Am I using the semicolon correctly in the sentence below?
"Overall, the historical epic GANDHI was a riveting, biographical masterpiece of a man who rose from being a simple lawyer and transformed into a worldwide symbol of peace and understanding; an epic film that is worthy of its multiple Academy Awards and praise."
"Overall, the historical epic, Gandhi, is a riveting, biographical masterpiece about a man who rose from being a simple lawyer and was transformed into a worldwide symbol of peace and understanding; an epic film that is worthy of its multiple Academy Awards and praise."
No.
Be sure to check the other corrections I've made above.
Basically, you need to remember this. A semicolon is used to separate equal things. Since you have a complete sentence before the semicolon, you need to have a complete sentence after it, too.
Right now, you have a fragment after the semicolon. Either change the fragment into a sentence -- or change the punctuation.
And I can already see verb tense errors in the italicized revision I wrote above!!
What do you think?
"Overall, the historical epic GANDHI was a riveting, biographical masterpiece of a man who rose from a simple lawyer and turned into a worldwide symbol of peace and understanding. It is an epic film that is worthy of its multiple Academy Awards and praise. "
1. Do NOT put the title of the film in all-caps. DO put the title of the film in italics.
2. "about a man..." (not "of")
3. "became" would be better than "turned into"
Everything else looks good.
The movie title is spelled in all capital letters, though.
Never mind. I won't put the title of the film in all capital letters.
I'd be marking you off for that. Maybe your teacher would let you get away with it, but I wouldn't!
And don't forget the commas before and after the film title, as well as putting the title in italics.
Yes, you are using the semicolon correctly in the sentence. The purpose of a semicolon is to separate two closely related independent clauses, which are essentially complete sentences on their own. In your sentence, the semicolon is used to separate two independent clauses:
1. "Overall, the historical epic GANDHI was a riveting, biographical masterpiece of a man who rose from being a simple lawyer and transformed into a worldwide symbol of peace and understanding."
2. "An epic film that is worthy of its multiple Academy Awards and praise."
Both of these clauses can stand alone as independent sentences, but by using a semicolon, you are indicating that they are closely related and should be considered together.
Remember, when using a semicolon, it is important to ensure that both independent clauses are complete sentences that can stand alone. Additionally, the two clauses should be closely related in meaning. In your sentence, the semicolon is appropriate as both clauses are about the same topic, "GANDHI," and provide additional information about the film.