Difference between Semi colon and hyphen

Question

Hi,

Could someone please tell me what is the difference between a Hypen (-) and A Semi colon (;) please? It seems like they are both used to join related sentences together but I can't understand when you would use one over the other. Also could you please give some examples of when they would be used please?

Thanks

Enoon · Accepted Answer

Punctuation is a huge topic with many fine details. There is a good basic guide on line at Bartleby's, Strunk's Elements of Style. (bartleby.com/141/). I cannot teach you how to punctuate in one post, but I can tell you that the hyphen is never used to join sentences—you want an em dash (like that one) for that. A colon can also join sentences.

There are several ways to combine independent clauses. In rough order of degree of separation:

If they express loosely related ideas, you use a comma and "and" (the usual way):

Lucy was just 7 years old, and she had never petted an alligator before.

If they are short and parallel, a comma alone suffices (this is quite rare):

The gator twitched, Lucy jumped.

If the second clause augments the first, a semicolon is used:

Lucy timidly reached out again; she really wanted to pet it.

The em dash indicates a stronger connection and a bigger break than the semicolon:

At last, her fingertip brushed his back—it was cold!

The colon and the em dash are pretty much the same. The colon is more technical, less suitable for fiction and the like. It is used when the second clause defines the first:

Lucy had learned an important lesson: alligators are nice.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the foregoing examples are those of an imaginary 7-year-old girl and do not reflect those of a person who wants to keep his hand.

Clive · Answer

Hi,

Let me add a couple of quick, objective comments.

Semi-colons should not be over-used. Ideally, each person should be given 10 semi-colons when they are born. After they use them all, they cannot use any more.

Em-dashes are an evil invention to make people believe it is not necessary to organize their thoughts carefully before speaking.

Clive

Difference between Semi colon and hyphen

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