We know that a semicolon is stop punctuation. We use a semicolon inside a sentence to separate two complete thoughts.
In a previous post, we talked about FANBOYS – the seven coordinating conjunctions. Each conjunction begins with one of the letters in FANBOYS: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So.
In the same way that we use a semicolon inside a sentence to separate two complete thoughts, we can also use a comma and one of the FANBOYS to separate two complete thoughts.
Example sentences with a semicolon between two complete thoughts:
I like to read mystery novels; my dad prefers non-fiction.
Yesterday was a practice day; today we have our first game.
It’s very cold outside; be sure to wear your heavy coat.
Here are the same example sentences using a comma and one of the FANBOYS in place of the semicolon.
I like to read mystery novels, but my dad prefers non-fiction.
Yesterday was a practice day, and today we have our first game.
It’s very cold outside, so be sure to wear your heavy coat.
A comma and one of the FANBOYS serves the same function as a semicolon. They both separate two complete thoughts inside a sentence.