment on the first. Certainly, each sentence could be written as two sentences, but you wouldn’t be expressing the close relationship between the two parts that you do when you use a semicolon. With two separate sentences, the reader must stop at the period of the first sentence and then begin to read the second; with two sentences connected by a semicolon, the reader does not come to a full stop and, therefore, the relationship seems that much closer. Also, this type of sentence allows you to express your ideas economically.

The important point to remember is that you must have a complete sentence on both sides of the semicolon. If your second sentence begins with a conjunction (and, but, or, etc.), you do not need a semicolon because the conjunction and the comma that usually goes with it are equivalent to a semicolon. Instead, combine two full sentences with the semicolon.

Sometimes a sentence may begin with words like however, therefore, and nevertheless. If your second sentence begins with one of these words, and if it is indeed a full sentence, you still must use a semicolon to connect the two. The sentence about Ms. Sanchez illustrates this use.

A word of caution: never glue two sentences together with only a comma. Grammarians call this sentence error a comma splice. Here is an example of two sentences connected with only a comma:

The banking community became quite upset at the rise in the prime rate, bankers felt that they would ultimately lose a considerable amount of money.

A comma splice is considered ungrammatical because the reader begins reading the second sentence before realizing that the first sentence is completed. Readers are used to stopping at the end of a sentence, and they become disoriented when they find that they have unknowingly left one sentence and entered a new one. This is why effective writers avoid the comma splice. Here are two additional examples of comma splices:

Ms. Linccini is a fine worker, she meets all her deadlines.

Our sales have increased by twenty percent, our inventory has been reduced by thirty percent.

Each of the examples above constitutes two sentences glued together with a comma. You can correct a comma splice by inserting a semicolon between the two sentences, by adding a comma to your conjunction, or, of course, by punctuating them as two sentences. Whichever way you choose, however, you must make sure your final drafts do not contain comma splices.

There is one instance in which a comma splice is considered acceptable. Occasionally, you may have a list of items that could stand alone as full sentences. You may use commas to attach these items so long as it is clear to the reader that this is a list of relatively equal items. Here is an example:

I opened the safe door, I took out the money pouch, and I concealed it in my desk drawer.

The example above shows a list of three items and illustrates a step-by-step process. Even though the items all constitute full sentences, it is acceptable to use commas to attach them but only because they are members of a larger list. If you are unsure about using commas to connect sentences in a list, perhaps it is best to rewrite the sentence. Do, however, stay alert for any two sentences in your prose that are connected by only a comma.

Related to the comma splice is the run-on sentence. Run-on sentences, often called “fused” sentences, are two sentences punctuated as if they were one. In other words, a run-on is a comma splice without the comma--two sentences smashed together with no punctuation between them. Here are two sample run-ons:

Chu Lie is the foreman Joseph Garcia is the line boss.

I knew that the new personnel policy would cause problems the union is reacting quite vehemently.

As you can see, each of the two samples above is composed of two sentences. The writer should have connected the sentences with a semicolon or punctuated them as separate sentences. Again, you don’t have to worry about such matters until the proofreading stage, but you must make sure your final draft doesn’t contain run-on sentences.

As Supercomma

As you know, you normally separate the members of a list with commas, as in this sentence:

I have just bought shares in IBM, USAG, and ITT.

The commas let the reader know where one item ends and the next begins. Sometimes, however, you have a list of complex items and one (or more) of the items already contains a comma. In such a case, the reader is likely to get confused about what is really a member of the list and what is not. You can avoid this confusion by making the semicolon a sort of“supercomma.”Look at the sentence below to see how the supercomma works:

Suncom Corporation has subsidiaries in four cities: New York, New York, Wilmington, Ohio, Houston, Texas, and San Francisco, California.

This sentence contains so many commas, both between the members of the list and within them, that readers are likely to become confused. Instead, you can make the semicolon a supercomma between each of the members so that your meaning is clear:

Suncom Corporation has subsidiaries in four cities: New York, New York; Wilmington, Ohio; Houston, Texas; and San Francisco, California.

The second sentence is clearer than the first because the reader knows exactly where members of the list begin and end. You probably will not need to use a semicolon as a supercomma often, but if your sentence contains a list of items, one (or more) of which already contains a comma, you can clarify your meaning by using the supercomma.

The semicolon's primary function is to separate complete but coordinating sentences (called compound sentences) that are not joined by a connective.

The house is big enough; I think there's room for everyone.

It wasn't the subfreezing playing conditions or a matter of being outplayed; the game was decided by puck luck.

Among unanswered questions, Foege said, are: "How did it get to the people; why didn't it spread among individuals; were other factors needed for it to spread?"

