What is a semicolon? Give an example and a definition please
A semicolon (;) is a punctuation mark used to connect two independent clauses that are closely related or to separate items in a list when commas are already used within those items. It provides a stronger separation than a comma but not as definitive as a period.
Example 1: I have a big presentation tomorrow; I need to prepare all the slides tonight.
In this example, the semicolon is used to connect two independent clauses that are closely related, indicating a slightly stronger relationship compared to using a period.
Example 2: My favorite cities in Europe are Paris, France; Rome, Italy; and Barcelona, Spain.
In this example, the semicolon is used to clarify the separation between items in a list, as commas are already used within those items (e.g., Rome, Italy).