Hyperbole

Hyperbole (hi-PER-buh-lee) is language that is obviously exaggerated and not meant to be taken literally. Writers often use hyperbole for emphasis or to be funny.

Hyperbole: The Best Thing Ever

You can find hyperbole in plenty of English idioms: She’s asked a million questions. You could have knocked me over with a feather. He’s as quiet as a mouse. Now I’ve seen everything.

Where and When to Use Hyperbole

Hyperbole, like metaphors and similes, is a type of figurative language. In fact, metaphors and similes often incorporate hyperbole. When done right, hyperbole can make your writing livelier and more engaging for readers. Consider the difference between these two sentences:

Many people heard Jeremy shouting when the spider landed on him. The entire tri-state area could hear Jeremy shouting when the spider landed on him.

Both of these sentences mean that lots of people heard Jeremy. But the hyperbole in the second sentence places particular emphasis on Jeremy’s volume. Of course it’s impossible for one person’s shout to travel for hundreds of miles—the point is that Jeremy was really freaking out about that spider.

Beware the Hyperbolic “Literally”

Sometimes, people use the word “literally” in a figurative sense to amplify an already hyperbolic statement. But unless your teacher has asked you to go out and, say, harass a cranky grizzly bear, This homework is literally killing me! is just a hyperbolic way to say that your homework is harder or more abundant than you’d like. Although this usage is widespread and even accepted by some dictionaries, it’s generally a good idea to avoid it because many readers find it annoying. In the example above, you can even get rid of “literally” without sacrificing the hyperbole: This homework is killing me!

What Were the Most Common Email Mistakes of 2017?

How’s your email game? Are people happy to correspond with you, or are they leaving you hanging?

The quality of your email communication can significantly impact how you’re perceived by others (especially in business). And though we all do our best to write like a boss, grammatical errors still creep in.

Fortunately we can learn from our own (and others’) mistakes. So as the year wraps up, let’s take a moment to reflect on the fifteen most common email mistakes made by Grammarly users in 2017 and find out what we can all do to step up our email game in 2018.

1Misspelled Words

Sometimes we make spelling mistakes because it’s difficult to type on tiny touchscreen keyboards. Other times we’re just not sure how a word is spelled.

Either way, misspelled words were by far the most common email error in 2017. Good thing Grammarly’s here to catch these pesky errors in your browser and on your iPhone.

2Repeated Words

The runner up for most common error? Repeated words.

I love watching movies, but going to the movie theater is very expensive. When I want to see a movie, I usually just rent one.

Things can get tedious when you use the same words over and over and over. . . Energize your writing by employing synonyms instead of the same word repeatedly.

Struggling to think of an alternative word? Do a quick thesaurus search for inspiration!

3Vague Words

No one enjoys a bland meal—or bland writing. Spice up your writing by avoiding bland, nonspecific words like:

• Good
• Nice
• Awesome
• Greatly

Even a simple change such as “We had a lovely meal” instead of “We had a nice meal” can make a big difference.

Use these nine easy tips to improve bland writing.

4Misspelled Names

Misspelling a place name can be embarrassing (it’s “Albuquerque” not “Albaquerque”).

Misspelling the name of a hiring manager or potential client can be horrifying (it’s “Kathryn” not “Katharine,” but you didn’t care enough to figure that out).

Always do your due diligence to make sure you have the correct spelling. And, just in case, here’s how to salvage your credibility after misspelling someone’s name.

5Not Capitalizing the First Word in a Sentence

We’ve grown so used to the informality of texting that it can be easy to forget most emails (especially for work communication) still require proper capitalization and punctuation.

You can grab a quick refresher on capitalization rules here.

6Passive Voice

Passive voice is grammatically correct but is stylistically frowned upon in formal #writing. #grammar pic.twitter.com/zB4n7lDuvs

— Grammarly (@Grammarly) December 21, 2015

In most situations, using the active voice in lieu of the passive voice will bring greater energy and clarity to your writing.

. . . But occasionally the passive voice is the more appropriate choice.

Not sure how to identify the passive voice or when it’s okay to use? Here’s everything you need to know about using the passive voice correctly.