Some writers – newspaper and otherwise – will put in a full stop where a semicolon could be used and go on to a new sentence. That doesn't make the preceding examples wrong or uncommon. In fact, they are very good examples of situations in which the full stop might jar the reader because it would disjoint tightly related ideas.

One place in newspapers where the semicolon is called for is after an attribution tag that separates two coordinating sentences. Often a reporter will make an attribution tag do double work, letting it refer to a statement just made and a statement to follow. Misuse occurs when a comma appears in the place of a semicolon.

"It was an even game," Jones said, "I felt both defenses were strong."

Correctly punctuated, that sentence would read

"It was an even game," Jones said; "I felt both defenses were strong."

"It was an even game," Jones said. "I felt both defenses were strong.''

Conditioned as they are to attributing, some journalists are afraid to allow a direct quotation stand by itself because they fear the reader will not tag it correctly.

In stories with only one speaker the fear is unfounded. The quotation marks make the attribution clear.

With a Series

A second necessary use of the semicolon is with items in a series in which some items have apposition. Count the number of people in this sentence.

Present at the party were John Jones, the butler; Mary Smith, a private secretary; two attorneys; Bill Jackson, a former judge; Karen Harpster, a maid and a horse trader.

Now in this one.

Present at the party were John Jones; the butler; Mary Smith; a private secretary; two attorneys; Bill Jackson; a former judge; Karen Harpster; a maid; and a horse trader.

By using semicolons to clarify the ambiguities of possible apposition, the writer shows 11 people at the party, not six.

In the following examples note how the semicolons neatly keep sets of related items separate from other sets of related items.

In addition to the congressional pay increases, other pay raises include:
vice president, chief justice, House speaker, from $65,000 to $75,000; associate Supreme Court justices, $63,000 to $72,000; cabinet members, $63,000 to $66,000; majority and minority leaders in Congress, $52,000 to $65,000; district judges, $42,000 to $54,000.

The provost said that recommendations will be made in 11 areas: the purpose and place of the college; enrollment, admissions and probable distribution of students; mix and quality of students; scope of academic offerings; quality of teaching; research effort and emphasis; direction and scope of public service; faculty personnel policies; college governance and administrative organization; student housing; and funding efforts, including tuition policies.

Their roles on the paper were typical of their relationship: Apte the last-dealing businessman, Godse the outraged editorialist; Apte the chairman of the meeting, controlling its flow, Godse the fiery orator; Apte the formulator of their political schemes, Godse their vocal proponent.

Note that in the second example semicolons appear where commas are normally slotted. That happens because very quickly a comma is needed in a series (enrollment, admissions and probable distribution and students). Thus, the writer started with semicolons in place of commas.

Placement With Quotation Marks

Semicolons always appear outside quotation marks. For newspapers that don't italicize or boldface book titles, this is correct for titles:

Some of the better modern authors and their books are Tracy Kidder, "The Soul of a New Machine"; Jonathan Sehell, "The Fate of the Earth"; John McPhee, "Coming into the Country"; Tom Wolfe, "The Right Stuff."

Rule 1. Use the semicolon in place of a full stop to separate two sentences where the conjunction has been left out.

Examples:
Call me tomorrow; I will give you my answer then.
I have paid my dues; therefore, I expect all the privileges listed in the contract.

Rule 2. Do not use a semicolon in front of words such as therefore and however if they do not connect two complete sentences or are used as interrupters.

Examples:
I would, therefore, like a response.
I would be happy, however, to volunteer for the Red Cross.

Rule 3. Use a comma or a semicolon before introductory words such as namely, that is, i.e., for example, e.g., or for instance when they are followed by a list of three or more items and preceded by a complete sentence.

Examples:
You may be required to bring many items; e.g., sleeping bags, pans, and warm clothing. OR
You may be required to bring many items, e.g., sleeping bags, pans, and warm clothing.

NOTE: i.e. means that is   and   e.g. means for example

Rule 4. If these introductory words are followed by fewer than three items, simply enclose them in commas.

Example: You may be required to bring many items, for instance, sleeping bags.

Rule 5. Use the semicolon to avoid confusion where commas already exist.

Rule 5a. Use the semicolon to separate units of a series when one or more of the units contain commas.

Example:
This conference has people that have come from Boise, Idaho; Los Angeles, California; and Nashville, Tennessee.

Rule 5b. You may use a semicolon between two sentences that are joined by a conjunction but already have one or more commas within the first sentence.

Examples:
When I finish here, I will be glad to help you; and that is a promise I will keep.

If she can, she will attempt that feat; and if her husband is able, he will be there to see her.

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