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Semicolons & Meaning
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Here are the previous examples, but with semicolons used to replace first a comma then a full stop.
- It was a long way to the city; five miles in total. The panda was not going to make it alone.
Here, the longer pause indicated by the semicolon adds a sense of desperation to the distance.
- Victoria wondered whether she would reach the church on time; it was raining. She had forgotten her umbrella.
This takes on a different meaning: it is the rain that is causing her to worry about being late. The lack of umbrealla has nothing to do with it.
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No doubt you did something similar? By now you should have a good idea about what semicolons are and how they can be used to enhance your writing.
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