7Missing Comma Before a Conjunction

Some of us overuse commas, and some don’t use them enough. Commas can greatly affect the meaning of a sentence, so mastering their use is a worthwhile skill.

Here’s a refresher on common rules of usage and how to use commas in complex sentences.

Some people have strong feelings about the Oxford comma and it’s not hard to see why. #punctuation pic.twitter.com/QCtAKA47l4

— Magoosh SAT & ACT (@MagooshSAT_ACT) November 4, 2017

8Sentence Ends Without Punctuation

How the Internet killed the world’s most important #punctuation mark. Sigh… https://t.co/IZXnYj5QPe by @em_dash3 Fault of #socialmedia? @elainasaunt @styleguide @guardianstyle @econstyleguide @ProofreadJulia What’s your view? pic.twitter.com/k8xo1DvO5v

— Alison Benney (@ParisFitness) November 17, 2017

While a period (full stop) used in a text message can imply anger or harshness, this is not the case with email.

Keep your credibility (and make your meaning clear) by punctuating the end of your sentences. Period.

9Proper Noun Not Capitalized

Knowing which words to capitalize can be confusing! I’ve been a copywriter for several years and I still double check capitalization rules. Get clear on proper nouns and how to use them with this quick guide.

10Empty Phrase

Are your sentences full of hot air?

Phrases like “as a matter of fact,” “in a manner of speaking,” “clearly,” and “generally” may seem polished, but they’re unnecessary and end up cluttering your writing.

Streamline your writing by cutting out these thirty-one words and phrases you no longer need.

11Numerals Instead of Words

Did you know it’s not always appropriate to use a numeral (1, 15, 5,000)? Sometimes the correct route is to spell a number out (one, fifteen, five thousand).

Here’s a quick guide for when to spell numbers and when to use numerals.

12Unclear Antecedent

Sansa and her sister Arya often fought as children, which was difficult for her.

In the example sentence it’s unclear which sister found their quarrels difficult. Keep your writing crystal clear by clarifying which antecedent (Sansa or Arya) the pronoun (her) refers to.

Want to learn more? Check out the basics of antecedents here.

13Comma Splice

She forgot to use a conjunction, the sentence was incorrect.

A comma splice occurs when you join two independent clauses with a comma and no conjunction.

Here are some examples of common comma splices to watch out for, plus how to fix them.

14Missing Comma After Introductory Clause

As Joanna reviewed her Weekly Writing Update she realized her lack of comma use.

Unfortunately, this is often the top error listed in my Grammarly Writing Update each week. Don’t make the same mistakes as me. Learn how to properly use commas with introductory clauses.

15Wordiness

Is verbosity hurting your writing? Overly long sentences may confuse and bore your audience.

You can improve readability and clarity by streamlining your writing or breaking your mondo sentences into multiple sentences.

Check out these great tips for cleaning up your dirty writing, getting to the point in everything you write, and purging unnecessary words from your emails.

Further Reading

Dig into these articles and become an email master:

• An Editor’s Guide to Writing Ridiculously Good Emails
• 17 Email Etiquette Rules to Know and Practice
• How to Make a Clear, Assertive Point Over Email
• 7 Brilliant Tips on How to Proofread Emails

What will you do to uplevel your email communication in 2018?

8 Scrumptious Words to Describe Your Thanksgiving Dinner

Chefs are like writers—always combining the elements of their trade to create new works of art. How else do you think we got ice cream made with liquid nitrogen? When it comes to describing food, some writers stick to common words: delicious, tasty, yummy. But eating is a multisensory experience. Here are some scrumptious food adjectives to appeal to all our senses.

Toothsome means pleasing to the taste. But the mention of teeth conjures up thoughts of how food feels in your mouth. For some, the appeal of potato chips is in the delightful crunch. Many disdain cereal after milk changes its texture. Which foods please your palate and your teeth?

Ambrosial derives from ambrosia. You might know it as a sweet fruit dessert, but it was first the name of the food of the gods of Greek mythology. Now, anything especially delicious or fragrant is ambrosial. Can you think of a snack that smells and tastes divine?

Redolent refers to having a pleasing odor. Writers often use it for foods that are naturally fragrant, such as garlic, herbs, and citrus fruits.

