Question

Which sentence has the correct use of a semicolon?

Answer 1

The best option to this answer is B Carl is tall; his brother is short.
A semicolon is often used to merge two independent clauses (or two complete thoughts). [ex. my cat has brown fur; my dog has white fur.]

Answer 2

Answer: The sentence that shows the correct use of a semicolon is B. Carl is tall; his brother is short.

Explanation: Punctuation rules state that a semicolon should be used mainly to join two independent clauses. They also state that it is incorrect to place a semicolon between a dependent clause and the rest of the sentence as well as between a verb and its modifiers. In that way, the only sentence that shows correct usage of a semicolon is B. "Carl is tall; his brother is short" since the semicolon has been placed between two independent clauses, "Carl is tall" and "his brother is short", which can stand alone as sentences. In contrast, in sentence A. the semicolon has not been correctly used since it has been included after a depending clause. Moreover, sentence C. is also incorrect because the semicolon is separating the verb from its modifier.