Here's a breakdown:
* Independent clause: A complete sentence with a subject and a verb, expressing a complete thought.
* Closely related: The two clauses should be connected in meaning, often showing a contrast, cause and effect, or continuation of the previous thought.
Example:
> "The storm raged; the ship tossed violently."
Here's why it works:
* "The storm raged" and "The ship tossed violently" are both complete sentences.
* They are closely related because they describe the consequences of the storm.
Alternatives to a semicolon:
* Period (.) You can use a period to separate the clauses into two separate sentences.
* Conjunction (and, but, or, etc.) You can join the clauses with a conjunction and a comma.
Important Notes:
* Don't use a semicolon to join two independent clauses that are not closely related.
* Don't use a semicolon after a dependent clause.
* Semicolons can also be used to separate items in a list when the items themselves contain commas.
Overall, the semicolon is a versatile punctuation mark that can add clarity and sophistication to your writing.