Nectarous foods have the sweet, delicious taste of nectar or resemble it in appearance. Rarely, the adjective is spelled nectareous or nectarean. However you spell it, the food it describes is delish!

Sapid dishes are agreeable to the tongue. Sapid also means flavorful. Yes, it’s a rather mild compliment to give, but praise is praise.

Aperitive means stimulating to the appetite. You may know the related French word, apéritifs: appetite-boosting alcoholic beverages such as pastis, champagne, or dry sherry. Fragrant spices, such as cinnamon, cardamom, and fennel are aperitive. That’s why the smell of highly spiced foods may make your stomach rumble.

Many of the adjectives in this article are defined in the dictionary using the terms “agreeable” or “pleasing”.

Piquant is no different. In particular, piquant meals are pungent, sharp, biting, or tart—in a good way. To give you an idea, peppery, zesty, and highly seasoned are among the synonyms of this flavorful word.

Herbaceous fare often smells amazing. Rosemary, mint, and other aromatic herbs are responsible for the mouthwatering odors. In addition to their smell and taste, herbs offer health benefits. Research from the National Academy of Sciences suggests that oregano, for example, is helpful in fighting inflammation.

How was your last meal? Perhaps before reading this article, you would have been content to describe it as delectable. But after considering how eating activates the senses, can you think of a better adjective? Why not surprise your host at the next dinner party you attend with an adjective that reflects how multidimensional the food is!

3 Performance Review Examples You Need to See

Few tasks among a manager’s responsibilities stir up as many mixed feelings as writing performance reviews. We’ve scoured expert resources to bring you examples of how to communicate your company’s needs and encourage productivity without breaking morale.

It’s easy to extol an employee’s virtues, but things get tougher when you’re faced with assessing their challenges and keeping your feedback constructive. How will you find a way to discuss areas where your employees need improvement without raising their defenses?

Employees aren’t often thrilled about the performance review process, either. Employee engagement company TINYPulse surveyed over one thousand professionals and discovered that 37 percent think the process is outdated, and 42 percent feel that managers leave important elements out of their reviews due to bias. Nearly a quarter said they feared performance reviews, and the trend was especially strong among millennials, who also said the process stressed them out.

via GIPHY

Although face-to-face feedback on a regular basis is an important tool for encouraging and motivating your team, the written review gives both the employee and manager something concrete to refer to. Let’s take a look at how to write a review that celebrates great performance and clearly communicates needed improvements.

What Is a Performance Review?

There are many types of performance reviews, and they differ from company to company. Some have grading systems. Others have question and response formats. Some are expected to be free-form. Whatever the case, commenting with clear, positive language is the key to keeping the review goal-focused and productive.

Most reviews will include your evaluation of the employee’s performance in areas such as:

• Quality and accuracy of work
• Ability to meet established goals and deadlines
• Communication skills
• Collaboration skills and teamwork
• Problem-solving skills
• Attendance and dependability

How to Keep Your Performance Reviews Constructive

A bit of psychology goes into writing a performance review that leaves both you and the employee feeling that the experience was valuable. This is where clarity of language comes into play. Let’s look at an example of the same critical feedback, one written with a negative tone, the other growth-focused and positive.

Negative:

Jill is always distracted and finds it difficult to meet project deadlines.

This comment is both hyperbole (Jill isn’t always distracted; otherwise, she’d never get a single thing done!) and a generalization. Starting any piece of feedback with “You always do X” is bound to raise a person’s defenses and create negative feelings. It’s also not actionable. If distractibility is hardwired into Jill’s nature, how will telling her what she already knows help her improve?

Positive:

A focus on prioritizing tasks early in the day will help Jill eliminate distractions to better meet project deadlines. I recommend we touch base briefly each morning to set daily progress goals.

This sort of feedback tells Jill that she needs to work on prioritizing and meeting goals, but it also offers a solution—a daily check-in to help her establish priorities.

Assume that most employees want to do the right thing. Unless Jill’s wasting time posting selfies on Instagram, it’s likely she’s well aware of her problem with meeting deadlines and wants to get better. Rather than pointing out the obvious (Jill struggles to prioritize), it’s important to offer a solution that will work for both of you.

