Which sentence requires semicolon instead of commas
I have a dentist appointment on Monday, and I need to pick up groceries afterward.
A semicolon is used to separate two independent clauses that are closely related in meaning. Here is an example sentence that requires a semicolon instead of commas:
Example: "I studied all night for the exam, I was determined to do well."
Corrected with semicolon: "I studied all night for the exam; I was determined to do well."
To determine which sentence requires a semicolon instead of commas, we need to identify sentences that include a list of items or phrases. The basic rule for using semicolons in lists is that they are used to separate items when those items already contain commas.
Let's see some examples:
1. "I need to buy apples, oranges, bananas, and grapes at the grocery store."
In this sentence, there is a list of items, but none of the items within the list contain commas. Therefore, commas are appropriate here.
2. "My favorite sports are basketball, which requires agility and coordination, and soccer, which demands endurance and teamwork."
In this sentence, the items within the list (basketball and soccer) are both followed by phrases that contain commas. Therefore, a semicolon should be used before "and" to properly separate the items in this case: "My favorite sports are basketball, which requires agility and coordination; and soccer, which demands endurance and teamwork."
So, the second sentence requires a semicolon instead of commas.