Colon usage/semi colon.

Question

You can use a colon to connect two sentences when the second sentence summarizes, sharpens, or explains the first. (Does the Em Dash not serve this purpose too?)

(Grammargirl)
The most important thing to remember about colons is that you only use them after statements that are complete sentences. Never use a colon after a sentence fragment or incomplete sentence. (This isn't true as they introduce newspaper titles which use fragments).

In this example the colon is used after a preposition 'whenever'. Is this wrong or contradicting this definition.

Whenever pregnancy starts wearing you down, remember: elephants are pregnant for two years and their babies weigh 265 pounds. Perspective. You're welcome. (not sure about the word 'perspective' on it's own either?)

Semi-colon

He's lying; I don't know him.
I never thought his knowledge of math was good; he studied music anyway.

Are semi-colons here just personal choice. How do we tell which ideas need a closer relationship versus separate sentences?

Clive · Accepted Answer

Here are a few comments on various points in your post

The use of em-dashes is less clearly defined than than is the use of colons. Some people maintain that em-dashes should be avoided in formal and academic writing.

In this example the colon is used after a preposition 'whenever'. Is this wrong or contradicting this definition.

'Whenever' is not a preposition. It is a conjunction and an adverb.

Whenever pregnancy starts wearing you down, remember: elephants are pregnant for two years and their babies weigh 265 pounds. The above sentence is not well-written. Note how it flows much more smoothly if the colon is replaced, as follows. Whenever pregnancy starts wearing you down, remember that elephants are pregnant for two years and their babies weigh 265 pounds.

Semi-colon

Are semi-colons . . . just personal choice? Yes. How do we tell which ideas need a closer relationship versus separate sentences? That's a very subjective matter. In my opinion and broadly speaking, most good writers do not use a lot of semi-colons. Writing that is full of semi-colons is typically produced by non-native learners of English

In a sense, just about every sentence you write is related to the sentence that precedes or follows it. My feeling is that a semi-colon should only be used in rare cases where the writer wants the reader to reflect very thoughtfully on how the two sentences are related in some special way. Consider these two examples.

I took the garbage out; the can was full. To me, a semi-colon here seems merely silly.

He was afraid to tell her he loved her; she died. To me. the semi-colon shows the reader beauty and sadness.

Clive

Colon usage/semi colon.

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