Inc.com provides more examples of what not to write in any employee’s performance review. The Muse offers advice for giving honest feedback that won’t damage your relationship with your employee.

Three Performance Review Phrase Examples

Now that we’ve examined the psychology behind phrasing criticisms constructively, let’s take a look at some sample text from employee reviews.

1 The Good Performer

The first is a positive appraisal from the Snagajob blog:

Samuel exceeds expectations in the role of a sales associate. He adapts to change easily, works well under pressure with a positive attitude and is detail-oriented. Samuel goes beyond the call of duty by seeking out and following up on additional responsibilities, and contributes frequently to department meetings.

2 The Adequate Performer

This more critical take, for an employee who meets expectations but doesn’t reach for higher aspirations, comes from Bright Hub:

John meets manager expectations in the role of trainer. He adapts to ever-changing client demands and works effectively under pressure. John maintains a positive attitude and acute sense of detail, but often at the expense of effective time management. John demonstrates adequate communication skills and completes all requested tasks and required responsibilities. He is very considerate of other team members and works well independently or collaboratively. John shows great aptitude for leadership, but he doesn’t seek out additional professional development opportunities.

3 The Underperformer

Writing negative reviews that are both honest about the employee’s underperformance and motivational in a way that encourages improvement is a challenging task. LearnThat.com gives an example of constructive feedback for an employee whose frequent tardiness is limiting his potential:

When Jack is engaged in his work, he can be a very effective member of our team. Unfortunately, there is too often a time when Jack is late to work and not fully engaged until an hour into the workday. Over the next 3 months, we’d like Jack to focus on his attendance, be on time each day and ready to work at 8:00, and be the effective team member we require.

Think of giving critical feedback like making a sandwich. The criticism (Jack is often late) should be sandwiched between a positive comment (he can be a very effective team member) and some specific steps to help him improve (Jack should focus on attendance and be ready for work at 8:00 a.m. each day).

Writing performance reviews requires managers to be specific with their feedback, stay constructive, and provide solutions to help the employee grow. Pay careful attention to writing clearly, with a positive tone, and soon you’ll be writing performance reviews your employees won’t have to dread receiving.

This Is the Best Way to Write a Memorable Restaurant Review

A great restaurant review can point you toward your new favorite spot—or help you avoid a dining disaster. Review sites like Yelp and TripAdvisor have an abundance of restaurant reviews to browse, but if you spend any time on these sites you’ll notice not all reviews are helpful.

Some reviews are positive, but are so vague that you question their legitimacy. Some might have helpful information, but are so poorly written they’re unintelligible. And other submissions read more like a personal rant than a restaurant review.

Think you’re ready to share your own two cents? Don’t let your review fade into the background of mediocrity! In today’s post we’re sharing how to write a restaurant review that’s captivating, memorable, and useful for your fellow diners.

Here’s How to Structure a Memorable Restaurant Review

1Set the Stage

Let readers know immediately that the review contains useful information and is worth reading. Open the review with an enticing line that promises an interesting payoff (whether delicious or dreadful).

Next, share some context. Why did you decide to try this particular restaurant? What time of day did you go? What size was your party? How did the waitstaff treat you? What was the ambiance like?

It may look like your average neighborhood pizza joint, but Acme Pizza is anything but!

I wandered in with two friends on a Friday night, and was immediately greeted by the friendly staff and incredible aroma of baking pizza. The restaurant was filling up quickly (it was almost 7:00 pm) but we managed to snag a table.

2Deliver the Main Course

How was the food? If a dish was “great,” be sure to describe why. What were the flavors, textures, and appearance like? Carefully select a few punchy adjectives for your descriptions—too few will leave your writing bland, too many will bog it down.

We ordered the garlic knots and two medium pies to share: the XX (pesto, artichoke, red onion, bacon, feta, mozzarella) and the XY (marinara, pepperoni, Italian sausage, mozzarella).

The garlic knots were little bombs of buttery, yeasty goodness, and the garlic was robust but not overpowering. When our pizzas arrived, our expectations continued to be exceeded.

The crust was crisp, flavorful, and chewy. The toppings worked together beautifully. The marinara and pesto were packed with flavor, and the mozarella had a great consistency and very little oil. By the end of the meal we were planning our next visit.

