Bowman Semicolon Usage 1

Explanation
The correct answer is "Her mother, an artist, held her own show; but her aunt, also an artist, could not attend the exhibit." This answer correctly uses a semicolon to separate two independent clauses that are closely related in meaning. The semicolon helps to create a clear and concise sentence structure, making it easier for the reader to understand the relationship between the two clauses.

Explanation
The correct answer is the second sentence: "The dean, whom everyone admires; my mother, who is my biggest fan; and my English teacher, a wonderful person, congratulated me for my work." This sentence correctly uses semicolons to separate the different elements in the list of people who congratulated the speaker. Each element is also properly described with additional information.

Explanation
The correct answer is a sentence that correctly uses a semicolon to join two independent clauses. The first clause states that the cousins loved to play video games, and the second clause explains that they stayed up all night to reach the next level. The semicolon is used to show a close relationship between the two ideas, indicating that the cousins' love for video games directly led to their decision to stay up all night.

Explanation
The correct answer is "John is a former police officer; he now stays home with his children." This answer is correct because it accurately describes John's current situation and his previous occupation. It uses correct punctuation to separate the two statements and convey the information clearly.

Explanation
This sentence is an example of a conditional statement. It presents two possible outcomes depending on the action taken. If the tree is trimmed, it will improve its appearance. However, if the tree is chopped down, it will be missed. The use of the conjunction "but" indicates a contrast between the two outcomes.

Explanation
The use of a semicolon in the sentence is incorrect. A semicolon is used to connect two independent clauses that are closely related in meaning. In this case, "Tierra had been the captain of the ship for twenty years" and "therefore, she knew exactly what to do" are not independent clauses. The correct punctuation to use in this sentence is a comma, as it separates the dependent clause "therefore, she knew exactly what to do" from the independent clause "Tierra had been the captain of the ship for twenty years."

Explanation
The correct answer is "She is not doing well in school; however, everyone hopes that she will be able to graduate." The semicolon is used to separate two independent clauses that are closely related. In this sentence, the first clause states that she is not doing well in school, and the second clause expresses the contrasting idea that everyone still hopes she will be able to graduate. The semicolon helps to emphasize the contrast between the two ideas.

Explanation
The correct answer is: John, the singer; Jack, the bassist; and Sean, the drummer, were the three most talented members of the band.

The correct answer is the one that accurately lists the names and roles of the three most talented members of the band. In this case, it correctly identifies John as the singer, Jack as the bassist, and Sean as the drummer. The use of semicolons helps to separate the names and roles, making the sentence clear and grammatically correct.

Explanation
The correct answer is "Time passes very quickly these days; it seems as if you were here just yesterday." This sentence is grammatically correct and effectively conveys the idea that time is passing quickly. The use of a semicolon helps to connect the two independent clauses, and the phrase "it seems as if you were here just yesterday" adds to the sense of time passing quickly.