Functions of punctuation markers
Summary
| : | The colon is used to introduce explanations, examples, definitions and specification of what comes before. It is often placed before lists and quotations |
| ; | The semi-colon is used to show that the ideas are closely related, either because they are similar, or because they contrast. It is also used to separate long items in a list |
| - - | Dashes
are used around explanations, examples, definitions, specifications, qualifications and
other pieces of information which interrupt the main idea. Their use implies that the
information they contain is extra. A single dash is sometimes used instead of a colon or a semi-colon, but this is more common in less formal writing. |
| ( ) | Brackets are used in the same way as dashes, but always in pairs. They are stronger than dashes in suggesting that the information they contain is not essential. |
The markers considered here work like commas and full stops. They can separate or contain both phrases and independent clauses.
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08/07/03