3Wrap Up the Takeaway

End with a punchy summary of why you think other diners should (or shouldn’t) visit the restaurant.

Don’t let appearances fool you—the decor may be divey, but the pies are fantastic. This place is perfect for groups or a casual date night.

5 Essential Tips for Writing a Memorable Restaurant Review

Now that you know the basics, follow these tips to ensure your reviews are always captivating!

1Take Notes (and Pictures!)

To write a vibrant review, you’ll want to capture your thoughts and experiences while they’re still fresh. Use your smartphone or notebook during the meal to jot down highlights and subtler details (e.g., the wait staff was welcoming and attentive, you enjoyed the agricole rum in your cocktail, the tiramisu was soggy and disappointing).

Happy November 8th AKA Cook Something Bold Day. �� by @slite_eats- homemade �� inspired by #difara pies. Cooking something bold today? Tweet and tag us! #difarapizza #difara #gordonramsay pic.twitter.com/18dQJp70L1

— Di Fara Pizza (@difara) November 8, 2017

2Get Specific

Avoid vague words and phrases like “The service was bad” or “The pie was great.” Instead, provide specific details like, “The server was friendly but inexperienced and botched our drink order” or “The lemon meringue pie had a wonderfully flaky crust, a tart and tangy filling, and dreamy melt-in-your-mouth meringue.”

3Be Fair

If you’ve visited a restaurant several times and only once had a bad experience, be sure to note this in your review. Everyone has an off night now and again.

. . .Also, if you love Korean cuisine and decide to try out the new Mexican-Korean fusion grill, please don’t write a review complaining how the bulgogi isn’t authentic enough.

4Don’t Rant

Parking was an ordeal, you suffered through a long wait for your table, then endured a careless server and over-priced, disappointing food.

Writing a one-star Yelp review about “THE WORST PLACE EVER” may feel cathartic in the moment, but vague, emotion-laden reviews don’t carry much weight.  

Instead, describe the specific details of why your experience was sub-par. This will help other diners make an informed decision on whether they should give the restaurant a chance—or a hard pass.

5Remember to Proofread

Want folks to take your review seriously? Be sure your spelling and grammar are on point. A review riddled with errors is likely to be written off, ignored, or even misunderstood.

Ensure you’re communicating clearly and professionally by using the Grammarly browser plug-in on your non-mobile devices, or download Grammarly’s mobile keyboard (iPhone; Android) when using Yelp, TripAdvisor, or other mobile apps.

Spelling Rules

Anyone who has ever had to memorize a tough-to-spell English word (It’s fuchsia, right? Or is it fuschia? Fushia?) has noticed that the spelling of some words is wildly different from the way we pronounce them. To make matters worse, some words are spelled differently in American English and British English. If it makes you feel any better, the eccentricities of English spelling weren’t invented just to make life difficult for writers.

Around Shakespeare’s time, when spelling was first becoming standardized, the spelling of most English words was mostly phonetic—or at least more phonetic than it is today. For example, English speakers did once pronounce the k at the beginning of words like knife and knee. But even though no one has pronounced knee as “kuh-nee” in centuries, we still hang on to the old spelling.

Fortunately, there are a few rules of thumb that can help when you’re faced with a word you’re not sure how to spell.

Spelling Rule 1: I Before E, Except After C

The rule goes like this:

I before E, Except after C, unless it sounds like A, as in neighbor or weigh

There are many exceptions to this rule—maybe it’s better to think of it as a guideline—but it can be helpful with words like the ones below.

I before E

Would you like a piece of cake? Jerry will believe anything. They’re planting new grass on the football field.

Except before C

Darnell received an A on his spelling test. Jeremy spotted a spider on the ceiling. I never expected such deceit from you!

Unless it sounds like A

Our neighbors live in a beige house. How much does the kitten weigh?

Here’s a tip: It’s a good idea to memorize these common exceptions to the rule:

seize, either, weird, height, foreign, leisure, conscience, counterfeit, forfeit, neither, science, species, sufficient

Spelling Rule 2: Adding Suffixes to Words that End in Y

When you add a suffix that starts with E (such as -ed, -er, or -est) to a word that ends in Y, the Y usually changes to an I.

