Errors in the use of punctuation marks - Semicolons and Colons

the answer is b.


A.Daniel Boone was born in Pennsylvania; his parents were English Quakers.

B.Leftover turkey can be used in turkey tetrazzini, turkey burgers, and turkey chowder.

C.In 1819, the Baptists founded Hamilton Literary and Theological Seminary; which was renamed Colgate University when soap maker William Colgate donated a large sum of money to the school.

D.Star Trek: The Motion Picture was criticized for too many special effects; in contrast, Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan focused more on plot and characters.

B is correct; no semicolon or colon needed.

Remember --

~~ Use semicolon to separate EQUAL things.
~~ Use colon to precede a list or something that explains the first independent clause of the sentence.

its C.

To identify the correct answer, we need to understand the correct use of semicolons and colons. Here's a breakdown of the rules:

1. Semicolons:
- Semicolons are used to join two independent clauses (complete sentences) that are closely related and could stand alone as separate sentences.
- The semicolon indicates a stronger connection between the two clauses than a period would.
- It's important to note that a semicolon should not be followed by a coordinating conjunction (such as "and," "but," "or," etc.).

2. Colons:
- Colons are used to introduce a list, explanation, or an elaboration of the previous clause.
- Colons can also be used to introduce a quotation or a formal statement.

Now, let's analyze the given options:

A. "Daniel Boone was born in Pennsylvania; his parents were English Quakers."
- The semicolon is correctly used here because it joins two related independent clauses.

B. "Leftover turkey can be used in turkey tetrazzini, turkey burgers, and turkey chowder."
- This sentence uses commas to separate items in a list, which is the correct usage in this case. It does not require a semicolon or a colon.

C. "In 1819, the Baptists founded Hamilton Literary and Theological Seminary; which was renamed Colgate University when soap maker William Colgate donated a large sum of money to the school."
- This sentence uses a semicolon instead of a colon. However, a colon should be used to introduce the explanation of why the seminary was renamed. Therefore, the use of the semicolon here is incorrect.

D. "Star Trek: The Motion Picture was criticized for too many special effects; in contrast, Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan focused more on plot and characters."
- The colon is used correctly here to introduce the explanation of why Star Trek: The Motion Picture was criticized.

Based on the explanation and analysis, the correct answer is B, as options A, C, and D contain errors in the use of punctuation marks.