Here's why:
* Dependent clauses cannot stand alone as a complete sentence because they lack a subject or verb, or both.
* Independent clauses can stand alone as a complete sentence.
Semicolons are used to:
1. Join two closely related independent clauses. They indicate a stronger connection between the clauses than a comma would.
*Example: The rain poured; the streets flooded.*
2. Separate items in a list, especially if the items are long or contain internal commas.
*Example: We visited London, England; Paris, France; and Rome, Italy.*
3. Separate clauses that are already separated by a comma and a coordinating conjunction (e.g., and, but, or). This is often done for clarity when the clauses are long or complex.
*Example: He arrived late, and the meeting had already started, so he had to catch up quickly.*
To separate a dependent clause from an independent clause, you would use a comma if the dependent clause comes before the independent clause.
*Example: *Because the rain poured, the streets flooded.*
If the independent clause comes before the dependent clause, you would not use any punctuation.
*Example: *The streets flooded because the rain poured.*