• Cry – cried – crier
• Dry – dried – drier
• Lay – laid (note the irregular spelling: no E)
• Baby – babies
• Family – families
• Ugly – ugliest

This is the dustiest old house I’ve ever seen. The best bakers make the flakiest pie crusts. The soup needs the tiniest pinch of salt, and then it’s perfect. Seawater dries out your skin.

The Y doesn’t change for the suffix -ing.

The baby has been crying for almost an hour. The minute we brought in the new puppy, our mother began laying down sheets of newspaper. We should spend some time tidying before the guests arrive.

If the word in question has two consonants before the Y, change the Y to I before adding the suffix ‑ly.

• Sloppy – sloppily
• Happy – happily
• Scary – scarily

Funnily enough, I said the same thing just yesterday.

Of course, there are always exceptions:

“Funny,” he said dryly.

Spelling Rule 3: The Silent E

Typically, an E after a consonant at the end of a word is silent, but it does affect the way you pronounce the vowel that comes before the consonant. The E makes the vowel sound of the word (or syllable) long (like the I sound in kite) instead of short (like the I sound in kitten). It’s important to get the silent E right, because its presence or absence can change the meaning of a word.

The monkey bit me. Keep your fingers out of the cage: the monkeys bite.
By adding the E to the end of bit, the word is changed from past to present tense.
Don’t cut yourself on the sharp knives. The kitten is really cute.
In this case, the silent E creates a completely different word.

When adding a suffix like -ed, -er or -est, the silent E is usually dropped from the end of the root word.

The dog bared his teeth at the mail carrier. The baby’s eyes were the bluest I’d ever seen.

Spelling Rule 4: Double Consonants

Watch out for double consonants. It can be difficult to hear them when a word is said aloud—especially if the word has only one syllable. Double consonants are frequently found in words that have suffixes added to them:

I dropped the heavy bags to the floor. Someone called for you earlier.

Some words can be pronounced as either one or two syllables, but the spelling remains the same:

Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the Earth.
In this sentence, which is a fixed expression, blessed is pronounced as two syllables: bless-ed.
The father blessed his son before the wedding.
In this sentence, blessed is pronounced as one syllable: blest.

Be particularly careful with words where a double consonant can change the pronunciation and the meaning of the word.

Cacti are native to the desert. Would you like ice cream for dessert?

Spelling Rule 5: Plural Suffixes

When do you add ‑s and when do you add ‑es to make a plural? It’s not quite as arbitrary as it may seem. The rule is this: if a word ends in ‑s, ‑sh, ‑ch, ‑x, or ‑z, you add ‑es.

I only had to take one bus; you had to take two buses. I only get one wish; you get two wishes. I have a splotch on my shirt; you have two splotches. I’m carrying one box; you’re carrying two boxes. Would you like a spritz of perfume? Two spritzes, please.

For all other endings, add ‑s.

I have one cat; you have two cats. I have one cup; you have two cups. I have one shoe; you have two shoes. Where is my other shoe? I have one ski; you have two skis. How am I supposed to ski? I have one toque; you have two toques.

Be careful of words that don’t change when they’re pluralized (e.g., fish, sheep, moose). If you’re unsure, check the dictionary.

Be sure to also check out this list of commonly confused words to help you choose the right spelling of words with similar meanings and pronunciations.

Semicolon

What Is a Semicolon?

Semicolons (;) are as basic as a period stacked on top of a comma. Does that mean you can use it like either one? Don’t get your hopes up. But don’t let this punctuation mark get you down, either. After all, that sly emoticon winky eye can’t be all bad. ��

How to Use a Semicolon Correctly

The most common use of the semicolon is to join two independent clauses without using a conjunction like and. 

Do you use a capital letter after a semicolon? The general answer is no. A semicolon should be followed by a capital letter only if the word is a proper noun or an acronym.

We can go to the museum to do some research; Mondays are pretty quiet there.

Remember, semicolons are not interchangeable with commas or periods. Instead, they’re somewhere in between: stronger than a comma but not quite as divisive as a period. Sounds pretty cunning to us.

