What do semicolons do?

Question

separate two independent clauses

separate dependent clauses

separate dependent clauses and non-essential clauses

Answer 1

The primary function of a semicolon is to separate two independent clauses that are closely related and could stand alone as separate sentences. This punctuation mark is used to create a stronger connection between the two clauses than a period would. Semicolons are not used to separate dependent clauses or non-essential clauses, as these types of clauses are typically separated by commas or other punctuation marks.