Here are the rules for using semicolons correctly; we hope you’re taking notes.

 

1. Semicolons Connect Related Independent Clauses

You can use a semicolon to join two closely related independent clauses. Let’s put that another way. The group of words that comes before the semicolon should form a complete sentence, the group of words that comes after the semicolon should form a complete sentence, and the two sentences should share a close, logical connection:

I ordered a cheeseburger for lunch; life’s too short for counting calories.

Money is the root of all evil; I don’t believe the reverse is necessarily true.

Martha has gone to the library; Andrew has gone to play soccer.

Notice that the letter following the semicolon is not capitalized. The examples above are both made up of two complete, grammatically correct sentences glued together. Yes, that means there are four total sentences up there—and thanks to the semicolon, only two capital letters. That’s exactly why you can’t substitute a comma for a semicolon. Using a comma instead of a semicolon in the sentences above would result in a comma splice. And there’s nothing as painful as a comma splice.

2. Delete the Conjunction When You Use a Semicolon

A semicolon isn’t the only thing that can link two independent clauses. Conjunctions (that’s your ands, buts, and ors) can do that too. But you shouldn’t use a semicolon and a conjunction. That means when you use a semicolon, you use it instead of the ands, buts, and ors; you don’t need both. Here’s a hint: if you used a comma and an “and” to link two related ideas, think of the period (you know, the top part of the semicolon) as a replacement “and.”

I saw a magnificent albatross, and it was eating a mouse.

I saw a magnificent albatross; it was eating a mouse.

You need a comma plus something to avoid a comma splice. That something can either be the right conjunction or the period that turns a comma into a semicolon. If semicolons can link independent clauses that would otherwise have a period or a conjunction between them, that means they can demonstrate contrast, too. This is part of the same rule, but the conjunction in question is “but” instead of “and.” In other words:

This is part of the same rule; the conjunction in question is “but” instead of “and.”

To summarize, a semicolon links up two related ideas by narrowing the gap between the ideas of two separate sentences or by replacing a conjunction between two related ideas. That goes for showing contrast, too: just because two ideas are opposed or contradictory, that doesn’t mean they aren’t related closely enough to earn themselves a semicolon.

3. Use Semicolons in a Serial List

You can use semicolons to divide the items of a list if the items are long or contain internal punctuation. In these cases, the semicolon helps readers keep track of the divisions between the items.

I need the weather statistics for the following cities: London, England; London, Ontario; Paris, France; Paris, Ontario; Perth, Scotland; Perth, Ontario.

My plan included taking him to a nice—though not necessarily expensive—dinner; going to the park to look at the stars, which, by the way, are amazing this time of year; and serenading him with my accordion.

Let’s recap: so far we’ve got semicolons for linking two independent clauses; replacing a conjunction (whether showing similarity, like “and,” or opposition, like “but”); and long, comma-loving lists. Yup, that was one now.

4. Use Semicolons With Conjunctive Adverbs

When you have a conjunctive adverb linking two independent clauses, you should use a semicolon. Some common conjunctive adverbs include moreover, nevertheless, however, otherwise, therefore, then, finally, likewise, and consequently. 

I needed to go for a walk and get some fresh air; >also, I needed to buy milk.

Reports of the damage caused by the hurricane were greatly exaggerated; indeed, the storm was not a “hurricane” at all.

The students had been advised against walking alone at night; however, Cathy decided walking wasn’t dangerous if it was early in the evening.

I’m not all that fond of the colors of tiger lilies; moreover, they don’t smell very good.

These words sometimes show up in other parts of a sentence; therefore, the semicolon rule only applies if it helps the conjunctive adverb join two independent clauses. (See what we did there?) This conjunctive adverb rule is similar to the conjunction rule. In both cases, check that the two ideas are independent clauses that could stand on their own as sentences. If so, then you’re grammatically good to go as far as the semicolon is concerned.

5. Use a Semicolon to Give a Wily Wink

Emoticons will never replace a solid knowledge of the English language. But they can sure spice it up from time to time. �� The semicolon is a good punctuation mark to have in your back pocket. Or on top of your parenthetical smile. So whether you’re using it to whip up a good complex sentence or to give someone a wink, now you know how to do it right.